Teaching the kid to shave

[JCee]

UPDATE:

Over the weekend, we had our first lesson. I taught him the basics about grain, techniques, etc. Then we shaved together with foam and disposables (it was dreadful, but I didn't let on). He was a bit nervous but did good. He displayed some interest in learning "my way". I told him in a few weeks we'd learn traditional methods and I explained the many advantages. I was also buying time as I am putting a nice kit together for his upcoming birthday. It was funny because at first he seemed mildly interested. But after a few hours he had dozens of questions about everything (what are creams, what are soaps, why a brush, why 1/2/3/ blades etc).

The next day while I was at work, the wife said he shaved again, with his 7 y.o. brother, comparing techniques. I think I have him headed down the right path.

 

[westin]

Thats good hes interested in wet shaving...I started shaving at around 15 I think and never liked to shave until now. Im 17 and acne has been a problem for a while for me and I've already noticed my face clearing up and looking a lot healthier.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

hahaha, my old man looked at me funny the day that I grabbed a Mach 3 and can of then "new" Edge Gel in high school and proceeded to inform me that "that crap aint gonna work ya know.." He's still shaving happily to this day with his '74 long-handle adjustable he bought in college....and I'm playing catch up.

Amazing, how as we get older, our dads become geniuses!

Give him a cartridge razor and a can of goo and tell him that your way is too hard for a teenager to master. Reverse psychology.

Or you could tell him. "This is the way real men shave." or "You'll get a cut and it will really sting. I don't think you can handle that."

UPDATE:

Over the weekend, we had our first lesson. I taught him the basics about grain, techniques, etc. Then we shaved together with foam and disposables (it was dreadful, but I didn't let on). He was a bit nervous but did good. He displayed some interest in learning "my way". I told him in a few weeks we'd learn traditional methods and I explained the many advantages. I was also buying time as I am putting a nice kit together for his upcoming birthday. It was funny because at first he seemed mildly interested. But after a few hours he had dozens of questions about everything (what are creams, what are soaps, why a brush, why 1/2/3/ blades etc).

The next day while I was at work, the wife said he shaved again, with his 7 y.o. brother, comparing techniques. I think I have him headed down the right path.

Excellent. Congrats!

 

[Umbranaut]

JCee, Tell your son that there are very few people who know these things which you are telling him. Tell him he is among a select group that have been given this close to being lost knowledge. Say that the manufacturers of today have been trying very hard to destroy the pearls of wisdom which you now will pass to him and he should someday pass to his sons.
That should hook his little butt!

Terry

 

[CEFranklin]

You truly are blessed to have that relationship with your son! I hope mine turns out that way!

UPDATE:

Over the weekend, we had our first lesson. I taught him the basics about grain, techniques, etc. Then we shaved together with foam and disposables (it was dreadful, but I didn't let on). He was a bit nervous but did good. He displayed some interest in learning "my way". I told him in a few weeks we'd learn traditional methods and I explained the many advantages. I was also buying time as I am putting a nice kit together for his upcoming birthday. It was funny because at first he seemed mildly interested. But after a few hours he had dozens of questions about everything (what are creams, what are soaps, why a brush, why 1/2/3/ blades etc).

The next day while I was at work, the wife said he shaved again, with his 7 y.o. brother, comparing techniques. I think I have him headed down the right path.

 

[Gustav]

Tell him that if he shaves properly he will have free access to razors, brushes and soaps or creams. If he wants to shave with carts then he will have to pay the gear out of his pocket money.

 

[Fish Slayer]

I taught my son to shave a couple of years ago at age 14. He is very analytical for his age and I just passed on a few facts. I pointed out how absurd the features of cartridge razors are, like why put the lubrication strip AFTER the blades. You need lubrication at the edge of the blade. Also if you think about it, the first blade will cut the whiskers and scrape off all of the shaving cream / lubrication so the next blade(s) can run across your face dry.

Then you can get onto the whole loss of angle control with a pivoting head, requiring you to use excess pressure to keep the cart from pivoting into too steep of an angle.

I also pointed out that I think the whole peachfuzz mustache thing makes guys look like kids and a clean face looks more mature than the fuzz.

I started him out with my hand me down Weshi and he soon absconded with my birthyear Fatboy. I think it is pretty cool that he is shaving with a razor that is as old as I am!

He seems to prefer shaving creams over soaps and his favorites are Taylors (Mr Taylor scent) and C.O. Bigalow.

 

[sombra]

Maybe you could take him to a modern barber shop that does a classic wetshave? Maybe you could do it as a father-son outing thing before going out for burgers or something. Over burgers, you could talk about it?

You might have to find a hip/chic modern barber shop that doesn't have that "lame" old vibe. Maybe even one that does celebrities, like Paul Mole in NYC.

 

[Bogframe]

Maybe you could take him to a modern barber shop that does a classic wetshave? Maybe you could do it as a father-son outing thing before going out for burgers or something. Over burgers, you could talk about it?

You might have to find a hip/chic modern barber shop that doesn't have that "lame" old vibe. Maybe even one that does celebrities, like Paul Mole in NYC.

Then again, if you want him to see how it used to be done, take him to George's in the Wall Street area

 

[Deltaboy]

Get the boy an injector handle and some blades a boar bursh a mug to hold the soap and one to make the lather.

I started with an injector for years till I switched to 2 bladed disposables.

I have one of my Grandpa's Razors and I am starting to use his SE Gem with the Butterscotch handle.

 

[Zenas]

The problem will be this. Unlike me, who has an appreciation for old ways of doing things, he does not. To him old=bad, period. So I want to introduce him to this in such a way as to not turn him off to it.

Old=bad is a silly and arbitrary to approach things, but I doubt that enters into his thought process.

I have adopted a few "old" practices, mostly in how I dress, which gets me noticed a lot more. I wear bow ties, a fair amount of paisley neck-ties, wingtip and saddle leather shoes with real leather soles, traditional suits with cuffs on the legs, and I usually aim to match my socks with my tie (ok this is just quirky on its own). I also wear a "newsie" hat, as well as a scarf when it actually gets cold enough for me. One of the associates at my firm swears I'm the best dressed law student he ever saw. I stand out in a crowd, but in a good way, because I dress more traditionally. Wearing trendy clothing only means you look like everyone else. In a way, shaving with a Mach 3 only means you look like everyone else too.

Dare to be different, shave with an open blade against your throat.