Wet Shaving and the Internet

[drmoss_ca]

I was perusing another forum today, and laughing as I read the nonsense that is being posted about the past. But as I read on, and as it became more and more wrong, I decided there ought to be some record of the history of shaving forums. Goodness knows, there have been a lot of them, with lots of splits and schisms. I'm a bit tired of going somewhere and listening to 'senior members' who first grew a beard five minutes ago crow about how ancient and wonderful their forum is, or how it has the largest back catalogue of information while insulting the banned founder. Or telling beginners that they must buy this particular hone (especially distasteful if they are a vendor and just happen to sell it) or they will never get a decent shave. Or even a vendor with the nerve to start their own forum and allow only reviews of their products (seen that one several times! One of them led directly to SMF being formed in 2004). Maybe I should start writing it down for anyone who cares. On an initial attempt to do so I started searching e-mails, saved AIM chats, notes of phonecalls and saved PMs on many forums. Messages from people like Lynn, Laz, Yo!Adrian, Sixshooter, Judge Carl, Ray DuPont, Joel Ferman, Corey Greenberg, Bullgoose, Giovanni The Persistent Idiot, so many others, some fools and reprobates, some wise and decent. I found myself unwilling to go through with it, as there was so much simple nastiness to be found. Are shavers such horrible people? Is it a testosterone/beard-growing thing? It would be a long and depressing document for me to record everything I know and have saved. I feel like someone saying "I know where the bodies are buried"! I've had hours-long phonecalls from respected names who accused other well-known names (much less respected!) of fraud and even murder! Maybe I'll collate and write it all out for publication after I'm gone, or just be available for interview.

AND MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST HONE OUR RAZORS AND KEEP TRYING FOR A BETTER SHAVE!

Yes, that makes so much more sense.

C.

[brothers]

[Rufus]

[fallingwickets]

Maybe I'll collate and write it all out for publication after I'm gone,

INSTANT best seller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish I knew about the sites you were talking about so that I could go follow the intrigue, but I only know smf. I visited blade and badger at the very beginning of my shaving forum career(?)for a week or so ( ) but never went back. smf is all i know thankfully, but i would still luv to know all the ins and outs of the forums histories

clive

[rustyblade]

Lots of skeletons in that closet. When you mentioned Giovanni it brought back some memories! Every hobby forum has its same host of characters and some hobbies have a higher concentration of testosterone induced idiocy than others (check the pickup truck forums for instance, or <shudder> the gun forums). I’m not sure of what you recently speak of as I’ve been away for awhile, I’ll assume it’s a forum that rhymes with Bodger & Bladder.

[kooshman7]

I can say it isn't just you that has thought there should be some record of the history of shaving forums. I've had that thought on occasion and oddly enough was having it today as I've been looking through old information and considering how to consolidate the information I'm reading. I've taken to recording more info as I go. Mostly it has to do with pictures of shaving brushes I like, but what is of interest to me has increased with the years. When something was introduced, when it was taken away, reformulations, etc. There are bad sides to the internet as with all things, but sometimes you can be surprised and touched with just how great the community as a whole can be and what they can do when we work together.

[Raze R. Blade]

I found myself unwilling to go through with it, as there was so much simple nastiness to be found. Are shavers such horrible people? Is it a testosterone/beard-growing thing?

Not traditional wetshavers in particular, but people in general. I don't think it is everyone, but many folks just can't resist being jerks when they go online. The stereotypical "keyboard warriors" would be one aspect of this phenomenon. I think The Greater Internet F###wad Theory explains it best: Normal person + Anonymity + Audience = Total F###wad. The original webcomic is at https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19. Yes, it is vulgar, but does hit the nail squarely on the head. Forums offer a particularly large audience. Combine that with ego trips, personal rivalries, and commercial vs. open discussion conflicts, profit motives, and problem becomes particularly severe. That is one reason why so many people have moved from forums to other forms of social media.

