A Binding Ritual

This moving essay from Globe and Mail's Colin Perkel, employs the shaving ritual to convey the passage of time, the unfolding in the relationship between son and father as their family dynamics reshape, and that bond that may change but not break.

I won't be drinking this beer

Fructis - Brewed for men only from La Cavalerie on Vimeo.

Hello, Fructis,

Until recently, I knew you as the shampoo my wife used to use before she jumped on the organics bandwagon. But now you have launched a men's line. I saw one of your ads on TV, and it didn't sit quite right with me.

I don't know if it was the I'm-too-cool-to-even-be-voicing-this-ad voice-over, or the beer sound effects, or the "brewed for men only" slogan, or the pastel-colored bottle, or all of the above, but your pitch felt patronizing.

First of all, men do not only respond to the beer ad format. Hard to believe as it might be, we are discerning creatures, and you will find we are willing to listen. So you could try less of a canned approach for a change.

Second, Fructis sounds more like an umbrella drink; something that is definitely not brewed. I really don't see how we jumped from there to beer.

Third, your bottle design seems like a toned-down version of your women's products. It doesn't look like something I'll be willing to take home. Why so tame, pastel, sedate?

Lastly, all of this makes me doubt your sincerity. Is your shampoo really a product developed just for men or a redress of one of your women's products?

So, Fructis, I'm sorry to say that as curious as I usually am about trying new products, I'm not inclined to try your shampoo any time soon. I still wish you good luck in your endeavors. I hope we can see eye to eye in the future.

Shampoos for Men at Fendrihan

Merkur Cameo

The Merkur Futur makes a cameo appearance on this Royal Wood video. The concept seems to be contemporary things viewed as if they were vintage. Watch carefully, just a second into the video, right after the piano.

Romancing Your Face into a Nice Shave

Alex Bill, in his article for Ohio University's The Post, deftly compares Pogonotrophy, the art of beard shaping, with taking your face out on a date. As he very well puts it:

As a man, you will have hair that insists on growing out of your face long after it refuses to grow out of your head. Embrace this; stop treating shaving as a chore and start enjoying it.

If it only were this easy with other things in life, like jury duty or ab crunches...

Why wet-shaving: shaving advice at the Fendrihan Shaving Shop

Shave with the same blade for 22 months?

This story appeared at lifehacker and caught my eye not so much because it claims to extend the life of a razor cartridge for years or because it says to use no other prop but your arm, but more because what it basically proposes is to strop the blades, and that sounds somewhat reasonable.

Leather Strops at the Fendrihan Shaving Shop

Shave, Wax and Sanitize

The manscaping trend is far from new. It's a preoccupation for some, while others dismiss it. Obsessing about it can even reach criminal proportions.

Though there's been a lot of hype in the media about how a huge percentage of the population is tirelessly removing every last bit of body hair, it turns out some of the studies that support this data were funded by grooming companies with a direct interest in inflating the figures.

The San Francisco Sentinel discusses what's true and what's not and sheds some light on this hairy business. Some of the points that caught my attention:

• A man should not be ashamed to order the standard selection of treatments at the waxing front desk: “back, crack and sack.”
• Teenagers as young as 14 or 15 feel that pubic hair is disgusting and unhygienic.
• A recent study concluded: “Unshaven women have fewer sex prospects.”
• Although some studies claimed that 88 percent of women and 67 percent of men depilated their genital areas, in reality just a little more than 20 percent of young people do.
• Because this practice uncovers those former private parts, it is easier to feel self-conscious about them. A plastic surgeon states “people are increasingly asking me about surgery.”
• Having hair in the crotch and in the armpits keeps one’s skin from chaffing.

Over-shaven? Aftershaves at the Fendrihan Shaving Shop

Shaving With a 21" Sword

Now that's a sharp shave!

Blade Hoarding To Fight New Multi-Bladers

Gillette Fusion Macro by gtorelly

I'm one of those men who just had it with cartridge razors and decided to quit one good day. Not quit shaving, mind you; but quit playing the game. I was tired of buying ever-more-expensive refills because my cheaper and older ones had been discontinued. Tired of adding yet another blade, aloe strip, pivoting head, vibrator, odometer or whatever else some engineer or big-shot marketer came up with to double or triple the price of my shave.

