My love affair with watches, men's stuff part sixteen

My love affair with watches began in the 4h grade when I received my first Timex wristwatch. It had a simple white face encased in stainless steel with black Arabic numbers, and its only "complication" was a sweep seconds hand. I remember carefully synchronizing my Timex with the school bell so I could count out the seconds for the end of the day, or secretly timing events with the sweep second hand.

In Junior High, for Christmas, I received my second watch. It was a digital Texas Instruments with red LED (like the one pictured above). You had to press the button to display the time, and the red numbers were so dim you couldn’t make them out in daylight, but it didn’t matter. In my mind I was James Bond. I had seen Roger Moore wearing the Hamilton Pulsar in the 1973 movie Live and Let Die and I thought digital was the height of cool. From there, my watch collection just began to expand; and today, it’s not unusual for me to strike up conversations with fellow watch aficionados on airplanes or social situations.

My love affair with time pieces continues. Below are some blog posts I wrote about some of my watches:

The Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso, men's stuff part twelve

The Seiko Professional Divers Watch, men's stuff part ten

The Hamilton Jazz Master, men's stuff part eight

The Rolex Submariner, men's stuff part three

(Photos- The top photo is what my Texas Instruments Watch looked like. Sadly that watch disappeared years ago, so the snapshot is just off the net. The lower photo however is my actual Rolex Submariner in its case.)

WatchTime Magazine - This is, in my opinion, the best watch publication for people wishing to learn more about the watch industry. Unlike many other watch magazines, WatchTime is extremely well written. It doesn’t just have a lot of pretty photographs with rewrites of company marketing copy.

Portero.com – This is a legitimate site for collectors wishing to buy or sell their watches.

-JP

The Seiko Professional Divers Watch, men's stuff part ten

If I had to choose one watch from my collection for endurance and serviceability, this Seiko Divers would be the watch. It’s been with me in multiple environments- in deserts, in forests, in saltwater and freshwater, and in the cold of both the Korean DMZ and Alaska. I was also wearing it in 1986 when I broke my leg on the worst airborne jump of my military career. My ankle required some metal implants to repair it, but the watch was hardly scratched.

Today, its roughest mission is to the gym.

It’s a quartz watch, and the second hand begins to mark off two-seconds intervals when the battery needs changing. It’s waterproof to 200 meters or approximately 656 feet (which means it can go places I can’t go); and has a unidirectional rotating bezel, with the first twenty minutes highlighted in bright red. The day-date is at the three o’clock position, and the day can be set in either English or Spanish. The crown, located at the 4 o'clock position, has a very efficient curving crown guard.


I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve replaced the flat rubber bracelet, and despite its age, the luminous hands and markers are still visible in low lighting. I have had the jeweler offer to switch out the scratched bezel, but I like the memories the scratches represent. Remarkably, the crystal is unscratched.

Today, Seiko offers many versions of this watch in both quartz and mechanical models. Despite the fact that some watch aficionados look down upon them, I highly recommend them. They’re durable, inexpensive and don’t have to be babied. (I actually had a case of 5.56 ammunition dropped on mine once, without damage.)

Seiko's most recent technical accomplishment was the development of a space watch for billionaire Richard Garriott that was worn during a space walk outside the International Space Station.

And while strolling down memory lane, here’s the oldest watch in my collection. It’s the Timex I wore in Army Basic Training right out of high school. I remember I bought it with the intention of it being a disposable watch; but miraculously it’s still with me. It not only survived several Army schools, but it also outlived several so-called G-Shock watches and an untold number of GI issue field watches. Today, I still use it while clearing and burning brush or doing outside work. I think every true watch enthusiast has at least one Timex in his collection.

This last photo is of my father’s last field watch, which I inherited after he passed away recently. During my Army career, he developed a fondness for OD Green field watches. As a result I would always buy him a new field watch for Christmas from the PX. When I left the service, the tradition continued and I would always include a field watch with his Christmas packages when he needed a replacement. He loved to putter and work outside and was very hard on his watches. This Orvis version of the GI watch was the last field watch he owned. Prior to end-of-year, I need to clean it up and replace the strap which is very worn due to dad’s continual outdoor use.


