Joe’s mug…

The tools...

After a few weeks of shaving with the old man’s safety razor and my regular shave cream, and at the prompting of my recently married friend Chris (congratulations), I decided to take the next logical step and remove as much of the disposable, modern crap from that most manly of activities (no… I mean shaving).

After getting some information from Chris and doing a bit more research on the Tooberwebz (that’s Internet to you n00bz), I ordered up a reasonable starter shave brush. It turns out badger fur makes the only acceptable shave brush… yup, badger. You can get boar or synthetic brushes, but badger is apparently the right way to go. I was amazed at the range of prices for brushes: synth and boar for around $10; bets badger >$1200.

Like many men of the Brownish persuasion (MKs), it has taken a very long time to come up with a set of products and processes that will minimize the level of skin irritation I suffer as a result of shaving. Knowing that there is a reasonable chance that my skin will simply not allow me to continue with my life-long goal of living more like Nat Love, I want to keep my initial spending to a minimum. If it all works out, the cheaper shave brush will wear out and I’ll confidently invest in a better one. If not, I’m only out the $18 that the Tweezerman Deluxe Shaving Brush cost me.

No blades

With the brush ordered, I headed to my local sundry shoppe and found that they did not actually sell plain old razor blades… not at the grocery store, not at the department store, not at the drug store. I found a box of single edged blades in with the paint scrapers at the hardware store but that was it. Back to the Bloggerwebz I went and ordered 6 5-packs of Derby Extra stainless blades with chromium-ceramic platinum tungsten polymer coated edges for something like $0.50. I’m pretty sure the coating lets me open doorways into other universes.

No soap

The blades arrived and I let the beard grow in anticipation of the awesome shave soap that would be arriving shortly. It was a week before Molly pointed out that I hadn’t actually ordered any soap. Dang.

This time, the grocery store came through! There on the shelf with the rest of the shaving creams and lotions were 4 dusty packages of Williams Mug Shaving Soap (For a Lasting Lather)! Unbelievable!

Old Spice

The same day my grandfather gave me the ring, the razor, and the folding rule, he gave me an old shaving mug with the Old Spice logo on the side. I’m sure it was noting special and that he didn’t have any grand plans when he gave it to me… it was just another thing in a pile of stuff.

Well, them mug is back in action now! Last night I used it for the first time. It was an excellent shave.