Will he cut himself up too much?

[RedBird]

My step-father told me he wants to go back to Double Edge shaving, but he is 87 years old and not in the best of shape for his age. He lives in a small town, and has had zero luck finding a double edge razor or blades. He does not own a computer and could not access the internet if his life depended on it.

For his upcoming birthday, I have both him a Merkur razor, Astra Blades, a pre shave oil, and some Nivea Face Balm. He uses a commercial can of foam, and I do not think he would do the full shaving brush/shaving soap routine.

Do you think it is a good idea, or do you see a "blood bath" on the way . Oh, I did buy him a styptic pencil just in case.

 

[graysonhenryrussell]

Chance are he knows how to do this. He started out using a DE razor & you don't forget how. I don't know how bad his physical limitations are but you could let give it a try as I don't think he can do himself a lot of harm. Watch him the first time & make a decision. You sir are to be commended for helping your grandfather.

 

[The Accountant]

How has he been shaving up till now? If he uses a cartridge razor with no bloodbath then I think he will be fine with the DE. I'm guessing he used a DE for more years than he has used a cartridge system so it should be like riding a bicycle. As the poster above said you should be commended for helping him! Let us know how this turns out.

 

[captaincaveman]

You're better equipped to guess than we are but if he says he wants it then he must be sufficiently confident. Unless his mind is gone, trust him. When you're 87 you won't want to be treated like a child.

 

[xxvaleria]

If he wants to do it, then he will probably enjoy it. Just keep an eye on him. You might try to find a good brushless shaving cream for him. That has got to be better than the chemicals from a can.

 

[Teppanyaki]

You could also get him a very mild razor, like a Tech (or vintage Gillette adjustable).

 

[emt88]

I just got my girlfriend's grandfather a nice Gillette superspeed. He is 90 and did pretty good with it. The one problem he did have was being able to hold on to the razor because of arthritis. We remedied that by getting one of those big handle cushion things that drugstores sell for silverware. Trimmed it to fit the razor and it worked like a charm.

 

[Teppanyaki]

Doesn't Muhle (or Merkur) have those huge plastic handles for easy gripping? Might be Merkur . . .

 

[robk]

Bless him if he's got a steady hand and enough flexibility. If he does, then the muscle memory might take care of the rest.

 

[SteveE1959]

Redbird, being a stepfather myself, I am touched that you would help him at his age. I think that is better than any gift you could buy for him. That is the mark of a true gentleman. Thanks for your post.