[Poll] What brought you here originally?

[Bargepole]

Newbie Harry raised an interesting point. Said he'd found this place because someone gave him a good shaving brush etc. and after 40 years of hating shaving, he decided to find out if it could be a pleasure.

Now, of course, he can't wait for his bristles to grow so he can shave again. In other words, Harry has become, depending on your point of view, (a) a hopeless creature of the twilight who only lives to shave or (b) a sort of Zen master who finds delight and enlightenment in one of life's daily and humble tasks.

So seems like a good idea for a poll. Did you come here because you hated shaving and wanted to find a better way, or because you'd always enjoyed it and wanted to increase your enjoyment and up your game?

Me: definitely the latter. Always liked it, partly because of the experience itself -- the kit, the smells, the feeling of clean -- and partly because it meant, when I was 13 or so, that I had become a Man.

[D.Irving79]

i was actually looking for cheap single edge blades in bulk. i was already a DE/SE shaver since 99.


now i cant go an hour without coming to this damn place...



boll-ocks

[paperpundit]

I'm in the "hated it" category. I was suffering through awful, awful shaves -- so bad my co-workers were telling me to go to the doctor.

In truth, all I needed was a change of equipment.

[ichabod]

I never gave shaving a second thought - or a first thought as far as I can remember. Goop, Sensor, one pass, crappy shave, on to the next thing. I got a Mach 3 in the mail and found it inferior to the Sensor Excel. I suppose that was a small thought process.

I saw a mention of "wetshaving" on a forum about wristwatches, followed a couple of links and found myself here.

[Churchill]

I was bored one night at home and somehow ended up on Corey's shaveblog.The rest is history...one of the more enjoyable things that has happened to me in recent years.I really enjoy the wetshaving and the people I've met here.

[nteeman]

I had already re-discovered DE shaving, was using a brush with Proraso, Musgo Real and the Conk family of soaps and was wondering if I was the only one doing so. After some searching on the net and finding a few other shaving sites as well--ended up here.

[Zach]

I had been wet shaving for almost 25 years. I was looking for information on anyone who did restoration of old razors. Charlie (Gatorade) offered to fix mine up for free; I was not aware of the nature of the forum and felt odd (I am a NYer, forgive me) to accept such charity; at the time of course I did not know it was 'kindness' and not charity. I didn't send him my old razors, but I did stick around.
Thanks, Charlie, again.

[IanM]

I was bored/frustrated with shaving, and wanted to find (if possible) a better way.

Ian

[goose]

I always liked to shave, but wanted to find a better way to do it. I had used a Sensor and Mach III and combated my razor bumps by using Aveeno Sensitive Gel. I had to shave every other day if I wanted to prevent my face from getting torn to shreds. I thought there had to be a better way, so I started searching around on the Internet and read Corey's article about the virtues of wet shaving. I then remembered my father had a safety razor when I was growing up. When I asked him about it, he went ahead and gave it to me because he uses an Electric these days. It turned out to be a Slim Adjustable. I then picked up a brush at Crabtree and Evelyn, and some Proraso at Target and I was hooked.

Clint

[Sam]

Well, I was at the group called Wetshavers, and then one day, and this is just after I found that place, it was no more. Then it got resurrected as The Wetshavers, but a few days later, Wetshavers was back up. So we had two boards, and then ........ Probably same story as Gordon, Chris Moss, Vince, etc.

[Timpac]

meh. same ol' story about the torn up face and neck, especially the neck. I decided that I didn't want to have a full bear all of the time, that with my beard growth, I'd like to be able to play around with, experiment, do what I want with it. So I started lookin' around online and found this place as a phenomenal resource on shaving, not too mention all things related to men's grooming if you just ask. Now I have the freedom to actually shave what I want, when I want, and not worry about devastating my face, which gives me the freedom I was looking for. I usually have some facial hair, but it changes no less than every few weeks, except on occasion when I decide to see what a longer version looks like. That was one beautiful, massive goatee...

[bbsupersport]

Great thread idea!
I wouldn't say that I hated shaving, but I didn't enjoy it either. I was using a Mach3 and my son gave me a Fusion razor. I was searching for cheaper blades, when I stumbled onto this forum. I thought it was kind of weird, but I started reading some of the posts. I was curious and joined the group and asked a couple of questions, next thing I know someone (Steve-o) is offering me a razor, blades and sample creams to try...for free. I was astounded by the generosity and accepted the offer. Now, I am hooked and enjoying not only the whole ritual but also the friendly, helpful and kind people here at SMF. Thanks to all!

[lordjohn]

I found the forum after initially browsing the internet looking for a source of cheaper cartridges having become increasingly outraged at the prices. Increasingly seduced by advertising the appearance of the Fusion brought me to my senses and I had started going backwards to the Sensor. To my astonishment I found that the traditional safety razor still existed and so did the blades. I was soon to discover that my last proper razor was called the Sticky and that I had mislaid it and lost a fortune...

John

[hookem11]

Bored with the daily chore. Goop and Mach3. Stumbled on a wetshaving link somewhere and decided it looked interesting. Also, a little bit of nostalgia. I remembered my late father DE, Mug & brush when I was a kid

[Squire]

I found the predecessor boards through a link from either a watch or pen collectors group.

When I landed I believe my first post was along the line of I thought I was the last guy building lather with a brush, soap and wiping off the whiskers with a traditional razor. Seemed to be an interesting bunch and I have been around since.

[drumana]

I wound up here because after starting my own business, I finally figured it would be wise to be clean shaven on a regular basis. Problem was, my face did not like the Mach 3 experience. Horrible razor burn on the neck. I wound up trying traditional wetshaving so I could get decent shaves... to my surprise, I really starting to like shaving. Didn't see that one coming.

[woodsrider]

Hmm...it must have been late November or early December 2007. I was laid up with a broken ankle/leg from one of my off-road motorcycle forays and was surfing the web looking for some sources for cream or soap...can't remember. Or maybe I had just run out of things to google and resorted to shaving, for heaven's sake.

I've been wet shaving for 30-35 years, using a brush for most of that time. Prior to stumbling onto SMF, most of my shaving stuff came from Walgreens, C&E and Green Pond. I survived with "only" three or four brushes: my grandfather's EverReady, an old Colonel Conk, a C&E and, in the early to mid 90s, I sprung for a high falutin Trumper brush. Most of my wet shaving was done with cartridge razors, most recently a Sensor and Trumper-handled Mach 3. When I first saw the "Shave of the Day" posts I thought: "You've got to be kidding...shave of the day?!" Now, I find myself right there in the fray.

I've also acquired those soaps and creams I was looking for last November while bed ridden...and a few brushes and colognes...and, uh.... we'd better just leave it there...

[Whistler]

Most if not all the store around my house stopped carring the Gillette sensor blades so I said hmm, wonder if I can still buy a double edge razor? Found this forum...

[Nitrox]

I don't recall exactly but I think it might have been Google.

[Thalay Sagar]

Well, I couldn't stand shaving, had endless ingrowns and looked forward to every opportunity not to shave. One of my bosses recommended that I try Pre de Provence soap, so I got a tin and a boar brush. Not having a clue how to use, I hit Google, found Corey's article and SMF and B&B. I lurked, I read, I practiced and now can't have a good day if I don't shave. And it's y'alls damned fault.