Brush and Mug Classic Wet Shaving

About Me

I'm a baby boomer, a suburban white man, a small business owner, and a computer geek (along with a few thousand other labels I could come up with).  Wet shaving is my latest obsession and this site is my way of sharing this "hobby" with the world. Those of you who know me also know that I have a beard.  In fact, most would say I have a full beard.  Even so, I need to shave my cheeks and neck to give my beard a finished look.  Without doing that, I'd look like a werewolf.  Having a beard is no excuse not to shave! 

I can certainly get away with not shaving for days at a time, but when I want to look my best I have to shave.  Besides, my beard is rapidly turning white while the hair on my head is just starting to get a little salt & pepper and graying at the temples.  I feel that my beard makes me look older than I really am and even though I'm not all that vain, why not do what I can to look younger?  One friend suggested I try dying the beard.  I would never consider dying my hair - I've never seen a man with dyed hair that I thought looked "real".  I have seen some brightly colored hair that looked pretty good, but that's a story for another web site. 

I'm working up the nerve to shave my beard.  Historically my neck is prone to razor burn, ingrown hairs, and acne.  I'm attempting to learn shaving techniques to prevent that and to toughen up my neck a bit so that when I decide it's time to get rid of the beard, I can shave daily without all the problems I used to experience when the U.S. Army required daily shaving.

In the process of learning these techniques, I'm finding that shaving is no longer a chore, but something that I look forward to.  There's something very manly about the smells, the act of making your own lather and even the sound of a double edge safety razor as it glides over your face.  (Do your best Tim Allen grunt three times.)

Ironically, when I first started shaving a double edge safety razor or injector were the only choices; now there are multitudes of so called improvements, but many (including myself) feel that the trusty double edge safety razor is still the best choice.  I tried them all - cheap disposables to the latest multi-bladed wonder.  I only recently gave up my Gillette Sensor for a DE safety razor.  Maybe some day I'll try a straight razor and decide that's even better, but as of now, the idea of holding an unprotected razor to my neck makes me shiver!

As my skills and knowledge improve, I'm getting a closer shave with less irritation (with an occasional setback).  In the strictest sense of the word, I've always been a wet shaver - I tried electric once and hated it. Even so, I was never really taught the proper way to shave and I used to use cheap razors and nasty "shaving cream" from an aerosol can.  Yuck!  I consider myself a beginner as of this writing, but I'm pleased with the progress I'm making.  This site is a collection of what I've learned about classic wet shaving - the use of a brush, the proper razor & blade, the pre-shave and post-shave rituals, and anything else I can think of that belongs here. 

Welcome to my world.  I hope you find something entertaining and/or useful here.


Other sites & projects:

Randy