Thread: Let's Have a Contest-Oh Boy!

Well? What did he'n have aginst ya'll? Werz ya'll fergittin' ta wash yer taters afore yer eats'd 'em or sumthin'?


Mick

I don't want it to sound like I want a a sympathy vote or anything, but if you look at when I joined it was May '11 this was about one month after my grandson was diagnosed with bone cancer, at age 4.

This was devastating for me, it was horrific and sickening. Vile. I'm not sure how I stumbled on straight razor shaving; I think it was from The Art of Manliness site but before I knew it I'd bought my Burrell Top Flight and was standing at the mirror in the dining room sideboard wondering if I could bring myself to shave with it. To be honest, at times, in an utter state of depression, I wondered if I could be trusted with it.

I posted a post or two here (very excitable ones they were; if you look back on them) and I guess by way of reaching out for support or something posted maybe a comment or two about Bailey, my grandson. I met a guy on the SOTD thread who was in a similar situation with his son. I found a whole bunch of guys who seemed to really care. They also cared about how I shaved, and with what, and how often, and what I did afterwards.

What I actually found, was a niche and male support from guys who weren't afraid to call a spade a spade and who weren't afraid to say they valued emotions. I found a bunch of guys who seemed really respectful and genuine.

Shaving with a straight razor has given me an incredible enrichment of my life; mainly via the friends I've made here, but also via the valuing of simple, simple pleasures.

Bailey pulled through and is doing fine. I know the support from some guys here, mainly from the SOTD thread, allowed me to pull though too.

Thanks.

Carl

Originally Posted by crouton976

Okay, I'll bite.

My story isn't overly hilarious, nor filled with wit or suspense. It does, however, hit me right in the chest and, maybe, it will do the same to you, too.

I've mentioned around the forum several times that I have a 5-year-old son. His name is Collin, and he's one of the most intelligent, sweet and thoughtful kids I've ever known. In my biased opinion, he is THE most intelligent, sweet and thoughtful.

So, his whole life, until earlier this year, I had never shaved. Not once. I either had a full beard or used my beard trimmer to cut everything away down to stubble. This means he had never seen me shave and had no idea what shaving was.

Once I started shaving with a straight razor, he saw me doing it and was naturally curious. He began asking me every question that popped into his head, as most little boys are wont to do. I patiently listened and answered in terms his young mind could understand. He thought it was pretty awesome that I was shaving with something that was close to or more than 100 years old. Every time a new razor would come in the mail, he'd remark "That's a cool razor, Daddy... When I grow up, I'm gonna have one just like it."

Well, as time went on, we happened to be in Target (a large retail store for those of you outside the US) and came upon a toy shaving kit, complete with shave brush, mirror, plastic cartridge razor and can of foaming soap. Trying to encourage bath time, I asked if he would like to get it and be able to shave with me, to which he responded in the overjoyed affirmative. That night, he jumped in the tub after I had showered and was about to shave. He broke out his new acquisitions, and went to town.

I'm glad that as a new shaver he was much faster than me.

So, thus began our father/son "shaving" routine. About the third or fourth "shave" in, he happened to comment "Daddy, how come my razor looks different from yours? I think I need to use your razor to do a better job." It just so happened that I had my old shavette laying around, so I took the blade out, and handed it over. The look of joy on his face was as though I'd given him a 40 ton chocolate cake with video games and Santa on top, and he immediately began "lathering up".

On about the 9th "shave", just before I was going to hop in the shower I hear "Daddy! Come here, quick!!" coming from the bathroom. He had taken an old elastic band and tied it to the knob of one of the vanity cabinet doors and was "stropping" away! So, now, his "strop" hangs right next to my SRD strop.

He also decided to commandeer a plastic mug that we got at the circus which is shaped like a clown's head to use as his shaving mug. Let's just say he's still learning how to build a good lather, but he tries as hard as he can.

On days where I'm in a hurry and don't have time to wait for him to have a full bath, he cries that he can't shave with me, and it breaks my heart each time. Suffice it to say that it's rare that this happens now.

So, how has using a straight razor impacted my life?

It's given me something to bond with my son over that no one else can, and something to teach him that no one else will. It's given me something I can pass down to my son, be it knowledge on the art of shaving with a straight razor or the straight razors I have tucked away to give him when he begins cutting hair off of his face, since he's already "shaving" now. It also helps in teaching him patience, as well as expanding my own. And finally, it gives me one more way to be a good father to an even better son.

That's cool. Teaching your son to shave with a straight (for real) is SO much cooler than NOT teaching him to shave with a plastic thing. I bet no father teaches their son to shave if they use a plastic thing. I bet many fathers teach a son to shave with a DE or a straight. It's because it's a skill, like chopping wood, and you've started early :-) .

Thanks for the story

I really enjoy reading the stories here, keep them coming!

Mine isn't so much emotional as it is lucky and nice. When I signed up here, I mentioned I make websites. One of the first people to respond was someone who lives 12 km from my house and he wants 3 websites, one shaving-related and the others for audio and watches I happen to be into shaving and audio as well, so you can imagine how we get along!
I built the first one for him and we're both quite satisfied (if you're interested, it's here: Power Reserve Audio). I really take pride from making good websites and having satisfied customers.

The next two websites will be webshops, which takes me a long time to develop. Perhaps next year around this time, his shaving gear webshop will be launched!