The same thing happened to the original form of social media, CB radio, in the early 1980s. After becoming very popular and widespread in the mid to late 1970s, it peaked around 1980, and then crashed and burned within a few years. The reason was that people flooded onto the channels and many behaved like total jackasses.

It would be a long and depressing document for me to record everything I know and have saved. I feel like someone saying "I know where the bodies are buried"! I've had hours-long phonecalls from respected names who accused other well-known names (much less respected!) of fraud and even murder! Maybe I'll collate and write it all out for publication after I'm gone, or just be available for interview.

When people ask about the history of the various wetshaving forums, they are usually just looking for a timeline summary. Which were the very first shaving forums and when did they begin seem of particular interest. If you see a forum history somewhere that is inaccurate, why not make a post and correct the timeline?

As for who wronged who, the drama, and all the rest of the infantile nonsense, perhaps it is best to bury it 10 feet deep encased in concrete. There are much better things to do with one's time, and the negativity won't do anyone any good.

[mantic]

I was perusing another forum today, and laughing as I read the nonsense that is being posted about the past. ... Maybe I'll collate and write it all out for publication after I'm gone, or just be available for interview.

I'm working on an article for Sharpologist tentatively titled "How To Navigate The Snark Infested Waters Of Shaving Discussions" which touches on some of what you wrote. And the big takeaway for the article is...disengage. It's just not worth it.

My days of active participation in forums is long gone (I salute your endurance!) though I still browse forum topics using Sharpologist's "Discussions" feature and only post when it I can contribute without drama.

If you ever want a platform to archive the 'racial memory' of shaving, just let me know.

[DIRVING79]

This was a huge turn off to me a while back. Nothing against other forums but some of the members were incredibly off putting. SMF to this very day has been the most pleasant, intelligently rounded shaving site.

I’ve always held true that for better or for worse our insecurities shape who we are as ppl. And over time you can usually get a sense of which is which as it pertains to ppl in general, your own sometimes taking a little longer and hopefully on the better end of the spectrum.


Hopefully that made sense. Today is the first day I’ve had caffeine in about a month.

[TommyDawg]

Hi all. Long time no see. By date stamp my last post was over 2 years ago. I did grow a beard for most of that time, now more work from home isolation has kept me from this wonderful hobby. In my return I see this post and find it disappointing if this site has turned spiteful and unfriendly like others that I detested for that reason before. SMF has always been a place of gentlemanly fellowship and friendship. The list of old timers made me smile. I’m ready to jump back into wet shaving with my collection of vintage Gillettes, and I still have several hundred blades. Hope everyone is doing well. Will chat more soon...
Tom

[fallingwickets]

nice to see you out and about Tom....hope we see more of you. btw, did you grow a beard for health reasons or for work....submarine captain perhaps???

clive

[CMur12]

Hi Tom -

Glad to have you back!

SMF has remained a forum of civility. The references here to unseemly behavior were relative to certain other unnamed forums.

Our challenge has been the low number of members who continue to participate. We get a constant flow of new members, but most of them don't post. Part of this may be that most of us have settled upon our favored shaving tools and products, so there isn't as much chatter about new products here.

On the subject of beards, I have had one since 1972 and I only shave my neck. I view some evidence of facial hair as a plus!

- Murray

[maskaggs]

The rancor one can find in some forums has always boggled my mind -- what in the world about shaving gets folks so up in arms??

[CMur12]

Well, there was admittedly some wailing and gnashing of teeth here, around 2008 - 2009, when a boar-enthusiast challenged the badgers!

When the dust settled, more wetshavers here and on other other fora had accepted boar brushes as worthy tools.

- Murray

[TommyDawg]

Clive and Murray, good to see you’re both around and witty as always. The beard was a beauty, after a lifetime of clean shaven. Enormous and thick, salt and pepper. Some said it was awesome, others asked if I’d work for food. Haha. Since when did New razors start costing $200.?? Topic for another time and thread...
Tom

[CMur12]

Good to see you, Tom!

At least your beard had some pepper in it. There seems to be precious little of it left in mine.

- Murray