Nearly 4 months after my first eye-opening shave with my DE89 and VDH starter kit, the Holidays are fast approaching and I intend to use this as a chance to get more of friends into wet shaving. I already have 1 close friend who hopped on the bandwagon a few weeks ago (with the help of a goodie bag I provided him with), and my cousin/roommate is FINALLY loosening up to the point where I might get him to try 1 of the 8 razors I have gloriously mounted on our bathroom counter.
I'm starting to get a better grip on how to get others to shed cartridge and electric razors. It's tough when you're talking about dudes in their mid-late 20s, because most of us grew up not giving a crap about shaving at all. In an attempt to try and see it more from their perspective, I've begun using simpler products than the ones I've been chasing for the past 2 months. I'm a fan of artisan soaps like Stirling, B&M, and now WSP, but I forget that I had to grow into that phase over the course of my first couple weeks. It's been valuable reading threads/posts from some of you minimalist shavers out there who ride with 1 brush, 1 razor (with perhaps a backup or two), and 1 soap/cream that you simply love. I might be wrong about this, but I think that you minimalists are the silent majority; of which I refer to all current and prospective wet shavers, not just us geeks on B&B and other places (let's face it, the majority around here was more likely to be clicking "refresh" on the B&M site the day the Fougeres were re-released, trying our best to spend $35 as quickly as possible).
I finally see how that's a turnoff. My enthusiasm has scared some of my friends away from this great activity. So... I rewound the tape a bit, and I've tried out some simpler tools that I probably should've tried months back. Specifically, they are:
Razors:
-Flare Tip (I've had a Slim for a while, but the SS is so much more obtainable and I should've experienced one earlier)
-Tech (first shave today. COMPLETELY taken aback by how effective it is. Smooth, comfortable, and close with a Personna Lab Blue. I've got Feathers coming in the mail and I can't wait to try them. And again... they're everywhere.)
Software:
-Arko (not new to me, but I never used it for an extended period. I spent a week using just Arko and my Flare Tip.)
-Nivea Sensitive Cream (Debuted tonight w/ my Tech. First cream I've ever owned or used. So foolproof that it made the Arko look like rocket surgery.)
Am I going to stick with simple products like these for the long run? No. Could I? **strokes BBS face** uuuuhhh.... yeah, why not? Tech + Nivea + WD Silvertip + Alum + Nivea ASB is what I used tonight, and it's on a completely different stratosphere than the shaves I got from carts or electric face-chewers. It's so easy to forget that sometimes, and I think I needed to get back in touch with simplicity before assembling DE gift packs for 2 of my nearest and dearest friends -- both of whom think that the investment into DE shaving is steep and pointless.
It hurts to say this guys, but as great as our mugs may look/feel, we sometimes provide a rather poor example of some of wet shaving's greatest attractions; namely simplicity and affordability. Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna sniff my B&M Fougere every time I go into the bathroom, but I've also re-connected with what it takes to lure more people into this method of shaving...................... so that maybe they can get addicted too.
Anywho... here's what I'm putting in my gift box for these fellas. I'd appreciate any sort of input or feedback, although I think this stuff is quite foolproof.
1. user grade Flare Tip
2. Omega Boar (still haven't picked a specific model.... 50-55mm loft seems right)
3. $1 Salsa Bowl
4. Nivea Sensitive Cream
5. Arko (just so that they can experience a soap)
6. Alum Block
7. 5 Personna Blues & 5 Astra SP
Altogether this will cost roughly $35 per kit, give/take. Honestly, I won 2 Flare Tips in a lot auction, so it's not like I'm feeling the cost of those too much anyways. Not much different than what one could find at Garry's sample shop, but it's a bit more personalized and was fun to assemble.
I think that more of us should make it an objective to spread some Holiday razors around this December... Not unlike Fight Club when they were going out in public to find new recruits. Just keep it noob friendly and remember how overwhelming things were when you first started, and I bet it'll take off like wildfire with the cartridge refugees!
I'm starting to get a better grip on how to get others to shed cartridge and electric razors. It's tough when you're talking about dudes in their mid-late 20s, because most of us grew up not giving a crap about shaving at all. In an attempt to try and see it more from their perspective, I've begun using simpler products than the ones I've been chasing for the past 2 months. I'm a fan of artisan soaps like Stirling, B&M, and now WSP, but I forget that I had to grow into that phase over the course of my first couple weeks. It's been valuable reading threads/posts from some of you minimalist shavers out there who ride with 1 brush, 1 razor (with perhaps a backup or two), and 1 soap/cream that you simply love. I might be wrong about this, but I think that you minimalists are the silent majority; of which I refer to all current and prospective wet shavers, not just us geeks on B&B and other places (let's face it, the majority around here was more likely to be clicking "refresh" on the B&M site the day the Fougeres were re-released, trying our best to spend $35 as quickly as possible).
I finally see how that's a turnoff. My enthusiasm has scared some of my friends away from this great activity. So... I rewound the tape a bit, and I've tried out some simpler tools that I probably should've tried months back. Specifically, they are:
Razors:
-Flare Tip (I've had a Slim for a while, but the SS is so much more obtainable and I should've experienced one earlier)
-Tech (first shave today. COMPLETELY taken aback by how effective it is. Smooth, comfortable, and close with a Personna Lab Blue. I've got Feathers coming in the mail and I can't wait to try them. And again... they're everywhere.)
Software:
-Arko (not new to me, but I never used it for an extended period. I spent a week using just Arko and my Flare Tip.)
-Nivea Sensitive Cream (Debuted tonight w/ my Tech. First cream I've ever owned or used. So foolproof that it made the Arko look like rocket surgery.)
Am I going to stick with simple products like these for the long run? No. Could I? **strokes BBS face** uuuuhhh.... yeah, why not? Tech + Nivea + WD Silvertip + Alum + Nivea ASB is what I used tonight, and it's on a completely different stratosphere than the shaves I got from carts or electric face-chewers. It's so easy to forget that sometimes, and I think I needed to get back in touch with simplicity before assembling DE gift packs for 2 of my nearest and dearest friends -- both of whom think that the investment into DE shaving is steep and pointless.
It hurts to say this guys, but as great as our mugs may look/feel, we sometimes provide a rather poor example of some of wet shaving's greatest attractions; namely simplicity and affordability. Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna sniff my B&M Fougere every time I go into the bathroom, but I've also re-connected with what it takes to lure more people into this method of shaving...................... so that maybe they can get addicted too.
Anywho... here's what I'm putting in my gift box for these fellas. I'd appreciate any sort of input or feedback, although I think this stuff is quite foolproof.
1. user grade Flare Tip
2. Omega Boar (still haven't picked a specific model.... 50-55mm loft seems right)
3. $1 Salsa Bowl
4. Nivea Sensitive Cream
5. Arko (just so that they can experience a soap)
6. Alum Block
7. 5 Personna Blues & 5 Astra SP
Altogether this will cost roughly $35 per kit, give/take. Honestly, I won 2 Flare Tips in a lot auction, so it's not like I'm feeling the cost of those too much anyways. Not much different than what one could find at Garry's sample shop, but it's a bit more personalized and was fun to assemble.
I think that more of us should make it an objective to spread some Holiday razors around this December... Not unlike Fight Club when they were going out in public to find new recruits. Just keep it noob friendly and remember how overwhelming things were when you first started, and I bet it'll take off like wildfire with the cartridge refugees!
Last edited:
