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Rusty Blade’s Wet Shaving Journey

Random thought #2: I admit, there are times when I buy into the hype that if something is expensive then the product must be superior to a less expensive product. And then again, as my father used to say, "You get what you pay for." Or, "You buy cheap, you get cheap". I have run the gamut on wet shaving products, from expensive to bargain basement prices and truthfully, price, in most instances doesn't really matter if you want a quality shave. Yes, with some products the high price shows in the craftsmanship, but in most instances a less expensive product will get the job done for a lot less money.

Let's look at some examples. I won't use names because the brand is not important. I don't want to put down any company trying to make a living. Brushes. A high end brush you buy for a couple of hundred dollars does not work up a better lather than a $12 brush. It's really that simple. Now I do understand how clicking "Complete purchase" on a high end brush can be quite exciting...and there is a certain WOW! factor when it arrives in the mailbox. I get it...I really do. I've got a couple of those brushes on my shelf. But is that $200 brush really 20 time better than the $10 brush? I think not. Same goes for high end soaps or creams. They don't produce a shave that is 10 times better than the less expensive soaps or creams. Or razors or aftershaves...same thing.

Don't get me wrong. I am not a penny pincher. And there are some budget priced items that are absolute garbage, but their identities are well known. I have purchased the high end stuff and it is nice, but as I journey to a minimalist shave kit I have come to realize that there are some absolutely great products out there for very reasonable prices...that produce outstanding shaves. Once in a while I enjoy taking out my high end products for a spin...and there is something nice about a luxury shave. But I also get a great satisfaction from my daily shave items that are more reasonably priced. A luxury shave is not based on price alone.
 
Random thought #3: Online shopping is the ultimate enabler for the modern wet shaver. Let's face it, if we had to rely on our local drugstores or department stores our shaving dens would consist of one or two shaving soaps or creams, a handful of aftershaves and a couple of brushes. As for razors you might be able to pick up a DE and good luck finding a quality SR or SE. As for blades you may be able to pick up some Wilkinson Sword blades at Walmart.

The fortunate among us may find new products if we have the luxury of travel to exotic places. And the really lucky ones would live within a day's travel of Pasteur's.

When we were kids the highlight of our year was receiving the Eatons Christmas catalogue. We would spend hours browsing through the colourful pages selecting our wish list. As an adult I found myself spending hours flipping through the web pages of Italian Barber, Classic Edge and Fendrihan making up not a wish list, but a purchase list, because now it was me that held the credit card, not Santa.

We are so fortunate to have access to such a variety of shaving products. And we have all done our part in supporting a booming industry. Many Mom and Pop start up businesses have successfully made their way into the wet shaving industry all thanks to our desire to try the newest and best shaving products. A lot of people make a living off of us. And our general prosperity has enabled us to click, "Complete Purchase" with ease. Good, I say. Good all around. We are privileged to have the means and the ability to access this wonderful diversity of products.

I wonder what our fathers and grandfathers would say if they could see us now, with our shave dens full of shaving products, our bedroom bureaus and bathroom shelves looking like a store display with rows of brushes and a line up of aftershaves and soaps?
 
Excellent Random Thought #3! I am blessed (or cursed) depending on the goal. And for me, the Sears Wish Book held pages of childhood dreams!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rusty. They help me to evaluate and keep my possessions from possessing my every waking moment. While it has become enjoyable, owning more and more things won't make me happier or shave any better.

Perfect timing for reflection on what is important.

Thanks again.
Eric

Eric; M, Karve Diem, BOSC
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Conversely, the online shopping explosion has helped keep me well away from shaving gluttony. It's just too overwhelming. I'd probably have been tempted for a little more exploration, should the array of options been smaller, and easier to get my head around.

The only real exploration I've done is DE razor blades, and I've already started forgetting what some of the ones I've tried were like. I've been here a year, and I'm still have to look up the low to mid range modern DE razors to follow conversations. Vintage DE and SE are futher swamps of knowledge that I've kept clear of, save for a birth year razor, and the razors I arrived here with.

The vast array of soaps available, drove me to only try two soaps that are available off the shelf within walking distance, and the products of one local craft soap maker. Each soap lasts me between 6 and 18 months, which just makes shopping sprees even less appealing. As for brushes, I came here with one, now have three, and I was gifted two of those.

