The White Spirits

Inertia, that's all there is too it. For years I used the same shaving cream, Edge. Sometimes it was the soothing aloe, sometimes the sensitive skin. I liked the gel type of shaving cream over the foam types, think Barbasol. But then I went through the hunt for the next great blade.

I've never had an old fashioned straight-razor shave. I've never had the experience of a hot, steaming towel wrapped around my face, heard the razor being pulled back and forth the strop. I've bever trusted a barber to not slice open my neck.

My experience with razors (and shaving cream) has been fairly traditional American (disposable) and not very imaginative. This picture covers a range of my path through shaving hell, and maturity. In my foregone past I traveled through several "safety" razors. Single, double, triple, quad... Seems that every few years the razors grow another blade.

The dark ages were the first single- and double-blade disposable safety razors. Those were the years I struggled to control the loss of flesh, and how to staunch the flow of blood from a fresh razor wound. I do not have fond memories of these shaving years.

Several months ago, it was time to buy more blades, Gillette Atra Plus, and I became decidedly peeved at the cost. I looked at options, I ruled out buying a straight blade. I ruled out an electric shaver. Then an add for another blade, Harry's, appeared on my horizon. I made the leap and bought a kit, it included blades, handles, and shaving cream. I can't say the cost was substantially less, but it offered more blades per cartridge and I thought they'd be worth at least a try.

What does any of this have to do with White Spirits? It was the shaving cream. Harry's shaving cream arrived in a tube, similar to toothpaste. One gets their face wet, squeeze out some cream, and lather it up. After years of foam I learned, decided, that I preferred lathering up a shaving cream over spreading a foam.

So, what to do with cans of shaving cream that I no longer used or needed? Gave it to the kids, of course. They sprayed it all about, lathered up their faces, hair, and bodies. And it was hilarious. I just might buy some cheap stuff in the future for more fun-n-games...

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