THE WOODEN SHAVING MUG AND CHEAP RAZORS

My cheap razor, shaving cream and trusted dented shaving brush

Every morning I take my shaving brush and a fingertip of shaving cream from my 180g plastic bowl. Then I use the cheapest razors on the market to have the cleanest shave in the world.

When I started shaving many, many years ago I used a Shick injector razor. I used it up to 2000 when I went down to Durban, South Africa to attend to a savage murder matter.

Unpacking my bags in the hotel room I realised I left my trusted Shick at home.

The hotel reception directed me to a very dingy dirty little shop just around the corner of this prestigious hotel. It was too creepy for words and I was on the lookout for crawly creatures lurking in the dark spaces ready to invade my personal space.

I bought the cheapest packet of 5 razors for about R5.00 per packet at that time [15 years ago]. It was cheap enough and had to last for exactly one shave. Financially it was worth the experiment of 1 razor for the price of R1.00. I thought I could manage that one!

Well it didn’t only last for one shave. It lasted me three months per razor. I then had 15 months of shaving pleasure for the grand sum of R5.00. Now I am a devotee of the cheapest, sharpest, best razors on the market.

When I started writing I actually wanted to tell you another related story; a story of a 20cm [8 inches] wooden shaving mug but I got side tracked and ended up with the story about a cheap and trusted razor. Let’s get to the real story written by Alan Patricof [80 odd years at the time of writing].

Alan Patricof's No 89 Floris 8-inch wooden shaving bowl

He got this No 89 Floris 8-inch wooden shaving bowl 30 years ago – that meant Alan was in his 50’s. And he uses it daily and lately it reminds him of his mortality; he is of the view that it might survive him. You can read his story and the poem by Rabbi Irwin Kula by clicking on this link:  

You see, my story about my cheap, trusted and surgically sharp razors are not too farfetched or out of the way? I had a very clean shave this morning using the same stuff I had been using now for many years although not as long as Alan. I am going in for 16 – 17 years with the cheapy!

However, my story does not stop here. I want to tell you also about my brush I am using. You can see that it is somewhat used as it should be after more than 30 years of faithful duty. I had to glue it together again just about four days ago with Prattley’s putty. Maybe it will outlast me – who knows? I have no intention of getting rid of this brush – it knows my hands and the contours of my aging face. It knows its place on the window sill to dry out for the next morning’s shave. And it knows that if it gets knocked over I will come to its rescue and get it going; it knows it is not Humpty Dumpty who was wrecked beyond repair.

Tell me your story. Send me an e-letter to my e-address: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za