I was a little concerned that signing up here, might have put me at risk of tumbling down rabbitholes, but has in fact made me more mindful of avoiding them. Seeing pictures of some people's collections helped too :D

For those who want options, there's plenty of them, and lots of enthusiasm and encouragement for them too. For those who wish for a simpler shaving life, the overwhelming array of options can serve as motivation for them too.
 
Conversely, the online shopping explosion has helped keep me well away from shaving gluttony. It's just too overwhelming. I'd probably have been tempted for a little more exploration, should the array of options been smaller, and easier to get my head around.

The only real exploration I've done is DE razor blades, and I've already started forgetting what some of the ones I've tried were like. I've been here a year, and I'm still have to look up the low to mid range modern DE razors to follow conversations. Vintage DE and SE are futher swamps of knowledge that I've kept clear of, save for a birth year razor, and the razors I arrived here with.

The vast array of soaps available, drove me to only try two soaps that are available off the shelf within walking distance, and the products of one local craft soap maker. Each soap lasts me between 6 and 18 months, which just makes shopping sprees even less appealing. As for brushes, I came here with one, now have three, and I was gifted two of those.

I was a little concerned that signing up here, might have put me at risk of tumbling down rabbitholes, but has in fact made me more mindful of avoiding them. Seeing pictures of some people's collections helped too :D

For those who want options, there's plenty of them, and lots of enthusiasm and encouragement for them too. For those who wish for a simpler shaving life, the overwhelming array of options can serve as motivation for them too.
Another fine perspective! I have read many of your posts and I am challenged by some to simplify and enjoy. Sticking with one item hones technique, and great technique means great shaves with just about any set up. Thanks again for your comments.


Eric; M, Karve Diem, BOSC
 
Excellent Random Thought #3! I am blessed (or cursed) depending on the goal. And for me, the Sears Wish Book held pages of childhood dreams!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rusty. They help me to evaluate and keep my possessions from possessing my every waking moment. While it has become enjoyable, owning more and more things won't make me happier or shave any better.

Perfect timing for reflection on what is important.

Thanks again.
Eric

Eric; M, Karve Diem, BOSC
Thanks Eric. It is true that our possessions can own us...and that is a scary thought. It is pretty easy to see how that can happen. And yes, owning more things just becomes overwhelming and it doesn't make me feel any happier. When I had 40+ soaps, it was hard to even decide which one to use and it left me feeling just cluttered.
 
Conversely, the online shopping explosion has helped keep me well away from shaving gluttony. It's just too overwhelming. I'd probably have been tempted for a little more exploration, should the array of options been smaller, and easier to get my head around.

The only real exploration I've done is DE razor blades, and I've already started forgetting what some of the ones I've tried were like. I've been here a year, and I'm still have to look up the low to mid range modern DE razors to follow conversations. Vintage DE and SE are futher swamps of knowledge that I've kept clear of, save for a birth year razor, and the razors I arrived here with.

The vast array of soaps available, drove me to only try two soaps that are available off the shelf within walking distance, and the products of one local craft soap maker. Each soap lasts me between 6 and 18 months, which just makes shopping sprees even less appealing. As for brushes, I came here with one, now have three, and I was gifted two of those.

I was a little concerned that signing up here, might have put me at risk of tumbling down rabbitholes, but has in fact made me more mindful of avoiding them. Seeing pictures of some people's collections helped too :D

For those who want options, there's plenty of them, and lots of enthusiasm and encouragement for them too. For those who wish for a simpler shaving life, the overwhelming array of options can serve as motivation for them too.
True...so true. For me I had to fall halfway down the acquisition rabbit hole before I realized I had fallen down the wrong hole. Like so many things in life, sometimes we have to try something before we realize its not what we really wanted.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
True...so true. For me I had to fall halfway down the acquisition rabbit hole before I realized I had fallen down the wrong hole. Like so many things in life, sometimes we have to try something before we realize its not what we really wanted.

Totally agree!

I signed up here having already fallen down other rabbit holes in other walks of life, and have already had that continual need for something new kicked out of me, by it leading more to frustration than happiness, much as you described about just feeling cluttered.

