How did Covid affect your shaving and grooming?

Mistertaz

Mistertaz

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2019
Location
Melbourne
Hi all!

It’s funny… I have a stack of shaving gear, but just became lazy and apathetic about it over the last couple of years, especially due to Covid in Melbourne.

I was still using my trusty R41, but reverted to shave gel and minimal cologne. Shaving became an infrequent task rather than a pleasurable ritual.

Now that things are slowly returning back to normal, I’m actually enthused about pulling out the brush and soap again!

I was just wondering how Covid affected other people’s shaving and grooming. Did it drop off or did it give you more time to pursue it as a hobby?
 
I started wet shaving at Christmas 2019, so basically all of my wet shaving has been done during the pandemic. I used to wear frags to work daily, currently I don't bother, but I do shave every second day and use all my gear regularly. If anything, I've been able to find more time to look after myself than before Covid
 
Before covid event, 20 soaps and creams
Current covid event up till today about 320 soaps and creams. :LOL:

Although the rabbit hole is deep, at least currently it's sort of taken a left turn and headed back the way it started. :rolleyes::coffee::D. Whether that's a good thing, time will tell.
 
I was very much like you it seems - sometimes rushed, usually unenthusiastic, infrequent shaves. Some electric shaves. Grew a beard twice. Often had a 2-3 day growth (covered by a mask most of the time). Time for a change .. hence my return here I think.
 
I used to shave every other day when the pandemic started, and only had one razor, an Feather AS-D2.

Boredom quickly set in during the lockdowns, and I bought a book of hard sudoku puzzles, read a lot, did a lot of gardening, bought a small dirt bike for the local farm tracks here in rural Philippines, and then went a bit mad buying a Timeless .68, a, Tatara Masamune, then later a Nodachi, then a Muramasa. New soaps and brushes, followed. A Lupo 72 arrived this morning.

Now I shave every day, and love it. There’s a kind of Zen meditative quality when shaving slowly, taking care with the shave. It also reminds me of my grandad and father with their rudimentary shaving gear, and my having to shave fast every morning when doing my officer/pilot training decades ago.

Using slightly more efficient razors (Nodachi & Muramasa setting 4/5) has also improved my 72 year old skin. A couple of very pretty young relatives of my wife recently asked “What are you feeding J? He looks so ‘gwapo’ (handsome).” :LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
Covid hasn't changed a thing for me. Apart from 2 lockdowns and wearing a mask, it was life as usual.

Went into work everyday, haven't even needed to be tested.
 
I shave daily (4 passes) no matter what, so no change of routine for me.

However, over the last 18 months, I have reduced my den to the basics. Just 5 razors, 4 brushes (variants of muhle/ej silvertip fibre) and 20 soaps as I had too much stuff and nothing was getting used often enough.
 
Up until late November 2019, I was wet shaving with a cart Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. After getting my first real straight razor and learning how to get it shave ready, I was shaving at least every day and sometimes twice a day for enjoyment, not need.

From early 2020, I was in 24/7 home quarantine (Philippines) due to my age and CoVid. This also prevented me from traveling overseas to work. Although still legally 24/7 quarantined in the Philippines, I managed to escape and get out of the country earlier this year (2021). That cost me 20 times the normal airfare.

This pandemic has given me the time to to really develop my straight razor technique, both shaving and honing. I have also purchased and honed up over 60 straight razors. Now with a little over 780 straight shaves under my belt, I am still leaning and enjoying every bit of it.

If it wasn't for the pandemic, I doubt that I would have persisted through the initial learning curve of SR shaving. Developing my SR skills also helped me emotionally while quarantined.
 
Hmmmmmmm :unsure: I don't think Covid has effected my den as much as this forum.
We have been relatively fortunate in NT compared to other States and Territories
 
... less travel shaves ...
 
No significant changes for me as normal daily shaves as I worked most of the shutdown/lockdown from the office whilst the majority of my co-workers were working from home.

Early on it played a massive part in convincing me to undertake a Sabbatical as everything literally halted which allowed me to focus on my current gear and learn to appreciate neglected razors and finish some older soaps.

Luckily some generous members sent me a few care packages with some highly prized samples, PIFs and a loan of a razor which provided some wonderful shaves in what has been a drab 18+ months.
 
I was able to expand my vintage collection with time to troll eBay for misspelt auctions 😂

Them take an hr to shave.

It amazes me how we've all had such different pandemics. Spent two hrs in line to get tested...again..
 
rbscebu said:
Up until late November 2019, I was wet shaving with a cart Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. After getting my first real straight razor and learning how to get it shave ready, I was shaving at least every day and sometimes twice a day for enjoyment, not need.

From early 2020, I was in 24/7 home quarantine (Philippines) due to my age and CoVid. This also prevented me from traveling overseas to work. Although still legally 24/7 quarantined in the Philippines, I managed to escape and get out of the country earlier this year (2021). That cost me 20 times the normal airfare.

This pandemic has given me the time to to really develop my straight razor technique, both shaving and honing. I have also purchased and honed up over 60 straight razors. Now with a little over 780 straight shaves under my belt, I am still leaning and enjoying every bit of it.

If it wasn't for the pandemic, I doubt that I would have persisted through the initial learning curve of SR shaving. Developing my SR skills also helped me emotionally while quarantined.
Click to expand...

Very interesting! What are your recommended resources for learning to hone and use straight razors?
 
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Mistertaz said:
Very interesting! What are your recommended resources for learning to hone and use straight razors?
Click to expand...
The best resource for me was another large wet shaving forum. I discovered that forum when searching how to hone my first "straight razor". That forum was also were I learnt that my first was just a RSO (razor shaped object). Fortunately the RSO only cost me about USD 5.

My first true straight razor was a Titan ACRM-2 T.H.60 for about USD 20. That did not come shave-ready so I had to learn how to hone before I could start SR shaving. It took me two attempts to get that SR shave-ready. I'm a slow learner. I still have and shave with that first Titan.

Now I can hone a SR from nothing to shave-ready in well under an hour. All my honing gear cost me less that USD 100. Once honed, my SR's never need honing again. I just maintain them on a 0.1μm (about 200k grit) diamond pasted balsa strop after each shave.
 
No change here. I shave when I feel the desire, usually 2-3times per week. Feather AS-D1, Yaqi "Chianti" synth with 24mm "SilkSmoke" knot, The Body Shop croap, Nacet blades and The Body Shop Ginger shampoo.
 
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Although my interest in wet shaving as a hobby started during the pandemic , I'm not quite sure how much the pandemic had to do with it. I had been thinking of moving on from using carts for a while. I do think though that not being able to travel freely did contribute to the amount I've spent on acquisitions (razors, soaps, blades, straight razors, hones etc...):)
 
during my seven year old beard disappeared and I happily returned to wetshaving. I've set up my shaving den a little better with racks for brushes and razors to better view and access those in my rotation.

I'm not a daily shaver, mostly every second day and I find myself very pleased when it's 'Shaving Day' today :)

also, with the exception of an R89 (for 3rd pass on neck and general touchups) I am almost exclusively using slants these days and thoroughly enjoying them. rarely do I every get a nick or irritation from slants maybe because I indulge myself in the shaving ceremony and remember shaving is about gradual whisker reduction and not about rushing through a hasty single pass.
 
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