Is it normal to start noticing other men's shaves (or lack thereof)

I have now been at DE safety razor shaving for almost a month, after years of just "getting the job done" with an electric and not thinking much about it. In the past couple weeks one thing I have realized, with some mild alarm, is that I have probably paid more attention to the state of the whiskers on other males I run into than I ever did before in my whole life combined. Is this normal? Just a phase perhaps?

One thing I especially find is that when I see someone who is beardless but in a scruffy state I catch myself wondering if he is deliberately cultivating the stubble look or intends to be "clean shaven" and just doesn't shave every day. I think this comes from the fact that, before I started researching info on proper wet shaving, I was not really aware that there are many "clean shaven" guys who don't shave daily. My own habits ever since my full beard came in have always been shaving daily, except at times when I was purposely going for the stubble look or just skipping a weekend day. I guess I just always thought that's the way it's done. (Also my beard grows fast enough that if I skip a day it goes from just unshaven to "stubble look" in maybe 36 hours and will be pretty tough to shave the next morning.) Anyway, nowadays I just keep wanting to ask other people if they are going for stubble or if it's just that they are in the camp of only shaving every other day.

Tulkinghorn said:

Anyway, nowadays I just keep wanting to ask other people if they are going for stubble or if it's just that they are in the camp of only shaving every other day.

Click to expand...

I think that is too personal for many guys.

Eeyore said:

I think that is too personal for many guys.

Click to expand...

LOL. Yes, I strongly agree. Allow me to make clear that I do NOT ask other guys about their shaving habits at all. I just now find myself wondering these things, silently to myself.

I notice when someone has had a bad shave, only because it sticks out.

I was watching one of the true crime shows where they dramatize how they solve them and in one show they were interviewing one of the detectives involved in the case.

He was clean shaven but his chin had noticeable irritation that stuck out like a red light bulb. So for the rest of the evening I started looking at people on TV that were clean shaven and evaluating their chin!

I notice stubble all the time. I figure they don't DE/SR shave, otherwise they would be clean-shaven. Oh well, their loss.

While I haven't asked if someone is trying for a look, I have found myself talking to other men about my new hobby.
I refrain from pointing out the red neck, or asking if he is going for "the look". Instead, I discuss how amazing a shave with a brush and lather is compared to my cartridge and aerosol days. One friend at work (red neck) asked for more info, that I was happy to share.

But... no, I do not ask why they look the way they do. That may appear judgmental to some folk.

I confess, I, too, am a wonderer.....
So, yesterday at work, I asked one of my colleagues how he shaved. He said Fusion and we talked about the outrageous cost of blade cartridges and the pain of electric shaving. I told him I was on B & B and the learning curve. He asked me to send him some links. We have a pretty good culture at work and a few of us can talk about anything with no hesitation.

Graybeard57 said:

I notice stubble all the time. I figure they don't DE/SR shave, otherwise they would be clean-shaven. Oh well, their loss.

Click to expand...

Exactly bro! I traveled with a co worker and tried my best to tell him, went in one ear and out the other!

After decades of indifferent cartridge shaves, four years ago was in the hospital discussing my chances with a neurosurgeon and the thing i couldn't shake was, "How does he get such an incredible shave?" i was flabbergasted by what i saw then and every time i saw him thereafter. Fastforward...

DE shaving almost a year now getting closer and i do notice the quality of other's shaves but i've never broached the matter, don't know how well it would go over in the locker room.
dave

As long as it is only the quality of the shave you are checking out.

Although I never start the conversation, I am a bit of a WS evangelist. Just the other day, a co-worker complained about how expensive cartridge razors have gotten... working on converting another.

I don't, but YMMV.

Tulkinghorn said:

I have now been at DE safety razor shaving for almost a month, after years of just "getting the job done" with an electric and not thinking much about it. In the past couple weeks one thing I have realized, with some mild alarm, is that I have probably paid more attention to the state of the whiskers on other males I run into than I ever did before in my whole life combined. Is this normal? Just a phase perhaps?

Click to expand...

Dude that's totally gay.

Not really. Its elitist. We rock. Sloppy shavers and Miami vice wannabes are losers. Don't even notice them.

Yup...I do notice. And I especially notice if they have a bad shave...with razor burn. I just don't talk about it with anyone...

After starting DE shaving I have noticed a definite lack of clean shaven gentleman around.
Watched the series "Boardwalk Empire" and noticed most characters were extremely well groomed!
The only ones sporting stubble were bums...I know it's only a TV show, but they really went out of their way
to portray the hair styles and clothing, so I assume they also did the same with the clean shaven look.
On modern programs, you rarely see that level of cleanliness.

Don't understand the recent fashion trend of guys with a 4 or 5 day growth. Seems to be hip with the Hollywood crowd because that is all you see on TV commercials. If I go one day without a shave,I feel like a dirt ball.

Phenol said:

As long as it is only the quality of the shave you are checking out.

Click to expand...

And where that shave is located? Above the neck or??????

topcatman said:

you forget each era is difference. clothing standards, shaving, food, music.

Right now we are in the end of the "grunge" movement, where looking like a dirty "bum" is a good thing. The heavy metal and screammo junk is the same way.

At the same time you have to consider the age of the person. Some of us grow a sweater on our face that we have to deal with on a daily basis or wed be scarring the women off. A lot of the scruffy looking young guys you see are quite often sporting whats a result of 3 months of effort at growing a beard. I had co workers who have less beard after 3 months then I do after 6 days.

At the same time a lot of the guys shave once a month. or every other month. they'll grow their beard out for a month, then they just whack it to a goatee. and let it grow for another few months. then shave everything off and repeat. Others are after the perpetual stubble because they are trying to make themselves appear older then they are.

Click to expand...

All good points. And these things explain why it's sometimes hard to tell if a guy is looking scruffy on purpose or just has iffy shaving habits.

YKMV said:

And where that shave is located? Above the neck or??????

Click to expand...

Not to worry--I am in the Botherhood of Above The Tie!

Anyway, I think it was only a phase, and it has mostly passed. Two months in now, and the only shaves I'm paying much attention to are my own. I feel like I'm improving each day and keep going around checking my face thinking "good shave today ." That still feels weirdly obsessive, but I'm sure this too shall pass.

Just don't start judging people based on their shave. Believe it or not, but there are many fine people who don't wet shave

Mabuse! said:

Just don't start judging people based on their shave. Believe it or not, but there are many fine people who don't wet shave

Click to expand...

Bloody Heathens, them!