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I wanted to share a young person's choice of razor and brush based on feel and sight only...
My teenage son will soon start shaving, probably only every other month or so to start with. Endeavouring to be a responsible parent, (I guess that involves sagacious guidance, encouraging decision-making but also saying no to some decisions like purchasing multi-blade carts and canned ghoo!), I detailed the pro's and cons of carts and DE razors; was my guidance impartial?' of course not!. I then chose several vintage and modern DE razors that I thought would be suitable, including a Tech, Krona, RRGC.68, R89, 34C, Flare Tip Rocket, SLOC and Lord L6. I asked him to hold, handle, assemble, dissenmble and operate each and choose one based on feel and then looks. He immediately chose the English Flare Tip Rocket, he said it felt the best in terms of weight and size (one of my favourites, but I also have a Rhodium plated one, so the pain of letting it go is lessened a tad, but only a tad). I was suprised. I thought he would choose the shinny, weighty RRGC.68 on the knurly Maggards M11. The Flare Tip shows it's age, but never the less, he was adamant, the Flare Tip felt the best to handle and put to his face as if he was shaving. I did the same with a selection of Badger, Boar and Synthetic brushes; he chose a 19mm Piccadilly Synthetic (re-badged Muhle STF), Bugger! another favourite gone!. I am now putting a wash-bag (DOPP kit) together for his birthady that will include an English Flare Tip Rocket, Piccadilly Synthetic, Speick tallow shave stick, in the handy, twist-up plastic container, Alum Block and some Nivea Balm. I will start him off with Rapira Platinum Lux blades. If anyone has an idea what I can readilly repurpose as a hard case for the razor, please let me know, as I do not want the razor to get damaged rolling about in a wash bag. I had a look at small plastic food containers, but all were too big.
The days when we can readilly purchase a German made shaving brush with British branding, A US 1950's razor manufactured in the UK but designed by German engineers, a German tallow shaving soap stick, manufactured in Belgium? and Russian DE stainless steel blades, originally engineered and manufactured by the British, I suspect are almost gone.
Although the razor only cost me £20 and the brush £10, both were great buys, they are for me, amongst the best razors and brushes I have used, and not readilly replaceable. The sacrifices we make for our children!
My teenage son will soon start shaving, probably only every other month or so to start with. Endeavouring to be a responsible parent, (I guess that involves sagacious guidance, encouraging decision-making but also saying no to some decisions like purchasing multi-blade carts and canned ghoo!), I detailed the pro's and cons of carts and DE razors; was my guidance impartial?' of course not!. I then chose several vintage and modern DE razors that I thought would be suitable, including a Tech, Krona, RRGC.68, R89, 34C, Flare Tip Rocket, SLOC and Lord L6. I asked him to hold, handle, assemble, dissenmble and operate each and choose one based on feel and then looks. He immediately chose the English Flare Tip Rocket, he said it felt the best in terms of weight and size (one of my favourites, but I also have a Rhodium plated one, so the pain of letting it go is lessened a tad, but only a tad). I was suprised. I thought he would choose the shinny, weighty RRGC.68 on the knurly Maggards M11. The Flare Tip shows it's age, but never the less, he was adamant, the Flare Tip felt the best to handle and put to his face as if he was shaving. I did the same with a selection of Badger, Boar and Synthetic brushes; he chose a 19mm Piccadilly Synthetic (re-badged Muhle STF), Bugger! another favourite gone!. I am now putting a wash-bag (DOPP kit) together for his birthady that will include an English Flare Tip Rocket, Piccadilly Synthetic, Speick tallow shave stick, in the handy, twist-up plastic container, Alum Block and some Nivea Balm. I will start him off with Rapira Platinum Lux blades. If anyone has an idea what I can readilly repurpose as a hard case for the razor, please let me know, as I do not want the razor to get damaged rolling about in a wash bag. I had a look at small plastic food containers, but all were too big.
The days when we can readilly purchase a German made shaving brush with British branding, A US 1950's razor manufactured in the UK but designed by German engineers, a German tallow shaving soap stick, manufactured in Belgium? and Russian DE stainless steel blades, originally engineered and manufactured by the British, I suspect are almost gone.
Although the razor only cost me £20 and the brush £10, both were great buys, they are for me, amongst the best razors and brushes I have used, and not readilly replaceable. The sacrifices we make for our children!
