Member
Just wanted to introduce myself: I’ve been wet shaving since the late ‘70s. I got the bug from my grandfather, who took me for my first barber’s shave in a traditional Italian barber shop in NYC. From that point on, I was bitten by the bug.
Using non-artesenal products (think Old Spice shaving mug and an old brush), and an old Gillette TTO my father gave me, I developed a way of shaving incorporating conditioners, scrubs, etc. When I got my first job at a very conservative firm, I bought some better brushes, soaps, and creams from Crabtree and also Caswell Massey so I could get a very close shave every day.
I got good shaves, and would treat myself to an occasional barber’s shave at the Astor Street barber shop-I started going there when I was in college and could afford the $5 that an hour-long shave cost there!
With the advent of the Internet, my interest was sparked again, and I got some good DE razors, brushes, Italian and English soaps, and did a traditional WS 3 pass shave for awhile.
Not happy with leaving well enough alone, I found Method Shaving. I know it’s a controversial topic, but it was a good learning experience for me. Charles Roberts, may he rest in peace, spent many hours with me on the phone over the course of 5 years, talking about his latest products, and patiently explaining to me how my shaves could get better. I took copious notes, and journaled my first few months of method shaves.
I got good to great shaves with his method and products for years. When he passed and the products were no longer available, I started trying to replicate the process with traditional WS products-think a good shave cream instead of his ‘paste’ or ‘buffering cream’.
I’ve tried and failed with a straight razor several times (I’m just afraid of the darned thing) but recently have gotten into single-edged shaving with the OneBlade. The journal by SharpSpine was how I found DFS while searching for info about the OneBlade, and it was/is a fantastic resource. I’ve gotten very good results with it (I’ve had it for about 2 weeks), and am looking forward to comparing it with a Mongoose which is on the way.
I’m much more relaxed about the whole process, doing a method-style shave one day, and a traditional WS the next, more interested in enjoying the process, the scents, the brushes, etc.
Thanks for the great posts and your patience with a newbie to forums.
Michael P.
Using non-artesenal products (think Old Spice shaving mug and an old brush), and an old Gillette TTO my father gave me, I developed a way of shaving incorporating conditioners, scrubs, etc. When I got my first job at a very conservative firm, I bought some better brushes, soaps, and creams from Crabtree and also Caswell Massey so I could get a very close shave every day.
I got good shaves, and would treat myself to an occasional barber’s shave at the Astor Street barber shop-I started going there when I was in college and could afford the $5 that an hour-long shave cost there!
With the advent of the Internet, my interest was sparked again, and I got some good DE razors, brushes, Italian and English soaps, and did a traditional WS 3 pass shave for awhile.
Not happy with leaving well enough alone, I found Method Shaving. I know it’s a controversial topic, but it was a good learning experience for me. Charles Roberts, may he rest in peace, spent many hours with me on the phone over the course of 5 years, talking about his latest products, and patiently explaining to me how my shaves could get better. I took copious notes, and journaled my first few months of method shaves.
I got good to great shaves with his method and products for years. When he passed and the products were no longer available, I started trying to replicate the process with traditional WS products-think a good shave cream instead of his ‘paste’ or ‘buffering cream’.
I’ve tried and failed with a straight razor several times (I’m just afraid of the darned thing) but recently have gotten into single-edged shaving with the OneBlade. The journal by SharpSpine was how I found DFS while searching for info about the OneBlade, and it was/is a fantastic resource. I’ve gotten very good results with it (I’ve had it for about 2 weeks), and am looking forward to comparing it with a Mongoose which is on the way.
I’m much more relaxed about the whole process, doing a method-style shave one day, and a traditional WS the next, more interested in enjoying the process, the scents, the brushes, etc.
Thanks for the great posts and your patience with a newbie to forums.
Michael P.
All the best,
Michael P
Michael P
