I don’t know if other men talk about shaving, but it isn’t a topic about which I have had very many conversations. Because I have worn a beard for almost all of my adult life, some people may assume that I don’t shave, but I prefer to have my beard trimmed and so I shave my cheeks, neck and the space below my lips. Over the years I have tried a lot of different shaving systems. I’ve had electric razors a couple of times. I’ve used inexpensive disposable razors. I’ve tried the common, multi-blade razors that are easily found.

When I was growing up, the barber shops performed shaving for men. I’ve never been shaved at a barber shop, except for the back of my neck, but I remember well the hot towels, the leather razor strop, the shaving brush, and the straight edge razor. I never attempted to shave with a straight edge razor myself, however.

Like my father, I have pretty sensitive skin on my face. He used an electric shaver, and I got one around the time I moved out of our family home. I used it for years. Somewhere along the way, I started to use inexpensive razors. I’d purchase shaving cream in pressurized cans, dispense it into my hands, rub it on my face, and shave with the lightweight plastic-handled razors. I remember the progression from two blades to three to four and on to five blades in a simple razor. It seems like most brands have a unique system for mating the shaving head to the handle, so you have to purchase the right brand of blades to make the system work.

Over the years I am sure that I have spent more than was necessary in various shaving systems. At one point I had one brand of razor at home for everyday use, another brand in our camper for camper trips and a third brand in a travel kit for when I traveled by airlines or another means.

When we moved from South Dakota, I threw a bunch of toiletries into a plastic bin and moved them without sorting. It was, I know, a silly thing to do, but that bin has been stuffed under the sink in our bathroom ever since. When we moved from the house we rented to our current house, I just moved the bin. And now it has been under the sink for two years. The time has come to sort out the mess. First of all, there were several things in the bin that could be easily thrown out. There were a few razor blades for handles that I no longer own. There were some small travel sizes of shaving cream and shaving gel that have lost their pressure over time. There were a couple of old toothbrushes that had been kept for cleaning razors. There are, however, at least three different razors with spare blades. I hate to throw them away because they are good.

However, I have to admit that I doubt that I will ever use them. I already have a razor in our camper with spare blades. And at home, I’ve settled on a razor that is a take on an old tried and true model. It is a simple aluminum handle that holds a single double-edged blade. The blades are very inexpensive. I can purchase a hundred for the cost of ten cartridges for other razors. The razor is very sharp and very gentle on sensitive skin, though there is a bit of technique involved to avoid accidentally nicking one’s skin. I’ve pretty much given up on cans of aerosol shaving cream in favor of a simple bar of shaving soap and a badger-hair brush.

I have discovered another trick of the barber shop that works for me. A warm wash cloth applied to the area I’m about to shave for a few minutes before shaving seems to soften uptake skin and prepare me for the process of shaving. Furthermore, it simply feels good.

I know, however, by having looked around a bit on the Internet, that there are other men who must be seeking shaving solutions. There are online subscription clubs for shaving supplies, suppliers who claim to have the “best razor” you will ever own, or the “last razor” you will ever own. There are lots of ways to spend a lot of money on shaving supplies and, I suspect, for each of those various options there are a lot of customers who are eager to try the products. Over the years, I admit, I have given into the temptation to try various products.

All the while, there are plenty of people who think that I simply don’t have because I have a beard. I’m sure that there are men with beards who don’t shave, but I don’t think I’d be pleased with my appearance if I simply quit shaving. My beard would be uneven. I’m not much for long hair in the first place and an unruly beard and mustache is not my style. As a trumpet player, I like to keep my mustache trimmed to keep it out of my mouthpiece. Think Doc Severinsen, though he is 25 years older than I and probably still plays the trumpet much better. I’ve heard that he can do more pushups than I can, too. I haven’t got a clue about how he shaves.

I suppose one could speculate about how other famous people accomplish the task of shaving. Someone has probably done research about the topic. I once read that Alexander the Great was clean shaven and encouraged his soldiers to shave before battle so that their beards could not be grabbed by enemies in close combat. Men have been shaving for a long time. Fortunately, we’ve gotten beyond scraping our faces with sea shells and sharpened stones.

It simply is not a topic that I’ve discussed with many people though I can see no particular reason not to talk about it. After all, I’ve managed to write an entire journal entry on the topic.

Then again, I do have an ability to go on and on about a topic that interests me alone.