Teach your son's to shave!

[diverdoug]

I am now about 7 weeks back into wet shaving after a 35 year hiatus. I started shaving with a DE in the mid 70's. My father (who always seemed to have a poor shave) gave me a used Gillette SS and a can of goo and told me to be carefull. This was the extent of my shaving instruction. I remember painfull and bloody morning battles with my razor. I ended up settling on going against the grain for a closer shave (multiple passes or going in different directions never occured to me). After a few years, I bought my first cartridge razor, which was much more forgiving of my poor shaving technique. No bleeding and less pain. Flash forward through 35 years of 2 minute cartridge shaves that were mediocre at best. A few months ago I saw a badger in a field, and after surfing on the net looking them up, I started reading about shaving brushes. I learned that there was a whole shaving "following", and decided to give the DE wetshave another try. I watched Mantic59 Youtube videos, and learned about shave prep, and multiple passes, and light pressure. I quickly accuired RAD (I already have a Futur, Progress, Slant bar,Barberpole slant bar, EJ89BLB, and a birthmonth SS). SWMABOOE loves the way my face feels, and so do I. I really enjoy shaving now. If my Dad knew how to shave properly, I am sure he would have taught me. I wish that I had learned to shave properly from the beginning. I would have had 35 more years of good shaves. Anyone on this discussion board has at least a passing interest in the "Art Of Shaving", and can pass along the value of a good shave.

[Sledgehammer39]

Great story.. I also enjoy the shaves I get from a DE. Wait until you try a GEM or Schick razor.

[Fletch]

I'm glad I got into wet shaving and wish I did when I was a teen. My complexion is a hundred times better than it has ever been. I can only imagine how it might have helped my teen years. I plan on passing the knowledge on to my son one day as well. It's funny I asked my father the other day if he wanted to try a shave with one of my razors and he turned it down fearing he was going to slice his face up. I remember seeing him shave with one when I was a kid followed my about a dozen dots of toilet paper stuck to all the nicks. I guess he never really learned it either.

[BigFoot]

Thanks for sharing, great story.

[LiveOak]

My eleven year old son is enamored with all of my DE's and straights. He is constantly opening up the butterfly doors on the DE's and playing with them. He even cut himself doing that with a razor that had a blade in it, but he was not deterred.

I finally gave in and gave him a very clean flairtip superspeed. I told him this would be his first razor and that when he is ready to shave I would give him a nice brush to go with it. He is a very organized and neat kid, and I know that he has that razor squirreled away waiting for his first whiskers.

Yeah, I will definitely teach him the right way.

[Brownbear]

My son is 15, only needs to shave about every 6 months at this stage, but he is totally into the gadgets of shaving. He has declared that he gets all my razors and brushes when I die

I'm paring down my safety razor collection cause is is silly and I shave with a straight now, but i'm setting aside a variety of DE and SE types for his use. His first shave was with a fat boy set on 3. But as his beard grows and his skills grow he will surely want to explore open combs and SEs, so they will be there for him.

I have forty or so rebuilt classic brushes and he already laid claim to a gorgeous Century catalin and picked the knot for it. I'll set aside a few others with other knots in them for his use.

My father really didn't teach me to shave, I started with a Schick injector and we all switched to cartridges when they came out, lemmings that we all were at that time. He was on to canned goo before I started shaving and so it was about 20 years before I tried soap and a brush and soap. That is one reason I had a beard most of my life. My son will have a better start.

[flight567]

I'm 15, and remember when I was 5 watching my dad lather his soap using a badger brush and taking a razor to his face. Thinking to myself "one day. I'll be able to do that!" Fast foreward 7 years, and I am ready for my first shave. He comes in to the bathroom sets dwn a package of bic disposables. Anqd a can of gillette goo. And says "there are only two things you need to remember. 1. Do not press to hard and2. Never go take the blade lateraly acrossyou face."I used this pack and most of the goo but soon, I rememberd those Sunday mornings watching him lather his face with a brush and asked him why I haddn't been givin one of the brushes and a puck of soap. He said he didn't think I would want to use one. But I did. He got me a VDH set and a puck of the very controverial williams and showed me how to make a good lather. I spent about 2 months on that whn I came across ou guys. And I go, for Christmasi got a Merkur HD and figured out based on what was posted here ho to use it. . So, my dad gave me the basics and I proceded to expand my horizons from there.I'll be sure(when and if I have one) o teach my son the proper way to shave

[mretzloff]

Good story. Thank you for sharing.

[mftoms59]

I've been looking forward to sharing the Art of making your own lather and using fine New (EJ 89L, Lord Chrome #1822- Believe it or Not!) and Vintage ( Gem DAMASKEENE, Gem CONTOUR, 59 SS, 69 SS Adjustable Black Handle tools with style
I just purchased a 1970 GILLETTE 3pc. TRAVEL SAFETY RAZOR $13.00 inc. shipping, for my two year old son, when he is watching me shave, I'll lather his face, and he uses the Gillette (sans blade) and likes to copy what I'm doing.

After shaving I'll apply the same ASB and Cologne, then he runs inside so Grandma and Mom can tell him he smells nice.

!

[Drybonz]

I was in the same boat... never had any shaving instruction growing up, and "figured it out" on my own. Actually, struggled with it my whole life and had finally settled for just keeping my beard trimmed.

