Small Business Saturday!

November 24th is Small Business Saturday, a day to celebrate and support the local small businesses that boost the economy and invigorate neighborhoods across the country. 

Badger Lather Shave Co. is proud to take part in Small Business Saturday, and we are encouraging everyone to "Shop Small" here on November 24th.

Thank you for your support!

TX Small Town Tour - Weatherford!

This past Saturday dawned bright and sunny, so we figured it would be a perfect time to resume our Texas Small Town Tours!

It's always a little overwhelming trying to figure out our next tour destination. Texas is just so huge and there is so much to see that we want to go everywhere at the same time. Clearly not possible. We had some time constraints this weekend, so we traveled just far enough to technically be "out of town" to our destination: Weatherford.

We may as well start calling this a TX Courthouse tour because the courthouses we find in these towns are just fabulous! I always wish we could go inside them, or at least spend a little more time discovering the history around them, but we just never have enough time. Nonetheless, it was beautiful building to look at!

I'll go out on a limb here and say that Weatherford was by far the most "country" feeling town we've been to as of yet. It was quaint but not too small. It reminded both of us so much of Matt's hometown, Lexington NC, where everybody knows everybody and there's just enough to do to allow the townspeople to feel like it's a city.

It also was the most grasshopper infested city I've ever visited. I have a list of random things I'm afraid of (you know... things like clowns, deer, mascots, and other creepy things) and grasshoppers are pretty near the top of that list. It's not that I'm afraid of being bitten. I don't even think they bite (do they?) but if they happen to land on you they grip you with their death grippy claws and I can't stand that!! Seriously, it creeps me out. So as we walked up and down the streets, I dodged back and forth to avoid the little monstors because they were EVERYWHERE. See?

We got straight down to business and here are a few of my favorite finds from the day:

For lunch we stopped at Weatherford Downtown Cafe, and judging from the number of people who were there, it must be the hot spot downtown.

My favorite part of the meal was most definitely our appetizer, which was (buckle your seatbelt) Chicken Fried Bacon!! Only in Texas, right? Clearly they might as well call it "instant heart attack" but really, when you see something like that on a menu you just have to try it! I'm happy to say it was quite tasty, although I certainly couldn't make a habit of eating stuff like that.

Our main course (patty melt and fried pickles for me and buffalo chicken sandwich with fried jalapenos for Matt) was very tasty, although not as adventurous as our appetizer.

Overall, it was another great day exploring a new part of this fabulous state we live in. Up next: we don't know! There are a few places we're considering, but we're always up for suggestions!

Want to see more pictures from our day in Weatherford? Find them on Facebook!

Until next time,
~SM~

Shop Updates

Looking back at the date of our last Small Town Tour, I'm realizing exactly how busy the last couple of months have been! We were thrilled with how busy wedding season kept us, we made and shipped about 40 kits in one weekend alone! Since it's now late in the summer we've slowed down a little bit, and the slow down has given us an opportunity to regroup and prep for some big changes that are coming.

We're adding new fragrances as we find things that we like, and we are so excited to announce the opening of a new storefront at Mensmarket.com. This is a really great opportunity for us and we're beyond thrilled.

I will say though, that the thing we are probably the most excited about is that we are adding someone to our team. Ever since we started this venture, we've wanted to do some things to make it even bigger and better and now we are officially ready to do that!

I am thrilled to say that my (Sandi's) dad is going to be hand making all our shave brushes from this point forward, as well as making beautiful shaving sets (brush and razor with stand.) We really think you're going to love them. He's a master craftsman, and I'm not just saying that because he's my dad!

Keep an eye on our Facebook page and our shops (here) and (here) for more updates!

~SM~

TX Small Town Tour - Granbury!

After much thought and research (thanks Matt), this weekend's Small Town Tour took us about 40 miles southwest of Fort Worth, to a lovely little town called Granbury! The main part of the town sits near the beautiful Lake Granbury, and there is a public beach area just outside the "downtown" shopping area. Very quaint.

The day started out extremely rainy, but we headed out anyway. Once we got to the other side of Fort Worth, it was a beautiful drive, really. This Kansas girl loves wide open spaces! 

