Being a male in these times, one has to be familiar with the act of shaving. The vogueness of beards comes and goes in various forms, but shaving has become an essential part of manhood, like it or not. It is a huge industry, with companies trying to separate men from their hard-earned dollars by offering the latest and greatest in shaving implements, usually overpriced multi-bladed razors promising to shave closer and closer and closer yet.
There have been some advances in shaving that have improved the lot of those cursed with unwanted facial hair. The modern safety razor is one. The disposable razor is the most prominent member in that class, but disposability doesn't add anything to the usefulness or benefit of the modern razor. There are still sharp razors out there, ready to do a good job for those who aren't quickly taken in by the latest shaving gimmick or innovation.
When I was a junior in college, I moved into an on-campus apartment with my friend, John. In a local store, I saw and was mesmerized by an Old Spice shaving mug/brush set. To that point in my lifetime, shaving creams had ruled and the mug/brush was an archaic throwback, yet I was taken in completely. There were benefits, I learned, to shaving with a mug and brush. You can make the lather hot with hot water, and that makes for a more pleasant, smoother shave. So I bought the mug and began my journey of shaving with a mug and brush.
Much to my dismay, the Old Spice mug and brush didn't last. The mug broke and was replaced by a coffee cup. The brush eventually gave out, too, and was replaced over and over again through the years. I now have a coffee cup I've been using for quite some time. The brushes, while not common, are not hard to find. Online, the array is astonishing, and a simple version can be found at virtually any Walgreen's or CVS. I haven't purchased a can of shaving cream for nearly 30 years. I take a bar of soap, usually one of the glycerine types with a pleasant aroma, carve it down to fit in my mug, and that works just fine. I like the way the foam rinses out of my razor, not clogging it up like shaving creams tend to do. I like the feeling of the warm suds, as opposed to the coldness of a can of shaving cream. On the whole, I find it's a much more pleasant experience. I will most likely never go back to shaving creams. As long as a boar- or badger-bristle brush is available, I'll have my mug or a version of it at the ready.
Razors have changed much more than the foamy side of the equation. Going from the straight-edge razor to the ever-increasing array of blades mounted in today's razors seems a quantum leap of sorts, yet the practical improvements have been much more subtle. To be able to shave without cutting oneself to ribbons is a plus, but this has been possible for many years. In my judgement, little has improved in razor technology since the Gillette Good News, one of the first twin-bladed disposable razors, came on the market in 1976. The Good News arguably remains one of the best razors on the market and has changed very little since it's advent. Practically every disposable razor out there will trace its roots to the Good News.
So, if you shave (your face) regularly, think of changing up your game. Get a brush and see how you like it. You just may find yourself smitten.