But that's just one way to opt out. Jeff Hagan, the hero of our story here, decided to hoard Mach3 disposable cartridges. He bought 100 of them and started using some of that oil that claims to expand their lifespan. In Mr. Hagan's words:

I'm basically investing in blade futures. That's my hedge against getting forced to upgrade.

Nick Meyers, another man swimming against the current, was confronted by the futility of it all one day while trying to get a drug-store employee to unlock a display case to buy some Schick Quattro blades. This was the blade that broke the razor's back, and he has moved on to a double-edge razor and a shaving brush. As he puts it:

It's easier to buy uranium. They're so expensive, they have to keep them locked up, and that's when I realized what a gimmick all of it is.

Now, what's your coping mechanism? How much money is too much money for a cartridge? How many blades are too many? How far will you go for that morning shave?

RazorPit Razor Blade Sharpener at Fendrihan.com

An Empty Can Full of Opportunity

It's been so long since the last time I shaved with canned gel or foam that I had almost forgotten the sad scenario of running out of foam when you least expect it. Matt Sullivan from Esquire takes it with a grain of salt and gives us his picks for cheap shaving soaps and brushes, sure not to leave you high and dry.

Find more Shaving Soaps & Shaving Brushes at Fendrihan.com

Magnetic Shave for iPhone

Magnetic Shaving Derby, a game for iPhone, got good reviews from touchArcade, but it made me cringe all over.

Might have been the resemblance of the character to myself, especially in the rate at which his facial hair grows. Or the fact that he's shaving with a naked blade pulled by a magnet and sometimes aided by a penguin, while chewing gum, while getting a cucumber eye-mask, while fighting and/or collecting frogs, bees, fish, fruit and vegetables, mushrooms, hamburgers, ice cream, umbrellas, golden goblets, ninja stars, and the ghost from pac-man. Or the inordinate amount of blood and tears that are shed, never mind the cuts in the eyes!

If you're playing with this little app your shaving may soon be falling by the wayside.

Via Bruce on Shaving.

On Shaving and Irrational (predictable) Behavior

Professor Dan Ariely is an authority in behavioral economics; he's actually recognized as such without having any formal training in economics. Taking in consideration the track record of economists in predicting the course of economy, I'm not sure how his lack of a degree in the field is actually a handicap; but let's not deviate from the subject.

Unfortunately, his knowledge of the proper shaving technique is far from satisfying. While his behavioral economics is brilliant, his choice of shaving tools is pathetic. And it pains me, since I actually really like his book and he seems to be a very nice person.

But "improving" from Mach 3 to Fusion, ouch... this is like "evolving" from purgatory to hell.

To his credit, he acknowledges that the current tools make the whole experience unpleasant and the new hi-tech razor from Gillette is only "supposedly" to improve his shaving experience.

I can only hope he'll see the light; which in our case can be a shaving brush, a classic safety razor or straight razor, etc...

The Power of an Unsightly Beard

Facial hair has an extraordinary power to affect the perception others have of you. This bit of news reflects a perfect social experiment on the negative influence the wrong kind of whisker can have on your career and life in general.

Brad Pitt, once considered one of the world's best looking men, was said to had lost his appeal after growing a bushy beard worth of Lord of the Rings Gimli. Actually, my apologies to Gimli, the dwarf's beard was far better kept. Fortunately for him, Mr. Pitt, or his agent showed some quick wit and the actor shaved the messy tangle away. This turned things around for him in such a way as to prompt the media to exclaim "He's back!"

Mr. Pitt has complemented his look by getting a proper haircut, removing the fuzzy hat and combing his hair.

Leisureguy reviews update

Go to Leisureguy's blog for his review on Vie Long shaving brushes, iKon double-edge razors and Speick shaving cream and splash.

If you don't already fear canned shaving foams...

... you might once you've watched this video.

How To Get Out Grease Stains From Carpet on Howcast

It claims you can get grease stains off carpet using canned shaving gel. Way to go guys! You've created a product abrasive enough for heavy-duty cleaning.