That said, I've still ended up with a glut of soap somehow. Even discounting the two I got for my birthday last month, the remaining half of my current craft soap, the second one with the different scent that's unused in the drawer, the unopened puck of Mitchells next to it, plus the few spare sticks of Palmolive comes to over three years soap. I don't know how long the two I got for my birthday will last, but I assume that will take me over four years worth of soap. There's a part used puck of Wilkinson blue bowl soap on top of my vintage scuttle too... and I call myself a minimalist.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Another fine perspective! I have read many of your posts and I am challenged by some to simplify and enjoy. Sticking with one item hones technique, and great technique means great shaves with just about any set up. Thanks again for your comments.


Eric; M, Karve Diem, BOSC


Thank you! Yes, sticking with one set aids technique, and I only need to use a different razor for a week, just 7 shaves, for my technique to go awry. It usually takes me another two or three shaves to tune back in again. There's two types of shaves I enjoy - the genuine challenge, and the routine shave with something I'm very fluid with and in tune with. Swapping razors frequently gives me neither of these. It just gives me subpar shaves with a lack of satisfaction at the end.

But that's just me, and I wouldn't want to preach to others as to how they will best enjoy their shaves.
 
Totally agree!

I signed up here having already fallen down other rabbit holes in other walks of life, and have already had that continual need for something new kicked out of me, by it leading more to frustration than happiness, much as you described about just feeling cluttered.

That said, I've still ended up with a glut of soap somehow. Even discounting the two I got for my birthday last month, the remaining half of my current craft soap, the second one with the different scent that's unused in the drawer, the unopened puck of Mitchells next to it, plus the few spare sticks of Palmolive comes to over three years soap. I don't know how long the two I got for my birthday will last, but I assume that will take me over four years worth of soap. There's a part used puck of Wilkinson blue bowl soap on top of my vintage scuttle too... and I call myself a minimalist.
All in good time. Rome wasn't built in a day. To address my overwhelming sense of clutter and excess I woke up one day, found a cardboard box, packaged up a bunch of unused soaps and took them to a men's shelter, some hit the showers (shaving soap makes great shower soap...even Williams), and PIF'd a few to friend and presto, before you know it that large number of soaps all of a sudden becomes a minimalist kit. I did keep a few soaps in a shoe box in the closet -- that I don't count as part of my daily kit -- just for those days when I want some variety. You can also do it in stages.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
All in good time. Rome wasn't built in a day. To address my overwhelming sense of clutter and excess I woke up one day, found a cardboard box, packaged up a bunch of unused soaps and took them to a men's shelter, some hit the showers (shaving soap makes great shower soap...even Williams), and PIF'd a few to friend and presto, before you know it that large number of soaps all of a sudden becomes a minimalist kit. I did keep a few soaps in a shoe box in the closet -- that I don't count as part of my daily kit -- just for those days when I want some variety. You can also do it in stages.

Good on you for the charitable action, Rusty. :thumbup: I only have three soaps in the bathroom, a part used Palmolive stood on the sink, the part used Wilkie on top of the scuttle, and the half used craft soap. They all get used at different times. The others are stashed unopened in a drawer in the bedroom.

I'm not at the point that I need to offload stuff, I was just trying to illustrate just how little is needed to end up with a four year stash. Same with all my consumables, actually. Come tomorrow, when the postie has been, I'll have about half a litre of post shave lotions and balms.

It will all get used in time. :)
 
Good on you for the charitable action, Rusty. :thumbup: I only have three soaps in the bathroom, a part used Palmolive stood on the sink, the part used Wilkie on top of the scuttle, and the half used craft soap. They all get used at different times. The others are stashed unopened in a drawer in the bedroom.

I'm not at the point that I need to offload stuff, I was just trying to illustrate just how little is needed to end up with a four year stash. Same with all my consumables, actually. Come tomorrow, when the postie has been, I'll have about half a litre of post shave lotions and balms.

It will all get used in time. :)
I don't think I will ever reach the point of having just one soap, one brush and one ASB. I will always likely have a core two or three of each and a few in reserve in the closet. It is nice to dream though...
 