Update: Below is my father's Orvis field watch after I cleaned it up and placed a new NATO Nylon Strap on it.


John P.


If you're into watches, check out my other watch related blog posts:

 Hamilton Jazz Master.

 Rolex Submariner.

 Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso

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Geo F. Trumper on Facebook, men's stuff part nine

Geo F. Trumper, considered by many to be the apex in men's wet shaving gear, has posted a link to my wet shaving post on their facebook page.

-JP

The Hamilton Jazz Master, men's stuff part eight

I have a new Hamilton Jazz Master Chrono, a gift from my wife. It’s a beautiful watch with a classic masculine appearance, reminiscent of the 1950’s.

The Hamilton Watch Company has an interesting history. It was founded in 1882 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but its real claim to fame came with World War II. During the war, the company stopped making watches for civilians, and concentrated all of its production towards the war effort. As a result, Hamilton became synonymous with the GI Field Watch. To this day, Hamilton carries a line of field watches and military style watches under its Khaki collection, however it is no longer American owned. In the 1990s Hamilton became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swatch Group along with Omega.

In the past I had considered getting a Hamilton watch, but I couldn’t really get excited over the idea of field watch. I have owned too many field watches over the years.

Recently however, I noticed a collection of Hamilton watches in the window of a jewelry store and the Jazz Master Chronograph Auto caught my eye, specifically the rose gold case model. I went inside to take a closer look at it and was pleased with what I saw. The only flaw I saw was that the rose gold model came with a brown crocodile strap, and I prefer a black strap with rose gold.

That evening, I mentioned the watch to my wife and promptly forgot about it. She knew that I have been considering a new watch purchase- the IWC Portuguese Chrono, or the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso -but it hasn’t been an immediate pending decision. So imagine my joyful surprise when she gave it to me on the morning of a special event along with my morning coffee. (YES!) My wife even had them switch out the croc wristband from brown to black, so if it was perfect.


I’ve worn it now for about three weeks and have been very pleased with it. It has a solid feel to it, like a quality watch should. The chronograph (stopwatch) goes up to 12 hours, which is ample time for measuring flights and daily tasks. It has a dressier appearance than my Rolex Submariner and once I adjusted and stretched out the croc leather band, the Jazz Master was a comfortable fit despite its large size. (In its thickness, it reminds me of a Panerai watch.)

On the back, it has a sapphire crystal display so that you can see the inner workings, and “Hamilton “ is etched on the rotar. The automatic wind up feature (by motion) works fairly well. I’ve only had to manually wind it a little between wears.

The crocodile leather strap is adjusted and secured via a double butterfly clasp, and an “H” is etched on the outside of the clasp.


The chronograph controls and readouts are pretty standard. The outer-upper-right button (above the crown) starts and stops the stopwatch, and the outer-lower-right button clears the time. What is normally the sweep second hand on the face, is in fact the seconds-hand for the chronograph. The normal time sweep second hand is in one of the small inner dials. The other two inner dials keep track of elapsed minutes and hours.

In the close up photo, notice that the chronograph buttons are curved and serve as "de facto" crown guards.

Because of the three inner dials, the date function is moved to just below the 4 on the face, and yet the watch face remains classically balanced in appearance. The date can be set by either moving the hours forward with the crown, or faster by pushing an indented button (called a pusher) on the inner side of the case by the 10 on the face.


My one caveat is that Hamilton claims the watch is water resistant to 100 meters, but I wouldn’t put it to the test. It’s definitely a dress watch. I have a hard time picturing somebody actually diving into the ocean or pool with it (especially if left on the croc wristband). I wouldn’t trust the seals on the chronograph buttons, and saltwater could easily harm the finish.

Overall, the watch is classical in design, masculine, understated, and comfortable despite its large size. It was a great gift and I’m very pleased with it. Thanks hon!

