Maggard Razors is the closest you'll come to a shaving-supply candy store. You can spend hours on the Michigan store's website exploring the hundreds of top shaving brushes from here and abroad, shave soaps that range from artisanal small-batch varieties to lush imports, virtually every new razor made, plenty of straight razors if that's your bag, and countless other shaving-related and shower-related items. Like the universe, the options at the site seem limitless. Leave yourself time. Who is the guy behind this site and store? Brad Maggard, and he's an encyclopedia of shaving information. [Photo above of Brad Maggard, owner of Maggard Razors, courtesy of Brad Maggard]
Brad is hyper-passionate and always on the prowl for new items that shavers will find enticing. Maggard Razors ships super fast, the staff is knowledgeable and returns emails quickly, and the company is generous about returns. Just be sure to read the return policy before you buy so there are no surprises. A great company if you love wet shaving or are new to the process. Be sure to check out Maggard's vast stock of superb brushes, including England's Simpson line and Germany's Thater line. Once again, I have received nothing for free from any vendors in this series and I'm not angling for anything for free. I pay for everything I use. I'm just passionate about shaving and after two years, I'm sharing what I know and the good people and vendors I met along the way in case any of this is of interest to you or loved ones. As with the music I post about, my role is to turn you on to the good stuff so your money is well spent. [Photo above of Maggard Razors, courtesy of Brad Maggard; click photo to enlarge]
Recently, I reached out to Brad at the store's location in Adrian, Mich., for an online interview:
JazzWax: Where did you grow up, Brad, and did you watch your dad shave?
Brad Maggard: I grew up in Adrian, Michigan (above). I have no real memories of my father shaving. I'm a millennial, born in 1981. By the mid-1980s, cartridges had already taken over the shaving market. At that point, there were no morning-shaving rituals, no brushes clunking around a mug and no scent of Old Spice in the air. Shaving was just an inconvenient chore for my father to get done as quickly as possible to get on with his day. He also worked different hours at different points, so scheduling affected how much time I spent with him.
JW: Did you get your hair cut at barber shops as a kid and were you fascinated by the smells and all the adult things there, like straight razors?
BM: Probably not the answer you were hoping for, but I almost never went to the barber shop. I grew up relatively poor, and my mom cut my hair because every dollar counted. Nostalgia certainly wasn't the reason I ended up falling into traditional wet shaving.
JW: What was your major in college?
BM: I was heavily into computers and computer repair in high school in the 1990s. I spent my latter high-school years in work-study programs in the IT departments of several local companies. I attended Baker College in Owosso, Mich., from 1999 to 2001. Then I completed an Associate degree in computer networking, along with Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and A+ certifications. After college, I got a job at Adrian College and spent 15 years there in the IT department. During the last 3½ years I worked there, I started Maggard Razors on the side before finally calling it quits at Adrian College and working at my new company full time.
JW: When did you personally start with wet shaving?
BM: I started shaving around age 14, occasionally stealing my dad's razor while he was at work. Of course, it was a Sensor Excel two-blade Gillette cartridge. I didn't really know what I was doing and basically taught myself to shave. I think my experience was common for people born after 1975. There was almost zero instruction because our parents were all using cartridges that had no real learning curve. Kids were just kind of on their own. I've talked to so many people in my age group who said the same thing.
JW: What happened next?
BM: I struggled and figured out how to shave. My mom eventually got me my own razor when I was 16. When I was 18, Gillette sent out a free MACH 3 razor to our house. That's what I used from that point forward, shaving once every three or four days through college and as I started my post-college career.
JW: Sounds like you were often scruffy.
BM: I was. In 2005, Adrian College named a new president who preferred that all administrative and support staff be clean shaven at work. My skin was incredibly sensitive—thanks, Mom!—and my beard was incredibly tough—thanks, Dad! For four years, I had all kinds of problems with irritation and ingrown hairs, the cost of a daily shave. My neck would be on fire until lunch every day.
JW: What did you do?
BM: Finally, in 2008, I Googled "How to get a better shave." I found some blog articles about straight razors and double-edge safety razors. I also must have mentioned something to my wife about it. She bought me a replaceable-blade straight razor—commonly called a "shavette"—a shave brush and Col. Conk shaving soap for Christmas of 2008.
JW: How'd you do?
BM: There was a bit of blood the first few shaves, but I was determined to give it a serious go. As I built skill, my shaves became better, my skin became less irritated and shaving daily turned into something my skin could tolerate. I was hooked, and I started to branch out into other wet shaving products. I cleaned out all the antique shops in a 100-mile radius of my house, buying every double-edge razor I could find. I started using those in addition to my shavette and found them to be easier and more convenient with similar results. But eventually, I picked up my first few real straight razors. That's when things really got serious.
JW: How did you decide that straight edges were a viable business?
