Why did you start wet shaving?

Because my dad made me, once I became too fuzzy for his liking. However, I've only shaved off my mustache 3 times since leaving home nearly 50 years ago and never on purpose. I think each time I've shaved it off, I've sworn never to drink tequila again.

This is a great thread.  Thanks for posting it FulhamShaver.

I guess I am something of an outlier here.  I was using the various cartridges and canned foam/gel and was getting okay (not great) shaves.  However, I tend to enjoy many things from an earlier era.  Many here know my love of fountain pens.  Even though I am a 'senior citizen', I still love watching model trains and have thought of getting a small setup (another rabbit hole?! ), as opposed to video games. Anyway, for some reason, while vacationing with a friend in Chicago I happened to mention that the thought of using a shaving brush and soap or cream appealed to my fascination with times gone by, if you will. She then said that her late husband enjoyed a brush shave from time to time. That comment did it and when we went into Marshall Field's there was a large section of shaving equipment, including many brushes and soaps. I walked out with my first brush and soap and discovered how much I truly enjoyed the experience of making my own lather, though there was definitely a learning curve. I was still afraid of the thought of a DE blade against my face but, soon enough, that desire to go back to former times took over and I purchased an inexpensive Weishi DE razor. It came with a tuck of Dorco 300 blades and while they were pretty awful, I so loved the whole experience that it just grew from there. That was eleven years ago and as a few of you have stated, I never looked back.

Just as an aside, my friend eventually gave me the brush that had been her husband's. It is one of my most prized shaving acoutrements and it is still in my brush rotation.

I was tired of getting terrible shaves with my electric razor after 25 years of use, so I looked at alternatives and found DE razors and thought it would be a less expensive way to go about things. I was so naïve not knowing what would really happen once I started, then taking
SOTD photos compounded the problem with accumulation of brushes.

It was last year in February I decided to shave off my mustache on a whim and got one of the worst shaves of my life with a Mach 3 cartridge that was waaaay too long in the tooth. Nicks and irritation galore. I think at the time I was "shaving" the rest of my face with some cordless trimmers, rarely breaking out the Barbasol and M3. I was so sick of paying $20 for 4 or 5 carts that I would use one month(s) at a time. I finally started researching alternatives and stumbled on *cough*Badger&Blade*cough*. I lurked for a bit and finally pulled the trigger with a starter kit from Maggard Razors. I was thinking "Yeah, I'll drop $50 on this initial investment and I'll only have to buy these 10 cent blades once in a while." Cue rabbit hole...

A member of a cigar forum was giving away a shave stand. He sent some razors and I explained I wasn't a wet shaver. We talked and he gave me a fistful of good advice and I decided to give it a try a week later. Five shaves in and I been wondering why I hadn't done this sooner.

To save money...

Yeah.. no.

I came to save money but stuck around because I loved the experience. I never thought shaving could be therapeutic.

I started almost accidentally. I had switched back and forth from carts to electric until 2010. At that time I was almost exclusively using an electric. Frankly, it was not pleasant, but it got the job done and, at the time I didn't think shaving could be enjoyable.

Then, when I was out of town for a wedding, my electric died. I grabbed a can of goop and disposable razor and did some Google searching...stumbled upon some shave sites and I got hooked! I've spent too much $ but at least I enjoy shaving and my face feels much better then it did with a cart or electric.

I started wetshaving due to the expense of buying cartridge razors. Fell in love with straight razors & haven't looked back.

I used an electric razor for 30 years - all through the service and up until a couple years ago. I would use the multi-blade razors occasionally when I let my shaving go to a point the electric wouldn't work. I got a lot of irritation and neither worked well.

Like Freddy also mentioned I like older stuff - fountain pens, pocket watches, and fondness for times gone by. I also don't like what was out there to shave with - massively expensive pack of 5 blade razors or cheap two blade disposables that chew up your face. Never being the one to follow the herd of what the corporate world wants me to do I started looking in to wet shaving - and never looked back.

Like many I also probably did it to save money at first but like most of us - that didn't end up being the reason I stuck with it. I stuck with it because I actually enjoy it every morning.

Grew up with it all around mine. Super Speeds and Williams.