JP

“Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.” Coco Chanel

SPECS-
REFERENCE: H326460
NAME: JAZZMASTER CHRONO AUTO
MOVEMENT: Swiss Automatic Mechanical ETA 7753
POWER RESERVE: 42 Hours
WATER RESISTANCE: 10 ATM or 100 Meters (But I wouldn't put it to the test.)
REF STRAP: brown croc leather # H600.326.105 (NOTE- I changed mine out for Black)

A Minimalist Approach, men's stuff part seven

Some blogs I follow have started a commentary on what a man should carry on his everyday person. Some men insist on being loaded for bear, others prefer a minimalist approach.

I fall more under the minimalist category, or as my wife commented, "A functional minimalist." Here are my choices and their reasons-

1. A pen, a black Mont Blanc my wife gave me for my birthday. So that I don’t have to touch the germy pens offered at restaurants or stores.
2. Business Cards & Personal Cards in a thin leather card case; because you never know who you may run into, plus they’re useful for jotting down notes.
3. Reading glasses, an unfortunate “must” since I turned forty.
4. My mobile phone, a small Blackberry Pearl, carried in my sport jacket- or left in my car, briefcase, or desk if I’m not wearing a jacket. (I dislike carrying it in my pant pockets.) The Blackberry has my complete schedule, tasks list and rolodex on it and has become a valuable tool.
5. Wallet, a thin leather money clip, containing two credit cards, drivers license, health insurance card (for the wallet autopsy by EMS) plus ones and Fives for tipping. Again, the objective is no bulk, and carried in my right-front pant pocket.
6. At least one dog biscuit. They say money can't buy you love, but a dog biscuit can.

My main predicament is always what to do with car keys. To that end I like to wear a sport coat because it makes it easier to spread the personal items around thereby avoiding bulk in any one pocket. Of course a better solution would be to have a car and driver and never touch a steering wheel again, but that’s an entirely different conversation.

(Above, G approves of my "functional" minimalist approach- so long as I keep scratching his chin. Below, my everyday gear minus the dog biscuit- which G ate just before the snap was taken.)

Golf Etiquette, men's stuff part six

(Photo Left- For Christmas my wife gave me a travel bag for my golf clubs, which I’m getting some use of. I’m happy to report that so far the airlines haven’t been able to break the tube case and damage my clubs.)

On a recent stay at my parents’ house, I found an old Golf Magazine from January 2005. One article in particular stuck with me, “How to be the most popular guy in your group,” by Michael Corcoran. And while it had many good points on golf etiquette, here is a short list of seven which every man should consider:

1. On monetary bets- Be considerate, especially if someone is out of their league (and do it without naming names). Limit the maximum loss to $50 bucks or so. Politely put a muzzle on anyone getting obnoxious with large stakes.

2. Pick up the ball- If you’re hitting eight on the hole, pick up your ball. Take a snowman on your card, and be considerate. Don’t slow down the play for your group or the group behind you while you “quintuple-bogey putt.”

3. Buy the first round from the refreshment cart- This is a nice gesture which the other members in your group will appreciate. Don’t just ask if they want anything, but rather make the offer specific- “I’m buying. What do you guys want, beer, soda, candy bar?” And tip the cart girl appropriately so that you’ll see her again.

4. Be humble. Don’t offer swing tips- If someone is having an off day and does plead for help, defuse his frustration with humor. Corcoran suggests using the old Sam Snead line, “You’ve got just one problem- you stand too close to the ball after you’ve hit it.” He also suggests you “remind him that no matter how badly he feels, Greg Norman felt worse.”
Which leads to-

5. Keep a sense of humor- If you’re the one having an off day, don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. Use humor to keep yourself loose and not ruin the day for everyone else. Corcoran gave some great quips:
-When you leave a putt 10 feet short- “How’d that stay out?”
-When you airmail the green by 50 yards- “Bite! Bite!”
I’m sure you can think of your own favorite quips as well.

6. Give a hand- After the final putt on the 18th, give everyone a smile and a firm handshake; look them in the eye and tell them how much you enjoyed the round. If you’re a traditionalist and wearing a cap, doff it.