BM: Before we go any further, I have to correct you on something. A straight edge is not a razor. It’s a tool used for drawing straight lines. The things we shave with are called just "straight razors." That’s it. Other acceptable terms would be "open razor" or, in parts of Europe, "cut-throat razors."
JW: Got it. Happy now?
BM: Yes! Throughout 2009 and 2010, I acquired many straight razors and learned how to hone and restore them. I started doing for-hire work—both restoration and sharpening. I used my profits to expand my workshop, until eventually I had a slew of specialized tools that allowed me to work very efficiently at cleaning up and sharpening blades. I sold a lot of stuff on eBay and, as things progressed, I became one of the world's premier custom scale makers. Scales are what we call the pieces of plastic, wood, bone or horn that the razor nestles in between uses.
JW: How busy were you?
BM: At one point, in 2012, I had over 50 razors waiting for custom work, and I was running backlogs of over three months. As winter 2012 was nearing, I dreaded having to spend another five months in a cold garage working on them. So I decided to see if I could find a heated workshop I could rent for cheap. I found a small 900-square-foot heated space in downtown Adrian for $350 a month and rented it. I figured, if I was there working anyway, why not stock a few products and leave my door open to the public?
JW: Makes sense.
BM: Next came listing what I had online at a site that I built, which wasn’t too difficult given my heavy IT background. In December 2012, I officially opened my brick-and-mortar store and website store. I had invested $13,000 on inventory, shelving, a register and a sign. We stocked fewer than 120 products initially. Looking back, my razor and product business model must have seemed silly to everyone around me. But I knew that my restoration and custom scale business would support all the bills. Worst-case scenario, I could dump the inventory I bought on eBay for cheap if nothing sold. It was a low-risk venture for me. The wet shaving market was exploding on all fronts.
JW: At what point did you start adding many shaving products?
BM: Throughout 2013, retail sales exploded. Within two months of opening, the retail sales eclipsed the revenue I was generating in straight-razor service. By August 2013, retail was 10 times my service revenue. So, by the end of 2013, service took a back seat and I started to focus on growing the retail business. We introduced new lines of Maggard double-edge razors, Maggard artisan shaving soap and hundreds of other products. But I always remained close to my roots, focusing on straight razors as much as possible—even if we were selling more double-edge razors than straights.
JW: What was going on in the marketplace back then to juice demand?
BM: The wet shaving market actually peaked around 2014 in terms of sheer number of new people coming to the hobby. This was for numerous reasons. Part of it was that Dollar Shave Club created a huge disruption in the status quo. Users started thinking about other products from manufacturers other than Gillette. Another part was Skyfall, the James Bond movie in 2012, where an attractive woman gives Bond a straight razor shave. That movie drove hundreds of thousands of consumers to search "straight razor" on Google. In addition, the older Gen Xers and Millennials were fed up with the lousy performance and insane prices of Gillette cartridge razors. Combine all of this with the fact that everything was "new." New products were coming out just as tons of content was being created about how to start shaving with traditional straight razors and double-edge safety razors. A whole new world and subculture of shaving was developing, and the community was learning together. Forums and online niche communities exploded with new fans. The irony is that traditional shaving is superior in every way to the "new" modern cartridge.
JW: Why did the market cool?
BM: The vast majority of people who found traditional shaving have stuck with it to this day. That said, some of the novelty has worn off as the market developed, and people who were avid collectors of shaving hardware and software between 2012 and 2015 haven't been generating a lot of content, which draws people in. Combine that with the complexity that has come with a more developed market and it can be intimidating for a beginner to break into traditional wet shaving.
JW: What exactly did you shave with today?
BM: I still sharpen many, many straight razors annually so most of my shaves are test-shaving edges I've sharpened. Today, I had a shave with eight different vintage straight razors that I recently restored and honed. Prep is very important with a straight razor. That's true of double-edge shaving as well. My favorite prep is just a hot shower and washing my face with a glycerine based soap. Ach Brito makes a round soap called Glyce Lime that is my go-to. (Go here and scroll down.)
JW: What if you’re shaving in the evening and a shower is out?
BM: Then I prefer a glycerine based gel, like the Chiseled Face Pre-Shave Gel (go here). Glycerine and water are important for softening the beard. I'm not super big on pre-shave oils, though some people really enjoy them. Personally, I prefer super-slick shaving soaps or creams as opposed to oils. I use several soaps known for their slickness—Declaration Grooming "milksteak" base (go here and scroll down) and Zingari Man "Sego" base (go here and scroll down), to name a couple. I also do a lot of product testing, since I personally vet everything that comes into our store, Sometimes I'll use soaps I've never heard of just to test them out. Not every brand passes the test.
JW: What’s your favorite vintage double-edge razor and why?
BM: My favorite vintage double-edge razor is the Gillette Slim Adjustable, produced between 1961 and 1969. I'm of the opinion that the super durable nickel plating, efficient design, incredible build quality and adjustability represent the pinnacle of razor design. They can still be had for between $35 and $100, depending on condition, and they will last a lifetime. My favorite blades are probably Kai—the Japanese brother of the much sharper Feather blade. Kais are smooth and sharp, albeit a little expensive.
