At least not for this Russian guy… apparently, his grandfather told him that “Razors are an expensive, unnecessary luxury” and that during the Great Patriotic War the soldiers would shave with anything – so logically he decided to learn how to do the same.
I’m not sure about y’all, but I stick to a nice DE for now – and proper lather too, instead of the canned goo I spy on this fellows table.
The last month I have been shaving from the GoBag… which means I get a good shave (differences in water hardness non-withstanding), but also means less choices. So I’m happy to be back in my own den and be able to fuss over what soap and brush to use for each shave.
A little less than a hundred years ago, Europe was aflame – and since Europe ruled the most of the world back then, so was the world. Due to the introduction of chemical warfare, and with it the respirators, the poor sods in the trenches couldn’t just let their beards grow – so Gillette saw a market and decided to fill it.
Give away enough free razors, he figured, and suddenly millions of soldiers is going to buy blades for it… a stroke of genius and luck – after all, a huge war came around just when he needed it – and the rest is history.
I would love to get my hands on an original or reproduction WW1 razor kit – it definitely blows the plastic box with a Sensor, four carts and tiny can of goo I was given in boot camp, courtesy of Gillette Norway.
Note to Europeans and other sensible people used to measuring temperatures in °Celsius: use water between 40.56°C and 48.89°C.
Or you could use a DE and save money and the environment…
…at least I think I’ve been a good boy so far.