Two bits
Phelps looks at wet-shaving with a detailed post on his set up. As for me, I don’t quite have the beard Phelps has. I shave in the shower with a waterproof mirror. I use a Gillette Fusion, Williams Mug Soap, and a loofah instead of a brush to work up the lather.
July 21st, 2009 at 11:57 am
I’m blond so back in the day when I started having to shave it was a once a week deal. While my normal growth was relatively heavy it was so light colored it just wasn’t noticeable. After going through the hassle of off and on shaving for several years at about age 25 I decided to hell with it and grew a full beard. Now some 40 years later I look back and smile about all the grief I’ve saved myself and all the time and money I’ve saved. Shaving is masochistic. Any real man who shaves should take some time and study just exactly why he does so and then make the decision whether to continue.
July 21st, 2009 at 1:15 pm
I skip the mirror and go by touch. The Gilette Fusion works great, comes in a big-pack of blades at Costco. If I run out of foamy crap I use shampoo – you just need a bit of surfactant for the blades to glide.
I’ve tried the beard route and hate the hot and sweaty, itchy and scratchy food-clinger – but it’s good for hiding double-chins. Also mine is thin and doesn’t grow in very well and I don’t want to look like a Bus-station scuzzbucket.
July 21st, 2009 at 3:11 pm
“It should always be remembered that shaving is a voluntary act.”
(“The Modern Man’s Guide To Life” — 1987)
I very often do not bother.
July 21st, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I few years ago I ran across something saying that modern shaving cream isn’t really worth crap. It helps the shave but it does more to damage your skin than anything else. They suggested switching to baby oil (or mineral oil) for a while until your skin became healthy again then you’d just shave with water.
It actually worked. Provided that I shave every day I really don’t need any cream or lather, there’s no pain, and the shave is really close. Easier to clean the razor off too.
If I skip shaving for 3-4 days I’ll usually throw some conditioner on the beard before I go at it with a razor.
July 21st, 2009 at 9:12 pm
A loofah, huh?
July 21st, 2009 at 9:20 pm
does a better job than a brush.
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:31 am
Am I weird for shaving with just a razor and hot water?
July 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
After years using various disposable blades from Gillette, Bic, etc. I have discovered the joys of 108 year old technology – the disposable blade safety razor patented by King Gillette in 1901. A good razor (mine is a Merkur from Germany) will cost around $30-$40 but the blades are dirt cheap at about $0.60/ea. Blades for the Mach3 and Fusion are easily twice that much and the tactile feel of the razor is really great. You can feel it cutting and it provides a nice close shave. As for soap, I prefer Proraso shave soap available from Amazon.