A Year in the Life of a Blue Collar Shaver

[KILLAFORNIA]

It's been almost year now since I received my Dovo Best Quality for Christmas last year. And I've really kept my purchases geared towards utility unlike some of my knife purchases. I started out with a straight razor designs strop and the straight razor. Since then I've kept it sharp with a Chinese 12k waterstone.(I got the Dovo "shave ready" to begin with) I'm still on my second soap, Tabac, and I found I like it way more than the Van Der Hagan I bought with a bowl and brush kit. I do usually get a great shave on Sundays but during the week I'm usually a 1 pass shaver and kinda feel like what men must of went thrfu back when a straight razor was their only choice.
I've gotten to be pretty quick because of time restraints not by choice and can comfortably shave my head as that's how I wear it. I've only dabbled into a few aftershaves and pre shave oils. But I still wonder what Bay Rum smells like...so this past year of shaving has been pretty fun and its been a great learning experience.
:thumbup:

 

[unky_gumbi]

I got my first Bay Rum soap this week, and I would say it smells like a mixture of bay leaves and spiced rum. I have the Col. Ichabod Conk bay rum BTW.

 

[Gollnick]

I have often said that the straight razor is a throwback to a time when a man did not shave himself. An upper-class gentlemen was shaved by his Valet... who also did all of the honing and stropping and dealing with the razor. The common laborer was shaved by his wife -- or maybe by one if his daughters as part of her domestic training to learn the skills she would need when she was married off -- and she took care of the razor. And a middle-class fellow saved his womenfolk that menial task by dropping a penny at the local barber once or twice a week where the barber took care of the razor. Today, the razor and the technology for sharpening and caring for it are much the same. So, the man who, today, takes this on is looking for more than a great shave. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that; indeed, it is to be commended. But, the man contemplating following this path needs to realize that it's non-trivial and will require some dedication.

 

[KILLAFORNIA]

Time to get the wife a'stroppin'!ha My great grandfather, I hear, shaved with a wedge, and my Grandfather a safetyrazor. I was thinking of a wedge for my next purchase, probably a custom. I can pass it along to my soon to be 6, oldest and keep a lineage-so to speak. My old man has been a 'lectric shavor and naturally was my first kind as well- about 18 years ago, as I'm 34 now. ---- bay rum, I had ensmellioned(envision+smell haha) was vanilla.isk but unky_ gumbi's description actually sounds good! I've thought about going to a barber to get a shave but its been hard to find. Nostalgia is definitley part of why I use the straight because in todays world it is hard to find a link to the past. At least in SoCal...

 

[unky_gumbi]

I don't even think there is any place up here that you can still get a straight razor shave. everyone seems to have given it up due to the cost of needing to have an autoclave to sterilize the razor after each shave thanks to things like aids and hepatitis. I olny had one straight shave while I was still in the army, it was the best shave of my life and I don't think it will ever be repeated. I think in time I will be able to get as close with my DE, but it still wont be the same as laying back and having someone do it for you

 

[Will Power]

Frankly, I don't think I could trust somebody else shaving me

It must be true that a cut-throat razor requires more time and some skill in maintaining it though. Dedication indeed.

My Grandfathers, both born in the C19th had facial hair. One a moustache (until the advent of safety-razors then it vanished, good) the other a full Rasputin like beard. He had that from 20 to his death at 82. My father and uncles wre all clean-shaven, more safety-razor progress and so am I. But, the brothers have reverted to type, full beard and moustache:barf:

Mr Gillette certainly had a civilizing influence in my view:thumbup: