I recently decided I wanted to try my hand at shaving the way my grandfather used to shave.
He used an old CaseXX Straight Razor. I can still remember watching him stand at the sink with his shave mug, shave brush, shave soap, straight razor and of course some aftershave.
The smell of the aftershave filling up the house is a memory of mine that the years have not faded in my mind.
I don't remember what aftershave he used so I decided to try several different brands of shave soaps and after shaves.
One shave soap and after shave that I found I liked was Ogallala Bay Rum.
It has a very soothing smell that is not like other Bay Rums I have smelled. It is one of my favorites so far. Great product and it has an old time look to the packaging that it comes in. I was very pleased with the shave and smell that came with it.
Another shave soap that I tried was Sir Hare. I was very happy with this product also. It has a very clean barber shop type smell. The soap lathered nicely and shaved well.
It came in a well mad tin container much like an old shoe polish container. I like the packaging very much along with the way it performed and smelled.
The next I tried was a four pack from Colonel Conk. It came with Bay Rum, Amber, Almond and Lime. Out of all the "flavored" I would say that the Bay Rum and Lime smelled the best. The soaps performed well and made a good lather. They allowed for a smooth close shave.
The packaging was less desirable. Being plastic, it did not have a nostalgic look or feel to it which I find enriches the shaving experience for myself. That said, it was much cheaper than the others and the packaging did its job.
I am no professional when it comes to old time shaving. Just a guy who enjoys things of yesteryear. I will continue to try out new shave soaps and aftershaves. Undoubtedly I will cross paths with smells that I like and dislike.
It takes a chore of shaving and makes it into a new hobby. If you are thinking about trying some old time shaving pick yourself up a straight razor or safety razor and try it out. Don't be afraid to try new smells and find what you like. In the end I feel that you will enjoy the task of shaving more than if you were to just keep on buying expensive disposable razors.
Good luck and have fun shaving.
