Old Man Smell

[gpjoe]

In response to the original question:

I gravitate to aftershaves that were created well before me (1957).

Old Spice, Aqua Velva, Pinaud, Skin Bracer, Avon.

 

[Eric_75]

I graduated in 1975.

A great year for music. My favorite album was released in 1975.

 

[blade08]

Me and my partner in the 40-45 age group. My dad en her dad in the 75-80 age group. Coincidentally both our dads used to use Denim Orginal when we were young. It was a very popular ASL brand in Europe in the 80’s and 90’s when we grew up.

Sometimes I wear Denim Original myself and she tells me I smell like her dad. At the same time I smell like my own dad in circa 1983 or so .

There’s a special place for Denim Original in our lives .

 

[Filudo]

I like Old Spice, Brut, Clubman Vanilla and Stetson (50-60y). Some women my age like the smell BUT it's because it reminds them of their father.
Now if I am going out and want to impress/stimulate the brains of younger women, I will wear something +- 2000's.

 

[luvmysuper]

I graduated in 1975.

I was drinking San Miguel beer in a bar in the Philippines in 1975!

 

[Silky Glide]

I am in my early sixties and I have to say that there were a lot of cheap mass marketed aftershave products from the '50's, 60's and 70's that just do not smell so nice to me. I think they are what ladies refer to as "old man smell". Frankly, I think that some of the mass marketed stuff, just stinks. These companies made it for cheap and they sold it for cheap (and made a fortune). I have bought a few of them to see what the hubbub was about, but they were not for me - I am talking about Old Spice, Brut, Avon, Skin Bracer, Menin, Aqua Velva, Pinaud, Hai Karate! The commercials hilarious and ubiquitous - they advertised heavily on a new invention called "television", but the scents to my nose, did not live up to the hype. They did the job, alcohol burn with a bit of menthol - prevented infection from a rough shave with a carbon steel blade, and I guess that back then, even old man scent was better than no scent.

Back in the day, working class WWII, Korea and even Vietnam vets and men of that generation were tough guys and most did not really care to smell like a bouquet of flowers or a lavender bloom or some of the more sophisticated scents available today. They had budding families with lots of kids, so they did not have the money to throw around the way a lot of guys can today. There was no internet, Amazon or eBay back then, so for most guys the only option was to pick up the cheap stuff at the local drug store. The only place to come by the more sophisticated stuff was at the high end scents counter in a fancy department store. Sure, rich guys shopped there, but I suspect that this was a place where very few regular working guys would ever have felt comfortable venturing.

I am not talking about old school classic bay rum- I draw the line at calling bay rum an old man scent! I have many bay rums which I really enjoy. I have at least 50 different colognes and aftershaves of every type, some quite pricy (talking about you Houbigant Fougere Royale!!!, Tom Ford Beau de Joure, GIT, a few Penalgions, a few T&H's, ADP, various and C&S Oxford/Cambridge!!!), and some quite inexpensive as Superior 70 Bay Rum, which I enjoy as much as the others. In fact I purchased several different bay rums just this month (Benjamins, a couple of PAA's).

But the cheap mass marketed stuff - for a lot of guys back then, that was the only thing available, and that's what most guys wore. And if they are still around, in their modesty formed by tough times, that is what most of these old guys still wear. And they are old. I hope that I am not offending any Aqua Velva lovers out there. Just my opinion and I guess there is more for you!

 

[chuckyab]

Every time I put on Clubman P, I take in consideration I am leaving the house smelling like an 'old man'..
but I am 51 and Ok with that.

 

[nlife]

My dad (now 81) used English Leather back in the early 80s and had this exact bowl. I think mom got it and a shave brush for him for Christmas. He used to use Bic disposable razors (white handle, orange cap). Boy those sure cut me up when I first tried them.

When I first started in on wet shaving less than a year ago now, I asked my wife what scents she liked. She said as long as it wasn't Old Spice she didn't really care. She told me that Old Spice reminds her of her grandpa. Her face really scrunched up and she shuttered when I laughed and told her I should get some and that she could call me "PaPa" when she's feeling amorous . That was a hard no.

I don't really know what my grandpa smelled like. Dad and Grandpa were pretty distant most of my life.

I was born in 1975.

Same here. April. Twas a FINE year. A very FINE year!

