A detailed account of everything you need to know about old school shaving whether that be safety razor shaving or straight razor shaving. The book also explains the tools you will need to sharpen your straight razor, how to sharpen it, how to buy and use shaving brushes, shaving soaps and what an alum bloc is and why you might prefer it to after shave lotion/balm.
Shave in the Old Fashioned Way If you've had enough of paying ridiculous prices for disposable razors/replacement cartridges and are seeking an alternative way of shaving your face, head or body, this is the perfect guide for you. This short book will take beginners to the peaks and troughs of traditional wet shaving by providing invaluable advice and tips on how and where to start. Author Ted Grimshaw, himself a keen traditional wet shaver and collector, gently guides the novice along the road to the 'rabbit hole' of wet shaving using double edge and single edge razors. Along the way, he uncovers the wonderful world of shaving soaps, brushes, aftershaves, colognes, face balm, alum blocks and much more besides. The author has included individual photographs of his wide-ranging vintage razor collection of early to late 20th century razors by manufacturers like Gillette, Ever Ready, Wilkinson Sword and Schick to name a few. Experienced shavers who may want to dip their toes in the vintage market will find the pictorials in this book of particular interest. Learn why thousands of men and women in the 21st century are throwing their plastic disposable razors in the trash can for the very last time and investing in equipment that will last them for a lifetime of pleasurable, affordable and environmentally friendly shaving.
A Book for Safety Razor Collectors -- This book is a black and white version of a color digital edition, first published in 2005 as a limited edition CD-ROM. There are over 1300 entries including pictures of safety razors, advertisements, and patents. Alphabetical entries are organized by razor trademark or trade name. Separate sections cover the major manufacturers: AutoStrop, Durham-Duplex, Gillette, Kampfe Bros., Rolls, Schick, razors of the USSR, Wilkinson, plus the American Safety Razor brands, Ever-Ready, Gem and Star, followed by a sampling safety razor related collectibles. A U.S. Patent List includes an illustration from each of the safety razor related patents issued prior to 1905. Lastly is a Bibliography of sources.
Welcome to the Land of Lather with professional soapmaker Carrie Seibert as your guide. Learn how to make artisan shaving soap from an industry insider. Carrie will take you on a journey through learning the basics, finding necessary tools, understanding the building blocks, equipping you to troubleshoot, resources and more. How to Make Shave Soap is filled with insight, personality, and empowering information. The market is wide open and growing in the men's wet shaving category. Opportunities abound. With this book Carrie is opening the doors to the Soap Commander's shop to show you how to learn this valuable skill. Soap Commander creates high-quality, handcrafted skincare products that utilize natural ingredients and captivate the senses. The mission of Soap Commander is to equip you to live life charged. In her book, How to Make Shave Soap, Carrie hands you the wheel to equip you to take charge of your business. Learn it, live it and pass it on.
The early 1900s were a time of great rivalry between manufacturers of the new-style safety razor and the old fashioned cut-throat razor, and the battle was fought in the advertising pages of magazines. Makers of soaps, brushes, creams and the now extinct shaving powders also vied for the attention of the consumer, as did the manufacturers of strops and other sharpening devices such as stones and 'auto-strops'. This book has over 60 pages of black and white illustrated advertisements from American magazines of the early twentieth century and will make interesting reading for any fan of traditional shaving.
The protagonist of Tobias Wolff’s shrewdly—and at times devastatingly—observed first novel is a boy at an elite prep school in 1960. He is an outsider who has learned to mimic the negligent manner of his more privileged classmates. Like many of them, he wants more than anything on earth to become a writer. But to do that he must first learn to tell the truth about himself. The agency of revelation is the school literary contest, whose winner will be awarded an audience with the most legendary writer of his time. As the fever of competition infects the boy and his classmates, fraying alliances, exposing weaknesses, Old School explores the ensuing deceptions and betrayals with an unblinking eye and a bottomless store of empathy. The result is further evidence that Wolff is an authentic American master.
A guide to straight razor shaving.The object of this little book is to furnish clear and full information about the art of shaving. There are few men who do not experience more or less difficulty in shaving themselves with the straight razor, and many who, after a few unsuccessful attempts, give it up in despair and go to the barber shop. We believe most of these would much prefer to shave themselves if only they could do as well as a barber. The advantages, indeed, seem to be wholly with the man who shaves himself. In the first place the shaving is done in the privacy if his own room. He has his own razor, cup, soap, brush and towels, which can be kept scrupulously clean and sanitary, thus avoiding the constant danger of infection. There is no long wait for the call of "next". After the first cost of the outfit there is nothing to pay, either for services or "tips." Thus in point of time, money and health the man who shaves himself is a decided gainer."These early years of the 21st century have seen a resurgence in the use of the straight razor, the dreaded "cut-throat". Where once lathering up in front of a mirror with a brush of badger was seen as something "old guys do", appreciation of the straight razor shave has come full circle. Almost universally known to give a far better shave than the modern cassette style safety razors, and resharpenable to boot, the straight is seen by many not just as a nostalgic piece of personal grooming equipment, but as an integral part of the daily morning ritual. This book, first penned in 1905 by an unknown writer for an obscure correspondence course company in the United States, has finally found its place. It has found itself to be the Great Manifesto of the Shaving Renaissance. Get back to basics, learn the manly art of shaving.
