Mark Herro, also known as Mantic59, is one of the leading personalities in the online wet shaving community. Mantic59 has helped thousands of wet shavers with their technique with his excellent YouTube videos and forum postings.
In 2011 he launched Sharpologist.com – a website dedicated to the art of wet shaving as well as providing all the latest male grooming tips and men’s style advice. Sharpologist.com replaced the iconic Mantic59.blogspot.com and launched with the aim to achieve one main goal, “to pass on to you what your father didn’t teach you about grooming and style”.
We asked Mantic59 if he would be willing to take part in a question and answer session with our loyal customers and he thankfully said yes.
So here goes folks…
Andrew Hall: “What’s next for shaving? Are there any developments left?”
Mantic 59: “There are plenty of developments left! Just look at some of the crowdfunding projects recently, like Rockwell and Baluga. There is also a major cartridge razor manufacturer (sorry can’t say which) that is looking into a “hybrid” DE razor. After a hiatus of 30-odd years we’re now seeing a reaction to the “razor blade wars.”
Nav Singh: “I’m a recent convert to double edged shaving and find the results far better than cartridge razor. My question is about pre-shave routines. What do you suggest in terms of routine and product prior to actually shaving to prepare your skin for the optimal shave?”
Mantic 59: “There are some pre-shave specific products, particularly oils, but in my opinion a gentle cleaning with lots of warm water before the shave is your best bang for the buck. Just don’t use a deodorant soap or a “body bar”- use something made specifically for the face. Plain ol’ Noxzema actually works pretty well. I’m a big fan of Musgo Real Glycerin Lime Oil (MR GLO) soap too. Doctors tell me it can take up to three minutes to properly hydrate the skin for shaving, so take the time to do it and you’ll notice a difference.”
Keith Catlow: “How often do you shave and what shaving equipment do you use the most?”
Mantic 59: “I usually shave every day unless I’m testing a product or technique, in which case I might go a couple days without shaving. Equipment-wise, you’ll have to pry my Merkur Progress out of my cold, dead hands. I have many razors but still go back to the Progress for 90% of my shaves.”
Jacky: “What’s your guilty pleasure of wet shaving or grooming?”
Mantic 59: “Using Wm. Neumann’s “Old Fashioned Soda Shop” shaving cream brushless when I’m in a hurry. For me it’s one of the few products I have that performs equally well with or without a brush.”
Chris London: “For very sensitive skin that nicks easily, do you have any magic tips for shaving technique?”
Mantic 59: “Sure, good prep as I’ve previously described, doing two with-grain passes, and use a “corked” razor blade (run the edge of the blade along a cork bottle stopper or a ridge of a Styrofoam cup) before its first use.”
Ben Quilter: “With so many techniques used on mixing a good lather from shaving creams, and with so many shaving creams reacting differently to water temperature and brushes to mention but a few, what is your go-to method for mixing a perfect lather from shaving cream?”
Mantic 59: “Wow, excellent question. I’ve actually been working on that very problem for the past year or so. There are so many variables that it’s really difficult to have a “one size fits all” routine but I generally start out with a fairly “dry” brush (water shaken out really well) and slowly add water just a few dribbles at a time until I get what I want.”
Simon Bradshaw: “What do you wish you had known as a younger man learning to shave, so if you could meet what would you advise your younger self?”
Mantic 59: “Don’t be in such a god-damned hurry. Life is too short, do things to enjoy it.”
Elliott Causton: “Since setting up Sharpologist.com what’s been the most satisfying part of your job?”
Mantic 59: “I never had children of my own so getting comments like “it’s like you’re my second dad!” make me feel good. Knowing that I can make a difference in someone’s life over something as “mundane” as shaving. By the way, I just retired from my 9-5 desk job to concentrate on Sharpologist and making shaving videos full-time! So you’ll be seeing a lot more from me in the coming months.”
Elliott Causton: “If you were trapped on a desert island and you could only take one DE razor and soap/cream what would you take?”
Mantic 59: “As I’ve previously mentioned separately, Merkur Progress with Wm. Neumann Old Fashioned Soda Shop cream!”
Grant Mason: “You’re a figurehead for the art of DE shaving; can you explain why you love DE shaving so much?”
Mantic 59: “We all seem to be…starved…for a connection. That connection is your battlefield, and your prize. How many of us remember standing at the feet of your father in the bathroom, watching him shave? Or a leisurely chat at the barbershop with friends (or even strangers). Or the desire to have had those memories if you didn’t get the opportunity. The TV’s always on, the news a constant background of anxiety; the smartphone’s always on, competing for your attention with statuses, streams, and feeds. And they win, every night. And you’re starving, for a connection YOU want. So you go to the bathroom. And in your mind it’s bright, and clean, and there’s no telephone or TV (even if it’s not really like that). There may be chaos at home or at work but there’s a way you can spend a little meditative time to yourself, concentrate on something that shuts out the world – albeit temporarily – with something that feels good, smells good, creates a mood, and leaves you looking and feeling better.”
If you would like to find out more about the legendary Mantic59, visit Sharpologist.com.
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