We could have spent hours going through all the different unique gift shops, but since we were there with a purpose, we headed straight for the true antique shops. There weren't quite as many on the main square as we were hoping for, but the ones we found did not disappoint! So far, they were probably the most organized, nicest shops we have visited. If you're into antiquing, I highly recommend a trip to Granbury! We noticed several other shops on our way into town, but since we really wanted to visit the downtown area, we didn't get time to visit all of them. It's somewhere we would absolutely go back to someday! 

These two ladies (below) were absolute dolls! We bought a razor (circa 1930's) at their shop called Brazos Moon.  One of the things we really want to do on these tours is take the time to stop and talk to the people we meet. To hear their stories and find out who they are and why they do what they do.  Not only did they have an amazing shop, but they took time to talk to us, to ask questions about what in the world we wanted with such an old razor. Then they graciously asked questions about our business, and offered stories about how the barber shops used to be, with each customer having a personalized shave mug which was kept in a cubby hole at the barber shop. Too cool! So ladies, if you're reading this, THANKS for your time and for letting us take your picture! We were so happy to meet you! Next time we're in town, we'll stop by to say hi!

Just like Waxahachie, Granbury has a fabulous old courthouse right in the middle of the square. We didn't take time to learn all the history around it, but a quick Google search tells me that it was built in 1890, after the first two courthouses in that location burned. Interesting stuff.

We stopped at another great shop just outside the square, where we found and bought this great leather strop (circa 1920's or 1930's). For those who may not know, a strop (pronounced strope) is a thin leather strap that was used to sharpen a straight razor. We haven't seen many of these at all, yet, and this one was brand new, still wrapped up and in the original box. Great find!

Our final stop on this trip was for a late lunch at a place called Buffalo Gap Steakhouse and Cantina. Our waitress said that their chicken fried steak is their "claim to fame." With that, we both ordered the chicken fried steak sandwich with seasoned fries. It was ready fairly quickly, and looked great on the plate. Sadly, we were both a little disappointed with the taste. It wasn't horrible, but also not fabulous. 

 With that, another tour came to a close. To see the rest of our pictures from Granbury, visit www.Facebook.com/BadgerLather. Life is busy the next couple of weeks, so it might be a month or so before we can tour another town and share our journey with you. In the meantime, don't forget to check out our shop (BadgerLather.etsy.com) and go "Like" our Facebook page!

Also, if you've tried our products and are interested in doing a review for us, please send us an email at BadgerLather@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

Until next time,

~SM~

TX Small Town Tour - Waxahachie!

Want to go on a tour with us? We've been spending a lot of time "antiquing" lately (in search of vintage shaving supplies), and as we've ventured farther and farther from our Fort Worth home, we decided to make it an official tour and take you with us!

So buckle up and come explore Waxahachie, Texas!

It was only about a 45 - 60 minute drive from our house, so we headed out mid morning in order to make it there in time for lunch.

Waxahachie itself has a pretty big "new" area with lots of chain restaurants and stores, but we headed straight for the heart of the old downtown. As we drove onto Main street, we were thrilled to find several large antique shops. This place definitely had promise!

First things first: we were hungry! Our rule while we're on our TX Small Town Tour is that we must eat somewhere that is off the beaten path; a local gem. Ideally, I'd like to find that old man sitting on a park bench feeding pigeons and ask him where the best local food is. Sadly, we didn't find anyone to ask, so we just picked a place. It was called Whitley's Philly Grille. At the recommendation of the cashier (who said everything is great), we both ordered the "Ultimate", which was way beyond your average Cheese Steak. It was filled to the brim with steak, bacon, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers. It was, in a word, PHENOMENAL.

After lunch we began to actually walk the streets and peruse the antique shops. We found some neat things! Wanna see?

Whitley's Philly Grille

Sideways View of my Cheese Steak!

The inside of Whitley's

Some shops downtown

Men's Talc Powder

Brass Razor

More Shops

One of the very first electric razors ever made - from the 1920's

Shave Brush and Cup

Shaving Stand

We found a few more fun items, which will be for sale on our Etsy soon!

Want to see more pictures from our first tour? Visit our Facebook page.

~SM~

Welcome!

Welcome to the Badger Blog! We hope to be able to provide lots of helpful information and look backs at vintage style shaving. But before we get started, maybe you want to know a little more about us?

