My Dad Never Taught Me How to Shave

[Prince]

Welcome. My dad handed me a Bic disposable plastic razor. That was the extent of my training.

Needless to say, once I found this site and learned how to shave correctly, life has been much better.

[Threeme2189]

My dad did teach me how to shave, with a mach3. He didn't do a thorough job but he taught me the important basics and technique of cart shaving.

Mantic retaught me how to shave, and he did a good job

[Renato1]

I'm not sure you can "blame" yoru dad.

Firstly, with respect to cartridge razors, the instructions are on many of the packets - apply foam and shave with the grain. This works for hundreds of millions of people.
Secondly, had he used a DE razor himself, he could have been like my dad who just wasn't touchy to that sort of shaving. To them all this preparation and technique that is written about here would have been pretty much unnecessary. DE shaving would have looked totally obvious with next to nothing to teach about it.
Regards,
Renato

[kakelso]

The antique store suggestion came from Art of Manilness's article on "How to Shave like your Grandpa." It was definitely a great idea! I saw several razors (although I didn't know what any of them were, and it was probably good fortune as much as anything that led me to the Fatboy). I didn't see any brushes, though, and I'm not sure I would want a used brush unless it was from a family member.

[RaiserLiebe]

No, my father never taught me either. But I think he used an electric, so, not much to teach. I do remember HIS father shaving with a DE. Grandpa did not sweat the details- instead he put the little chips of soap from the bath that were too small to wash with anymore into the bottom of his shaving mug and whipped up some kind of lather from that (!).

I did manage to pay it forward today by teaching my 22 year old son how to shave. He liked it (and so did I)! One little dot of blood from a pimple; so he got off relatively unscathed.

Cheers!

[LarryDarrell]

My father has used electrics for as long as I can remember so didn't teach me to shave either. To each his own. I remember my grandfather had a strop hanging in the bathroom, although I never saw a razor - I guess he kept it well hidden from the grand kids. The strop was used for 'disciplinary purposes' when my dad was younger, so that might have something to do with his attitude to shaving.

[ReAndyMator]

I was just doing a search, wondering whether people actually did learn from their fathers (I'd already figured that I was going to have to teach my son, who's currently only 10YO), so I'm going to commit a minor act of thread necromancy (hope that's OK).

My dad never taught me, although I did ask, aged about 14/15 - these days my beard's really quite heavy, but it came in quite late... I asked for some advice and was told 'You need to work it out for yourself' (in my father's defence, that's most unlike him.) I did 'work it out'. I worked out that I hated doing it, although I had to do it. Eventually I worked out that it was too much effort and an electric did a 'good enough' job, before I worked out that I didn't really care, certainly didn't enjoy it, and the results of a beard (s)trimmer were good enough (and there was a couple of years of full beards in there too) before finally finding here after reading an article about Edwin Jagger in the paper (see my intro thread for more info....)

Anyway. It's nice to hear that my journey has been so similar to others - I was reading around here, when it suddenly struck me 'hey, I bet you're the only one who had to teach himself' (hence my search - 'Did your dad teach you to shave?') - so it's nice to hear that that's incorrect. Anyway. I'll teach my son the true way.....

[lengtche]

My father taught me how to us both an electric and 3 blade razor as soon as I was getting facial hair. He always offered to answer any shaving questions I had. I never asked any questions because always hated shaving with either methods. Had I been more interested in shaving I'm sure I would have asked a plethora of questions.

I did offer to teach him the ropes with either a DE or SR, but to him his trusty $30 Canadian Tire electric razor is enough for him, so that's that.

Good post.

[InfernoOrangeSS]

My dad never taught me either. He had progressed onto an electric by the time I was ready for shaving. I used his electric till I went to college, and then just picked up a multiblade disposable. I have been using them forever until I happened upon the idea of using a DE razor. I have not looked back since then. Great shaves, nostalgic experience, and an over all good time with the shave.

[BennyVega]

My dad never taught me to shave either. Although my whole life he had a full beard, so I don't think he would have been the best teacher anyway.

[NCJack]

My Dad taught me...bought me a Norelco for Christmas, and said "keep moving it over your face until you're through". He'd started on a straight in the 1920s, moved to the safety in WWII, and as soon as electrics were more or less perfected jumped right in. And this from a man who could shave with a straight and one dash of cold water! I think it might have been the result of growing up with five sisters: he'd usually shave at his desk before he went to bed, let Mom fiddle in the bathroom to her heart's content.