We had better products at every mom and pop store. We had really good Williams and Colgate shave soaps and Gillette blades were all the bomb. I will admit since I come back it seems to be a hobby as much as a cost saving idea.
How did our fathers do to shave clean & safe
- Thread starter Mango
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I remember my father using barbasol in a can and a Red Tip Superspeed. Every once in a while he'd use C&E soap and a brush (if someone gave him that for Christmas) but mostly not. He switched to an injector briefly, then carts. Now using a Schick Hydro I think, and doesn't get why anybody would go back to DE.
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I went back to Old school because of sorry shaves I was getting with an electric and the sticker shock of the Post Astra II era.
90% of the time my dad shaved with a Schick injector using Rise in a can. Occaisonally he would use a tube of brushless shave cream, but that never seemed to last. After shave was exclusively Skin Bracer. About every five years he would try an electric for about a year and then ditch it after about 6 months. I rarely can recall him cutting or nicking himself. I don't think he ever used a DE. I was never able to use an injector though. He could shave in 5 minutes and get a decent shave. He never tried for BBS. Is BBS a current thing?
How did they do it guys ??
With soap, a blade, a bowl, and a brush. That's all you ever need.
How did they do it ?
I think the real old guys (my Dad was born in 1900) had a lot of skill.
My father used a straight razor and that was my into to shaving. Except, I never remembered him with a
cut or nick. You get good at what you do every day for years.
I think the real old guys (my Dad was born in 1900) had a lot of skill.
My father used a straight razor and that was my into to shaving. Except, I never remembered him with a
cut or nick. You get good at what you do every day for years.
Lets bear in mind that the fellows around when the first 'Old Type' was sold generally lived in conditions of deplorable sanitation, terrible hygiene, dangerous products and terrible lighting to hide it all. They lived with a whole different set of personal standards and had much shorter lifespans. Lets not get romantic about this.
He did his mainstream shaving with DE, the mainstream tool of the time, just as men today do their mainstream shaving with cartridges. One pass with the grain is standard stuff, then and now, and 10 minutes would be typical. He had handled the safety razor for so long that he did safe and efficient strokes by second nature.
In our case, we made a conscious decision to return to interesting retro-shave methods. In so doing, we made additional decisions driven by intrigue, such as getting an even closer shave, down to BBS, while managing the risk to safety.
Shaving is like so many other things. It follows an 80-20 rule. 80 percent of benefits come from the first 20 percent of effort. Mainstream shaving falls within that sweet 80-20 range. Hobby-driven shaving reaches into the higher 80 percent of potential effort to get the higher 20 percent of benefit.
In our case, we made a conscious decision to return to interesting retro-shave methods. In so doing, we made additional decisions driven by intrigue, such as getting an even closer shave, down to BBS, while managing the risk to safety.
Shaving is like so many other things. It follows an 80-20 rule. 80 percent of benefits come from the first 20 percent of effort. Mainstream shaving falls within that sweet 80-20 range. Hobby-driven shaving reaches into the higher 80 percent of potential effort to get the higher 20 percent of benefit.
My dad shaved with a gillette red tip, a slim and a schick krona until he switched to carts. I think he did so because he nicked himself alot. I remember seeing him often with wads of toilet paper on his face from the nicks. He liked barbasol and noxema canned shave cream too. It took him about 10-15 mins to shave. No big deal to him. Just routine maintenance to keep my mom happy. She let him sport a Clark Gable moustache that he would fuss over. After shave was aqua velva. Hair tonic was vaseline. That was my pop.
I shave this way now that I think about it, no prep, no oil just my shave soap and my blade, I don't even shower before I shave, I usually shave before I shower lol. I used to do prep but didn't see that much of an improvement to justify continuing with it, I got more of an improvement with using cold water shaving and a more aggressive razor. but I have to admit that the cold water shaving method does tend to wear down my blades much faster than hot water (2-3 shaves vs 3-4) but I get BBS/DFS with reduced/no irritation in exchange
Watched dad all the time and replicate on a daily basis. 1 minute for a good lather (made from our tiny bath soap leftovers). No pre - no post. 1 pass - WTG. Rinse and towel. No more than 5 minutes and that includes a 30 second fantasy of Farrah Fawcett planting 2 luscious lips on my cheek.
I cheat with a tub of Proraso.
I cheat with a tub of Proraso.
Shaving to my father, was a morning ritual to be enjoyed and savored. He had a number of Gillette razors, but I don't recall which one was his favorite. He shaved most every day, sometimes twice a day, except on Saturday he usually didn't shave. His shave routine was simple, and he took his time, usually using Williams soap, or Ivory bar soap. He had a number of brushes and when he began his shave, he always had a rich thick lather. I know he did multiple passes, and would continually run his fingers over his face while shaving to ensure not a single whisker escaped the blade. My father considered shaving a manly art and a tradition. He never considered an electric or cartridge.
