Possible conversion to DE: got him hooked, and I think he's landed

[ThePatrician]

My best friend, who is also named Matt, came to visit this past weekend to see my new son. he brought his fiancee, Tracey, to meet my wife. I have already met Tracey, and we get along famously. They arrived late Friday night, we spent all day Saturday together, and they headed back to Ohio on Sunday.

I had made an appointment for Matt to get a royal shave at the AOS shop where I get my hair cut. I made the appointment for a royal shave because if he decided he wanted a regular shave, he could just cut it down. It was also the last one of the day, so my regular barber was able to split early if it was cut down. Since I have already become a regular I was able to get a spot that was a cancellation.

He had told me earlier that he wasn't happy with the quality of his shaves, that he gets itchy red bumps, angry red patches on his neck, and his shaves aren't smooth or satisfying. His face always feels tight after he shaves. Before I left for Poland in the summer of 2010 I had gotten him the Grooming Lounge Greatest Shave Ever kit and he loves it. The aftershave is top-notch, but it's the SHAVE that is burning him up. We spent a good part of the day talking about it, and I learned a lot. He was just shaving from top to bottom, I mean vertically, not going with the grain. I explained hair growth to him, and how he can map his out. He asked about the razors, and if they're scary. I was honest with him, telling him the first few shaves were quite bloody despite, or because of, my best efforts. He had been pressing the cartridge against his face to try to dig the whiskers out, a common-enough thing I am learning. I explained that the hardest thing about DE shaving, at least for me, was learning to not apply pressure at all, because that actually starts to dig into the skin and take off the layers.

We spent a lot of time going in-and-out giggity of the AOS shop, and I taught him to build lather off a puck of soap. I almost laughed when he asked, and this is verbatim, "So how do you get the lather out of the soap?" The woman who works there, a lovely woman named Klaudette, showed him how to build the lather from the shave cream, but I have a good feeling he'll prefer the soap. I know him very well. I took the time explaining glycerin versus tallow, the benefits of it, a cost-benefit analysis, and the function of the brush.

So it came time for his shavette shave. I hung around up front before going into the back. We all shot the breeze during the shave, just like in the old-school barber shops. My buddy was fine during the prep: the hot towels, the oil, the lather, massaging it into his beard, but his eyes bugged out while the barber was wielding the razor. I could tell that he was slightly scared during the whole thing, but absolutely loved the results. I think he also like the actual process of the shave. He got one tiny nick on his cheek, but it was stypticked (sp?) right up. The whole drive back he was rubbing his face, and when we got back his fiancee, Tracey, was touching and stroking his face. She absolutely loved it! He told me at some point during the day that Tracey wanted him to start using higher-quality shaving products, because she thinks that what he's using (Edge, Barbasol, Gillette Fusion, etc.) is crap, and I told him she was right.

When we got back to my hotel room I PIFed him my Merkur 38C and a pack each of Gillette 7 O'clock, Personna Reds, and Astras. I think I really got him in with a display of results.

[Eved]

a lot of people are missing out..

[Vivasanti]

I dont know you, but your a good man :)

[TasMonk]

I dont know you, but your a good man :)

Yep, what he said. I concur. Good on you for sharing the old man-ways.

[ThePatrician]

Yep, what he said. I concur. Good on you for sharing the old man-ways.

Thanks guys. He's still a young'un, but a really great guy. I know if he starts using the old ways of doing things he'll feel a lot better. I really don't think he even knew this way of shaving existed! He was picking up and looking at the 34C and Futur like they were alien artifacts.

[dieselfuel79]

This was an awesome story. Thanks for sharing, and kudos to you for getting your buddy on board.

[cxg231]

Good job!

I was out to lunch yesterday and pulled out my phone to bid on an eBay razor. My coworker asked what I was bidding on and i replied "a vintage safety razor". He said that he just got "some sort of Merkur DE razor" and had his first shave with it just the other day (with the much maligned Merkur blade). I kinda dorked out a bit, finding out I had another DE guy in the office, so today I surprised him with a tube of Bigelow Proraso and 10 blades. I also pointed him towards this site, so he might be reading this right now.

[Ptroiani]

Fantastic!

That is true friendship! It is wonderful that you can share that bond with a friend and help him to improve his life. There are very few people that would take the time to help someone like that, and I can really appreciate the gesture! Your blessings will multiply many times!

Regards,

Paul

[Ptroiani]

Good job!

I was out to lunch yesterday and pulled out my phone to bid on an eBay razor. My coworker asked what I was bidding on and i replied "a vintage safety razor". He said that he just got "some sort of Merkur DE razor" and had his first shave with it just the other day (with the much maligned Merkur blade). I kinda dorked out a bit, finding out I had another DE guy in the office, so today I surprised him with a tube of Bigelow Proraso and 10 blades. I also pointed him towards this site, so he might be reading this right now.

+1! We need more PA people in here! I see a get-together soon!

[ThePatrician]

+1! We need more PA people in here! I see a get-together soon!

Dude, when and where. My schedule within CONUS is kind-of limited, but if I'm in the States I'm in.

[dfollett_98]

Matt:

Well done, my friend. Another convert. Did you introduce him to B&B? That was also a very nice PIf you gave him. Enjoy your shaves.

Don

[ThePatrician]

Matt:

Well done, my friend. Another convert. Did you introduce him to B&B?

Don

Not yet. I gave him some advice about the pressure and blade angle. I also made him buy Leisureguy's Guide to Gourmet Shaving, so that's a good starting point. After he tries it for a bit (we talk almost every week) I will send him a link to B&B.

[ThePatrician]

UPDATE: he is now well and truly hooked. I talked to him today, and he told me that the barber shavette shave was seriously the best shave he has ever had, full stop. He is ordering a blade sampler pack and inexpensive brush from WCS, and a soap from MB. Mwaha.

[Viseguy]

What more is there to say?

[Prof. Moriarty]

UPDATE: he is now well and truly hooked. I talked to him today, and he told me that the barber shavette shave was seriously the best shave he has ever had, full stop. He is ordering a blade sampler pack and inexpensive brush from WCS, and a soap from MB. Mwaha.

Good on ya

[atxguy]

Boo Yah for converting another!!!! B&B baby. I am totally away from carts forever.

[ThePatrician]

Boo Yah for converting another!!!! B&B baby. I am totally away from carts forever.

True story. I'm going to talk to him tomorrow, and tell him I'm sending him a link to a forum that will provide him with an excellent online resource of information. Mwaha.

[El-a-Menthol]

When we got back to my hotel room I PIFed him my Merkur 38C and a pack each of Gillette 7 O'clock, Personna Reds, and Astras. I think I really got him in with a display of results.

Another face saved!
You sir, now officially rock!