what is elegant shaving?

Thoughts and input on anything related to wet shaving or men's grooming.
nicodemus38

what is elegant shaving?

Post by nicodemus38 »

or the most part, for the average working man. Shaving wasn't elegant. It was what one did every day before going out the door. Cant look like a bum at work, and certainly cant look like a bum on the weekend when your out and about with the family. And god forbid you go to church without a fresh shave.

I personally think the sunday morning shave in a barber chair was created for the purpose of looking nice for church, and for most of the following week. Sure that's just my theory.

But just what has elegant shaving become? The expensive sterling silver or gilded gold shaving sets of the Edwardian and Victorian eras? The deluxe Gillette shaving sets pre ww2?

Or is it just a good blade, good razor, good soap, and a good brush?
CMur12
Posts: 7461
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by CMur12 »

Hi Nic -

I generally view the style of shaving advocated on these forums as the enhanced traditional wetshave, as I believe that few men traditionally went to all the trouble we do in pursuit of a DFS or BBS shave.

As far as elegance is concerned, there are brands of brushes, razors, soaps, and creams - including some vintage examples - that have certain elite status among the forums.

- Murray
User avatar
fallingwickets
Clive the Thumb
Posts: 8813
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:59 am

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by fallingwickets »

good blade, good razor, good soap, and a good brush
when i think of shaving elegance, the above comes to mind with the caveat that its my definition of good, not anyone else's

clive
de gustibus non est disputandum
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by brothers »

Nic, thanks for posing this concept. My answer - it's an illusion. There was a time in certain countries when a good horse (speaking of a good razor, blade, soap, etc.) was all that was needed. Nowadays, even that is still considered an unimaginable luxury in certain parts of the world. Even though we might not admit it, this (shaving) is such a mundane and inexpensive innocuous special interest that it's almost non-existent. Did I spend 50 cents on a blade to put in my $800 DE razor? Does my $600 straight razor refuse to cut unless I sharpen it on a $300 rock? Did my whiskers keep on growing no matter how often I remove them, or what tools I used? :D An elegant shave is the picture our mind projects on the imagination when our eyes fall upon the dusty/shiny stuff sitting on the cabinet or in the drawer. An elegant steak is the chunk of meat that's listed on the menu. If we eat that elegant steak, we imagine we're able to share that illusion of elegance for a few minutes. The next day, that steak and the biology involved are mundane, inexpensive, and innocuous. But far from elegant. :D
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
User avatar
Straight Arrow
Posts: 1259
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:45 pm
Location: NJ

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by Straight Arrow »

pleasingly graceful
stylish in appearance...smart
razor and brush...shave
Rich
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by brothers »

. . . vanity . . .
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
nicodemus38

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by nicodemus38 »

Well I don't see a good shave as a vanity.

I do see the 300$ dollar sharpening rock as a vanity.
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by brothers »

Vanity is being overly proud of appearances. I was referring to the fact that we are concerned with keeping all of our unwanted body hair shaved off so we like what we and others see when they look at us. To my knowledge, we - male and female - are engaged in a perpetual project of looking hairless because that seems to be a requirement of the society we belong to.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
User avatar
Squire
Squadron Leader
Posts: 18932
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: North East, MS

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by Squire »

Historically speaking, working men shaved and elegant men were shaved.
Regards,
Squire
User avatar
Ouchmychin
Posts: 1595
Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:03 pm

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by Ouchmychin »

I think I could agree that shaving is an inexpensive hobby---until I open the doors to my two medicine cabinets and look at those shelves full of brushes, colognes. aftershaves. soaps and creams; not to speak of the drawer loaded with 100 packs of blades; and the washcloth drawer with spare bottles of favorites tucked away.
Ouchmychin (Pete)
User avatar
Squire
Squadron Leader
Posts: 18932
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: North East, MS

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by Squire »

Pete I think of that as an embarrassment of riches.
Regards,
Squire
User avatar
BPman
Posts: 414
Joined: Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:57 am

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by BPman »

Barber shops weren't open on Sundays in olden times & few if any today.
User avatar
mustang_john
Posts: 63
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 12:39 pm
Location: Lancashire, England

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by mustang_john »

This is too deep for me ;)
User avatar
Rufust445
Posts: 854
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 9:24 pm
Location: Emerald City

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by Rufust445 »

mustang_john wrote:This is too deep for me ;)
Or getting too deep, maybe?

I had quite the elegant shave today with a $10 Razorock brush, a $12 Lord razor, $4 Real Shaving Co. cream, a 12¢ Shark SS blade, and a splash of witch hazel from a $2.49 pint by Tar-zhay (a.k.a. Target).
nicodemus38

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by nicodemus38 »

Ive used "good" shaving soap before. The whole Lea classic shave cream. low cost I admit but very high quality even though it didn't agree with allergies or my water hardness.
But I have also used "rare" soap, the colgate Palmolive puck, and gotten better shave even though one was just a standard drugstore brand, and was made probably the last year the soap was made.

Ive used erasmic twice, speick once, la toja once, arko once.
And I enjoyed the shaves, although I think speick and arko were the most enjoyable on gorunds of scent and skin care.

ive used some of the best Gillette razors ever made.
1921 old type OC
1921 New Improved
66 travel tech
53 zamac tech
flare
slim
gold black beauty.

All quality products with luxurious shaves. Although I cant get a shave from my slims that's as good as the weishi I had.

My gold black beauty and new improved OC have both gone up in value. Seriously. the black beauty doubled in price, and my new improved ive seen selling in identical condition, and also without a case, selling for 70-80 dollars.

I like to luxuriate with my 10$ omega 48/49 boar brush.
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by brothers »

Nic, looks like a broad array of elegance. Definitely so, in contrast to something in a can, and a multi-blade mess of a razor.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
nicodemus38

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by nicodemus38 »

nothing compared to most here I admit. It is hard to figure out what soap to use every day. so I compromised this morning. arko base layer with proraso blue on the brush.
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by brothers »

Experimenting with the various soaps and creams is something I've enjoyed from time to time also. Next time you decide to buy more soaps, you might add a stick of Tabac and a cake of Mitchell's Woolfat shaving soap to the list. Both are tallow and seem to be quite popular.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
nicodemus38

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by nicodemus38 »

going by what ive seen in reviews, I bought myself an easy year worth of soap, plus ive been given more as well.. so its somewhat not needed to get more. Its just that its hard to choose
User avatar
Squire
Squadron Leader
Posts: 18932
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: North East, MS

Re: what is elegant shaving?

Post by Squire »

You'll use it eventually Nic, at least that's what I tell myself.
Regards,
Squire
Post Reply