I have lately begun to think I need to shave every day, rather than every other. A beard would not be an option and, on balance, I prefer girlish skin to having hair sprouting everywhere like AM’s man from Cussy. (I have a friend like that. The difficulty is not staring.) I don’t really belong in any thread with a title that includes the word “manly”
I’m increasingly conscious of the amount of plastic waste I create in shaving using multiblade cartridges, and the ridiculous cost, so I invested in a safety razor. When I’ve used up the remaining cartridges, I’ll see how that goes (though I also have a Philips electric, which is quite good).
I’ve allowed, or rather been allowed, beard growth forthe last 30 odd years. Used to trim electric 'till I discovered my wonderful lady barber. Although she has retired and a younger version replaced her, for €20 I can get my hair, eyebrows and beard cut right back with a leccy and cut-throat (I have oredered them not to talk at that point ) every 3 months or so. No contest.
I upgraded mine a few years back to one which was much heavier and of much better quality than previous. Since then whenever I’ve gone through phases of head shaving, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how the razor’s weight means you hardly exert any pressure (which massively reduces the risk of mishaps).
One of the many pleasures of retirement is that the morning shave is no longer rushed and can become quite sybaritic.
A former colleague, sadly long deceased was the son of an Imperial Russian cavalry general, who was the subject of many great anecdotes, including the following shaving one…
The father had a Cossack batman who shaved his own head with slivers of glass from the empty vodka bottles that littered the camp!
When I was younger, when whiskers were beginning to appear, my father used this stropping razor, which I started to use. You strop the blade once a week, but I stropped it before each use.
Could never strop it sharp enough! Moved on to various different electric powered shavers throughout the following years.
My beard is an inseparable part of me, about 20 years old now, and undergoes an occasional trim, usually when I’m looking beardly dishevelled!
Lidl 5 blade job. I bought one as a stop gap when i couldn’t find Wilkinson Sword cartridges. I never went back. I shave my entire head and face everyday and a cartridge lasts a week easily. Equally important is the lubrication. I’ll only use gel. Anything else is torture.
Its an interesting point, I too have use the Lidl 5 blade and Wilkinson sword. I sent an email to wilkinson sword asking why with such a long pedegree they cant make a razor to match Gillettes or indeed Lidl. Never recieved a reply but but Gillette fusion 5 is my choice.
My father was a US B-17 bombardier who fought in the same theater as your grandfather. He survived the war and I recall having some of that kind of thing around the house as well as a very different sort of sharpenable safety razor, the details of which I can’t recall. My father was too practical to leave me anything like that (that he no longer had a use for). You are lucky.
Edit: Voila…there it is…he had a Rolls Razor as displayed below by Bonzocat.
This thread has been enlightening. It’s become apparent to me that three forum members whom I’ve assumed to be female are in fact male. Bad enough but I’m one of them.
) every 3 months or so. No contest. 
