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Going back in time .

Well I am starting this blog to record my return to an older type of shaving . Like most of us I at present use the ubiquitous supermarket disposable razors , and have done so for , well I don't really know how long . When did these disposable and cartridge type of razors come about ? I guess I have been shaving regularly since I was around 16 which ,as I was born in 1953 , make it around 1969 when I started . I have a memory a very faint one I admit , to having a razor that twisted to open and receive a double edge blade of the kind that came in little rectangular boxes . I remember that the blades came wrapped in paper and the used blades were posted into a slot in the back of the box . Now that is all I actually remember of these things and as soon as the more modern types , disposables came out I started using them. Well you would wouldn't you how many teenagers want to do things as their Fathers do most of us wanted to look modern I guess , well I did anyway .

So where is all this rambling leading to , I am glad you asked ! As I am getting somewhat better at sharpening knives My poor weak mind seems to be taken with the idea of buying a straight razor from an antiques centre ,something from the 1880's to around the demise of the Old Queen , in 1901 I think . I admit that I only knew the date of Queen Victoria's death from watching my favourite John Wayne film The Shootist . So the thought of going from a modern razor to an inexpertly sharpened cutthroat is for me a daunting prospect and unusually good sense has prevailed and instead of leaping straight back to the end of the nineteenth century perhaps the 1950's may be a better place to start .

I have now checked out a few video's on YouTube and have found that the razors that I remember from my youth are indeed called DE or double edge . In fact this whole retro shaving lark is alive and kicking without me knowing anything about it . Youtube is awash with helpful young fellows scraping the whiskers off their finely honed chins with razors that they certainly don't remember from the first time round . Mind you I have learned an awful lot more about shaving than my Father ever taught me ,I guess it must have been him that showed me the ropes though I don't remember the lesson .

So I now have an Edwin Jagger DE89 razor and am waiting for those fine folks at Amazon to deliver the rest of the not inconsiderable amount of gear that it seems I must have . A styptic pencil ,what a word from the dawn of history , anyway I have forgotten to order one so in the short term things may get bloody !! The razor looks nice and I am thinking that it is probably of a lot higher quality than I would have had in the late sixties. I would likely have had an old one of my Dad's to start .

I hope to return to this blog in the future , blood loss allowing , and record my return journey to the shavings of my youth and hopefully back in time to the days of the Old Queen and a wonderful straight razor . Got to get through my lack of a styptic pencil first , can't imagine what a young girl in the chemist will think if I ask for one of those .

Tags: ., DE, Ramblings, Razors, Shaving, Time, Travel

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Comment by Jan Carter on February 8, 2016 at 20:51: Dale,

Now that is an impressive sharpener!

In Memoriam Comment by D ale on February 8, 2016 at 19:45: Very nice brush stand .. very nice !!!

In Memoriam Comment by D ale on February 8, 2016 at 19:42: I know ..like.. you need more equipment

..... but .....

They do make razor blade sharpening machines.

This is a stock pic I pulled of the net. I've 2 of them somewhere ..&.. a # of other varieties.

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The Kriss Kross is REALLY cool. The hand crank turns a leather platter .. while the razor blade holding fixture presses the razor blade against the spinning leather. With every turn of the crank .. the razor blade is lifted off the leather .. flipped .. & the other side of the cutting edge pressed against the leather platter.

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And get this .. every time the razor blade is flipped .. the force applying t to the leather platter is reduced .. ever-so-slightly.

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!!! .. It's really cool .. ingenious .. !!!

Comment by John Kellogg on February 8, 2016 at 19:02: John

I probably cant scar my face up any more than it already is, But I just might give it a try! I still have a septic pencil in the medicine cabinet.

Beautiful stand by the way! I think I need to go cut a piece of Madrone and purchase a good whittler and get busy.

Comment by Jan Carter on February 8, 2016 at 16:02: wow! John that is an awesome stand! So much better than the commercial one you showed!

Comment by John Bamford on February 8, 2016 at 14:29: Well I wasn't expecting to start with a straight razor for a while but I saw what looks like an interesting old razor from Solingen on E'bay and have put in a bid . Won't be too upset if I don't win it cos I am still getting used to the DE razor . It is by Carl Friedrich Ern which I think is a great sounding name ! That is about the extent of my knowledge though . Anyway I finished the stand for my badger shaving brush today and here it is ,

Comment by John Bamford on February 7, 2016 at 0:00: I can't claim the credit for starting this trend Jan there are blog's and forums all over the web about old fashioned wet shaving ! I just wish I had found out a little earlier , as 7.5mas says it takes a little longer but the results are so much better . I figure a year or so with a double edge razor and I will be able to look at a straight razor without to much trouble .

John that is a good looking razor you have there and your barber may be able to show you how to use it if you ask nice !! Though a double edge razor is maybe a little safer to ease your way into a straight razor , which is the way I hope to go .

Comment by 7.5mas on February 6, 2016 at 19:03: I went back to using double edge razors about 4 years ago. My beard is made from barb wire & skin is sensitive , for me to get a good shave can be almost impossible. I tried the 2,3,4,5 blades and I could only get 2 maybe 3 decent shaves out of 1 blade. Now I'm using a 1930's/40's Gillette Tech & a 1960's Gillette adjustable razor. I've found Feather & Merkur blades are the sharpest , blades cost at lot less & I still get 2 decent shaves per blade. It takes a few more minutes to use brush & lather but overall the shave is better , more enjoyable & cheaper

Comment by Jan Carter on February 6, 2016 at 19:00: hmmmm, did John start a trend???

Comment by John Kellogg on February 6, 2016 at 15:35: OK John

After reading this blog I realize why you asked me if I was going to shave with my Schrade Walden straight razor. Now you got me thinking......I have thought about the straight razor and brush and soap dish and never followed thru. I might just change my mind about using it now!

Thanks!!