7. Pay up- If you lost, pony up your money promptly. If you won, win with grace and offer to use the winnings to cover a round of drinks or lunch.


Conversely, Corcoran made a list of Don’ts. Here are the top five I selected:

1. Don’t call a rules violation when you’re not playing in a tournament. Trust me, it won't impress, it will annoy.

2. Don’t take a second practice swing, and a third, with a divot.

3. Don’t hit on the cart girl. It doesn’t make you look cool, just creepy; and will only serve to keep her away from your group when you need more beer.

4. Don’t linger on a green practicing a putt you missed when the group has moved on to the next tee.

5. Don’t impress your group by making your mobile phone (tackily clipped to your belt) play “I’m Allright” from Caddyshack. This action alone will ensure your status as a single for life.

JP

How to Wax your Barbour Beaufort Jacket

OK, a lot of hits and questions on how to wax a Barbour.

If you’re only now getting around to it, you will need to invest a little bit more time and effort into the process.

Ideally the jacket should have already been cleaned and re-waxed during a hot summer day. The hot sun and weather keeps the wax melted and hence easier to work with. In the fall or winter, the wax keeps congealing and makes the entire effort more taxing.

The supplies you will need are: a bowl of ice water, a sponge, a tin of Barbour Wax (pictured in this post), a pot of hot water to boil the Wax tin in, an old cotton t-shirt, and a hairdryer.

You will also need a good work area with a table (that won’t be affected by wax) and a place to hang the jacket. (I use a screened in back porch with a tiled breakfast table.)

The process is the same for a sylkoil jacket.

Step one, clean the jacket. Put the jacket on a work table, and using a bowl of ice water and a sponge, wipe down the outside of the jacket. The ice water keeps the wax on the jacket hardened and helps the sponge separate the dirt out. (Don’t use soap of any kind. Don’t put the jacket in the washing machine. I'm told that would remove the wax coating permanently.)

Step two, open the tin of wax and boil it in a pot of water over a stove, until the wax is melted.

Step three, using an old cotton t-shirt, work the melted wax onto the jacket, paying particular care to the seams, pockets and edges. (This is the part that’s harder in winter because the wax keeps solidifying on you). Ideally you should keep the wax tin in the hot water while working in order to keep the wax melted.

Keep the wax away from the corduroy collar, inside of the jacket, and inside of the pockets.

Keep your actions small and controlled so as to not make a mess. Clean as you go.

Step four, once you have re-waxed all the surface, hang the jacket up and use the blow dryer to re-melt the wax on the jacket and give it an even finish. This also gives the jacket a nice shiny fresh look.

Hang the jacket and allow it dry overnight undisturbed.

Please be aware the jacket will bleed excess wax for a short while after being re-waxed. So be courteous to others in this regard. For example if a stewardess asks if she can hang up your jacket, decline, and store it in the overhead bin over your own stuff. That way you don’t get wax on somebody’s sport coat or suit jacket.

Darwin Alert- On a humorous note, I once read a post from some person claiming to have thrown their waxed Barbour in the dryer and making a tremendous mess. Don’t go there. Use a hair dryer.

Purchasing Barbour Wax Dressing- In the U.S., the easiest way to get a tin of Barbour Wax is to log onto Orvis.com , and type in “Barbour” in the search field. That will bring up a page of Barbour products which should include the wax. The official Orvis description is: “Barbour Thornproof Dressing (SI8981)” The current price is $12.00. Instructions for re-waxing the jacket are written on the can.

Ongoing Cleaning- During the winter you may want to clean your jacket. Just repeat the cleaning step with the sponge and the bowl of ice water. Afterwards, use a blow dryer to dry it and to even out the wax again. You’ll get the nice shiny gloss finish once more.

Finally a warning note, it's too late to send your jacket back to Barbour for re-waxing. If you send your Barbour back this late in the year, you probably won’t see your jacket back until summer 2008. Those guys are slow.

John P.

(For related content read September 3rd 2006 post, "The Barbour Beaufort Jacket, men's stuff part one.")

Click here for a reader's question on smell.

