I met JB of Distorted Edge Shaving (formerly Distorted Cheese) on the CWS (Canadian Wet Shavers) page on Facebook. He was just starting out his channel and I decided to give him a follow. JB lives one province over so, at the time, he was one of the closer YouTube people doing shave videos. He has a unique style, has a love for vintage single edge razors and takes a lot of pride in his production value. He does some great intros and effects with a non-nonsense and honest shave video. Whether he is doing a product review, an artisan highlight, or just a straight up shave of the day, Distorted Edge always delivers. I couldn’t think of a better gent to start my interview series with. Here are the details:
Quick intro, tell me a quick bit about yourself.
I’m a bit of a nerd at heart as I love reading mostly fantasy but have been on a Fyodor Dostoyevsky kick lately (Russian author from the late 1800’s) and I love video games and painting miniatures. I’m also in a band and have been playing guitar on and off since I was 14. I have a love off music and enjoy classical, classic rock and modern rock and a bit of metal. I enjoy outdoor activities as well such as quadding/4 wheeling, fishing and golfing.
How long have you been wet-shaving and what got you into the hobby?
I’ve been wetshaving for just over 2 years and what got me into the hobby was the show “How’s it’s Made”. There was an episode on how a Merkur double edge was made and it instantly piqued my interest as I hated shaving and thought this might be a cool way of doing something I considered a chore.
Do you recall what your first shave set up was (soap, razor, etc)?
My first razor was a Merkur 38c and a sample pack of blades such were Derby, Merkur, Astra green and feather. My first soap was Proraso green cream in a tube and my brush was a Vulfix 22mm badger.
What made you want to hop in front of a camera? Any tips for someone considering it?
That’s a good question: I love this hobby and wanted to get involved in the community and push myself out of my comfort zone and put myself out there to see if I can do it. With every video I get more and more comfortable. For anyone considering it you must realise it’s a very flooded scene now with many talented people starting channels. It can be discouraging at times but you just have to be patient and the views and subs will come.
Who are some of your favourite wet shaver personalities and who has influenced you?
I started off watching Nick Shaves, Michael Freedberg and Ken Surfs. They have great personalities and provide good info. Now I gravitate to smaller guys who are up and coming.
Money is no object, what is the one thing you would add to your shave den?
I’d love to do a custom 7 day straight razor set.
What is your favourite thing about the hobby and what do you tell someone that is considering trying the it out?
My favorite thing about the hobby has to be the people I’ve met. There is so much support and guys willing to help you out it’s mind blowing. Also what I’ve come to love is the ritual that shaving has become for me. It’s something I look forward to every morning. The quality of my shaves have increased greatly since I started wet shaving.
If you want to cut down on razor rash and ingrown hairs you should seriously consider using a DE, SE or straight razor is what I would tell someone thinking about getting into the hobby and you’ll also save money by not having to buy those expensive cartridges. (yeah right!)
I hope you enjoyed a quick little profile on Distorted Edge Shaving, and our first interview in our series. Make sure you give him a follow on his Youtube and Instagram channels. I’m sure you will enjoy the content. Watch for more upcoming highlights with more social media personalities, artisans and vendors.