Via stain-removal-101.com.

Sensible shaving cream choices at Fendrihan.com

Of Taildraggers and Shaving Brushes

This blog post at Travel for Aircraft marries the seemingly dissimilar subjects of aircrafts and wet-shaving in a lengthy article. The blogger concludes that:

In either case — whether moving away from conventional gear type aircraft or leaving the shaving soap brush behind — when one modernizes one must often leave a little good behind to advance.

Though I'm not certain how soap and brush are like an airplane, I surely can agree with the rest.

Shaving Brushes at the Fendrihan Shaving Store

Bruce on Shaving

Bruce on Shaving is a new blog by veteran games industry marketer Bruce Everiss. This one is hot of the presses (he just started blogging today!) but already has a few interesting articles on wet-shaving.

More wet-shaving info at Fendrihan.com

The iPad Suit

The latest Apple-inspired fashion statement is the iPad suit, this one crafted by upscale Manhattan tailor Mohan's Tailor Shop. The suit features an inside pocket for the Apple gizmo.

Will it catch on?

If you don't mind the lopsided look resulting from the weight of the iPad, plus the steep price, this might be the suit for you.

On related news, Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report claims he invented the iSuit. Watch the video here if you're in Canada or here for US viewers.

Shaving Basics Video

Shaving:
How To Wet Shave
Videojug has this nice video explaining the basics of wet-shaving. It only mentions cut-throat razors and double edged ones in passing, assuming that using a disposable will be good enough. But it does a good job of covering all the bases when it comes to prep, shave and post treatments.

More Shaving Tips at Fendrihan

Gillette Setting Its Sights High With Fusion ProGlide

Gillette is reaching for the upscale male grooming market by placing its new ProGlide shavers at the recently acquired Art of Shaving stores. The shopping place for affluent professionals in search of that better shave has had the Fusion ProGlide since April, though the model won't hit most stores until June 6.

The AoS ProGlide set retails for $40 and includes trial sized bottles of the chain's pre-shave oil, shaving cream, after-shave balm and a badger hair brush. Another set with a chrome power razor and eight of the blades is on sale for $150 at stores and online.

Gillette is confident that general sales for its new razor will mirror the warm reception they've gotten at the AoS stores until now.

Meanwhile, rival Schick debuted the Hydro line last month.

Full article here.

Gillette Razors at the Fendrihan Shaving Shop

New Barbasol Plant Opens in Ashland, Ohio

Barbasol has just opened a new plant in Ashland, Ohio. Read the article here. Part of their press release:

Building maintenance supervisor Tony Pifher, of Mansfield, joined Barbasol in

March from a similar job at Hi-Stat Manufacturing in Lexington.

"This is a family-oriented operation and a great place to work," he said. "It's just

exciting because it's a brand new facility and it's good to see a business growing instead of downsizing."

Barbasol officials hope to reach full production of 180 cans per minute in June.

To celebrate Barbasol's heritage, here is some of their vintage advertising:

Shaving Creams at the Fendrihan Shaving Shop

Toronto’s Truefitt and Hill Owner Backs Up Schick HYDRO

Toronto’s Truefitt and Hill Owner Rick Ricci is pictured in this Toronto Star article giving a customer a shave with the new Schick HYDRO and quoted saying "I can’t compete with this. We’re world renowned barbers and, I’m telling you, the single blade can’t do as well as this."

Schick has unveiled the HYDRO as Gillette presents the ProGlide, a reworked version of the Fusion. Both companies keep vying for customers as the male grooming market grows (though this other Star article claims razor blades sales are dropping).

Both razors are the result of extensive trials and the best that shaving engineering has to offer. But have they really outdone the single blades and straights? Mr. Ricci seems to think so.

