We all know about King C Gillette, the man who invented the modern safety razor. Or claimed to invent it – there was clearly many who had similar ideas around the turn of the last century. But do we actually know the guy, and not just know about him? Turns out that we may not – hence why I would suggest reading “King C Gillette, the man and his wonderful shaving device“. Printed in 1978, it is easily available online.
Continue readingRazor: Gillette 1958 TV Special
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Badger
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: B&M Latha Oceana
Aftershave: Epsilon for Men Scottish Spirit
Additional Care: Alum Block
Another Monday, another Moment of Zen in the bathroom.
Razor: Parker 22R Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Omega #10048
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Proraso Menthol & Eucalyptus
Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
Additional Care: Alum Block & Barbossa Organic Sandalwood Beard Oil
Recreating my first ever traditional wetshave…
Apart from the preshave, that is… I wouldn’t known a preshave back then if I had stepped in it.
And thinking about it, my postshave was lacking too.
And my technique? Thank God I’ve gotten better after thirteen years… the first shave was nothing but weepers and shave rash.
So less recreation and more using the same razor, brush, and cream as my first ever traditional wetshave – way back in the early summer of 2010.
If you ask the average person around where I live what Colgate makes, the answer will be toothpaste. A hundred and eleven years ago the answer might have been shaving cream. Or shaving powder. Or even shaving stick – Colgate did all three according to this 1912 advertisment.
Continue readingRazor: Parker 22R
Blade: Astra Green Brush: Semogue TSN LE 2012
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood
Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
Additional Care: Alum Block & Barbossa Organic Sandalwood Beard Oil
A mighty midweek shave with wood tones. A woody Wednesday, if you like.
Recently I’ve been enduring a major bathroom renovation. As in tearing the bathrooms down to studs and redoing everything – pipes, wiring, walls, the works. Which was needed – the old waste water pipes were cast iron and almost rusted out – but still left me shaving out of the GoBag for several weeks.
Now, I do change out what goes in the GoBag ever so often. But even so it is a limited palette. Doubly so when comparing to the fairly big rotation I normally have – 25+ razors, sevenish brushes, and I don’t even want to count how many soaps and creams. But, to harp on the point, for several weeks my palette was a single razor, a single brush, and two soaps. Oh, and an aftershave and a preshave.
Continue readingRazor: Parker 22R
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Artesania Romera Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Taylor of Old Bond Street Peppermint
Aftershave: Krampert’s Finest 80 Below
Additional Care: Alum Block
A rather minty Monday shave, using the very same razor that started my journey into traditional wetshaving.
Razor: Gillette Old Type
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Vie-Long #12705B
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Pereira Shavery Baron’s Choice
Aftershave: Epsilon for Men Scottish Spirit
Additional Care: Alum Block
A quick Friday shave 🙂
In 1887, Mr Arthur Henry Wallace of Houghton, Michigan came up with what he described as a new and useful improvement in shaving apparatus. And by shaving apparatus, Wallace clearly meant a doodad to hold and heat a brush.
Wallace’s doohickey was compact enough to be carried in a pocket or stowed away in a satchel. It would, he claimed, fulfil all the requirements for which it is intended. As long as the requirements is limited to forming a water reservoir, having a lamp to heat it, and having a built in shaving brush that wouldn’t touch the table when you put it down…
Continue readingRazor: Gillette Old Type
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Vie-Long #12705B
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Asylum Shave Works Frankincense & Myrrh
Aftershave: Asylum Shave Works Frankincense & Myrrh
Additional Care: Alum Block
Another enjoyable shave. Life is grand, y’all!