Grandpa Knew Best

18th Century Men Shaved With a Brush

Using a shaving brush, that icon of maleness, not only links us to our forefathers but provides the most satisfactory shave short of a visit to your barber, that is if you can find one who still practices the ancient art.

The beginning of each new day is a fragile time. And yet this is when many of us, bleary-eyed, our brain firing on one cylinder, wield a razor to sheer off thousands of hairs. “Clean shaven” has an upbeat sound to it but for many the reality can be uncomfortable, painful and even bloody.

Steel and water are the prime components of a good shave. Fortunately, blades are continually being improved (Gillette spends millions on research) though no doubt those few brave souls who use a straight razor would dispute this. The best moisturizer is still water and the longer you let it soak into your beard, the better the shave.

Shaving with Marshmallows We find that the shaving foam from a can is ‘like shaving with marshmallows’, clogs the razor, does not moisturize well and the propellants can irritate some skin. So ,your next step is to select a shaving soap or cream to be applied with a shaving brush to provide additional moisture and reduce surface tension. Fine soaps, particularly those with high oil content, work in a pinch even if the lather doesn’t hold up as well as the shaving soaps.

Creams and Gels For light to normal beards and skin, the solid shaving soaps (our favorites are from Proraso and Geo F Trumper) are quite satisfactory and are more economical than the creams. For those with a heavy beard or delicate skin (or those who just want the best shave), the Musgo Real Shaving Cream with its formulation of glycerin and lanolin is the best we have ever used. A shave can be even further improved by rubbing into the beard (before applying the cream) a Pre Shave oil such as Truefitt & Hill Ultimate Comfort Oil or Proraso Pre/After Shave

Shaving brushes we offer a range of brushes from Bristle to Badger. The less expensive brushes are made of natural bristle while the more expensive are made of badger. We risk being drummed out of the toiletries trade for saying this but we don’t feel the more expensive brush does any better a job than a bristle brush with the proper bristle configuration. How long will it last? We have used one brush daily for some twenty years and it couldn’t have cost more than five bucks. It has at least another twenty years of faithful service if the dog doesn’t get it first.

Using a Shaving Brush

When using a brush, wet it and shake off the excess water. When someone is shown using a brush in a movie, an inevitable piece of action is to have the hero work up the lather in the mug. Wrong. Shaving soap will last a lot longer if you just apply some soap on the brush and work up the lather on your face.

When you are presentable and ready to face the world, you might want to slap on some aftershave. Most aftershaves contain fragrances in an alcohol base where the alcohol acts as an antiseptic. As these tend to be drying, we prefer to use an aftershave cream lotion (such as our own Vitamin E Aftershave Lotion or Proraso After Shave Cream) and apply a fragrance to the neck.

Welcome to the 18th century!

Musgo Starter Kit

The Musgo Starter Kit,for those of us brave enough to give it a try, includes a tube of Musgo Real Shaving Cream (3.7 oz), a plastic tube squeezer to get every last drop out of the tube, a Boar Bristle shaving brush, a 1oz bottle of Barclay Crocker Vitamin E Aftershave Lotion, and instructions on the best way to shave with a brush.

Shaving Brush Stands

Keep your brush out of harm’s way and allow it to dry properly. These stands sit on a counter or can be mounted on a wall using the adhesive provided (if you need additional adhesive, use 3M Mounting Strips or a screw.) Available in Tortoise Shell, Black White, Silver and Clear for standard size brushes. We have other suitable for our large scale brushes.

Fog Free Mirror

Perfect for those who shave in the shower as most men on the go do these days .Get the steam rolling it will help soften the beard, check your visage in the Fog Free mirror and off you go. Fog free (for about six months, after that give it a quick wipe with some shave cream and it stays fog resistant for more months) and shatter resistant. 6½” x 5½”. Can be mounted in either direction. Mounting surface must be smooth (glass, tile, fiberglass, metal )

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