Acqua Di Parma, men's stuff part five

For Christmas 2006, my wife gave me a new cologne, Acqua Di Parma. I had run across some references to it during hobby reading, and I was curious.

Acqua Di Parma is an Italian citrus based scent first made in 1916. After many years of being relegated to an isolated niche product, the fragrance was purchased in 1994 by three investors. The new owners then expanded distribution to reach the eager dollars of the Hoi Polloi. The company claims it was “THE” cologne among the beautiful people in the 30s and 50s, and drops the names of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. (Of course the fact that they’re both dead makes corroboration difficult at best.)

For my part, I’ve taken a fancy to it. It’s more declarative than my beloved Trumper’s Extract of Lime, but to its credit it does tastefully dissipate when properly applied. I’ve worn it for the month of January and I haven’t tired of it.

The package paper describes it as combining more than ten natural ingredients (no knock-off lab synthetics) to produce "smooth notes of Sicilian citrus, rose, & lavender with base notes of oriental woods." And to its credit, it's not boring like say the traditional (and overly known) prep scent of Eau Sauvage. It's definitely something different and has the flair Italian craftsmanship is known for.

If you’re looking for an alternative, I would recommend giving Acqua Di Parma a try.

The only caveat I’ve had is that it came in a spray bottle, and hence impractical for air travel with the new security limitations on liquids. If you pack it in your wet pack with your checked luggage, the altitude may affect the spray pump. I’ll have to see what is available in plain bottle format for future use.

JP

(For related subject matter see September 16, 2006 entry, “On Wet Shaving, men’s stuff part two.)

The TR250, men's stuff part four

I owned a TR250 (Triumph 250) in the mid-1980s and it was the funnest car I have owned. (And yes, it was even more fun than my Saab.) I bought it from Casner Imports in El Paso while assigned to Ft. Bliss, and I sold it while I was in college due to concerns over high maintenance cost. I dearly regret selling it.

The TR250 was a one year production car of approx 8,000 units in 1968. It was the transition between the under powered TR4 and the peppier TR6. The car had an in-line six cylinder engine with growling dual carburetors, and 15 inch Michelins to hug the road as you accelerated. The fact that it was a convertible only added to the fun.

My other car at the time was my old high school car, a 1972 Mustang Mach 1, Sprint Fast-Back edition. It was your basic muscle car. It could go like a bat out of hell, but God help you if you needed to change direction. The Mach handled like a heavy truck on high speed turns and I'm lucky I didn't kill myself in it.

The TR250 by contrast, could turn on a dime at higher speeds. It was not only fast, but it hugged the road like it was on rails. I felt in absolute control of the vehicle as I would put it through its paces on tight winding mountain roads. I think that was one of the key reasons I fell in love with it. The other key emotional response came from the cockpit smell of leather, wood, and the engine. I wasn’t removed from the driving experience in a plastic shell.

Unfortunately this beautiful machine came with a price. As anyone who has ever owned one of these 1960s convertibles can tell you, they’re temperamental machines who need a seasoned specialized mechanic and pricey repair parts. In short, it’s not the initial price that gets you; it’s the ongoing bank account drain.

I recently cruised the internet for TR250s and was dismayed by the high pricing of restored models and the absolute state of disrepair of the based price ones. To buy one today would have to be an absolute act of love. It would be cheaper to buy, say, a used Porsche and face less repair issues. You also wouldn’t have the issue of finding a capable mechanic, or rare parts.

I’m afraid that for me at least, that ship has sailed.

-JP

Specs for the TR250:

ENGINE- Inline six-cylinder, cast iron block, cylinder head, overhead valves. Horsepower @ RPM-111 @ 4,500.  Torque @ RPM-152 lbs.ft. @ 3,000.  Fuel System, Twin Stromberg CD175 carburetors.  Front Engine, rear-wheel drive.

TRANSMISSION- Four-speed manual, plus reverse.

BODY- Steel body over steel frame with cruciform brace.

TIRES- 15 x 6 inches

WEIGHT & SIZE- Weight 2,350 pounds. Wheelbase 88 inches.  Length 153.6 inches.  Height 50 inches.