The Razor Blade Hits a Slump

A bad offender: Alec Baldwin's unshaven neck on the red carpet

According to the Toronto Star, the razor blade has seen better days. Sales of the shaving staple and other grooming items are down. The reasons are varied:

• Some men just can't stand the daily grind. A shave a day has become too much to bear.
• Out-of -work men don't need the presentable look and rather sport the "unemployment beard".
• There's poor population growth in the boys' sector, so that means fewer new teens to purchase blades in the future.
• Another demographic factor, the number of baby boomers becoming retirees and now sporting scruffy looks or beards.
• These boomers also need shave less often as a hormonal decrease means less hair.
• Finally, the unkempt look is being sanctioned by Hollywood and other media.

Will the shaven face become the exception? Or is this just a trend that will come and go like many others?

I'm of the opinion that no matter what, a groomed face, whether clean-shaven or bearded will work better for any man who needs to look presentable socially or for work reasons. So proper grooming won't go away just yet as long as we keep being social animals.

Behind Every Badly Dressed Man...

...is a woman who should know better?

At least that seems to be the case with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. His wife, Miyuki, seems to be responsible for his garish outfits as she "coordinates what her husband wears for public events and styles his hair".

Mrs. Hatoyama has appeared on TV with some inspired wardrobe choices of her own, such as a shirt made from coffee sacks she acquired in Hawaii. She has been called the most colorful first lady Japan has produced, and her reputation shines through her husband's clothes.

Whatever the reasons or persons behind Mr. Hatoyama's fashion offenses, a Japanese fashion critic seems to think his choices are the cause for his decreasing popularity. Sounds like it's time to bring in the experts, or to at least buy a trusty old black suit and tie!

Cold-Water Shaving

The Art of Manliness brings the old Victorian case for cold-water shaving to the table.

The reasons today might be different from those of the past. Getting hot water then involved boiling it; certainly more time consuming that just getting it out of the faucet. But nowadays we could bring up energy wastage as a disadvantage of a hot-water shave.

But how do hot and cold water compare when it comes to the end result? The shave?

I did notice that my razor tugged on my whiskers a bit more than when I shave with hot water. But according to Shaving Made Easy that’s to be expected. Hot water softens whiskers, causing the blade to slip over them instead of cutting them. With cold water, my whiskers remained stiff, thus allowing the blade to cut every single one. It’s like the poor man’s Lectric Shave.

The end result was a surprisingly close shave with just one pass, and my skin felt great. My face often feels puffy, irritated, and dry after shaving with hot water. Not so with the cold.

Will I convert completely to cold water shaving? Maybe.

Why is the hot-water habit so hard to break then? Will I give it a try myself? Maybe. I'll keep you posted.

Shaving basics at the Fendrihan Shaving Shop

What's a Bear to do About Global Warming? Shave?

Shaving seems to be the answer in these two ads; the first for Halls and the second for Nisshinbo.

Scary Shaving News

This goes to prove that our inventiveness when it comes to hand-held device use in the car knows no boundaries.

A 37-year-old woman in Florida has been charged with reckless driving after causing an accident because she was distracted as she shaved her pubic hair. She was also charged with with driving with a revoked license, leaving the scene of a wreck with injuries and driving with no insurance...

The full article here.

Leather Soul Shoes

I always like it when a shop gathers some of the best names in a certain niche market.

Leather Soul is a wonderful Hawaiian shop specialized in high-end shoes, enjoy!

Wallets

Wallets occupy a special place in my heart. My wife says it is because they carry money. She might be onto something, but I won't elaborate now.

I like good looking wallets and I dread when someone ahead of me at a pay counter takes up a raggedy, beaten-up wallet fully packed with notes and credit cards. Oh, and they use it to pay for something they might actually not need. Why not save some of that money and buy yourself a nice wallet? Granted, they'll have to save for about several years until they can afford some of the wallets discussed below.

These wallets are nice looking, handmade in UK or Japan and they wear slim, mostly because you won't have much left in your wallet after you buy them. And, surprise, surprise, we won't talk about the usual suspects: Coach, Louis Vuitton, Hermes or Tumi.

Black Calf/Red Lamb Wallet from Launer's Japanese Collection

Launer: Established In England 60 years ago by Sam Launer (a Czechoslovakian emigrant), the company holds the Royal Warrant to H.M. The Queen for handbags and small leather goods. Their style is elegant and the quality top-notch. Their production is still in England, near Birmingham. I would definitely check their Japanese collection as well, since it has some very nice pieces.

