Thread: Did our grandfathers shave with blunt razors?

Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

I live in fear of the wife cutting my throat.

You only have to fear that outcome if you give her a good excuse for doing so.

Originally Posted by RayClem

You only have to fear that outcome if you give her a good excuse for doing so.

Ha! What with home schooling, making a proton pack for my Ghostbusters obsessed boy and decorating I'm keeping out the way. Happy wife, happy life

My Great Grandfather was an immigrant from Sicily. He had a big handlebar mustache but kept his beard shaved clean. A life as a a West Virginia coal miner eventually took his eye sight and his children kept him looking pretty. There is great debate about where his straight razor went, and I am hoping that my mother can talk her cousins out of the thing.

A few years back, I came across a shaving set-up from someone who had used it in Milwaukee, Wisc. It consisted of a Solingen razor, a Carborundum hone, a Frictionite 00 double-sided barber's hone, and a loom strop, one side pasted. An original sales receipt for a couple of items was there, dating to the mid-1950s. The set-up showed regular use, and I concluded that this was the guy's "complete set-up" at the time. I've kept the set together and only used these hones and strop to maintain shaving with it by way of a reference. Does it give me the best shaves I've ever had? No. But the shaves are otherwise good enough.

My Mother has told me about her Father stropping his straight razor regularly, but he did not have a hone.
I doubt if he went ATG or ever got BBS ??

Edit : Just found out that he had a butchers shop so maybe he must of had access to some kind of stones..
Trivia :He lost the tips of his fingers on a bacon slicing machine after it had been cleaned and assembled by Jim Lea (apprentice butcher) ..Later of the band "Slade" ( you know that god awful xmas tune) .. haha

Originally Posted by JOB15

My Mother has told me about her Father stropping his straight razor regularly, but he did not have a hone.
I doubt if he went ATG or ever got BBS ??

Edit : Just found out that he had a butchers shop so maybe he must of had access to some kind of stones..
Trivia :He lost the tips of his fingers on a bacon slicing machine after it had been cleaned and assembled by Jim Lea (apprentice butcher) ..Later of the band "Slade" ( you know that god awful xmas tune) .. haha

You mean from that awesome song "Run Runaway"?

My dad owned a sharpening business and went around to job sites and picked up saws to sharpen and brought them back. He also went to salons and barber shops and sharpened scissors and less (much less) frequently razors. He had one great big cheese block sized razor hone which I have today and am still trying to figure out. I wish I had paid more attention to what he did but I was too busy trying to become a rock star. Point being that with that one double sided stone he could do it start to finish. I still can't get a kitchen knife as sharp as he could while making it look easy. It's all about skill and knowing your equipment. Today we are a bunch of bitchy little girls.

Edit: Dad did the scissors and clippers (I forgot to mention clippers) on site but took razors with him and brought them back. Oh, and I never saw him use magnification on anything. Not even once.

IN FACT...you have inspired me. I have a Clauberg that I started to shave with this morning that should have been in the "to the hones" box which I am going to take to this great big bad mamajama and see what I can find out from it.

My dad's father shaved with a straight. I was told he used a "yellow stone" - I presume coticule. He passed away from lung cancer before I was born.
The one memory I have is being 4 or so and my mom's dad being in the hospital asking my father to shave him. He did with a DE, grandpa was sick and knew the end was near.
It's interesting sitting thinking about it and having these flashbacks.

2 weeks ago my 9 yo twins had their haircut at home. When it was time to clean their necks, the brush, lather and a Daishi kamisori came out and they got their first SR experience.
Those 2 dudes didn't move, I think they didn't even take a breath. They know the razor is sharp

I think that you have given them a pleasant memory.

Maybe not in the near future but in 10 years or more!