Tale Of A Wet Shaving Noob

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Blake Origer. I’m also known as ortrigger in various internet forums and communities. I suppose I could be described as the typical computer geek. My profession lies in the field of IT, I am regularly seen playing games on my computer, and I have a passion for technology. I’m also a wet shaving noobie. I’m sure you are wondering, why would someone so invested in modern technology choose such an antiquated method of shaving? If you will indulge me a few moments of your time, I shall explain.[pullquote]“Who uses a brush for shaving these days?”[/pullquote]

I have never grown a lot of facial hair. Most of the time, I had just enough to merit shaving a few times a week. All through high school, I used an electric razor and didn’t transition to cartridge razors and canned foam until I was about 20. Until recently, I shaved with a 5-bladed cartridge at least once a week. Shaving was a dreaded task. I didn’t like shaving but I couldn’t grow a beard. This rendered it necessary to destroy my face…er…shave on a regular basis. I never encountered any major problems except a few terminally ingrown hairs. With that said, I always thought that there had to be a better way. And, as I would later find out, there is a better way.

One thing that corporate marketing has blinded us to is the fact that progress for the sake of progress is NOT true progress. This holds true with shaving as well. I, unfortunately, did not find this out until after I first started wet shaving. Being a relatively new wet shaver, I understand how confusing everything can be. Not to mention the experience of sticker-shock that can be experienced when first shopping for wet shaving supplies. When I was introduced to wet shaving, I had the privilege of experiencing this sticker shock. Permit me to elaborate.

I was in Salt Lake City, Utah to pick up a relative from the airport. My wife and I live in southern Idaho so we went down early to beat the rush hour traffic and had quite a bit of time to kill. We went to one of the malls in downtown Salt Lake. In this mall, there is a store called The Art of Shaving. I was intrigued and went in while my wife browsed in another store. They had all sorts of stuff in there that I had never seen except in old movies. Things like shaving brushes. My first thought was, “Who uses a brush for shaving these days?” Not to mention the different types of soaps and shaving creams that I never knew existed. I started talking to the sales associate who then proceeded to explain the concept of wet shaving. I had always hated shaving and this concept of bringing some luxury and enjoyment into my shave was a hook that I couldn’t help but bite. And then, I saw the price tags. I couldn’t believe that it would cost over 100 dollars for a razor and a starter kit! I didn’t know that similar products that were of equal or greater quality could be found on the internet for lower prices yet. Because of my lack of knowledge, I dropped the money and walked out with a brand new Merkur razor, some blades, and a starter kit anyway. It wasn’t until later that I learned that I could have gotten an equivalent setup for about 40% less money.

Why do I tell this story? Well, hopefully so others can learn from this noobie’s mistakes. Anyway, I made it home and couldn’t wait for my first shave. I whipped up the best lather I could, which isn’t saying much, and proceeded to shave. The thoughts that remain of that shave are of surprise and amazement. I realized that shaving could be relaxing and enjoyable.

In summary, or tl;dr* for those who frequent internet forums, I grew up hating the grind of shaving with modern technology. I started wet shaving and discovered my ‘noobie revelation #1.’ And that is the fact that shaving can be enjoyable.

I welcome questions and comments on this article. Please feel free to ask your questions or leave suggestions for another article topic that you would like to hear about from a noobie’s perspective. email me: noobies@howtogrowamoustache.com

*too long; didn’t read. Used to indicate that one did not read a (long) text, or to mark a short summary of an overly long text

Blake Origer is an avid fan of all things technology. He enjoys playing video games, fixing computers, and spending time with his family. His shaving setup of choice is a Merkur 34c, Proraso red shaving cream, and his own blend of preshave oil.