You know you're getting old when. .. .

You know you're getting old when you have a hard time buying the same old disposable razor cartridge that you've always used. This is true.

A childhood memory that sticks out is being in my grandfather's bathroom and checking out his old razor. He had a little bowl and brush and a razor that looked the one pictured in the patent diagram above. At the time I remember thinking, 'Wow! my grandfather must be old because that thing looks ancient'. And now I find I am in the same boat as my grandfather. My good old razor has become obsolete.

I looked up my grandfather's razor and I think it is the one pictured above. I gather it was the first safety razor and was developed by Gillette for the US troops in Europe during WWI. My grandfather was born in the 19th century and did serve during WWI so it makes sense that this might have been the razor he chose. I was born in the 1960s and first starting shaving in the 1980s, and the razor in vogue at that time was the one pictured on the left.

I remember that I used 'bic' disposable razors for a while and then opted for the razor on the left which was rather cheap as part of a package deal. I gather the razor blade companies sell the handle cheap to draw you in and then make their money selling you new razor cartridges. Anyway, I bought new blades for the thing for over 20 years - no problem. And then suddenly no more blades made by Gillette. Just the generic ones pictured above.

And then the moment that makes me feel old. Last time I went looking for cartridges I could not find any. Gulp, my razor has become obsolete! So I picked out the fancy dancy five bladed thing pictured on the upper right. But sadly enough - while slick looking - it actually does not work as well as my old razor. The 5 blades make it so fat that I have a hard time shaving my upper lip close to my nose. So I plan on going back to Safeway and looking really hard for the generic twin blades. Then I am going to seriously stock up. I wonder if my grandfather ever had to do this?

I also wonder if people (no grand kids yet) have been looking at my old razor and thinking, 'man that thing looks ancient'.

Patrick