We are Matthew and Sandra, a husband and wife team. The idea for Badger Lather Shave Co. started several months ago when Matthew started looking around for better shaving products for his very sensitive skin. I (Sandra) also have sensitive skin, so I was completely on board with finding an alternative to the shaving creams and gels we commonly found at the grocery or drug store. After some trial and error, we came up with the formula that is now Badger Lather Shave Soap, and put together a couple kits as Christmas gifts for some family members. They loved the look and feel of the kits, but more importantly, they loved the product as much as we do.

Here we are several months later, and we are so excited to share our products with you!

One of the most common questions we are asked is “Where in the world did you come up with the name Badger Lather?” I’m not joking when I say it took weeks for us to agree on a name that made sense for shaving products (shaving brushes are made from the hair of a badger) but that also sounded catchy and had a little bit of quirkiness to it.

We have several ideas for things that will hopefully be coming soon, so please keep checking back for new products and supplies. Also, we can NOT succeed without you, our friends and family, so please feel free to share our page and tell everyone you know about Badger Lather Shave Co.!

Thank you!

~Sandra

Frequently Asked Questions

What do WTG, XTG, and ATG mean? “With the Grain” “Across the Grain” and “Against the Grain”

Do I really need to use the shave oil? The shave oil is what coats and protects your skin, to give you the closest possible shave. Without it you may cut or nick yourself more easily.

What is the purpose of aftershave? Aftershave contains a pretty high amount of alcohol, which acts as an antiseptic (if you happen to cut yourself) and helps to close your pores after you shave.

How do I determine the “grain” of my facial hair? This is best done if you have 2-3 days of growth. Spend a few moments rubbing your beard with your fingers. The direction that feels the most rough is Against the Grain (ATG). The direction that feels the most smooth is With the Grain (WTG). Keep in mind that your beard can grow in several different directions, so you will need to pay attention to your entire beard area to get familiar with your individual grain pattern.

I’ve never shaved before. Can you help me? Yes! Please see our “Shaving Basics” section.

I don’t like any of the fragrances you offer. Will you come out with any new ones? We will try to introduce new fragrances periodically, but if there is something specific you’re looking for send us a message! Not every request will be able to be fulfilled, but we promise to do our very best!

How do I order? You can order at BadgerLather.Etsy.com.

I have a question you didn’t address here. Please send us a message at BadgerLather@gmail.com . We would love to hear from you and will answer your questions as quickly as possible!

General How To

1. Start by running water over the surface of your shave soap, just enough to get it completely wet.
2. Set the soap aside and pour a dime-sized amount of shave oil into your palm. Rub your hands together then massage the oil into the area to be shaved.
3. (If you’re using the bowl/brush type) Work your shave brush in the bowl in smooth circles until you have a thick layer of lather on top of the soap and throughout the entire brush. Lather it onto your face then go to #5.
4. (If you’re using a puck of shave soap) Work up a slight lather on the bar, then rub it all over your shaving area and lather it up with your hands.
5. Shave WTG -> XTG -> XTG -> and finally ATG. Rinse.
6. After you’re done shaving, dry off your face and apply aftershave.

Razor Tips

1. Change your razor blade often to ensure you get the closest, safest shave possible.
2. If you shave in the shower, try not to store your razor in the shower. This dulls your blade more quickly.
3. After you shave, clean the blades with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol then dry your entire razor thoroughly. The alcohol will remove any buildup of your shaving products, and sanitize the blade after you’ve used it.

Shaving Basics

1. Start by determining the grain of your beard (or area to be shaved). Keep in mind that the grain pattern may vary, so you will need to spend some time getting familiar with your hair in every area.
2. Using Badger Lather shave oil puts a coating on your skin before the shave soap, to help protect you against cuts and nicks.
3. The first “pass” should go “With the Grain” (WTG) of your hair (which way feels smoothest when you rub your hand on the hair?)
4. Your second and third passes should go “Across the Grain” (XTG) first one way, then the opposite way.
5. Your final pass should go “Against the Grain” (ATG) and should be directly opposite the way your hair grows (which way feels roughest when you rub your hand on the hair?) This pass has the most potential to irritate your skin and if you have just started shaving you will want to introduce this pass slowly.