JW: And your favorite brush?
BM: My favorite brush size is a 21mm or 22mm knot and relatively short—a 48 to 50mm loft. I prefer badger brushes that are heavily packed with hair and have soft tips with bulb shapes, such as our SHD 2-Band Badger knots we stock on our site [editor's note: these will need a handle]. But I must admit that one of my go-to brushes is a trusty Simpson X2 Best Badger brush (go here) that I've had since 2012.
JW: What is ideal gear for shavers just starting out?
BM: I always recommend one of our Maggard razors with a V3 Standard head ($25/go here). Alternatively, you could pick up an Edwin Jagger DE 89 ($36/go here and scroll down) (above), or Merkur 34C for $49 (go here) or Merkur 42C (go here) for $32. If you want better materials that would potentially last a lifetime, the aluminum Henson razor would be a good choice ($70/go here and scroll down) or a Maggard SS70 Stainless head and handle ($57/go here and scroll down). For beginners, we always recommend brushes with synthetic bristles, because they are nearly indestructible, they are easy to lather up and they are super soft. We have a nice array of Maggard branded synthetics from $10 to $16 (go here and scroll).
JW: Any other synthetic brushes?
BM: You could look at the Simpson Trafalgar line (go here) of synthetics or their Sovereign Fibre line which is coming to the U.S. soon and boasts of handles that are hand-made in England. The most popular option is to pick up one of our beginner kits (go here and scroll), which are priced at less than $40. The kit includes a Maggard Synthetic brush, Maggard Razor, 3 brands of blades (15 total, about 50 shaves), and 2oz. of soap (about 40 shaves worth). It's everything you need to get started, and the brush and razor will likely last at least 15 years. [Photo above of a Maggard Starter Kit]
JW: Finally, what’s new coming from Maggard that you’re excited about?
BM: We're working with Barrister and Mann to re-release Fougere Angelique Eau de Toilette this fall. It's an incredible scent that Barrister and Mann crafted in 2019 with our input along the way and several iterations of testing. The scent is bright and citrusy but dries down to an incredibly complex array of base notes. Only 100 bottles will be produced. The shaving soap (above) and aftershave are already available on our site now (go here).
JW: Oh, one more: Without being able to sniff soaps online or aftershaves, what can shavers do?
BM: The best solution is to request samples (go here and scroll down). We stock more than 500 samples of various companies’ shaving soaps, creams and aftershaves. For a few bucks, you get to try samples that deliver four or five shaves and decide if a particular scent is right for you. Although we do accept returns of shaving soaps that have not been used, we can't afford to cover shipping, so that's the responsibility of the customer. Many times, buying a sample is significantly cheaper than the shipping cost and burden of returns. In truth, using a scent on your own skin is critical. Fragrances tend to work in concert with an individual's body chemistry. This is more important for aftershaves, eau de toilettes and colognes that will hang around for a while. Trying something before buying if you're going to be wearing it throughout the day is definitely worth a few dollars. [Photo above, Noble Otter samples available at Maggard Razor]
To visit Maggard Razors online, go here.
JazzWax shaving tips: After starting this series on Monday, readers have been asking me for my tips to fine-tune the shaving process. Here are a bunch:
Pre- and post-shave routines. My pre-shave routine was outlined in Part 1 of this series. As far as post-shave, I pour a shirt button-sized amount of Thayers lemon witch hazel (go here) into my palm and add the same amount of Proraso After Shave with Menthol and Eucalyptus Oil (go here) . The result is a perfect aftershave—skin soothing with a nice refreshing sting. After I deal with my hair (the subject of a whole other post down the road if there's demand), I finish with Proraso Eucalyptus Oil and Menthol Aftershave Balm (go here), working one side of the face and neck before turning to the center of the neck and the other side. The result is cooling and soothing. Most important, it softens the skin and lets the hairs easily begin their climb over the next 24 hours, reducing the odds of ingrown hairs. I switch to a different Italian brand in the winter—Santa Maria Novella Classica after-shave balm.
Goofs. Readers have also been asking about how I treat razor scrapes, nicks and cuts. Scrapes (no blood drawn) can be soothed with an alum block (go here). Run it under ice-cold water and run the smooth surface over the affected area. Just be sure leave the block out to dry before putting it away. Nicks and cuts can be stanched by any styptic pencil. I favor the Clubman line (go here).
Blade handling. I have one rule of thumb (if you want to keep your thumb): only handle a razor blade by the nose. By this, I mean only grab the blade on one end's snout or the other. Never (and I mean never) touch the blade's sides. You'll most certainly wind up with a deep nasty cut. Remember, always pick up and handle the razor by its nose. Otherwise you'll touch the third rail of shaving.
Blade disposing. Place old blade carefully in new blade's wrapper before disposing.
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