getting the close shave

I've regressed back to the days of my grandfather in one (almost) exclusively male activity: Shaving. No, I haven't started shaving with a straight razor, yet, although the thought has crossed my mind. But I have grown tired of expensive plastic razors with two, three or four blades that don't seem to get the job done well.

In high school I started out with a light-weight single-blade injector razor that was all I needed for peach fuzz. In college I moved up to the classic, the adjustable Gillette double-edged razor that they don't make any more. I have no idea why I gave that up, but I switched back to an injector razor that was OK until the blades became hard to find. Then I switched to an electric razor that was, well, convenient. Lately, I got tired of mowing my face and tried some of the razors on the market today. I wasn't getting much mileage out of the expensive ones and the cheap ones are good for maybe two shaves.

Fortunately, the Germans still make a great double-edged razor and the English make a great shaving brush, soap, and mugs. (Shopping tip: Get a badger-bristle brush and not a boar-bristle brush, which will smell like a wet boar after awhile.) The razor reminds me of the old Gillette. The blade is thicker, maybe a little sharper, and of a better quality than what you find in the new disposables. The shaving brush, a throw-back to my grandfather's time, is a new experience for me but I can see that this will turn into a pleasant morning ritual. I tried it all out for the first time this morning. Hot water, soapy brush, soapy face, a razor that glided through it like a hot knife through butter with no effort on my part . Yeah, I nicked my chin, and my chin got a little stubbly earlier than usual this evening, but this is going to be only a short learning curve. . . a lot shorter than learning to shave with a straight razor.