Crossroads

[Obie]

Gentlemen,

I am 27 years old, have been for decades, and am not budging.

Yet, I find myself gradually returning to my roots — before age 27 — in the use of safety razors. A long time ago I used the standard Gillette double edge razors available — Superspeeds, adjustables — and single edge razors — GEM and Ever-Ready. I distinctly recall buying a Fatboy from the local pharmacy in San Francisco. The razor was sealed in the typical razor package, and if I remember, it cost less the $2.00.

Fatboy sealed in its package, brand new, and priced under $2.00. You wish . . .
Later, when life got in the way, I switched to the usual cartridge razors and injectors. In the jungles of Vietnam, my razor was the standard disposable Bic that came in the sundry packages that also contained C-Rations, toilet paper, mosquito repellent, and who knows what else to make life comfortable — under the circumstances. Shaving with canteen water in the steel helmet, some unpleasant canned goo for shave cream and a rough beard scraper for a razor wasn't fun — but you do the best you can.

That's when I promised that if I got out alive, I would never let that stuff touch my face again. And I did not — for the most part. Later I even committed the sin of using an electric razor for a month or so. What a shaving abomination that was. OY! And so the years went by and the great Gillette, GEM and Every-Ready razors became more difficult to find, while a parade of cartridge razors swamped the shaving world: one blade, two, three, four, and these days five blades.

"Five blades, man," said the guy shaving at the health club locker room sink next to me.

"Well, I'll stick with what the old timers used," I said, palm stropping a Wade & Butcher.

"Those guys didn't know what they were missing," he said, finishing his shave in about 90 seconds.

"Maybe they were lucky," I said, trying to remain as diplomatic as possible.

By then I was shaving with the straight razor regularly, something I had wanted to do since my early teens and never got around to doing so. In the following years, slowly the great Gillettes found their way back into my humble shave den. Then it was a parade modern double edge razors — Edwin Jagger, Muhle, Merkur and some others followed by a wave of modern stainless steel razors — Weber, iKon, ATT, Wolfman, BBS-1, Timeless, Mamba and others.

In time, the old Gillettes, GEM and Every-Ready razors began dominating the shave den. Then the modern razors started disappearing: the standard models and the stainless. Weber, iKon, ATT, Wolfman and BBS are gone. I do not miss them, except for my set of Webers. In the past month or so, I have hardly used my three Timeless razors. Also my stainless steel Mamba, a razor I really like. I think soon only one Timeless will remain in the shave den in addition to the Mamba.

I had forgotten what sweet shaves the great Gillettes, the GEMs and the Ever-Readys gave me. There is something about these razors that makes them exceptional, not only their balance in the hand from where I hold them, and their mild to mid-aggressive and comfortable shaves, but also the quality with which they were built. Gentlemen, that was true American workmanship.

Some physical difficulties in my shoulders, plus arthritis in my hands, limit my straight razor shaves to only Sundays. The stainless steel razors are proving too heavy for my hands. The rest of the time I have started using the GEMs and the Gillettes for my daily shaves. Love both. I have shaved with the Sabre L2 several times, but it's a wee bit too much for my ultra sensitive skin, and too heavy for my hads.

And so, still at age 27, I don't have to rely on memory of my vintage razors of years ago. They're all here, in excellent shape, and a joy to shave with.

Gentlemen, do you find yourselves at such a crossroad?