OK, everyone. After reading this post I got really inspired and got a little different view at how shaving was done in the "old days".
Example:


Quote Originally Posted by McKie View Post
Hi !

My father was born in 1903 and shaved all his life with a straight razor, he died at 78.
He had only had one stone, a Swaty marked :

FRANZ SWATY
WAHRING BEI WIEN
(AUSTRIA)

I saw him use it once in all my life (I was around 6 or 7) he then told me that he used it once or twice a year and only gave 5 to 6 laps using shaving cream as a lubricant.

He had 3 razors. A King Cutter - a Red Point 917 (marked Anton Wingen Jr) and a Carl Rader 87.

I never saw him use anything but the Carl Rader and he shaved every day. He also had only one hanging strop and he only rubbed it with his hands to maintain it (he may have put shaving lather on it from time to time, I'm not shure anymore).

In his 70's he felt his strop was too slick, so he simply turned it over (it was the same leather throughout).

Just to show that shaving with a straight razor doesn't need to be complicated. We (I at least) just complicate things for fun).

I'm now 55, I still use only the Swaty (which is still in mint condition) and still does a great job and to my knowledge has never been lapped. I also have a C-MON barber hone I bought 1976 (I wrote the date March 15, 1976 in the cover of the box). I used it only a couple of times, I don't like it very much.

And BTW, I prefer the Red Point.

Nice day to you all !

McKie


I'd like for everyone with first hand experiences, with what you heard from your mother, grandfather, whatever.
How did your ancestors shave. Did they keep it simple? Sopa, creams? Aftershaves? Strops...
I want "old mans" tales.
No matter how simple or short it is.





For example I'll start: I dont know how my grandad shaved (about 60 years ago) but he had a razor box with that opened and the lid had a mirror on the inside so you could shave right there and then. Unfortunately, my mom threw it away before I started getting intrested into wet shaving.