Ok, my house decor is not the only thing retro about me. There are other areas of life in which they just knew how to do it better in the old days and we’ve suffered because of “progress”. Mind you, I’m not promoting regressive social values; I’m firmly in a Blue State of mind here! But with regard to more practical everyday matters, they way they lived in those mid-century houses can be as fun to bring back to life as are the houses themselves. Case in point: shaving.
Shaving is no fun and made less fun by the crappy shaving equipment foisted on men these days that dictates a whole crappy contemporary style of shaving. We have to do it every day, why make it suck? A friend turned me on to the niche rage around “wet shaving”. What is that? Well, it’s just classic shaving, my friend! The way your dad or grandpa used to. I investigated, did HOURS of research on shaving chatboards online, decided everyone there was crazy and obsessive, but kept on reading…….
Presented here, for your reading pleasure, are the results of my research into “vintage shaving” – results, I hasten to add, that I enjoy every day!
You start with the razor. Contemporary safety razors whether disposable (Bic) or with replaceable blade cartridges (Schick Quattro, Gilette Mach 5) are loathsome and inadequate tools. Plus the 'safety' means that the blades are very shallow, safer - yes, less control - yes, worse shave - yes. And don't even get me started on electric razors! Why not just rub your face with sandpaper? My razor is the HD Hefty Handle Straight Bar by Merkur; a classic average razor; not too risky, not too timid. The short handle gives you room to maneuver the razor in tight corners, the solid metal weight means it glides under its own weight and you don't have to pull it along in jerky motions that cause cuts.
Next; the blade. The metal used in contemporary cartridge blades like Schick is so cheap it doesn't hold an edge, meaning you must toss them much more frequently, and the fact that they include all this plastic in the blade cartridge itself means you are generating a lot more waste than needed, especially with all those 3-4-and-5 blade systems (ridiculous and ineffective anyway). My blades; classic Merkur double-edge blades; German steel to slice away that tough American stubble!
Mug and Soap. Yup; no foam here! You can use any coffee mug since most soaps will fit, but I got this cheap and fun Burma-Shave mug at Longs Drugs; just reminds one of the old road-side ads 'shave-and-a-haircut-beep-beep'! You can get inexpensive mug soap like Colgate's at Walgreen's, but i do prefer to indulge in Colonel Conk's Bay Rum soap. Mmmmm.
Using shaving soap with a brush works the soap into your stubble better than rubbing foam all over your face with your hand. Soaps are a little more oily too, which helps protect against cuts and softens your stubble. You could shave with olive oil really, but soap is probably cheaper and smells better. Badger is the bristle to go with; unlike hog bristle, badger absorbs water into the bristle itself; more liquid more lather. I don't advocate paying a bunch of money for expensive vanity handles like bronze or marble; pay attention to quality bristles and move on!
Finally, we top it off with aftershave. This is the most subjective part of the shave, but I prefer Dominica Bay Rum. This is the original aftershave; the stuff they based Old Spice upon. Used to be a bay leaf dropped into a bottle of rum. Now they use bay oil and rubbing alcohol so you don't get in trouble at work, but it's pretty much the same refreshing classic stuff. Nowadays the guys behind the Macy's counter will tell you that you don't want alcohol in your aftershave; it dries you out; you want something soothing like Aloe gel or some kind of lotion. Don't listen to them. Shaving abuses your face; you want a good strong and bracing disinfectant that might as well make you smell like a sailor who is freshly scrubbed and leaving his schooner for a night out in Havana!
And….drumroll please….shaving this way is less expensive than with contemporary equipment. Stay away from stores like “The Art of Shaving”; they’re promoting a great way of shaving, but they make it seem so precious, like you must have a $300 ironwood shaving set in order to shave well. I got most of my stuff online at Best Grooming Tools; all new, clean, and affordable. But you can also get this stuff at Walgreens. My razor blades are 10 for $5.50 whereas my old Gillette Sensor cartridge blades were 10 for $18.00 and I had to replace them more often. Sure, a good razor is a little more to start (only $30 as opposed to $10) but it pays for itself in 6 months in blade costs. You see, the razor companies changed tactics a few decades ago; they used to charge more for the razor and less for the blades, but they quickly realized they’d make more money if they charged less for the razor (that you buy infrequently) and more for the blades (that you buy all the time). Why buy into this expensive, wasteful, and anti-environmental practice?
Oh, and the most important thing; classic shaving results in MUCH closer shaves. My stubble grows back by 5pm with the consistency of barbed wire and I noticed a definite improvement when switching shaving styles. If you want the baby-butt-smooth face, simply soap and shave twice in one session. You’ll be fit for a night at the opera or being interviewed on the Colbert Show. Also, did I mention that all of this applies to women as much as men?
C’mon; we can all enjoy vintage living to go with our vintage houses!
[Side Note: Stay tuned for a special upcoming post about a major backyard development that must remain top-secret til June 20!]