Ettinger's Purple Visiting Card Case

Ettinger: Founded by Gerry Ettinger over 70 years ago, the company is still family owned and run by his elder son, Robert Ettinger. With a big following in Japan, the company prides itself as one of the most distinguished British producers of small leather goods. In 1996, the company was appointed with a Royal Warrant to HRH the Prince of Wales.

Swaine Adeney Brigg's Breast Wallet

Swaine Adeney Brigg: Renowned for their exquisite umbrellas, Swaine Adeney Brigg also manufactures a wide selection of small leather goods. Enjoying a stellar reputation, the company has been producing their famous umbrellas since 1750. The company is appointed as

"Whip and Glovemakers" to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and as "Suppliers of Umbrellas" to HRH The Prince of Wales.

Whitehouse Cox's S-9692 Key Case

Whitehouse Cox: Quite a hidden gem, the company benefits from a rather lousy web-site (except for the first page) and dedicated Japanese customers. Since the Japanese tend to go as far as counting the stitches on each side of a wallet and return the product if the number of stitches is not the same (for high end items), we can assume that Whitehouse Cox's quality is up to task. Some of their products can also be seen here.

Bridle Wallets with Dividers by Glen Royal

Glen Royal: Very much the same story as above. Small Scottish manufacturer with a loyal following in Japan. And to make the similarities even more obvious, their web-site is rather lousy as well (for a producer of high-end leather goods). But again, they must be doing something right to earn the trust of their Japanese customers. More of their products here (sorry, couldn't get Google to translate this page, but main sections have English titles).

Cypris' Cordovan and Vegetable Tanning Leather Collection

Cypris Japan: Japanese manufacturer of high-end small leather goods. I find their designs superb. As any other Japanese producer of high quality luxury goods who has a little respect for themselves, they totally ignore international markets. Their Shell Cordovan collection stands out, and the rumor is that they produce cordovan wallets for Brooks Brothers.

"Grip Spring" grained leather money clip wallet by Valextra

Valextra Italy: In the spirit of their design we'll keep it minimalistic:

• Superb design
• Top notch quality
• Prices to match the above 2 qualities

Honorable mention:

• Goldpfeil Germany
• Smythson of Bond Street
• Mulberry
• Bottega Veneta
• Loewe Spain

Travel cases and pouches at the Fendrihan Shaving Store

Dolerma and Primalan Finest Almond Emulsions

We are proud to introduce Dolerma and Primalan to the Fendrihan Shaving Shop.

These are fine emulsions with antiseptic, restorative and protective properties, carefully formulated and manufactured in Austria. Simple, high quality ingredients such as nourishing sweet almond oil, lanolin, menthol, wheat germ and camphor guarantee an honest, natural product.

New to Fendrihan, our own Oversized Shaving Mug

Just added these new ceramic shaving mugs to the store. You got to hold one in your hands to realize just how large they are. They will accommodate any size shaving soap and are very comfortable to hold and work with. I hope you enjoy them.

How to Impress the Ladies (The 50s-Ad Way)

Check out these vintage advertisements from the 1950s.

On this first one sparks seem to be flying between our cool disembodied gentleman and our long-legged blonde beauty. "They all tell me you feel cool. I'll tell you, you look smooth." Ok, she might be playing it a bit on the aloof side, but no reason to despair when you're using Mennen Menthol-Iced Lather Shave, right?

This one is a bit more daring, and probably the best and only way to shave. I bet even the sand on your face might make for a good scrub. "Bury your summer shaving cares in soothing Barbasol. No brush, no lather, no rub-in".

I'm sold!

Original posts from Glamoursplash here and here.

Plastic, Boar or Badger?

Roger Stewart of the Health & Fitness Report compares the usual suspects when it comes to shaving brushes and gives his verdict based on water retention, life span and friendliness when that brush makes that momentous contact with your face.

Go here for the full article.

For my two cents on the subject see my previous post about shaving brushes.

Shaving Brushes at the Fendrihan Shaving Store