PERFORMANCE- Zero to Sixty MPH in 10.6 seconds.  Zero to One-Hundred MPH in 39 seconds.  Top Speed 107 MPH. (To put this in perspective, at that time the average car went from zero to sixty in about 15 or 16 seconds plus.)

PRICE
Cost new in 1968- (esti) $3,395.

The Rolex Submariner, men's stuff part three

Bond: You expect me to talk Goldfinger?

Goldfinger: No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!

As a boy I saw the Rolex Submariner watch for the first time in the opening scenes of Goldfinger. In it, Sean Connery sets explosives at the bad guys’ base while in scuba gear, changes into white-dinner jacket, and then nonchalantly waits for the charges to go off. His clothing changed from commando-action-gear to sophisticate evening wear, but the watch remained the same; a Stainless Steel Rolex Submariner. I was hooked.


I’m not alone in this. If you carry on a conversation with a Submariner owner long enough, eventually you will hear some similar James Bond childhood influence.

The watch is about the size of an Oreo Cookie (40mm) and fits comfortably on the wrist despite its thickness. It’s water proof to 300 meters or 1,000 feet. (This means it can go places you can’t go.) It has a uni-directional black bezel to mark elapsed diving time. It also has an extension link on the stainless steel bracelet so that it can be worn over a wetsuit.

Most men will never use the diving features. (Lord knows I haven’t.)

What I do use frequently is the bezel, which is marked in minutes, to monitor elapsed time on flights or tasks. The glow-in-the-dark-face is also easy to read in low lighting situations.

Its technical specifications, while impressive, are of little relevance to aficionados. Instead, if you had to define its appeal in one blurb, it would this- the watch is manliness defined, period.

The watch is unaffected and masculine. It runs the gamut world wide. I’ve seen it on the wrist of a successful stockbroker in Manhatten; and I’ve seen it on the wrist of a bus driver in Rome. The Stainless Steel Submariner is the ultimate go-to-watch for a man. It can fit every occasion. It goes well with every outfit, every activity, and doesn't look ostentatious.

Aside from the basic stainless steel Submariner, there are also Submariner versions with yellow gold embellishments and blue faces, as well as a 50th anniversary model with a green bezel. As a purest, I’ve always held men who wear gold modified models as suspect. A man wanting an ornate dress watch would be better served to purchase a gold Oyster Perpetual Day Date or similar IWC, Patek Phillip, Zenith or Jaeger-LeCoultre offering.  (And please don't get me started with the after-market-bling-jobs I've seen in which diamonds or other precious stones are added to the watch face. Trust me, they don't impress.)

As a point of humor on this, I was once in the middle of a software sales presentation with the owner of a business and his key subordinates, when one his lieutenants cut in, “I don’t know boss, this guy is wearing a Rolex. I think he’s going to take us downtown on the price.”

The owner replied, “No, No, it’s OK. It’s only stainless steel. It’s the jackasses with the gold ones that you have to worry about.”

John P.

Postscript-

OK let’s answer the basic question: Is the Rolex Submariner really a super 007 action watch?  Is it in fact virtually indestructible? The evidence says yes.  Remember it is stainless steel, and waterproof to 300 meters.  That translates to about 433 pounds per square inch on not only the metal case, but the crystal as well.

However there are two caveats.

The first is that if you plan to use this watch for business wear, you need to be aware that the stainless steel on the Submariner will scratch, especially on the wrist bracelet. If you have nice things, you have to take care of them.

The second caveat is more important. Like Achilles, this watch does have a weakness – the winding crown.  While screwed in place, the crown guard does a great job of protecting it, but while unscrewed (for winding or changing the time) it is the one delicate part of the watch you will come in contact with.  Remember to treat it gently. This will save you the embarrassment and expense of an unnecessary repair.

An added benefit, chicks dig the watch

Labradors dig the watch too. When I can’t find my Submariner I know it’s because my Chocolate Lab “borrowed” it. (She is after all, a "watch dog.")


