Your Son's First Shave

[TheVez2]

Just curious, when your son became old enough to shave... how did you start him out? Cartrigde or DE?

My father never taught me how to shave. He had a beard and when he did shave, I’m pretty sure he used an electric. I just figured it out on my own with a cartridge.

My boys are 5 and 6, I want to get them a toy shave set to teach them the art of wet shaving. But I’m curious what I should do when they are old enough to need a real razor.

I just recently learned what a DE razor was. It made me remember when I saw Cliff give one to Theo for his first shave on “The Cosby Show”.
See clip below, start at 5:00 in.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvzOSZjSsSw[/YOUTUBE]

 

[DoctorTattoo]

My Son is currently 5 years old, so I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do when he gets old enough. Guess we'll have to wait and see.


Shawn

 

[msandoval858]

My oldest son is 13 and has been shaving for about 6 months or so. He doesn't shave very often, so he hasn't quite gotten the routine mastered yet, but he's getting there.

I started him with a Merkur 38c and Bic blades. He pretty much chooses whatever brush or soap/cream he wants out of my lineup. He's partial to the Simpsons X3 Best and Trumper Sandalwood soap.

 

[Axel_]

I'm 18 yrs old (started shaving on a weekly basis when I was 14 or so), so I can only talk from a kid's perspective, but my father didn't learn me how to shave at all. I learned it myself with an Gillette fusion cartridge razor and some goo in a can (some fusion gel i got with the razor).
My father shaves with a Mach 3, and here's the kind of strange part. When I read about and thought I'll give DE shaving a try, he strictly recommended me not to! Of course he didn't told me not to, but he said I would cut myself pretty hard, get horrible shaves and that every stroke was a pain (the hairs got dulled out instead of getting cut). As usual I didn't listen to him at all, and I'm very happy with that now when I'm bbs every day and he's everything but
I've tried to convince him to switch to DE, but he really believe cartridges are better than DE.

However this got me thinking, was the DE equipment (blades, razors, ...) that much worse back in the days? Has the technique get proved, did they shave in 3 minutes with no prep, only WTG and so on? Or why do almost no parent/grandparents shave with a DE?

/A

 

[Barbarian]

My son is 16. I set him up with a late forties Superspeed. He loves it.

I haven't been able to get him to try soaps and brushes much though. He likes canned goo.

Then again, his beard isn't too rough, lol.

 

[DizzyArnaz]

I have no children, but I will share a little anecdote about my overzealousness for shaving as a kindle. I guess you could call it my "first shave"

I was probably 5 or 6 years old at the time, and I, like many boys, had a fascination with my father's shaving. I remember wanting to shave SO BADLY, and my father gave me strict instructions not to touch his razors or any of his bathroom things. Due to my fascination, my parents bought me a toy shaving set with a plastic razor and a little squirt bottle that you put liquid soap into and it foamed it up. I would "shave" alongside Dad from time to time.

One day I thought I was ready to graduate to the real thing. I took a Gillette Good News from the package, and proceeded to stick out my lower lip, and slice the crap out of it. No shaving cream or anything, just SLICE!

It was an important lesson, to respect sharp things! I don't even think my parents were mad about it, they just laughed in my face.



BTW, found a great Youtube channel with lots of Cosby Show episodes. The username is cosbyshow3.

 

[stagger]

My son is 14 yoa. He came to me a while back and asked about shaving. I let him use my razor (Fat Handled Tech) and his choice of soap/cream. He chose to use Van Der Hagen Deluxe out of his great, great grandfather's shaving mug. (He thought that was cool) That same week I bought him a ball end Tech and a badger brush which he uses now, and I still let him pick whichever soap/cream he wants to use. He has the following to choose from: Tabac, Van Der Hagen Deluxe, Proraso, Erasmic, Speick, Godrej Lime, and Arko Commando. I have always been glad that I took my first shave with my grandfathers Tech, and I'm glad that my son took his first shave with mine.

 

[Timmy Dee]

My son is 14 yoa. He came to me a while back and asked about shaving. I let him use my razor (Fat Handled Tech) and his choice of soap/cream. He chose to use Van Der Hagen Deluxe out of his great, great grandfather's shaving mug. (He thought that was cool) That same week I bought him a ball end Tech and a badger brush which he uses now, and I still let him pick whichever soap/cream he wants to use. He has the following to choose from: Tabac, Van Der Hagen Deluxe, Proraso, Erasmic, Speick, Godrej Lime, and Arko Commando. I have always been glad that I took my first shave with my grandfathers Tech, and I'm glad that my son took his first shave with mine.

That's pretty cool, stagger.

It's also great that your son is interested in, and proud of using the gear of his ancestors.

 

[Fish Slayer]

I started my son off with an old Bakelite handled injector and a cheap boar brush (I was just starting to use DE’s and a brush). He then took my Weshi that I quickly outgrew and soon took my birthyear Fatboy (minor RAD providing a selection). I have since bought him a boar brush and I don’t think I will ever get the Fatboy back. His beard is still not very thick, but he does pretty well, only ocassionaly nicking himself.