I can still smell his Old Spice aftershave in my mind after all these years.
I can still smell his Old Spice aftershave in my mind after all these years.
I'm old, so my dad was really old school. He made lather in his hands with Ivory soap, no brush. He used a Gillette Tech and Gillettte Thins. One pass. Done in five minutes. Shave again if he was going out in the evening. After shave was Old Spice if he'd been given a bottle at Christmas. Otherwise just cold water. Used bits of toilet paper to stop any cuts.
I'm not gonna lie, I didn't get into DE shaving as a hobby but rather a better way to shave. Wasn't even a cost thing. I do know that I went from nivea in a can and a bic 4 blade directly to a brush, shave soap and a DE. I still haven't tried lathering up with shave soap then using a cartridge but I can guarantee it would still be a much better shave than I used to get. I changed all variables at once. I love my.Edwin.Jagger and I'm terrified that if I do lather up and use my good shave soap, aftershave and shave with a cartridge that I'll like it. DE razors are just so much cooler but I find myself getting a fair amount of rough shaves but as my technique improves so will my results.
To answer the original question, I think previous generations just used what was available to shave with. We have access to do much information through forums and youtube plus we can purchase anything in the works online too. 2 different worlds.
To answer the original question, I think previous generations just used what was available to shave with. We have access to do much information through forums and youtube plus we can purchase anything in the works online too. 2 different worlds.
I guess in the grand scheme of things, nothing is any different really. We all still just shave with what's available. Now, what's available is just different. For the most part, people use a can of something and a Dyson sphere wibbly wobbly, because just grabbing whats available at the store is what's easiest and makes sense, but then there's us, the internet is just a means to 'whats available' in stores around the world.
I think, as many have said, they did this as a neccessary chore before heading off to their day. They were perfectly happy as long as they achieved a SAS. Most here though, will scrutinize and agonize over every possible detail in pursuit of the perfect BBS. And for most of us here, it (shaving) is more of a luxury and hobby than a chore. Either way, I enjoy it. I just try not to overthink it. If I don't get incredible results, I'll have another chance to try again in about 24-36 hours!
LOL Just like my dad, he always used Palmolive tube and a DE razor, I don't know which brand but it had a blue handle and a butterfly opening. He used Wilkinson blades, I never saw him using aftershave. But my mom told me he used too. Later he used the Trac II. He always sticked to Palmolive as long I can remember.
But I do remember when he was done shaving I used to run to him and feel his face for a couple minutes. It was so smooth, a BBS.
My paternal grandpa (born in 1928) died when I was 2, so I have no memory of watching him shave. My dad said that he used a Super Speed, whatever blades my grandma picked up for him, and the cheapest can of foam that could be bought. He didn't use any aftershave. He said that was too girly. I do know he worked 16 hours at Caterpillar, got off work, fished, and then went home and slept for a little bit. I imagine he shaved sometime in that time frame since my dad said he was always clean shaved.
My dad said that he first shaved with a disposable razor and cut himself all to hell. He then said that my grandpa showed him how to use his Super Speed, but my dad said it didn't help much. He used a DE when he was stationed in Alaska, but got rid of it long ago. I remember him using a Gillette Sensor, Colgate foam, and there was either a bottle of Aqua Velva Ice Blue, Old Spice, or Brut in his medicine cabinet. He also used to put shaving cream on my face when I would wake up early enough to "shave" with him. That was when I was 3-5 years old. Then I would put on whatever aftershave was in the cabinet and go about my day. He has a heavy beard, so I remember always getting scratched by it when he would grab a hold of me when we were wrestling and scratch me on purpose with it.
My dad said that he first shaved with a disposable razor and cut himself all to hell. He then said that my grandpa showed him how to use his Super Speed, but my dad said it didn't help much. He used a DE when he was stationed in Alaska, but got rid of it long ago. I remember him using a Gillette Sensor, Colgate foam, and there was either a bottle of Aqua Velva Ice Blue, Old Spice, or Brut in his medicine cabinet. He also used to put shaving cream on my face when I would wake up early enough to "shave" with him. That was when I was 3-5 years old. Then I would put on whatever aftershave was in the cabinet and go about my day. He has a heavy beard, so I remember always getting scratched by it when he would grab a hold of me when we were wrestling and scratch me on purpose with it.
I shaved this morning just like I did in the fifties except for using brush lather instead of goop in a tube; used an injector razor and one pass, a combination of wtg-xtg-atg depending on the location on my face or neck. Got the same results as back then, a socially acceptable shave.
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