I discovered wetshaving, as well as Badger and Blade, this year... and, finally, at age 34, can say that I have learned how to shave.

[diverdoug]

That is a very nice travel razor!

[grouse79]

I think it's surprising that we teach kids how to use a knife and fork, dress, wash and use the bathroom, but when it comes to putting a blade to their faces, lots of people think a kid can figure it out by themselves. There must be generations of men who experienced poor shaves for that reason and just thought it was part of becoming a man. My dad, who must have started shaving sometime in the early 60s, says he remembers lots of guys coming to work with bits of toilet paper stuck to their faces.

I'm glad I figured it out now, and even on the odd occasion where it doesn't go so well (nasty case of razor burn today) it pales into insignificance compared to the years of continually uncomfortable shaving experiences I had in the previous 14 years. Plus I know better how to minimise the discomfort of a poor shave.

[mftoms59]

That is a very nice travel razor!

Thanks, I was really attracted to the diamond knurl pattern. I dipped it in some Simple Green and water for 2 hours then polished with Maas Metal Polish, what a GREAT SHINE

[CraigarTA]

Well if I had a son. I would teach him, but alas SWMBO didn't really teach our daughter how to shave either. So dear old Dad had to teach her about using something other than body wash.

Now I can attempt to instruct my nephew, but he swears that his Fusion and canned gel is 100 times better than my set up. I told him when he has to pay for his own stuff talk to me.

[ACESFULL]

I too will be teaching my son how to shave properly... He pokes fun at me for all the gear I have and when I started I watched the Mantic vids he cracked up laughing but I still think there is some curiosity there so that will be the plan in a few years.

[TheVez2]

I have 2 sons (5 and 7). I have already introduced them to the concept. We had a night where I loaded them up a brush and they applied it to their face, then they "shaved" off the cream with a bladeless superspeed. They loved it. I plan to eventually make it a regulaer thing we do, but I haven't been able to fit that into our schedule. They do ask about it and want to do it again. I have already stated scoping out gear to buy for them, so they have their own kits when the time comes. I also want to get them their own razors now, so they can continue to use that one when they start shaving for real. They will have us all beat... Son: "Yeah, I stated DE shaving with this razor when I was 5 years old".

And by the way, diverdoug. I think you win the prize for the most interesting way of discovering wet shaving. Who'd have though researching badgers would lead you down this path?

[bmc1979]

After shaving I'll apply the same ASB and Cologne, then he runs inside so Grandma and Mom can tell him he smells nice.

!

My 3yr old does the exact same thing and so SWMBO can feel how soft his face is. He's gotten to the point that I ask him what the next step in our shave ritual is and he can tell me. It's something we both really enjoy and he loves Daddy's razors. Got him trained too into thinking the ones are TV are not as good as Daddy's razor. Think I've got a good start with him. I know it's a time I'll always treasure.

[Charles Darwin]

I just inherited a razor very much like that one from my father (he recently passed away). I now know exactly what I'm going to do with it . . . My 5 year old will be thrilled.

I've been looking forward to sharing the Art of making your own lather and using fine New (EJ 89L, Lord Chrome #1822- Believe it or Not!) and Vintage ( Gem DAMASKEENE, Gem CONTOUR, 59 SS, 69 SS Adjustable Black Handle tools with style
I just purchased a 1970 GILLETTE 3pc. TRAVEL SAFETY RAZOR $13.00 inc. shipping, for my two year old son, when he is watching me shave, I'll lather his face, and he uses the Gillette (sans blade) and likes to copy what I'm doing.

After shaving I'll apply the same ASB and Cologne, then he runs inside so Grandma and Mom can tell him he smells nice.

!

[Voomie]

My 3yr old does the exact same thing and so SWMBO can feel how soft his face is. He's gotten to the point that I ask him what the next step in our shave ritual is and he can tell me. It's something we both really enjoy and he loves Daddy's razors. Got him trained too into thinking the ones are TV are not as good as Daddy's razor. Think I've got a good start with him. I know it's a time I'll always treasure.

Get them young before they are programed to doing things the wrong way.

My son is 15, only needs to shave about every 6 months at this stage, but he is totally into the gadgets of shaving. He has declared that he gets all my razors and brushes when I die

I thought you would want to be buried with them.

[Tons]

My father never had a chance to teach me to shave. My hair is very fine and I didn't start to shave with any real purpose until I was 19, in the Air Force and on my own. My dad used disposable razors and the cheapest foaming can stuff he could find. He did wear a beard quite often though. He did have a Gillette Fat Boy that I claimed when he passed. I've just started using it and am starting to understand why he chose to wear a beard. LOL

I was exposed to wet shaving very young through an uncle on my mother's side of the family. He was autistic and a musical genius. He could listen/watch you play an instrument then play it himself. He really loved the piano though, it was awesome to listen to him play in the evenings when we visited. He lived with his monther, my great grandmother, on a farm in West Virginia. When we visited, my brother and I would get up early in the morning with him to do his chores. We used to wathch him wet shave every morning using soap, brush and DE razor. About 15 years ago I got myself a brush and some soap from the BX and have been wet shaving ever since. I've got to check on Uncle Roger and see how he's doing.

Cheers,

Tons