My Chocolate Lab is a little far-sighted resulting in nose prints on the crystal. Fortunately she periodically licks them off. (The watch reads 7 pm, that's really 2 am in dog time.)


"So when are we going to get a Rolex Pepsi GMT like Tom Selleck’s?"


Detail close up of my Submariner, sans nose prints, next to my wedding ring for scale.

My Love Affair with Watches, men's stuff part 16

My Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso 

My Hamilton Jazz Master

My Seiko Divers Watch

-J.P.

On Wet Shaving, men's stuff part two

In the movie Bull Durham, one of the main characters states that “the world is not made for those of us cursed with self-awareness.” Wet shaving is just the opposite. Wet shaving is suited for the man who wants to elevate his everyday life above the pedestrian. It adds pleasure to the day’s routine, provides a pensive time for the thinking man, and results in a much closer shave.

First let me define wet shaving for the unwashed. Wet shaving is using a shaving brush, shaving soap and hot water to properly lather the face for shaving. It takes more time than the alternative shaving methods, but the results are a closer shave with less skin irritation and a more pleasurable experience.

I first became aware of wet shaving in 1985 when I attended mountaineering and rappelling school on Cheju-Do Island. I was an army sergeant at the time assigned to the Joint Security Area on the Korean DMZ. The school was a junket of sorts, a reward for good job performance.

Multiple courses were going on at the same time, and students from different courses shared the same sleeping barracks. Sharing our barracks were a bunch of Brits who seemed to be undergoing a more serious course than ours. For the most part they kept to themselves. They looked fit, with a bit of a roughish air, but they were disciplined, not unruly. What I remember most about them was that they had these beautiful wet packs (shaving kits) which seemed in stark contrast to the rest of their appearance and demeanor.

Their use of a shaving brush, and the lathering up of the soap with hot water got my attention. It struck me as an elegant solution to a daily chore. I remember it also made me feel dissatisfied with my can of foam and throw away razor.

Years later my wife gave me gave me wet shaving gear for my birthday. Since I was new to wet shaving, she gave me shaving soap from two companies (Geo F. Trumper and D.R. Harris) so I could decide what I liked better. For the actual shaving gear, she gave me an Edwin Jagger set (similar to the set pictured at the start of this post). Over time, she gave me additional gear (for Christmas or birthdays) so that I now own my own a complete travel set of Trumpers gear.

At this point I should say that wet shaving gear can be expensive (Best badger hair brushes can be pricey.) For many that’s part of its allure. It’s both snobbish and traditional. Some of the companies supplying the gear have been around for over 100 years and hold Royal Warrants. New comers to the practice will find a wide variety of products available.

For me the main appeal is that what used to be a tiresome delay in my morning, is now a pleasure. For the ten minutes it takes me to wet shave, I contemplate my objectives for the day as I enjoy the tactile sensation of the warm foam and smell of the soap. I also enjoy the feeling that I know something the great majority of men don’t know. Vanity also comes into play. The result is a much closer shave than that possible by using canned foam. And let us not forget, that when other men see your shaving gear at the gym, the invariable response is “Is that your gear? Coool…”

As for the actual mechanics of wet shaving, the secret to a good wet shave are simple. One, use plenty of hot water; and two, let the soap and razor do the work. Don’t press down with razor like you do with foam from a can. (In this regard it’s like golf where you let the club do the work.)

The shaving soap can be purchased in both hard soap (in a wooden bowl), or in cream (either in a tub or travel tube). A wooden bowl of hard soap can last a long time if you’re frugal minded. The cream is more expensive as you go through your supply much faster. Both types of soap are available in a variety of odor types.

There are various methods of shaving, and I won’t cover them here. It suffices to say that the shaver decides what method is best for him. Mine is simply three passes for reduction: One with the grain of the beard (down). The second pass is sideways, from the outside of the face (ears) towards the center (mouth). The last pass is against the grain (up). I lather fully for each pass.

After reduction I put on skin food. Skin food helps seal and protect your skin after the shave. After sampling different products, I finally settled on Trumper’s Extract of Limes Skin Food. I also do any finishing required using the skin food to elevate low level bristle in the fat of the cheeks or other difficult areas.

