Monthly Archives: June 2013

Finding Wet Shaving Supplies

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Traditional wet shaving has experienced a renascence in recent years, more than a little inspired by “How to Shave Like Your Grandpa” at Art of Manliness, one of the things that got me started. One of the major challenges is finding supplies. It’s not like you can just find this stuff at Wal-Mart, right? Actually, Wal-Mart pretty reliably stocks Wilkinson Sword blades, and a decent variety of aftershaves and fragrances.

In my experience, the hardest things to find have been the razors and brushes.

Here are some of the sources I have used, or have found through research. If you know of others, please leave them in the comments.

Online:

eBay is an excellent source for vintage razors and other equipment. Take the standard precautions buying on eBay, read the descriptions carefully, review the seller’s rating, and ask any questions. Additionally, any used shaving equipment should be disinfected before use.

Amazon.com is one of the best sources, stocking everything including safety razors, straight razors, blades, blade variety packs, brushes, shaving creams, soaps, aftershaves, etc. The blade variety packs are a great resource to start out with. I bought one when I started, and am very glad I did.

For those interested in straight razor shaving, I have heard excellent recommendations for whippeddog.com, who specializes in used straight razors. I have not purchased from them, but they have a good reputation, and I intend to unless I find a good straight razor locally.

Local:

Local resources can be a bit harder to find, but are out there.

Antique stores can be a great source of vintage shaving equipment. It is nice to be able to look at a razor before you drop the money on it, although you are probably going to have to spend more time than you would on eBay.

The Art of Shaving has about 110 stores in 35 states. They sell higher end stuff, and the price reflects it. They sell their own branded products, and a variety of blades, straight razors, etc. I was kind of disappointed in the selection of blades they had, since the same blades don’t work for everyone.

Most of the big box stores carry some supplies, as mentioned, Wal-mart usually stocks Wilkinson Sword blades, and most of the others carry some aftershaves, blades, or soaps/creams.

Pharmacies, both the nationals like Walgreen’s, and the local ones, usually have a variety of supplies. Walgreen’s usually keeps a good supply of aftershaves, and usually has some blades.

Sally Beauty carries some shaving supplies in their stores, and a broader selection online.

Bath & Body Works carries C.O. Bigelow shaving cream, which is re-branded Proraso. This is in my regular rotation, especially since they do a carry-on friendly travel size. Keep an eye out for sales, since it’s pretty common to see buy two get one free deals.

Things to keep in mind:

  • Disinfect any used shaving equipment
  • Unless stated otherwise, assume straight razors need to be honed before use

My normal gear:

Book Review: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage

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For a joint scientific and geographical piece of organization, give me Scott; for a Winter Journey, Wilson; for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen: and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton every time. – Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Sir Ernest Shackleton was, like most great men, also a very deeply flawed individual. After numerous “get rich quick” schemes, he died at age 47, the equivalent of over $1.5 million in debt. But as this story illustrates, he was one of the best leaders in difficult conditions ever.

In 1915, the ship Endurance, with Shackleton and 27 other men on board, became trapped in the Weddell Sea pack ice while trying to make the first crossing of the Antarctic continent. The crew stayed on the ship for about 9 months, until crushing force of the ice broke it up. The crew then set out across the pack ice, large pieces of floating ice. With no way to communicate to the outside world, and really, no way for anyone outside to stage a rescue if they knew of their plight, Shackleton and his crew knew if they were going to live, it was up to them. Traveling first across the ice, then in boats in no way suitable for the sea conditions, they worked their way toward safety.

Conditions change constantly, and nothing is ever quite what someone unacquainted with the conditions would think. Warmer weather might seem welcome, until the surface of the ice is mush, filled with sink holes. Storms can be terrifying, and damage tents and equipment, but were always welcome, so long as they blew in the right direction. Several times and ice floe breaks up right under a boat, or between the party and important supplies.

Alfred Lansing puts together information from crew diaries, personal accounts, ships logs, and interviews into a very compelling story. A story of heroism and leadership in some of the most adverse conditions available. This is not a story for the faint of heart: it is a survival story, and it’s often not pretty, but it is always inspiring, and one of the most inspiring survival stories you are likely to find.

Available from Amazon, iTunes Audiobook or E-book, or your favorite bookseller.

New Horizons in Coffee 1 – The French Press

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Coffee is good. Can it be better? That depends on your taste, but I would recommend trying a few different ways of making it.

The most common way to make coffee (at least around here) is drip brewing, where hot water is dripped over grounds, filtered through a paper or mesh (usually brass) filter. This is a very convenient and consistent way to make coffee, but it tends to not be as strong as other brewing methods, and you lose some of the oils and other compounds that contribute to the flavor, especially with paper filters. I am going to post on several different brewing methods that I use, and maybe try a few new ones.

Making coffee with the French Press

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The Tools:

The French Press is a very simple coffee maker, consisting of a container, usually a glass beaker, and a plunger mechanism with a mesh that strains out the grounds when depressed. I usually use a Bodum Chambord Coffee Press, but there are many other options, including travel mugs, and even one built into a backpacking stove.

You can use a pot or kettle on a stovetop, but I prefer an electric kettle, since it boils water quickly, and shuts off automatically once the water boils, so you don’t have to worry about leaving the stove on.

Since the French press needs a fairly coarse grind, a blade grinder will work, but a burr grinder provides a more consistent grind, and allows you to predictably adjust your grind, especially important if you use different types of coffee makers.

The Process:

Boil the water and grind the beans. I usually go right around the 2 tbsp to the 6 oz cup mark, but you can adjust to taste. When grinding for the french press go with one of the coarsest grinds available, as the finer grinds can plug up the filter mechanism, and pass through it into your coffee.

I usually use boiling water, which ends up with a slightly more bitter taste than water a little below boiling. You can boil the water, then add a little bit of cooler water to bring the temperature down to about 200 degrees.

To even better control the temperature, I warm the press up with hot tap water. Fill the press, insert and depress the plunger, and let it sit for a minute or so before making the coffee.

Once you have your water, grounds, and warmed coffee press, place the grounds in the press, then pour the water over it to a little below the top, and stir. The manufacturer instruction say not to use a metal spoon, but it hasn’t killed me yet. Just be careful not to hit the sides, as you may damage the beaker. To maintain a higher temperature, place the top on, but don’t depress the plunger. Allow the coffee to steep for 4 to 5 minutes (adjusting to taste.) When the timer is done, slowly depress the plunger. If the plunger gets clogged, you can pull it up a small amount (1/8 inch or so) do dislodge the grounds. Allow the coffee to sit for a couple minutes for any grounds in the coffee to settle before pouring.

Cleaning the French Press

To clean out the grounds, I use a rubber spatula, then rinse the beaker and plunger. It is recommended to avoid using soap on coffee making equipment because it leaves a residue that can interfere with the flavor. I just use a paper towel to remove the coffee residue, rinse the press, and dry it, or allow it to air dry.

Grounds can get stuck in the plunger, and to clean it, the plunger can be disassembled:

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The elements on the bottom simply unscrew. Be careful with with the screen, the edges are folded over, but there can be sharp wires. Make sure the screen goes in right side up, so that the folded ends are to the inside. I usually loosen it up and rinse it most times that I clean it, and disassemble it once a week or so for a better cleaning.

How do you like your coffee? What is you favorite coffee maker? Leave a note in the comments.