What else had wetshaving led to for you?

Since I have gotten into this (about 3 months ago) I have collected about 10 DE razors, about 10 straight razors (still figuring them out...),
a bunch of hones..
And also has led me into making my own soap (The MdC clone is great!) as well as creating and blending my own aftershaves/scents.

Great fun...

So...I am curious as to where/how this hobby has led to others for anyone else.

It led me to try: 4 DE, 6 straights, 4 brushes, 5 soaps, 2 creams, 9 AS, 4 strops, DMTs, film, Naniwas, Chosera, 4 coticules, Spyderco, a corn cob pipe and the 3 basic beginners tobaccos, 2 Pilot metro pens- which led to me writing my grand parents more, making hot sauce, wishing I wasn't lazy enough to try my hand at brisket, giving more attention to my espressos... prob more.

Cool thread!

It led me to this site where, after many months I found:

A well supplied den - and many new friends.

The Nib - and purchased 6 pens, a leather pen case and way too many bottles of ink - and many new friends.

The haberdashery - and purchased Allen Edmonds and Alden shoes, an Omega watch - and many new friends.

I have made many investments that bring me joy every day. Good stuff.

30 minutes longer in the bathroom every night, so far!

5 razors
1 Straight and strop
3 brushes
Many soaps, creams, pre-shave oils, balms, alum, fragrances.

And a trip to the Nib:
Pilot: Metro 78G VP
Platinum: Plasir and several Preppys
Parker: 21
Acme: Frank Lloyd Wright
Monteverde: Regatta
TWISBI: 580RB
Many inks

Plus the stuff I've PIFed.

Please don't tell the SWIMBO.

3 weeks in... 2 de razors. 2 brushes. 2 soaps and a cream.1 Shavette. About 400 razor blades which will last me, oh I don't know, 6 years?

Oh and a forum full of enablers.

Wet shaving has led me to a higher standard of hygiene and presentation.

Taking the time to wet shave gives me time to connect with myself. I found the same zen combing my hair (no more buzz cut). Picking out nicer clothes, complimenting colors, more appropriate and varied fragrances... The list goes on.

I'm more intentional about myself every day now.

I just treat my body better. I love it.

Animosity with the Wife

Seriously though. I take pride in a job well done. I slow down and enjoy my mornings. I am more careful about the soaps and products I use on my body.

Maplobats said:

And also has led me into making my own soap (The MdC clone is great!)

Click to expand...

Could you elaborate on this???? Sounds really cool. Maybe I'll give it a try?

(unless you're making it as a product…. and not just for fun. Not trying to take your idea or anything!!)

Several bathroom reorganization projects which included acquisition and refinishing of several pipe racks until I found just the right one to hold my expanding de razor and shaving software and more recently a stroll down the straight razor path.

Began shaving as a DE wet shaver as I was taught by my granfather. Quickly converted to cartrige shaving because that is what was available, even when grandpa was teaching me injectors where fadeing away and DE blades where hard for him to find. When grandpa passed I was already SICK of the high cost and was looking into something cheaper like an old straight razor. That old slim of grandpa's was still tucked away in a drawer in the bathroom and I took it for the memories it held for me, then I wondered.... can I find blades for this? NOW, I could'nt tell you how many razors I have off the top of my head or blades I've tried or stockpiled to try. A half dozen or so brushes and as many bowls or scuttles and I just started brush lathering this year! A drawer FULL of shaving soaps / creams / oils. That's just for the act of shaving not getting into skin care or other such stuff. So you ask, What else has wet shaving led me to..... How about an OBSESSION.....DE wet shaving was going to save me money, right?

Badger Bill said:

Could you elaborate on this???? Sounds really cool. Maybe I'll give it a try?

(unless you're making it as a product…. and not just for fun. Not trying to take your idea or anything!!)

Click to expand...

It was certainly not an original idea of mine, just copied from a post I found here:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...n-Illustrated-Guide-to-a-Test-Batch-LONG-POST

It is worth a try....its not that hard, and I find it quite fun to do...and my results so far have been quite rewarding

Interesting to see all the talk of fountain pens, I'll have to check out the Nib. Fountain pens are the only thing I write with anymore, and they are quite common and easy to find here(China). I started using one when I was learning to write Chinese because I found characters look much nicer written with a fountain pen.

Sleeper said:

Wet shaving has led me to a higher standard of hygiene and presentation.

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Not sure about the former, but the latter is definitely applicable to me as well. Also, my eczema (sp?) has disappeared from my chin. The only eczema I have left, is on places that I do not shave.

Sleeper said:

Wet shaving has led me to a higher standard of hygiene and presentation.

Click to expand...

+1

I started paying much closer attention to all of the hygiene products I was using. I switched from some neon blue generic bath gel to Dr. Bronner's, and the skin on my legs and arms has stopped being dry and flaky. I also switched from shampoo to the same Dr. Bronner's on my hair, and I've noticed far less hairs falling out and far less dandruff.

I started putting O'Keeffe's Healthy Feet cream on my cracked feet, and they're no longer filled with deep painful cracks. I started using toothpaste without Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and I haven't had one single cold sore since.

I went out and got nice quality Seki fingernail clippers and toenail clippers and started keeping them trimmed and filed smooth every week. I got a quality pair of nose hair scissors to take care of nose hair.

All on top of wet shaving eliminating pretty much all acne I ever had. I didn't have a lot of acne to begin with but I still got the occasional zit here and there. Now I have NONE. It's like the cold sores it just doesn't happen anymore. Post-shave care with a moisturizer has also eliminated the dry flaky face skin I used to have.

I value cleanliness and overall health much more now. Strange how much of a difference it makes to be sharp and clean shaven every morning.

DE shaving led my curiosity & me to a tremendous amount of information about Gillette's razors, vintage blades, miscellaneous stuff about the industry & how to disassemble various models of Gillette's razor (including Slim, Fatboy & Toggle).

Mine has led me to a new razor acquisition every month. With these fine enablers here on this awesome forum, traditional shaving has made shaving much more enjoyable.

I pay more attention to my hygiene more than ever take great pride as I present myself to the public with a clean-shaven face

Now since then I have bought the mini lathe to build my own pens and shaving kits to sell on eBay.

It's led me to taking over the master bath sink area.

Ive put in one case an three glass shelves to turn that area into MY area. Not my fault either. SWMBO had over 10 years to do something there so now it's mine.

Sleeper said:

Wet shaving has led me to a higher standard of hygiene and presentation.

Taking the time to wet shave gives me time to connect with myself. I found the same zen combing my hair (no more buzz cut). Picking out nicer clothes, complimenting colors, more appropriate and varied fragrances... The list goes on.

I'm more intentional about myself every day now.

I just treat my body better. I love it.

Click to expand...

Very similar experience here. I'm a suit every day guy, this just takes it one step further. Luckily, my boss is a stickler for appearance-and I couldn't agree more.

My buddies and I use the term "retro-sexual" which I think pretty much nails it.

It's led me to all the guys at work coming to me and asking to get them hooked up with a shaving set. In the past year, I've gotten about 14 coworkers into this and they all love it thus far...2 of them got sets last night.