Finally on Cologne. If it’s a normal business day, I put on Trumper’s West Indian Extract of Limes Cologne which is very subtle. If I’m going out on a date with my wife, or a social occasion, then I use D.R. Harris’s Arlington Cologne which is more “declarative.” Both are citrus based.

Geo F. Trumper has been around since 1875 on Curzon Street in London, and has held Royal Warrants from various monarchs. Trumper’s is probably the single most recognized name in wet shaving and is considered by many to be the apex.

On the business of Royal Warrants; Royal Warrants are given to companies (tradesmen) who sell goods or services for at least five years to the British Royal Family. All business is conducted on a strictly commercial basis. (No freebies for the Royals.) The warrant symbolizes an endorsement by the Royal that can be used by the company. The Royal receives no compensation for the warrant. Currently, three members of the Royal Family grant warrants; Her Royal Majesty the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen Mother, recently deceased, also granted warrants. The warrants from the Queen Mother will continue for five years past her death.

What does a Royal Warrant mean in American English? By plucking down thirty bucks for a tub of shaving cream you can skip the six-degrees-of-separation stuff and claim you have something directly in common with the Queen.

The second company I’ve mentioned is D.R. Harris. D.R. Harris has been around since 1790 on St. James Street and like Trumpers has held numerous Royal Warrants. Its latest warrant was granted in 2002 by HRH Prince of Wales. It also has a colorful history as it is located in the “heart of the Gentleman’s Clubland” in London. Part of their product line used to be eye drops and Pick-Me-Up elixir to perk up a Gentleman after a hard night of frolic in the clubs. The eye drops have been discontinued, but the Pick-Me-Up is still available. D.R. Harris proudly boasts to having supplied the needs of customers ranging from “Ambassadors and Statesmen, Field Marshals and Admirals, to rakes and dandies – all those who appreciate quality and distinction.”

While the evolution of internet commerce is a welcomed benefit to those of us not living in London, there are three basic problems you will face getting started. One is that a website cannot give you the ability to actually smell or sample the product prior to buying. The best you can do is to carefully read the description of the product before ordering. The second issue is that for some reason Brit’s haven’t really figured out how to design effective websites. You will find both the Trumper and D.R. Harris sites cumbersome. Finally, you will be left the task of teaching yourself, by trail an error, your own best practices for wet shaving.

If you’re fortunate enough to live in the Austin Texas area, there is a specialty shop called Enchante that carries both Trumper and D.R. Harris. It’s owned by Charles & Jean Roberts, and if you set up an appointment, Charles will help you get started. He also does wet shaving clinics for new practitioners of the art. Charles is very enthusiastic about converting the unwashed heathens of the world to saved souls who practice wet shaving. In fact he practically militant about it. His mode of operandi can be best described as highly energetic and earnest. (Oh and a word of caution, stay off politics.)

A complementary word on Charles’ store…In January 2004 I was shopping in New York City during a cold front and I stepped into a store specializing in men’s shaving gear to duck out of the cold. I forget the name of the store, but it was across the street from the Brooks Brother’s store on Madison Avenue. I remember noticing the New York Store’s selection was not as intensive as Charles’ store in Austin. In short, you may find a pilgrimage to Austin worthwhile.

The only alternative I’m aware of to an Austin shaving clinic is to set an appointment and travel to Trumper’s barbershop in London which could be considerably more expensive and time consuming.

Finally, there are numerous providers of wet shaving stuff. I did not mean to suggest that you should limit your search to Trumper’s or D.R. Harris. I meant only to show the example of my own travel and preferences in this area. Additional merchants include Truefitt & Hill (which also holds a Royal Warrant), Coate’s, Taylor of Bond Street, and Simpsons Brushes, just to name a few. Some of the providers can be purchased at department stores like Nordstrom. And then there a number of companies that have sprung up across the U.S. like “The Art of Shaving.”

If by writing this I have saved one poor soul from the boorish practice of extracting foam from a can, or worse, electric shaving, then my work here is done.

John P.