The most important “item” for me is the mindset of the shave. I got a fair selection of razors; new and vintage, SE and DE, open comb and safety bar. I got a decent selection of brushes; horse, boar, synth and entry-level badger. I got plenty of soap; factory and artisan, hard and soft, american and european. I got a small but decent selection of aftershaves; big names and artisan. And I can mix and match and get Damn Fine Shaves every time, provided I take the time to get into the mindset. The tool matters less than learning to use the tools.
Shaving time is – at least to me – a quiet, reflective moment. It’s me-time; the time when I can close the door and just enjoy myself without a worry in the world. It’s the time each morning I can ‘let go’ of everyday worries and simply enjoy the ‘now’ – a perfect moment caught between lather and blade as it were. It’s a moment that flushes the system, in a manner of speaking, and lets me put things in perspective. I think that traditional wetshaving have helped making me a better man, as well as a better looking man. In short shaving for me is less about the gear and more about that perfect moment caught between lather and blade – those precious minutes every time you shave that lets your worries and concerns simply drain away. The little breathing space where it’s you, your razor and perfection.
And as with everything regarding shavings; Your Mileage May Vary.
The National Library of Norway have an amazing collection, most of which is available online. Some of it is even available for people outside of Norway, such as these lovely old photos of shaving in Norway (click to make bigger):
Flying Tiger Copenhagen, formerly known as TGR, is an odd shop… imagine if a knick-knack store merged with a dollar store (or a pound store, or a 10kr store, or whatever your local equivalent is). Craft supplies, toys, kitchen gear… and today, this:
Granted, the finish on the wood ain’t great, the knot is probably a shedding Chinese boar, the cup is just plastic and the head on the razor is thin castmetal… but for 80 NOK (9.50 US $ / 7.50 £ / 9.00 €) I am quite tempted to pick it up just for fun.
I would like to think that my lips, nose and eyes should not be gone when I’m done shaving…