Random thought #4: After supper, rather than watch the world news, I often watch shaving videos. You know the ones I mean. Some guy so passionate about wet shaving that he has produced a video of himself shaving in his bathroom. Sorry, I mean shave den. He often reviews different products and provides a running narrative while doing a three pass shave. These videos are a great source of entertainment. I find them very relaxing to watch. Certainly more relaxing than watching the evening news...and a lot less depressing.

If you had asked me to watch this kind of video before I became interested in wet shaving I would have thought you were insane. But now, since I have been bitten by the shaving bug, these videos seem normal to me. Why wouldn't you want to record yourself shaving with some of your favourite products? And what guy wouldn't want to watch some guy, fresh from the shower lather up and shave? The quality of the productions vary considerably, from the low light, hollow sound quality to the higher end ones that look like they are produced in a tv studio. But each one was prepared with a lot of thought and effort and passion and I give them credit for trying.

When they use a great combination of products or achieve a BBS shave we share their joy. When they nick themselves and we watch them drip blood into the sink and quickly apply styptic we share their pain. It's like we are there with them.

One of my favourite shaving video series to watch is by a fine gentleman, "Joe, from Queens". He always does a themed video and mixes in his love of various well known sites - usually a deli or restaurant - in his beloved New York City. His love of good food, his charming New York accent and his passion for traditional wet shaving shine through in every video. I could watch him for hours...and I often do. There are many excellent Youtubers who have taken their love of wetshaving from their bathrooms to our living rooms via the Internet. I could write a long list of my favourites. They are a technological marvel and a great source of entertainment.

These videos, in my view, serve a valuable purpose. You get to hear great product reviews while learning shaving techniques. And it is as relaxing as watching tv shows about guys fishing when the fish aren't biting. It's not about catching fish, it's about the experience. The talk, the banter, the setting. It is the ultimate guy thing. And I suspect only those people who are in the secret club of traditional wet shavers can relate and enjoy their unique brand of conversation. And let's face it, its rare to meet someone who shares our passion. My family usually just rolls their eyes as I wax on about a new razor or the slickness of a soap, so I have learned to keep my odd interest in shaving to myself. YouTube shaving videos fill an important need.

So, I tip my hat to you Gentlemen shavers of YouTube, and I say thank you.
 
Random thought #5: One of the most difficult items to buy online is aftershave. The bottles might look nice, but until they invent scratch and sniff computer monitors I have no way of knowing what the scent smells like. And for me this is a big issue. While I prefer unscented soaps and creams I like a scented aftershave now and again. But unless I can unscrew the top and take a whiff I have no idea what I am buying. And this is really unfortunate.

In the past I have taken a chance and purchased an AS online not knowing if I would actually enjoy the scent. Sometimes I've been lucky and I liked the scent, but a few times I didn't like it and had to PIF it. An expensive kind of trial and error.

There are a few drugstore AS and ASBs available to me, most of which I don't really like. Fortunately one that I really enjoy is available in just about every drugstore and grocery store: Nivea Sensitive. Now when I shop online I usually purchase only Unscented products. No need for a sniff test with an Unscented product....even aftershaves.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
I'm only just dabbling with aftershaves, after a 25-ish year abstinence from lotions. I do use balms occasionally, with Nivea Sensitive being the one that's opened right now.

My scent choice comes from whichever EdT I reach for, and I'm currently playing around with how to produce an unscented (or light and short lived scent) alcohol lotion, so I can continue to top off with whichever EdT suits the day.

I fell very lucky with my EdTs. I got a gift card last year, went to an online store it was valid at, and got three figuring at least one or two would hopefully work on me. All three work well for me, but I wouldn't have taken that gamble with my own cash.
 
I'm only just dabbling with aftershaves, after a 25-ish year abstinence from lotions. I do use balms occasionally, with Nivea Sensitive being the one that's opened right now.

My scent choice comes from whichever EdT I reach for, and I'm currently playing around with how to produce an unscented (or light and short lived scent) alcohol lotion, so I can continue to top off with whichever EdT suits the day.

