Thread: Wet shaving magazine

Howdy all,

so I'm currently in the bookstore right now and just browsing the hobby magazine rack.

I see alot of hobby magazines but was wondering if anyone out there has seen a wet shaving related magazine? I'm sure it exists right? I mean they have magazines for everything else.

If not we should really look into it lol

I love shaving. I love pretty much the whole honing, stropping, collecting, using thing. I love the forum, & the way I can chat with like minded chaps. I love that finding this place has turned an interest into a passion.

Walking into a real shop & buying a magazine devoted to wet shaving? I don't think I've got the bo!!ocks!

You'd think that in a world where "Cigar Afficiando" exists, there should be room for a magazine on shaving and related topics.

(Not to pick on cigar smokers, BTW, but there are a heck of a lot more shavers in the world than cigar smokers.)

I don't read GQ or the other mags dedicated to men's concerns, so I don't know if they give much ink to shaving. I'm sure the latest Schick and Gillette introductions got a lot of coverage. Without accusing editors or magazines of being "on the take", it's just a lot easier for journalists when press kits and sample products fall into their laps.

Cheers,
Ian

True but imagine how much useful it could be.

I mean you get the magazine and see that TI had some new razor coming out. And bam next month there is the razor there is the review and everyhing else you could imagine of

Gentlemen:

I have never seen a wet shaving magazine, though every field of endeavor seems to have its own publication.

Will a wet shaving magazine be viable in the number of readers it will attract? That is the question. Occasionally Esquire magazine devotes a few lines to some cologne or aftershave, but obviously that is not enough.

Also, will such a magazine be economically feasible? This especially when scores of magazines are on the brink of collapse because of low readership. I think not. The publication of a wet shaving magazine would have to be out of love. Unfortunately today even such love costs large sums of money.

Regards,
obie

I think the internet is killing the old fashioned print companies...
IIRC, the total subscription to the two largest wet-shaving sites barely total 50,000, and how many are registered to both? Every man-jack of us would have to buy a subscription and even then would that be enough?

I think that an on-line magazine might have a chance of success, but a print version would be too costly to produce, I would think.

Originally Posted by Obie

The publication of a wet shaving magazine would have to be out of love.

Exactly. If there was no internet such a magazine might survive. My vision of the magazine would be one devoted to straight razors and safety razors primarily. The gizmos they've pedaled since the advent of disposables and cartridge razors would have no coverage. Of course brushes, soaps and creams would be reviewed. Articles on razors of the past and present as well as technique and prep. All the things we talk over here.

Cigar Aficionado was mentioned and Pipes & Tobacco comes to mind. I've never seen a copy of the former but I subscribed to the latter for a number of years. The one periodical that was a true labor of love was the late Tom Dunn's Pipe Smoker's Ephemeris. Tom began with it as a broadsheet in 1983 and it blossomed inot a full fledged magazine within a few years. It continued until 2005 when an illness that proved fatal the following year manifested itself. He formed a club, The International Coterie Of Pipe Smokers, and membership was free. The magazine came free of charge with membership and was supported by voluntary contributions from members with no advertisers.

The beauty of the Ephemeris was that it not only contained Tom's voluminous contributions, his own, and anything relevant he found in the media of the time but contributions from members. I was gratified to have a brief article I wrote included in the very last issue of the Ephemeris but my joy was bittersweet when the postcard from Tom came with the bad news that there would be no more Ephemeris but even worse that he was terminal and didn't have long to live. Here is a tribute to Tom and his wonderful magazine.

Anyhow, it would definitely be a niche market but a lot more men shave than smoke pipes and cigars so maybe there would be a place for such a magazine if some talented and enterprising soul were to try putting it together.

Magazines aren't like newspapers. Most magazines survive on advertising. Most newspapers survive on bias.

There was a fellow who was starting up one. I actually have a copy of his one and only edition. It looked promising but seems to have floundered. Hmmm...I should drop him a line and see where he's at with this.