I just finished an afternoon touch up shave after a very short, clean haircut and sideburn trimming/shower afterwards. I feel great. And as I'm going over my single afternoon WTG touchup, I thought of why I picked up shaving as a hobby.
There's a sense of accomplishment and mastery that I never once had shaving with either an electric or a cartridge.
Shaving time is a relaxing, almost meditative, time where I can spend that time on myself.
I love the sensory experience of a well crafted shaving bowl, a soft brush, cool water, a cool metal razor with pleasing aesthetics and weight, and the wonderful scents and feeling of a rich lather on my face.
I love the wonderful gliding feel of a razor taking a smooth stroke across my face.
I enjoy being well groomed for its own sake, not to impress anyone else (although I enjoy that as well).
To me, this isn't a chore. It's something that I enjoy, look forward to, and have claimed as a hobby. Something that I take pleasure in in its own right.
And, yes, I get better shaves after 4 months of this than I have had in decades of cartridges and electrics, with skin that both looks and feels better. A tiny nick or scrape daily is what I get now, and somewhere between socially acceptable and darn fine shaves every day. And that bar of what constitutes a darn fine shave keeps getting higher and higher.
I hope that, years ahead, my daughter can experience the same pleasure and satisfaction that I do.
To anyone who is starting out or has been at this for a few months or less, I sincerely empathize. For months I researched online forums, watched videos, read advice (sometimes conflicting, most of the time not), and struggled to apply it in my own way through five razors/between five and ten blades/multiple soaps and creams/three brushes. I had terrible shaves, painful shaves, nicks/weepers/razor burn, and most of all frustration and discouragement that this would ever even lead to a decent, much less great, shave and experience. There's a lot of great advice out there, but the most important advice I can think of can be summed up in 1) be patient, and 2) technique is so very important. I wish you all the very best, and may you feel similarly soon.
To those who have given advice, whether to me or to others, you have my thanks. Yes, Wingnut, I did finally listen to what you said.
My 2 cents.
There's a sense of accomplishment and mastery that I never once had shaving with either an electric or a cartridge.
Shaving time is a relaxing, almost meditative, time where I can spend that time on myself.
I love the sensory experience of a well crafted shaving bowl, a soft brush, cool water, a cool metal razor with pleasing aesthetics and weight, and the wonderful scents and feeling of a rich lather on my face.
I love the wonderful gliding feel of a razor taking a smooth stroke across my face.
I enjoy being well groomed for its own sake, not to impress anyone else (although I enjoy that as well).
To me, this isn't a chore. It's something that I enjoy, look forward to, and have claimed as a hobby. Something that I take pleasure in in its own right.
And, yes, I get better shaves after 4 months of this than I have had in decades of cartridges and electrics, with skin that both looks and feels better. A tiny nick or scrape daily is what I get now, and somewhere between socially acceptable and darn fine shaves every day. And that bar of what constitutes a darn fine shave keeps getting higher and higher.
I hope that, years ahead, my daughter can experience the same pleasure and satisfaction that I do.
To anyone who is starting out or has been at this for a few months or less, I sincerely empathize. For months I researched online forums, watched videos, read advice (sometimes conflicting, most of the time not), and struggled to apply it in my own way through five razors/between five and ten blades/multiple soaps and creams/three brushes. I had terrible shaves, painful shaves, nicks/weepers/razor burn, and most of all frustration and discouragement that this would ever even lead to a decent, much less great, shave and experience. There's a lot of great advice out there, but the most important advice I can think of can be summed up in 1) be patient, and 2) technique is so very important. I wish you all the very best, and may you feel similarly soon.
To those who have given advice, whether to me or to others, you have my thanks. Yes, Wingnut, I did finally listen to what you said.
My 2 cents.
