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Secrets of the Old Timers

Sometimes, in a lot of different areas of life, it seems like the old timers had a few tricks up their sleeves that we don’t have today. What have you learned from the old timers about shaving?

Using various sources (including vintage barber manuals, commercials, print instruction, etc.), I’ve learned a few of their habits that we don’t use or hear much about today.

1.) These are the shaving strokes used by barbers using a straight razor which evolved in later print instructions for safety razors:
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2.) In the same barber’s manual from the early twentieth century, the author seems dismissive of contemporary aftershave lotions. He recommends witch hazel followed by talc, applied in a downward motion. Talc (or any alternative powder) seems unheard of in modern routines.

3.) Gillette eventually introduces their own stroke order in contrast to the barber recommendations for stroke order (sideburns/cheeks, then chin, then mustache, then neck). It also seems that a one pass shave was more common than the modern three pass. Gillette recommended one pass WTG and touching up ATG. They recommend using diagonal strokes as well.
Hi-res Gillette adjustable manual for download! | Badger & Blade


4.) It was not uncommon for men to shave twice a day during that era, once before work and again before evening plans (if any). It seems like just about everyone shaved at least once day. This may perhaps factor into how the men of that era were able to get away with one pass. Their stubble was always short and they knew they’d have a five o’clock shadow no matter what and just decided to deal with it again before their evening plans. Gillette’s razors by mid-century seemed to be on the mild side as well.

And that’s what this post is ultimately about. How did our ancestors achieve that perfectly shaved look and what other habits may help us out today?
 
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4.) It was not uncommon for men to shave twice a day during that era, once before work and again before evening plans (if any). It seems like just about everyone shaved at least once day. This may perhaps factor into how the men of that era were able to get away with one pass.

There's surely something to be said for this, and it's how I shaved back in the cartridge days, before I knew anything about WTG or ATG.

Nowdays I typically shave several passes every 48hrs. Whenever I want to shave more regularly I try to persuade myself that one pass WTG really is good enough, although the touch test tells me that it is nowhere near what I would normally consider a good shave and I inevitably end up doing additional work. Maybe if you continually just do 1 pass WTG shaves you become highly adept at getting the absolute maximum efficiency out of that one pass so that the extra stuff isn't needed after all. An experiment to try, perhaps.
 
Hi,

I'm 63 and been shaving with a DE since 15. Taught by my dad, so that's pretty Old Time. And, he was taught by his Dad, so more older time there. :)

Once a day was the norm for both Dad and Granddad. Same for me. The only real secret is to (a) wash face then (b) hot tap water on the brush and (c) lather on the face. Let the water soak the hair. The soap is there to (a) hold water from evaporating and (b) give lubrication so the blade edge doesn't scrape so much skin.

Start with each side, then do the neck, then do the chin and, finally, do the upper lip. This is in the order of the thickness of the hair. Let the water soak the thickest, longest.

All that taught to me by my Dad.

I added one more step about the time I was in my mid 20's.

After that, feel the face with a wet hand and figure out which way *your* hairs grow. You can feel what hasn't been gotten closely and then pull the razor against that grain. No need to relather or do your entire face, but of course you can if you want to.

That's it. Done.

My goal is to keep enough hair off my face over 24 hours so the air mask firefighters use will seal. Shaving for us is necessary for continuing to breathe with a mask on.

Stan
 
Wet Shaving require Skill, like being good at Shooting, Golf, Pool, etc. Practice is skill builder.

Don’t over look Vintage Razors. a Vintage Gillette is a great Razor.

Last listen to your Blade, as Sound changes, telling you it’s Dull. Bade Blade is going to NICK you.🩸

I pushed my Blade today, it was getting DULL, got a tiny nice.:sob: My Goof.
 
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Great history!! :straight::straight::straight::straight::straight::straight::straight:

For me, the main things are:
#1. Take your time.
#2. Let the razor do the work, and
#3. No (actually very minimal) pressure!!

In other words, I have no secrets!!
 
Great history!! :straight::straight::straight::straight::straight::straight::straight:

For me, the main things are:
#1. Take your time.
#2. Let the razor do the work, and
#3. No (actually very minimal) pressure!!

In other words, I have no secrets!!


Before the Internet, U-tube, or Forum we Old Times learned to shave with a simple set of instruction on paper as part of New Razor Package.

We got Nicked, Cut, but because our Generation was taught, stubborn, we carried on until we figure everything out.
But in the end of Watching & Reading, you still got to JUST DO IT, and figure out what work for you.

Nothing works like trail & error IMHO.
 
When I think of the secrets of “old timer’s”, I think of my dad and grandpa. My dad taught me to shave with a Trac II, and my grandfather TRIED to teach me with his Slim… I scummed to the Trac II because apparently, my dad won the argument with his dad. Anyway… everything was simpler back then. Neither my grandfather, or my dad had 32 different soaps, 15 different razors, 12 aftershaves, 500 blades, 10 brushes, and 6 bowls/mugs. Shaving wasn’t a hobby, it was rather a socially accepted/requirement, daily chore. Although I do appreciate, and enjoy all the different soaps, razors, brushes and so on… I find myself longing for those simpler days of just a well groomed appearance.
 
I tried to satisfy myself with a one pass WTG shave today. Couldn't do it. I tried to limit myself to just an additional half pass XTG with minimal repeats to get things acceptable for a trip out in public. Even after that it still sounds like sandpaper if I rub around the back of my jaw under the ears.

Maybe the old timers knew some secret I don't. Or maybe, just maybe, they were satisfying themselves with what a lot of us nowadays would consider an inadequate shave. Many folks here are regularly shooting for the 12hr BBS, or even if we don't strive for it, we consider it the measure of a really good shave.

But I think that feeling like I need to shave before I can go out in public probably makes me an old timer too by today's standards!
 
Grandad had it figured out way back then. Schick injector razor with the adjustable dial, Mug soap in an old teacup, small boar brush. Fancy cologne was only used on Sundays or special holidays.

One odd thing was he liked to go to the barber shop every week for a "trim" even though he was almost completely bald. I guess to take care of the sides. Or maybe he just liked to go downtown and chat with people.
 
I don't think there was much of a secret to my father's DE shaving technique. His aim was to look presentable in polite company (or not so polite, at a football match or in a bar) without drawing too much blood. He always did look clean shaven, but I doubt it was a BBS result, or even DFS. And I seem to remember he did draw blood fairly often.
 
I’ve been wet shaving for 51 years so I guess that makes me an oldtimer.

I started with a brand new ‘73 SuperSpeed, Gillette Thins and Williams soap. I made lousy lather and cut the hell out of my face. But I persevered and I got better at it. Eventually I found that I could lather bath soap as well as the Williams and I have stayed with bath soap ever since.

I used the Wilkinson Bonded for a few years until I couldn’t find the cartridges anymore. The SuperSpeed was my only razor until I found a Tech in a drawer at home, and those two sufficed until I found B&B and my RAD exploded.

Using two vintage Gillettes for more than 40 years taught me excellent technique. After RAD added another dozen to my rotation my shaves are no better or worse. Expensive equipment is not necessary to great shaving and I think it’s foolish to spend a lot of money on gear. My original kit cost $1.99 for the razor and blades, $1.00 for the brush and less than 50 cents for the soap. I’ve used that razor for 51 years and it’s in great shape. The brush wore out in the early 21st century and was replaced by a VDH boar 20 years ago. It cost $4.

Lessons from 51 years: a vintage Gillette shaves great and will last forever; it’s all about the technique; less expensive is where it’s at. Less is more.
 
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I learned with my dad's Gillette Super Speed, don't know the year, and Gillette Foamy. My grandfather used a straight, mug and brush. I didn't get to talk to him about it as he died when I was a boy. I do recall seeing his gear in his and grandmas bathroom. Why I remember his brush resting in his soap cup I don't know. I have wondered from time to time if he ever rinsed it I, doubt it.
 
Very interesting to see some of the habits of the older shavers. I myself have only just started DE shaving, with a mere 6 shaves completed so far. Today was that 6th shave and it is as smooth as my only shave with 2 passes (WTG and XTG). My current set-up is a cheap Roman Empire Caesar razor off amazon, with a shark stainless steel blade, one pass WTG and using the canned gel shaving cream still. Despite only the one pass and this being my 5th shave with the same blade I'm shocked with how smooth and close the shave came out, maybe my technique is better but this thread is making me feel very vindicated in my belief that one pass is more than enough for a great shave. I'm with you Quaznoid, I think the best this hobby has to offer is in the value that can be had.
 

Guido75

Is it swell time?
Thank you for your detailed recollection. Nice to see those instructions. I don’t think the old way was perfect. They never heard of BBS or anything like that. Smooth was when you had no full beard. I went to a barber with my dad for Father’s Day once. He got a beard trim and I a full shave. My shave was nowhere near as close as I shave myself (and my technique was developing still). Only WTG.

I was born in the advent of carts and electric razors. I didn’t learn the old ways until 3 years ago. I was smooth, but DE shaving was the best thing ever for my skin.

Cheers,

Guido
 
Hi,


Here we go. That Pre War Tech is what Dad gave me to start with. The Post War Tech is what he always used. The Rubberset brueh and Super Speed was a gift from Mom for Christmas of 1948, their first. Dad used that as the razor we had at our summer cabin in the Adirondacks. The Old Type was my Grandfather's and given to me by my Grandmother after he passed.

I wound up with it all, and two Old Spice mugs with OS still in them when my Dad passed.

I use his Tech on his birthday and the Super Speed on Christmas and my Tech is a ground travel razor. I use the Old Type a coule times a month for a different shave than my Fasan Double Slant. I'd use it more often but its a bit of a harsh shave.

Stan
 
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