My grandad's shaving mug

[dcarmell]

I was up at my brother's this weekend, helping celebrate his 30th wedding anniversary, and he gave me our grandfather's shaving mug. Long before I discovered straight razors, I used a drugstore boar's hair brush and shaving soap. I think I've used a brush and soap for about 20 years, and my mug that whole time has been a tin camping cup, because they are unbreakable.

But in honor of Hilare LaBarre, my mother's stepfather, a native of Quebec and early citizen of Fort Benton, Montana, where he ran a livery stable until he converted it into a Dodge sales and repair dealership in the 1920s, I melted one of Collen's soap cakes in it and will be using it. I used one of her excellent summer sale soaps, Yuzu, and I figure this is the first time the mug has been used since the early 1960s, when Hilare died. It's nice to encorporate a bit of family history into my shaving routine!

Dan

[dcarmell]

And here it is after the shave. First time it's been used in 50 years, I think!

Dan

[rastewart]

I think I can see it smiling.

One of my mugs is an Old Spice mug, though a newer one. Who knows, maybe some young man of my family not even born yet will shave with it some day. It's a nice thought.

[geoffreyt]

I guess you cant beat them Old Spice mugs. You can pay a LOT more but you cant beat them. How do you melt soap into it?

[dcarmell]

Just dropped one of Colleen's soap cakes into it and zapped it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. It totally melted and reformed to coat the bottom of the mug.

I still hold by my tin mug--it's a bit bigger and unbreakable! But the Old Spice mug has a nice old-timey feel, without a doubt. The glaze on it has a zillion cracks and it is very slightly uneven in shape, making it feel handmade.

Dan

Dan