 

[Chandu]

Was at a music show in a small theater this last week. In my 50's I was one of the younger one's there. Someone within noseshot of me apparently bathed in Skin Bracer right before coming to the show.

 

[Shakey-and-twitchy]

All I remember old men smelling like was Chesterfield and Lucky Strike. What could my grandfather have been using in 1905?

 

[Eshebert]

Was at a music show in a small theater this last week. In my 50's I was one of the younger one's there. Someone within noseshot of me apparently bathed in Skin Bracer right before coming to the show.

I would have to bath in SkinBracer in the theater, during the show for you to smell it on me. Other than Brut, I can’t keep a aftershave smell more than an hour, and there is almost no retention with SkinBracer. I guess every ones skin is different. I tend to produce strong, primal aphrodisiactic sexual pheromones that over power most aftershaves and EDTs. It really sucks.

 

[Barbarian80]

I've never tried the vintage variety which i've heard is considerably stronger, but modern drug store skin bracer has virtually no scent. You get a mild powdery fresh toilet paper scent after applying which lasts all of 5 minutes before its gone.

I get serious longevity with Pinaud's aftershaves. Longevity that rivals the big perfume houses.

 

[Barbarian80]

When I first started in on wet shaving less than a year ago now, I asked my wife what scents she liked. She said as long as it wasn't Old Spice she didn't really care. She told me that Old Spice reminds her of her grandpa.

I think that some women like to be reminded of how their pops smelled. The modern old spice isn't very good but you can buy the vintage stuff on the bay- and unless your wife hated her grandpa you just might be surprised with the vintage juice.

 

[mikey517]

I was drinking San Miguel beer in a bar in the Philippines in 1975!

My Dad was in Leyte - 1944 - never spoke about it.

 

[luvmysuper]

My Dad was in Leyte - 1944 - never spoke about it.

The Philippines in 1944 had a whole lot going on that wasn't going on in 1975.
Likely not the same pleasant memories one would wish to recall.

 

[mikey517]

The Philippines in 1944 had a whole lot going on that wasn't going on in 1975.
Likely not the same pleasant memories one would wish to recall.

He passed away in 1986 at 61 y/o/a. When my Mom passed in 2020 at 98, I was clearing out her apt. when I found her old cedar chest. Tucked in the bottom under her wedding dress and album, I found Dad's US Army papers. Tucked at the very bottom was his Bronze Star awarded "on or about 27 November, 1944". He was a Cpl., and it was one month before his 20th birthday.

I never knew, and there's no one left to ask.

If you're blessed to have your parents, talk to them...find out who they really are...
{sorry for the off topic narration}

 

[steveclarkus]

I have a pet theory about how some aftershave scents are perceived by people.

Is there an aftershave you have tried and you don't want to wear it because it "smells like an old man" or has that "old man smell"?
Does your significant other have such a reaction to something you liked or to something you didn't like yourself?
Can you share what age group you and your partner are in and what aftershave it is that triggers that reaction in you/them?
No need to be specific, even young adult, middle age, codger, crusty old guy would be fine. If you're comfortable with "mid-30's" or "early 50's" that would be fine too.
I'm just trying to get an idea of age group, not to try to track down how old someone specifically is.

If I get enough posts with some names and ages of both wearer and spouse, I'll share what my pet theory is, and whether the data tends to support or refute my theory.

Feel free to share your experience and where you stand with those dreaded "old man in church with hair growing out of his ears" aftershaves!

Well, 74 years old and mostly use Old Spice and VIBR. However, the smell I associate with old men is urine - hoping to avoid that.

 

[luvmysuper]

Well, 74 years old and mostly use Old Spice and VIBR. However, the smell I associate with old men is urine - hoping to avoid that.

I've said several times here that an old man doesn't smell like Old Spice, Aqua Velva or any other traditional aftershave.
An old man smells like depends diapers, liniment, and farts.

 

[OkieStubble]

I've said several times here that an old man doesn't smell like Old Spice, Aqua Velva or any other traditional aftershave.
An old man smells like depends diapers, liniment, and farts.

Don't forget Prune juice... But the farts may include this.

 

[JimmyJoeMeeker]

I was drinking San Miguel beer in a bar in the Philippines in 1975!

I was watching Captain Kangaroo and playing with an Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle. That was some high cotton, man.