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08-08-2011, 07:44 PM #1Junior Member
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My Top 10 Shaving Videos on YouTube (with write-ups)
Hello, everyone. I'm a newb here, but I wanted to share this list that I have posted on other non-shaving forums. Some of my explanations and tidbits are surely common knowledge to the posters here, so please forgive me for that; they weren't originally meant for this audience. Either way, I think you guys will like these. Enjoy!
10. Barber's close shave
‪Barber's close shave‬‏ - YouTube
Let's journey to England! Our first video features a young bloke getting his shave at a traditional looking English barber shop. Barbershop shaves are going to dominate this list, and this opening video demonstrates why: it's just a much better experience than a shave at home. The friendly barber begins by offering the guy a beer. This is a wonderful gesture that showcases both generosity and masculinity. An immediate kinship is built between barber and patron, and the patron can feel like a boss for stepping into this old school establishment, cuz Supercuts sure as hell won't give him a beer.
Hot towels are first. As the barber says, hot towels are used to soften the hair and open the pores. It makes the beard much more manageable to shave and minimizes irritation. He applies a second hot towel after applying pre-shave oil (pre-shave oil is awesome btw; I recommend it to anyone). Some people actually apply a hot towel <i>after</i> lathering up. This allows the lather to really absorb into the skin and make it even softer/smoother (of course, lather is reapplied before the actual shave). He shaves the patron with a modern multi-bladed razor. After the shave, cream is applied, and then a cold towel. This makes sense if you think about it: hot towels at the start of the shave to open the pores, cold towels at the end to close them. Cold water also works. Some people even use an ice cube, believe it or not (believe it!). The barber finally applies some old fashioned stinging aftershave, helps the gent with his coat, and bids him a good day.
This is a very relaxing video. The methodical pace and calming music immediately put me at ease. I bet some of you will feel the same way when watching it, and believe me, there's no shame in admitting it. Points off for not using a straight razor, but everything else here is solid.Willisf likes this.
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08-09-2011, 12:16 AM
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9. Superlather in Seconds!
‪Superlather in Seconds!‬‏ - YouTube
Oh lord, I feel like I should apologize already. When I first thought up the idea of this list years ago, I wanted to include at least one proper demonstration of a shaving brush, shaving soap/cream, and the tandem’s ability to whip up lather simply incomparable to the foams and gels of today. However, most of YouTube’s “proper” lather videos (and you’ll be amazed how many there are) just didn’t cut it for me. They were either too long, too drab, or starred creepos who I feared would leap through the screen and start making weird sounds at the family parakeet. And so… I had to settle with this.
Superlather in seconds! This is a very aptly named video in which the guy does everything in the book to create lather as quickly as possible. And does it all wrong. He showcases the brush, caressing the bristles as one would the hair of an impassioned lover. Not weird at all. He then dips the brush in a bowl of water and rinses out the excess… in another glass. Now hey, that’s fine; you’re supposed to shake out the excess, but why do it another glass? And then why LABEL that glass as “glass”? He’s using shaving cream. I prefer soap, but to each his own. However, he squeezes the cream directly on top of the brush, a practice I have never seen done before (it should be squeezed into the bowl). This maneuver backfires in spectacular fashion, as the cream hilariously falls off the brush as soon as the guy tries to do two things at once. He labels this mishap as “oops.” He then collects the cream with the same undeniable embarrassment in his soul as a father who has to speak to his son’s class about his career as an auditor right after Billy’s astronaut dad just talked.
And then, he starts to make lather. With all the gusto and disregard for civility of a heavyset woman who just found the fried shrimp at a seafood buffet… he starts to make lather. He is a machine, dripping and slipping everywhere. There is no method to his madness. His only goal – for SOME reason – is speed. And he is fast. The video ends with him showing off the lather on his hand and then setting the brash on its handle only for it to immediately fall down.
This vid must be a joke. There’s just no other possibility, and to its credit, it works. It’s just so damn ridiculous that I can’t help but laugh. That said, however, I sincerely do recommend shaving brushes and soaps/creams to anyone here who manually shaves. Brushes can be shockingly expensive, but you can get a perfectly decent one at Amazon for like $15. Basic soaps can be found in drug stores for like $2. It may take more time than your Gillette gels and Aerosol cans (unless you’re the dude in the video), but the difference in quality and experience is worth it. A proper lather done right is just better – thicker, richer, awesomer. Also, there’s a wonderful zen-like calmness you get (or at least I get) when taking the minute or two to build yourself a great lather. Spend a few bucks and try it. It’s good stuff.
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