I fell very lucky with my EdTs. I got a gift card last year, went to an online store it was valid at, and got three figuring at least one or two would hopefully work on me. All three work well for me, but I wouldn't have taken that gamble with my own cash.
Now that you mention it, I only started using aftershaves a few years ago. I started becoming scent-sensitive many years ago and had to stop using scented AS products completely. I used to get terrible headaches from the strong fragrances. I used to make my own ASB by mixing coconut oil and unrefined Shea butter and a couple of drops of lavender essential oil. That was ideal because I had a endless supply. Then I started experimenting and discovered I really can't tolerate the alcohol based aftershaves...the scents are just too strong for me. But I seem to tolerate ASBs much better and I have a small selection that I enjoy using. Lately I am gravitating back to unscented or low scented ASBs. Truefitt and Hill Ultimate Comfort and Soap Commander Integrity are two unscented ASBs that I quite enjoy.
 
Random thought #5: One of the most difficult items to buy online is aftershave. The bottles might look nice, but until they invent scratch and sniff computer monitors I have no way of knowing what the scent smells like. And for me this is a big issue. While I prefer unscented soaps and creams I like a scented aftershave now and again. But unless I can unscrew the top and take a whiff I have no idea what I am buying. And this is really unfortunate.

In the past I have taken a chance and purchased an AS online not knowing if I would actually enjoy the scent. Sometimes I've been lucky and I liked the scent, but a few times I didn't like it and had to PIF it. An expensive kind of trial and error.

There are a few drugstore AS and ASBs available to me, most of which I don't really like. Fortunately one that I really enjoy is available in just about every drugstore and grocery store: Nivea Sensitive. Now when I shop online I usually purchase only Unscented products. No need for a sniff test with an Unscented product....even aftershaves.

They do have scratch and sniff screens, unfortunately, mine always seems to smell like my last sneeze :)

I like asbs that list their EOs, gives me a good chance of realizing I might like it, or won't. Its not a tell all, but you start to learn scents you like.
 
They do have scratch and sniff screens, unfortunately, mine always seems to smell like my last sneeze :)

I like asbs that list their EOs, gives me a good chance of realizing I might like it, or won't. Its not a tell all, but you start to learn scents you like.
Funny. That would explain the spots on my monitor. Yes, I like products that list the EOs. Samples are another way to try ASB products before investing in a large bottle.
 
Random thought #5: Every once in a while I will be reading a review of a soap or watching a Youtuber reviewing a soap or cream and they will refer to it as a "good entry level soap". This seems like such an odd way to characterize a product, especially a soap. It seems to imply that there are simple soaps and more challenging ones that require a higher level of skill to operate. Start with the easy ones and then over a period of time work your way up to the more complicated soaps?

Seriously? Did I miss the memo on this one? Sheesh...every soap is made for the beginner and the expert. Its not rocket science...wet the face, wet the brush, work the brush on the soap and presto, lather appears. And truthfully, unless one has particular challenges, after about 10 to 15 shaves -- even with a straight razor -- one can be considered an expert.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Random thought #5: Every once in a while I will be reading a review of a soap or watching a Youtuber reviewing a soap or cream and they will refer to it as a "good entry level soap". This seems like such an odd way to characterize a product, especially a soap. It seems to imply that there are simple soaps and more challenging ones that require a higher level of skill to operate. Start with the easy ones and then over a period of time work your way up to the more
complicated soaps?

Seriously? Did I miss the memo on this one? Sheesh...every soap is made for the beginner and the expert. Its not rocket science...wet the face, wet the brush, work the brush on the soap and presto, lather appears. And truthfully, unless one has particular challenges, after about 10 to 15 shaves -- even with a straight razor -- one can be considered an expert.

Elitism. Only the wise buy the expensive soaps. :001_rolle

I've been using one of the melt and pour soaps that many say isn't fit for use as a shave soap since June I believe. You know the type, bath soap with clay in, only gives frothy bubbles, lather collapses, blah blah blah. I'm halfway through it, so roughly 100 shaves left on it. Zero cuts, minimal irritation, great shaves. Yes, it took a few shaves to get the right performance from it, but I didn't do two shaves with it and give up. I didn't use it once a month in and amongst 30 other soaps, and expect to get the mix right straight away.

I think Mitchell's is probably not classed as entry level because it's difficult to lather. It was my first soap, took me a few shaves to figure it out, then I got several hundred great shaves from it.

Too much expectation of products (not just soap) to work first time, and too much blaming of products that they haven't learned to use yet. Traditional shaving in an age of instant gratification. Too much YouTube, not enough practice :D
 
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