Thread: Back Woods Shaving

Over the weekend I went to my Dad's hunting camp with a few rifles and the 4-wheeler. After motoring on in there and putting a bit of a dent in the squirrel population, I enjoyed quite a nice shave.

First I put a pot of water on top of the wood stove and let it heat up. They have a little wash pot in front of a mirror that's hanging on the wall, so I filled that up and whipped up a nice lavender lather with my badger brush. Put a towel to my face, slicked back my hair and then lathered up.

I had a great shave. When you take away the things we take for granted with an at-home shave, you can really appreciate how it used to be done before electricity came about.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

When working in the bush, I've been fortunate enough to board in well-organized camps, so they even had washers hooked up and hot running water in addition to large diesel gennies powering the place up. The outdoors lose a bit of their charm when you have to work out there for a few weeks straight lol

My kit gets a bit simpler when in the woods (fairly often). I pack a razor, old worn out strop, boar brush, a metal mirror, and any tube of shave cream I have handy. Hot water is an optional luxury and not really necessary, but if the water is cold enough to give you shivers (not a good idea when holding a straight to your throat) then I'd suggest heating it. I hang both strop and mirror from a low branch on a tree and lather in my hand; works great and not much more trouble than any other shaving method in the woods.

Cheers,
Ed

Oh, one other thing...probably not too surprising, but even after all these years of spending many, many weeks at a time in the great outdoors...it's charm is still there and in many ways, still growing.

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

Has anyone had a similar experience?

I am hoping to have a similiar experience once I get back and go to WV to check out the property me and the wife bought. It's nice, and I was thinking of giving the rustic shave a try.

There's just something so authentic about a shave away from civilization. You're on your own, apart from all the luxuries that usually help you with your shave. All you've got are your blade, strop, brush, and your skills!

I was recently between apartments and would go to my rented storage space where I'd stashed my razors and other personal hygiene gear and heat some water on a backpacker stove. I would then use a plastic dish washing basin and eight by ten inch mirror to shave. Afterward I would wash out my brush in the basin and then pour water through the bristles to remove the remainder of the soap. I then used the soapy water to take a bucket bath. It was a bit rustic but it worked.

I was just camping at a state park here in Michigan. I took a shower in the bath house and then hit the sinks for my shave. I brought an old brush, razor and a coffee cup with shave soap. My pride was booming when many a man stopped by to admire my straight razor shaving. Many comments were made about cutting one selves, but by talking to them WHILE shaving, I think I dispelled many old myths about straights.

I walked into the bath house, BUT I strutted out :-)

Good Times....

Originally Posted by markhait

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I walked into the bath house, BUT I strutted out :-)

Good Times....

Niiiiiiiice...

I've done the rustic shave as a fur trade era re-enactor. All our gear had to be pre-1834. I used a straight, leather belt, boar brush, soap in hand and the bottom of a tin cup as a mirror. I heated water in a pot, what luxury! It was somewhat amusing to have people ask if that really did shave. I let them know it worked just as well as my flintlock rifle. (I won that particular shoot by the way). The only thing is I haven't found a very authentic mountain man strop. The beard thing for mountain men was not a good idea. Indians despised body and facial hair, so a shave was a good thing to do.

My experiences were good also. 6/8 Dovo; folding mirror on hood of pickup; water heated on Coleman stove; very serene.

Monte