What did people do before Badger & Blade?

[Judge Dredd]

This may have a really obvious answer (asked dad, went to a barber, had terrible shaves), but before the Internets, was there a shaving magazine or weekly TV program? Did Time Life put out a 72-part encyclopedia of shaving (bundled with parts to make your own razor)?

Were there swap cards or Super Trumps of famous shavers throughout history?

How did all of us shaving tragics cope before BnB?

How did ADs develop in the bad old days without an enabling mechanism?

Was life only really worth living once BnB came along?

 

[SmoovD]

Before B&B I never understood the concept of "The Shave Den".

 

[joshua1970]

Before B&B I never understood the concept of "The Shave Den".

me either I had a handful of straight razors, a paddle strop and had others hone (mostly my neighbor), had 2 brushes and used 2 kings of soap for almost 15 years... when I grew my beard I got a DE (34c) and used merkurs blades and same soaps to shave around beard. I had many other ADs over the years tho- pipes/tobacco, cigars, firearms, rocks/minerals, yixing tea pots, fly rods (anything fly fishing related) etc etc - but i was googling shave stuff on a lark and found B&B and lurked for a bit then joined

all I can say is:

deep. rabbit. hole.

but no regrets. love it!

 

[htownmmm]

Shave badly!

 

[Dave258]

Before I found B&B, I used a Mach3 and hated shaving!

 

[El Mysterioso]

This may have a really obvious answer (asked dad, went to a barber, had terrible shaves), but before the Internets, was there a shaving magazine or weekly TV program? Did Time Life put out a 72-part encyclopedia of shaving (bundled with parts to make your own razor)?

How did all of us shaving tragics cope before BnB?

How did ADs develop in the bad old days without an enabling mechanism?

Was life only really worth living once BnB came along?

Uh, we shaved. Although I thoroughly enjoy B&B, we shaved just fine with what there was before, even without them.

 

[johnh]

Shaved indifferently. Found a walk in store with some EJ products and on a lark bought them. Two weeks after, found this site. Been spending money hand over fist ever since.

 

[ia_james]

Before I found B&B, I used a Mach3 and hated shaving!

+1

 

[bvance554]

Shaved in the shower with a bar of soap and a Proglide. And read a lot more books...

 

[sychodelix]

Shaving was boring and tedious before. Now it's fun!

 

[N2theBreech]

No one ever heard of a 4-pass shave.

No one ever heard of pre-shave.

No one ever heard of ATG, XTG, WTG.

No one ever heard of face mapping

No one knew you could buy modern, brand new DEs and Straights.

No one knew you needed more than one.

No one knew there were so many brush types still being made.

No one knew you needed more than one.

No one knew there are more models of DE blades available than there are models of multi-blade cartridge razors

No one knew you needed more than one.

No one knew people could make a living selling traditional shaving equipment, on-line.

No one knew you could go broke buying traditional shaving equipment, on-line.

No one knew the best aftershave comes from a woodland shrub with tiny yellow flowers.

No one ever used "shaving" and "zen" in the same sentence.

No one knew that shaving and fountain pens were somehow associated with each other.

 

[Col Wilburforce Buckshot]

All we ever needed to know about shaving products we learned by watching The Friday Night Fights on The Cavalcade of Sports. TV also taught us that there was something about an Aqua Velva Man.

 

[A3M0N]

Before B&B I thought razor burn was just a fact of life.

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

Without all the help here, I would have never started DE shaving. I was too intimidated by it. All the help, guides, and tips here have made me a dedicated DE shaver.
Of course, I also wouldn't have spent more than I should trying to collect vintage Gillette razors.

 

[Topgumby]

 

[The Kiwi]

1. I very seldom THOUGHT about the act of shaving

2. The only "dry shave" hardware I define as actually being other than "wet" is using electric shavers, and some few of those are now usable in the shower as well.

3. I was still using a lot of what I learned when I taught myself to shave, just using a shortened, rushed variation five days a week, and a "proper shave" only on Sundays.

4. I would probably never have reacquired any Injector, and not have rediscovered the EASE of using those.

 

[lowjax]

Before B&B, I pretty much hated shaving. Used a beard trimmer on the shortest setting and had stubble constantly. Any carts would rip my face up and I hated it.

 

[Lexbomb]

I worked a lot more!

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

I got advice from my Dad while he was still alive.

After Dad passed I experienced through 'trial and error' (with some success), but didn’t know about B & B until July 10 while 'searching the web'. What I learned from this forum was;

1. The passion, experience, esprit de corps, professionalism and overall depth (shaving and otherwise), of knowledge of our members.

2. The conceptual, intellectual and topic diversification (oh yes...lest us not forget the humorous and compassionate side), framework of the threads and posted replies.

3. You can 'never, have too much shaving stuff.

4. The difference between a 'nick, cut and weeper'.

6. Glycerine is great in (only 2-3 drops), the making of Uberlather.

7. Although Clubman can be drying upon the face and body, the addition of about 10 drops of glycerine per 6oz bottle greatly increases the moisturizing and toning aspects and 'kicks' this aftershave-cologne 'up a notch'.
8. I know I have PD (posting disorder)!!!

"Life is [like] a razor, you are always in hot water or a scrape" Anonymous

 

[Haggises]

Disliked shaving.
Grew beard.
Shaved in a shower, neck and cheeks, with Mach 3 and shampoo.
Spent a lot less money than I do now.