DIY Life

Some would say so. I became more convinced after I read an article expounding on 10 reasons to shave with a straight razor. The reason I was so interested is that I've been a cup 'n brush man since I was 17 years old. I won't say how many years it's been since then. I was forced to use the foaming goo in A.F. boot camp and hated it.

The 10 reasons are compelling:

1. Save money. I can relate; I use a Merkur safety razor. You know, the double-edged blade like gramps used? About a buck and a half for 10 blades.
2. Go green. It's true, why keep throwing away all that plastic?
3. Be a macho man. Or babe.
4. Pamper yourself. True, like using real shaving soap, you'll get a real shave, not a scrape job.
5. Get in on the ground floor. Like the man said, straight razors are on the cusp of cool!
6. Embrace danger. Are you bold enough after watching Sweeney Todd? Where's that jugular again?
7. Make new friends. Hey, if people can get together to make scrapbooks, they can get together to shave.
8. Take up a new hobby. Shaving as a hobby? Why not?
9. Learn a new trade. What, you've never fantasized about living the exciting life of a barber? Liar.
10. And (drum roll), channel your Grizzly Adams. Don't try to tackle that mane with a disposable razor!
    

[Via onlyknives]

(This post has been edited since publication to correct a photo error.)

Though I love a good wine, I'm not a wine snob. Part of the fun of choosing a wine at the store is looking at all the whimsical labels. Sure, a bottle's design doesn't tell you much about what's going on under the cork but if the wine turns out to be not-so-great, at least you have a nice label to look at, right?

I like to keep the labels from some wine bottles that are of particular amusement or sentimental value to me. Here are a couple of tricks I use to get the sticky little buggers off with out wrecking the paper or scraping it off with my fingernail.

I enjoyed watching my dad shave when I was a kid. He used a straight razor that folded when he was done shaving. He kept his shaving brush and soap in an old coffee mug. I always knew when he was about to shave because he would bring out his leather strap and I would watch him carefully and quickly flick the razor blade over the strap until the blade was as sharp as he needed it to be.

TricksyHobbit likes to wet shave too, and he has detailed instructions and pictures showing how to make your own razor and shaving brush stand using a wire clothing hanger. You'll need a pair of pliers to straighten out the wire hanger, a glass jar to use as measurement for making the base, and a pill bottle or battery to use as measurement for making the shaving brush hole.

Make your own razor and shaving brush stand, and you won't be cluttering up the bathroom counter anymore with all your shaving supplies. The neat thing is, you can modify the design and fashion the coat hanger to hold your toothbrush too.