It was a day like any other in early 2005 when, of all things, an article on the benefits of traditional wet shaving caught my eye. As someone working in the financial services industry, I have always been on the lookout for disruptive technologies as potential investment opportunities. So I was intrigued by the idea that there could be a method of shaving that was both less expensive and more effective than the usual mass-market approach. Granted, the fact that this groundbreaking technology was around a century old was unique, but further investigation was clearly needed.

I soon found that the benefits of traditional wet shaving far exceeded any of my initial expectations. Not only was it cheaper and more effective (a beautiful combination) than using the cartridge razors I grew up with, it managed to turn the entire shaving experience from a chore into a pleasure. I was hooked.

Over the weeks and months I took great delight in experimenting with various traditional wet shaving products, but eventually I realized that my favorite part of the experience was the aftershave spritz. The great scents, paired with an invigorating feeling of coolness, rounded off the whole experience in a particularly satisfying way for me. But it wasn't until I tried Alt-Innsbruck (a renowned Austrian aftershave) that I realized how good an aftershave can be. Notoriously made with just four ingredients, it still seemed to have just the right amount of everything. Inspired by this apparent simplicity and a desire to save a few bucks, I decided to recreate my new favorite product myself.

After several years of fiddling back and forth, I finally came up with a formulation that I immediately knew was too good not to share. I took the nickname "Mr. Fine” started selling Fine Classic After Shave online and the rest was history. Almost entirely through word of mouth, the product experienced explosive growth, and I left my full-time job to oversee the expansion.

It became clear that a large part of the success of Fine Classic After Shave is simply due to the fact that the traditional shaving product category has been neglected by major manufacturers for decades. Not only that, there were several other products in this category that could benefit from a similar modern refresh. This became Fine Accoutrements' mission, and today we offer an extensive - but still growing - range of traditional shaving products that combine the best of the old with the best of the new to become the best ever.

Whether you're a seasoned wet shaver or brand new to the practice, I invite you to try Fine Accoutrements and see what traditional shaving might have been like - if it hadn't been so abruptly abandoned by its original custodians.