I'm 18 yrs old (started shaving on a weekly basis when I was 14 or so), so I can only talk from a kid's perspective, but my father didn't learn me how to shave at all. I learned it myself with an Gillette fusion cartridge razor and some goo in a can (some fusion gel i got with the razor).
My father shaves with a Mach 3, and here's the kind of strange part. When I read about and thought I'll give DE shaving a try, he strictly recommended me not to! Of course he didn't told me not to, but he said I would cut myself pretty hard, get horrible shaves and that every stroke was a pain (the hairs got dulled out instead of getting cut). As usual I didn't listen to him at all, and I'm very happy with that now when I'm bbs every day and he's everything but
I've tried to convince him to switch to DE, but he really believe cartridges are better than DE.

However this got me thinking, was the DE equipment (blades, razors, ...) that much worse back in the days? Has the technique get proved, did they shave in 3 minutes with no prep, only WTG and so on? Or why do almost no parent/grandparents shave with a DE?

/A

As to why us old guys switched to cartridge razors (I started with an injector, badger brush and Old Spice shave soap)…. It came down to advertizing and product availability. I stopped using the injector when I could no longer get blades from the drug store. I stopped using the badger brush when I could no longer find Old Spice shaving soap, I was not a fan of Williams. There was no internet and I had no way of finding superior products so I settled for what I could find in the drug store.

The internet and B&B are wonderful things….

 

[BigBuddha76]

shaving is one thing I will pass on to my son. I am putting together a shave kit for him and slowly teaching him what to do (he is 5)

I am also putting aside a Zippo for each of my kids from their birth year. I have an 02 for my daughter and am now on the lookout for an 05 for my son.

 

[pz93c]

I grew up with a Slim Adjustable with no blade and I'd stand at the mirror, lather and shave.

Got it as a toy from a relative who quit using it or passed. I don't know which.

 

[Deltaboy]

I started with a Injector in 7th grade using Barbarsol then I moved on to a Mug and Brush in HS. I left the Injector when I could not find them anymore locally. I move on to a Trac II and used it to I went to Grad School when I got my 1st Electric and I used it until I stumbled upon this sight back in the Fall of 2009.

 

[Defend Tacoma]

My son is 12, and has been shaving for about 6 months. He started with a small stash of cartridge razors that I had kicking around, and has since graduated to a flare tip, and Shark blades. He is not yet a regular shaver, but whenever the furry caterpillar becomes a bit much (for his mom) on his upper lip, it's time to get to work.

His current setup is a Gillette flare tip, Shark blades, and whichever cream or soap he is interested in that I have in that weeks rotation. It's really fun, because we shave together. He is currently working on getting his angles down, and his next shave I am planning to let him begin learning to work up his own batch of lather. Currently I let him choose the soap, and I whip up enough for the both of us.

I gave him my old 'the body shop' synthetic brush. Its pretty ratty, though. Now that I think about it, I think I will jump on amazon.com now and pick him up a tweezerman brush!

 

[jbp84]

My three sons are 4, 2 1/2, and 13 months and I was starting to think I was weird for planning how I was going to teach them how to shave...glad I'm not the only one with little children who's anticipating that day!

Seriously though, awesome job dads! As someone who grew up without a dad (and therefore doesn't have things like family mugs/razors that got passed down) I'm looking forward to starting this tradition with my own children.

 

[maj3289]

i remember my first shave. i had to call my dad in

 

[FL shaver]

Just went through this with my 15 yr old. My wife and his sisters teased him so much about the hair on his upper lip and shaving that one day, despite me encouraging him to let me know when he wanted to start shaving, he grabbed a Fusion off the shower shelf that was being used by one of his sisters to shave her legs, and he shaved his upper lip. I ran out and got him 3 disposable twin blades for a buck from the CVS and a tube of C.O. Bigelow. I also picked up a VDH brush and ordered a Merkur 1904. He is off to a proper start despite the small hiccup at the start. He also has a gel he can use now, since he doesn't need all that lather right now. He also can try any of my stash....

 

[misterrachel]

My son just started walking, so it'll be a good long while before I teach him to shave. But, I must say I'm glad I saw this thread, because I often wonder about the day I teach him to use a DE. My father taught me to use an electric for my first shave when I was 11. I think I just kind of figured out cartridges later. Then, saw Mantic's video last year and now I'm a dedicated DE wetshaver.

The funny thing is that my 2 year old daughter loves to watch me shave!

 

[Uncle Erik]

I don't have any children yet, but I do have two nephews who are five and eight. When the time comes, I'll take them into the den for a few lessons in DE and let them handle the razors. I'll let them borrow gear to use at home and will give them the gear they want. I have enough shaving stuff for a couple of lifetimes and I might as well put some of it into the hands of the next generation. If or when I have a son, he'll get the pick of then den, as well as everything left to him.

 

[chrismikehead]

My son is 3 1/2 years old, so I have a few years to plan out his first shave. I am looking forward to teaching him proper technique with real shaving hardware. Hope I have that down myself by then.

I just started using a DE (two shaves in), but actually I had my first DE shave back when I was a wee lad. I still have a faint scar on my "upper chin" from my first attempt with my grandfather's razor. It must run in the family, as my mother has a similar scar from doing the same thing, probably with the same razor.

 

[DavyRay]

I am lucky. My son is 19. He has a Gillette slim adjustable which he got from his grandfather (my father). He is still living at home, and has decent shave soap and Barbasol available. He sometimes uses an electric razor. I am currently keeping him in DE blades. He seems to prefer the DE Slim. It's his face, and he is using a DE part of the time, and an electric shaver sometimes.

My Dad, who is in his 80's, uses a Schick single-blade Injector.