I'm bearded. Still shave the cheeks and neck.
Asked for a razor-blade shaver for x-mas.

I grew a beard some 30 years ago because I was lazy and because my curly hair kept causing painful ingrown hairs on the face.

A beard is great because when we go on lengthy trips I just take one "disposable" blade for the weekly trim around the edges. Sure helps keep backpack weight down.

I highly recommend growing beards - but gee if most men do that how are people going to tell the difference between terrorists and non-terrorists?

I had a full beard years ago when I was in grad school. I offered to grow one again, but my wife isn't buying it :-).

I grew a beard, but I'm ashamed to say, use a electric beard trimmer every 4-5 weeks. Mainly because it seems quicker than shaving (takes just under 10 minutes). Not sure about the comparative energy life-cycles there though!?

P.S. I also compost the trimmings. They almost seem suitable for a potting compost component actually, but I've not experimented.

I had a beard for years despite my wife's preference that I shave it off. After years of hearing her complaints, I impulsively decided to shave it off one day while she was out. After she returned, she took one look at me and said "put it back". I am now happily bearded once again.

growing a beard helps on energy consumption for some who work outside in colder climates..........not recommended for the fairer sex.

My wife says I look better with a beard, perhaps due to the lack of a chin
http://push.pickensplan.com/profile/RobertABobbyWilson

My other half would probably leave me if I shaved my beard off.

Sharpening old razor blades. Perhaps double-edge as well as single-edge.

What my dad used to do was take a round jar..maybe like a pint canning jar..but has to be fully rounded..no square sides....put a dab of valve grinding compound in it. maybe a dab of kerosene to put it in a slurry form...the put the blade in and with a finger work it in a circular motion around the inside of the jar.

He said you could sharpen a razor blade many times.

My grandpa used a straight razor of course and I used to watch him strop it. And then shave.

So I have collected over the many years a couple straight razors , some shaving mugs and many styles of more modern razors. And some very very old ones.

I also have saved up many different brushes. Some with exotic bristles/hair and some more common around the sixties.

Its more fun to shave my mustache and sideburns with those old implements I have found. Heat some water in a cast iron kettle on the woodburner and will your having your morning coffee whack off the brushy undergrowth.

Well I do it actually only once every two weeks. Laziness.

So valve grinding compound and a good supply of razor blades and your set. Yet you might want to bid in a few of those old straight razor and a good strop. Still can be found in old country auctions.

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