Thread: The Sweet Shave

Sunday morning I strolled in Paradise sporting a shave worthy of an angle. Perhaps it was the combination of wet shaving products that produced my perfect shave, or the Mozart string quartet CD playing in the background that brushed the final sheen.

Perhaps it was one of those occasions in life when everything works in perfect harmony.

During the the shower, the Georgetown scuttle kept my badger brush wet and warm. Then came the lathering ritual in the scuttle after the shower, using Taylor of Old Bond Street Rose shave cream. The lather was warm and rich — and a long way from the days of shaving with cold water in my helmet, a can of shave cream and a merciless plastic disposable razor that seemed deadlier than a sniper in the jungles of Vietnam.

During the shave Sunday, I used a large coffee mug as a lid for the scuttle to keep my brush and lather warmer.

These days, because of an injury to my left hand — I switch hands with the straight — I can manage a straight razor for one pass only, and only on Sunday, finishing with my double edge safety razor. The rest of the week I also have to use a double edge.

The razor glided on my face as if on a bed of silk, the cutting sound playing counterpoint to the Mozart. A touch of witch hazel followed by shave balm and a splash of Trumper's Spanish Leather aftershave rounded out a ritual that must have taken over an hour — and two Mozart strings quartets back to back.

Will I be able to repeat that shave again? Who knows? Perhaps another Sunday morning when the angle blinks at me.

Regards,
Obie

Welcome to the forum,,,,,

Not only will you repeat it..... it will only
get better.



Terry

Terry,

Thanks for the kind and warm welcome.

I expect to write more of these little commentaries on the joys of wet shaving — The Sweet Shave. And, yes, I agree with you: it will get better.

I shave at the gym during the week, following a hard workout and a blissful steam, using all the usual wet shaving paraphernalia I can pack in my shave kit. IN doing so, I not only reward myself with a great daily shave, but as a writer, the adventure also gives me the chance to work out stories and bits of dialogue in my head.

Now, if I could only have Mozart, Beethoven or Brahms in the background.

Regards,
Obie

Originally Posted by Obie

Now, if I could only have Mozart, Beethoven or Brahms in the background.

Regards,
Obie

You should be listening to Stockhausen...

Seriously - welcome to the forum. You'll fit right in!

Karlheinz Stockhausen, the German avant-garde composer, would really freak out my fellow bathers and speedy shavers in the men's locker room.

As is, some of them stare at me from the corners of their eyes, wondering what on earth my wet shaving ritual is all about. What a waste of time! Most slap a thick wad of canned shave cream on their face and attack it with a disposable plastic razor as if storming a grain field with a scyth. I get dizzy just watching them from the corners of my eyes. A few supersonic seconds of mowing and they're done, and gone, leaving the sink a mess, like the aftermath of a storm.

Well, my mama taught me to always clean up after myself.

Regards,
Obie

Obie

Welcome to SRP , I actually read your post out loud to my girlfriend, nice story.

Hello, Mike,

Thanks for the warm welcome, and for the kind remarks. Yes, indeed, I do love that morning wet shave. Talk about zoning out. And that's a good thing. I think we should feel passionate about things, whether books, people, music, or the glory of a wet shave.

By the way, I misspelled "angel" in my original post and it's driving me crazy. We writers should be sticklers for good spelling. I hope my English teacher up there in heaven forgives me.

I spelled the word "angel" as "angle," which has a completely different meaning. It should have been "angel". "Angel" refers to the heavenly body and "angle" to the corner of something, like two-by-fours.

So, everyone, the right word in this case is "angel." "The blink of an angel."

Now I feel better.

More posts will come. Listen, anytime I can write something, I'm happy.

Regards,
Obie

You could always edit your post but I rather liked the phrase. 'A shave worthy of an angle'. Angle of the blade being important and all that. I think you should keep it, and of course, welcome.

Hello, Alan,

Thanks for your note, and for the kind welcome. Being new at writing for these forums, I did not know I could edit. Still, I like your thought about leaving things as they are. I'll think about it, unless the incorrect spelling drives me too crazy.

Regards,
Obie