Shaving notes of the MaineYooper

Thank you for sharing. Communication is so central to successful relationships. Even possessing this nugget of wisdom, I am surprised to find I am challenged more and more to communicate the older I get.

I get that, Eric. My family was very loving but not verbal regarding expressions of affection, or even physical. Carrying over those ingrained habits has been constantly challenging to me, as it originally seemed unnatural and I felt uncomfortable doing it. But my wife has been very much a help-meet for me, and I just hope I can be as much for her as she has been for me!

Wow, it has been some time since I last made an entry. Time to fix that.

We all hit those periods when life gets so busy or complicated or whatever. This past week has sort of been that, but all is good. The busyness was for good things and nothing nasty going on. For which we are thankful! I trust others are okay, and selfishly I missed the fun of this forum with absent friends. I hope you are all doing as well as can be! You are missed!

One of the interesting things which I experienced was having a long talk with my wife about this crazy hobby of mine. While looking for a box of Swiffer wipes in our basement, she saw my box of brush knots and several boxed brushes. She was a bit concerned that I'd starting hoarding and we had a frank talk about what is going on with all that stuff. I hadn't been sharing much with her, as she had very early on expressed her opinion on the subject (not very positive!) but if I wanted to spend longer shaving and risk cutting myself, then more power to me. 

After I told her those brushes are boxed for shipping for a charity event, she was relieved. Both our parents are pack rats, hardly ever throwing anything away and living with rooms packed full of unused items. We have tried to NOT do this, but I am the one that makes piles of junk that eventually have to be sorted and I do often find it mostly should have just been thrown out! 

I told her about shaving being an important almost mindful exercise (she assures me, wearing her psychologist had, that it is indeed mindful) and my appreciation for both vintage and modern razors, and she told me she thinks that this thing is great and wishes I'd share more. I told her about my perception of her negative reaction way back when I started, and she told me why she reacted negatively. She only know her Grandpa to shave like that and was afraid I was becoming an old man! So I told her how old I really am (just kidding!). She understands now the attraction, and even has admiration for the works of art that vintage razors are. It was a great talk and I feel strangely relieved or unburdened about my enthusiasm for what so many see as a chore. And she gets it! Her only request: Don't go crazy and have stuff all over. If we need a display area, let's talk about it!

That was a great conversation and one I should have had years ago instead of keeping my thoughts and feelings to myself.

Great thoughts and glad you feel unburdened and understood better

Great post Eric!

Great post Eric!

Agreed, and a great conversation too.

Thank you gentlemen, and kudos on your leadership Eric.

I think I am creating a new razor category. It is the Shaving Year razor. 

I saw this black handled Super Speed from 1979 on the Bay looking all shiny and spiffy. I did some research and found that the handle is resin coated metal and not the plastic I had assumed. I made an offer which was accepted and the razor arrived during the SEptember festivities. This gave me plenty of time to work on cleaning.

To the best of my knowledge, I started shaving sporadically when I became a freshman in high school. I started with a cartridge razor, most likely an Atra. But maybe, in some parallel universe, an Eric started with a new Super Speed. We will never know.

But this morning was a wonderful shave, seems close and was comfortable, so I am pleased. In my first year of DE shaving, I had a birth year Super Speed and I didn't think it shaved as well as my Merkur 34C or my Maggard razor. But I bet it was my lack of experience. In any event, I am happy with my shaving-year Gillette! It seems like the type of razor I would have received as a gift!

Switch up to a SynBad and the Overlander, and a great shave!

Welcome to Hump Day!

This week I complete my 58th transit around our primary star. It has become a tradition with me to shave with my Steampunk Slim, which is a J-4, and thus as old as I am! I haven't chosen the blade yet, but the brush is a HSC replica of the Star/Kambro handle with an AP Shave Co. G5A knot. And also keeping it old school, I will use some vintage Williams Mug Shaving Soap for the week. (I have never used the Williams this frequently, as I originally got it to participate in Williams Wednesday. We'll see if my face likes it!)

(Also: Williams Mug Shaving Soap. I always assumed it was shaving soap for a mug, but what if mug means face?! Same idea, but no cup needed!  )

Edit: blade will be a new Silver Blue by Gillette. It used to be my favorite until I discovered the Israeli Red blades.

Happy Birthday Eric!

Eric, I don't celebrate those sun trips for personal reasons but you and I are the same age..........well I have a couple months on you but close enough. Great looking setup especially the razor. That's why I keep a couple J3 Gillette's. Love that brush too !!