Thread: Do you shave rich or do you shave poor? (Long)

Long, long time ago, about 2 lifetimes as some like to say, I worked with the Honduran military as an advisor. It was difficult, sort of jungle style living if you will with a requirement to remained shaved. The water provided was very, very cold (no hot water at all) and there weren't any drugstores to go out and buy blades for. The local enlisted guys I worked with used disposables over and over again. I think they all pitched in and bought a bag of razors every few months and gave each guy one for the duration. Luckily they didn't have much in the way of a beard. Myself, after a few trips, started taking one of the new cans of cream, those fancy high tech models (this was 1980-82) that you could turn over and get hot cream out of. The troops there were so poor that they would ask me if they could have my disposable razors and blades AFTER I had used them since they provided a better shave. I had the disposables as back up because the pace of operations kept breaking my Sensor blades, handles, etc. I am sure your all aware of military advisor concepts, so eventually I started just giving away my blades new, and chucked the "ugly American" hot cream can and started shaving with my guys with cold water every day and the same blade over and over again. I was, shaving poor.

Funny though, my shaves got better and better.

I never got used to cold water but I did experiment with what would work best in the jungle. I eventually just used a hand soap and disposables over and over again just like the guys I was working with. Adaptation is always the best path. I experimented with straights for a while but they didn't work well for the conditions and I was too ignorant to make them work. The steel DE seemed to be the better choice in the long run. Again, though, my shaves were incredibly comfortable, not using the Barbasol foam, Edge, or whatever; Gillette brand being the worst.

Moving forward about 20 years I find myself using expensive creams and straights, some of which cost way more than they deserve to and getting good shaves. Still do well with those original DEs. I may even use shaving cream, shaving oil, a Badger Brush, and an aftershave...all for one shave! No kidding. But, I don't get a better shave. . .

Recently I traveled up to Ohio and just took a straight razor. An old, cheap, but sharp one and a small strop that fits into my Dopp kit. No brush or cream at all. I used the facial soap at the hotel and used my hands to build the lather with it. I got one of the best shaves of my life, and it reminded me of a time many, many years ago.

So, I'm just curious now...does anyone else experiment with "What you really only need"? or going cheap? Or does anyone experiment the other way "Going rich"? And does anyone try each the way I do?

AF,

Never shaved quite as poor as you have but I used to use the same cartridge for 2 weeks and sometimes 3 many years ago (to save money) and I have a heavy, tough, beard. Then I would put a new one in and butcher my face for the first few shaves. I pretty much "shave rich" these days...Merkur DE razors, TI straight razor, Vulfix Pure and Super badger brushes, Taylor soaps and aftershaves, Proraso, Musgo, Trumpers, etc., etc. I kinda' pamper my face now after shaving with an electric for the last 10 years or so. IMO you could classify shaving electric as "shaving poor". LOL.

Tom

I've always shaved simply. It's a 'conservation of motion thing' with me as with most things. As far as actual expense goes, sure I'll pay for a razor and strop, but no more than I have to or at least REALLY want to. I don't even use a brush as you might recall. I didn't use any cream of any kind either for years before straight shaving. Some mornings, I still don't, but not always to great success.

X

Years agao I dabbled with straights and never got the hang of it. After that and until I got back into starights my morning shave consisted of stepping out of tha hot shower, running hot water in the sink and using a Bic disposable and hot water, no shave cream, no soap, just water and steel.

Needles to say my face does not get irritated easily so the switch back to straights was not an issue other than the nicks.

Today I use $50 razors, and a few several hundred dollar razors. My usual soap is from Marvey at $.87 a cake, my most expensive is from Crabtree % Evlynn at $5. 6 days out of 7 I use a Burma Shave bristle brush, once in a while a Tweezerman badger, rarely an expensive badger.

Tony

I have shaved pretty poor. Spending weeks afield wasn't conducive to using a whole lot ot extra shaving products. It's not really a problem now since I transferred to NG but I haven't deployed with them yet either. I remember one occassion we were on a training exercise for I think it was 2 weeks at Ft. Benning, Ga. An unexpected cold front came through and the temp dropped to the teens. All our water froze SOLID. I quickly learned that dry shaves are NOT fun. We decided to sacrifice one canteen per squad. We cut open the canteen and rubbed or hands on the block of ice to melt it slightly and get our hands wet which we rubbed on or face to get at least SOME lubrication. I've never liked the Evil Can. I have used regular bath soap most of my shaveing life. I have recently discovered that the shaving cream that my wife uses to shave her legs isn't too bad. I doesn't burn the skin like most of the "men's" creams do. And it smells pretty good too. I can't see me showing up to the unit on drill weekend with a can of her shaving cream though.

Louis

My pleasures in life are simple, and there's only two things I splurge on, Cigars and Shaving. A fine Cigar helps me relax after a bad day, and Shaving helps me start the day well, so I don't have to many bad ones (thus keeping me from smoking to much). The razors I use range from $30 ebay specials to a few hundred dollar beauties. I prefer the ToOBS, Proraso and Muehle-Pinsel shaving creams and switch between a Tweezerman pure badger, Vulfix super badger and Kent T4 brushes. In Cigars I prefer the Cohiba Dominican, Montecristo and CAO. Life is short, so I shave rich and I smoke rich. These, along with the people I care about, make life worth living.

I think I certainly shave rich. Taylor creams, a growing number of nice razors, colognes, aftershaves... Of course, I have to nice-en up the bathroom, so it's a more pleasant environment to shave in!

I'm with Richard regarding shaves and smokes. On the cigar front, I tend towards fuller sticks like CAO Brazilia, Punch Punch MM Rothschilds, and Rocky Patel Edge maduros. I do like to rotate my shaves between different razors, creams, and soaps. My current favorite cream is Taylor's Shave Shop. A great shave and fantastic scent.


Wayne

I guess I fall into the Wayne and Richard camp. Good cigars (although they don't have to be expensive to be good) and good shaving equipment. I own a Simpsons manchurian brush (you don't want to ask how much), I use mostly british shave creams, although there are plenty of other good shaving creams out there and a few good straight razors (TI / Henckels Friodur/ Hen & Rooster as well as a ss feather). I used to smoke Dominicans exclusively I've recently found a taste for cheaper Nicaraugians. Once in a while I'll splurge on Cuban stick or two when I get the opportunity. Years ago, like many, I started with a cheap injector and shave -in-a-can. I'm still a relative beginner with the straight razors but I'm enjoying the ride. I've been shaving with a straight razor a few times a week for about 6 months now but just recently switched almost exclusively to the straight razor (from a DE). So far so good but I'm still a little slow with the off hand.

I'd say right now my shaving habits are the equivalent of a rich man driving a Bentley. I'm enjoying this new hobby but I've spent around $500 in a few months on shaving equipment. I'd say that's rich considering I used to spend $10-$15 per month on cartridges. Money is no object here because I'm getting close, comfortable shaves and I enjoy the novelty of straight shaving.

It's all good!

-Rob