Having trouble finding the right Father’s Day gift this year? Look no further than our traditional wet shaving aisle, carefully curated by yours truly! When I was a kid, I found a vintage safety razor in the basement of the old Oswald’s location and have been fascinated by them ever since. It wasn’t until college that I actually transitioned from modern-day plastic cartridges and canned shave cream to traditional wet shaving.

What made me switch? The cost! You make what seems like a hefty investment upfront ($15-$60) on a well-made safety razor, but the savings down the road will continue to add up. Where cartridges from the big manufacturers like Gillette and Schick can cost close to $5.00 apiece, shave clubs like Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club have ‘better deals,’ with cartridges closer to $1.00-$2.00 each. Where does a double-edged blade fall? Some of the blades we carry are as low as $0.30 cents apiece!

A traditional wet shave razor and brush. Both made by Parker.

Traditional Wet Shaving Pros & Cons

I’ll admit, one potentially nice thing about ‘modern’ cartridge shaving is speed. Shaving cream is ready to use out of the can. Just lather on your face and shave. One pass. Quick and easy. The downside? Using shaving cream made with a lot of unnatural ingredients, expensive cartridges, not getting a close shave, bad for sensitive skin, and, the reason I’ve learned to love traditional wet shaving most of all, you’re not taking a little extra time for yourself in your personal care routine! It’s not always a race. A little more TLC in your shaving routine is what some dad’s need these days.

While most men use canned shaving cream, many traditional wet shave enthusiasts like using shave soap or a more natural shave cream that both can be lathered up to a rich cream using a shaving brush. We carry a wide selection of creams, soaps, and gels at the store. My personal favorite is the Taconic line. Specifically the Urban Woods scent.

Some of the traditional shaving products available at Oswald’s.

Taconic products are made in New York’s Hudson Valley with all-natural ingredients including organic coconut oil, organic safflower oil, organic aloe vera, and an essential oil-powered fragrance. I switch back and forth between the 8 oz. pump bottles and 4oz. shave soaps. For the shave soap, you’ll need a brush to lather up. If you’re not a fan of the brush, the shaving cream can be lathered by hand as well.

Outside of the basics of traditional wet shaving: the razor, the blades, the brush, and the soap or cream – we go a little deeper into the traditional shave and men’s grooming category. I mentioned Taconic earlier as a brand I like. Beyond their shaving creams and soaps, we also carry their pre-shave oils, after-shave toner, after-shave splash, cologne, and more!

We also carry a line called Rockwell Razors that makes my favorite alum stick. If you’re not familiar with alum, it’s what helps stop bleeding and irritation from small cuts and razor burn. Rockwell makes small alum sticks that come in a match-book style case! A perfect solution to small mishaps on your wet-shaving adventures.

Give Your Dad the Gift of Traditional Wet Shaving

Of course, we still carry your modern-day cartridge razors and canned shaving cream. If dad isn’t ready to make the switch to a double-edged safety razor, perhaps some aftershave or cologne will do the trick this Father’s day? Something to add a little more fun to dad’s worn-out shaving routine.

Feel free to shoot me an email at alex@oswaldspharmacy.com with any questions you’ve got about shaving! Or better yet, stop by the store and ask for me! I’ll always come around to talk wet-shaving and help you pick out the perfect gift for dad. Happy Father’s day!