1955 Father's Day Gifts to Finish Off That Facial Fur

So what should a little shaver get his dad for Father's Day?

These days, I'm not sure. But back in 1955, according to the two ads below that both ran in the Lorain Journal on June 15, 1955, a shaver would have been just the right gift. (That is, assuming the mother bought it and let her kid 'give' it to dear old dad.)

I don't remember Dad ever using an electric razor. If he did, it was only because he received one as a gift, and he felt obligated to use it for a little while. I do remember the packs of razor blades in the medicine cabinet, along with a shaving brush. (I wonder whatever happened to that thing?)

In later years, he used disposable razors; I remember him telling me that he used a fresh one every day, as he had a thick beard. I use them too, and try to make one last for several days. When I eventually (and inevitably) cut myself, I know it's time to get a fresh one.

Remember when you used to stick a tiny piece of toilet paper on a cut? It looked kind of silly. 

Anyways, these days I'm guessing that the companies that make electric razors and shaving supplies are hurting, since beards have been back in style. 

Call me old-fashioned, but I just can't get used to the really long beards that I see out in public. When members of ZZ Top wear them, they seem fine, because it's part of their shtick. But when they're on an average Joe, it seems odd to me. The long, attention-attracting beards just weren't in style when I was growing up. A really long beard was something you only saw in cartoons, usually on feuding 'hill folk.' One of the Smith Brothers on the box of cough drops had a fairly long one; maybe that's why long beards seem like an anachronism to me.

From the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Hillbilly Hare" (1950)

Sooner or later, beards will go out of style and the clean shaven look will be 'in' again. I hope.