Merchant
NY
So, this is the most difficult thread I’ve ever had to post up on any shaving forum, but I feel I need to pay tribute to a dear friend, now a lost soul and well-known and respected member on just about every shaving forum there is. I’m sad and shocked to announce the passing of Mark aka “ShaveMD “and this happened suddenly with no warning signs whatsoever so I'm in shock.
As some may know Mark was a Doctor and specifically an Anesthesiologist who worked at a hospital in Southern Ohio. Due to Covid he has been putting in on average 12 hours a day which was definitely starting to take its toll on him lately. Plus he's had a bad case of Asthma almost all his life. So a few months ago, he came down with Covid himself and unfortunately one of the side effects he had besides having increased fatigue, which is a common side effect of Covid, his Asthma got
noticeably worse. AJ Sharp and I, another close friend of Marks and myself were worried about Mark and his health issues and the fact that he was pushing himself. We had a 3 way conversation with him only few weeks ago and talked to him about an early retirement which he was strongly considering already. Mark has always been a strong individual who walks to his own beat and I know the thought of quitting was not an easy pill for him to swallow.
Marks life was cut short and at this point I'm still not a 100% sure what caused his sudden departure but I’m waiting to hear from the family on that but I know he was having real trouble catching his breath lately and form what I’m getting from the family is he’d be out of breath just going from the kitchen to the bathroom. He wasn’t one to complain or whine, so I just found out about that after his passing.
A little about Mark and our friendship. We met quite a few years ago over on another shaving forum when I was doing Shave Off’s and in particular it was my first Shave Off Thread which was all about Vintage Gillette Aristocrats. Mark messaged me one day as he wanted to talk shaving, razors and technique. We ended up staying on the phone for hours and basically from that day forward our phone and text conversations have been pretty much daily to no less than a couple times a week at the least. Mark and a few other Shaving friends finally met up in person at the last Maggard Shave Meet where we had a great time and it even further solidified our friendship. Mark and I were what I’d call both shaving hobbyists and we both collected shaving razors. Mark was more into modern razors, but he had some great vintage ones as well whereas my collection was more vintage at the time with a good amount of modern’s as well. Mark also collected Shave Brushes and he had a very nice collection that he was very proud of. We’d talk about razors we got and if either he or myself really liked one we just got it was almost a given that Id' either send it to Mark to take if for a few spins or he’d send one to me. Many times we'd both end up with the same razors. We were both deeply down the rabbit hole when it came to razors. I’m not sure how many razors Mark had in his collection but I got up to about 161 so I’m sure his wasn’t far behind me. Thing about Mark that really stands out in my mind and memories is Mark probably bought just about every razor that came out! From inexpensive all the way up to the very expensive. Although he had SE razors, he was more of a DE guy and it’s the main reason I’m posting this thread in the DE Section, as he spent most of his time here and I know a lot of guys knew him. He posted on other forums as well and it was most often in the DE Section or in SOTD sections.
One of the things that bring me laughs when I think of Mark and maybe a few of you who knew him or followed him can relate to is about Mark. He had this thing about trying just about every new razor that came out. I mean this man would sometimes have it the day it was released and in some cases before it was released. I know he did a lot of prototype testing for multiple razor makers and he enjoyed that very much.
So here’s the funny thing. He’d get a new razor and do a shave or two and he’d be like " Frank this razor is great, it's so smooth and efficient were his favorite definitions and I’d be like is it a keeper Mark? He’d come back with well I need a little more time with it but yes I’m pretty sure it a keeper but then like two weeks lather it would be up on some BST! This didn’t just happen a few times it happened so many times over the years that I got to a point that I’d place bets with shaving friends that Mark would sell a mew razor he got within a few weeks and most of the time I'd win that bet! We’d always bust his chops when he’d get a new razor and I actually think he got a kick out of it and also he liked surprising us with “Oh btw guys I just ordered this razor, or I just got that razor. Don’t get me wrong he had his razors that he would never sell and especially if it was one that was given to him as a gift by a family member like his wife, daughter or his son in law Bo who is also a wet shaving enthusiast and a member on here. He had some special
razors in his collection which included some unobtaniums that he wasn’t interested selling. His latest razor acquisition which he really loved was a Wolfman WR1 .94 DC in Antique
Bronze. Sadly, I think he only had a couple shaves with it. In fact, one of our last conversations we had was going over what I should order when my name comes up on the Wolfman waiting list as I was going back and forth on what I wanted. He was giving me his input which I always took seriously as sometimes I think he knew me better than I knew myself and I’m going to miss his advice.
Speaking of his advice. It was Mark and another member on here who actually kept pushing me to get into making Men’s Grooming products once they found out I’ve been in personal care product development for over 25 yrs. At first, I was resistant, but Mark was also consistent in pushing me or else I probably would have passed but he kept giving me encouragement and all the reasons why I should jump into it. He's advised me all along the way concerning ETHOS Grooming Essentials. Something that he never stopped
doing right up until the last time we talked. I’m going to miss that man and hearing the voice at the other end of the phone that always started or ended our conversations with “Hey Buddy “Mark was a true friend and I have another empty spot in my life…another lost soul.
So, I’m doing a tribute Shave Soap and Skin Food Splash and the proceeds will be going to one of Marks favorite Charity’s, The Ronald Mc Donald House for children. I consulted with the family on this and they have been very supportive of this and said Mark would have really liked this. I know it's been really hard on his family. And his daughter Ashely had Marks grandchild only a few days after Marks passing. This is very sad as I know he was very excited about having a new grandchild so I’m sure this has been very hard on Ashley
and the whole family.
I’d also like to say something on the subject of his family. His wife and Bo said they are not ready to part with Marks Shaving gear at this time so please don’t try to contact the family on this subject. Bo mentioned when they are ready, he’d let me know. I know Kay his wife said Mark got an average of 5 to 10 emails a day from fellow shavers about shaving so for those that have been wondering why he hasn't responded to you..well now you know why. I know this man will be missed in the wet shaving community and I thought you should all know about it.
Below are photos of the Shave Soap and Skin Food Splash with his screen name on it " Shave MD " that is one of my ways to pay tribute and honor my good friend Mark . Just so you know I made sure the family approved of the label. They loved it and said Mark would have to!
Picking out a scent was not to difficult. Mark having such a bad case of Asthma, we'd have many conversations about what he could and couldn’t use. He had gotten to a point where he pretty much only used natural aromas and especially his beloved Lavender and also he loved and could tolerate citrus scents. So not that long ago I made him a custom blend of several citrus EO’s. Mostly Lemon and Lime and I added a little Ginger which Mark liked. He nicknamed it " Ginger Ale " and said that it would be his Summer scent. So, this is what
I’m going with scent wise in his honor.
BTW I messaged Andrew before posting an off topic thread in this DE Section and he was good with it in case anyone is wondering.
I will be posting up a release date when I’m certain of the date and it won’t be
long. These will be found exclusively on the ETHOS Grooming Essentials
Website.
Hey Buddy
Miss you Buddy
Frank
![[Image: SleiYwB.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/SleiYwB.jpg)
![[Image: dtXTkgZ.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/dtXTkgZ.jpg)
As some may know Mark was a Doctor and specifically an Anesthesiologist who worked at a hospital in Southern Ohio. Due to Covid he has been putting in on average 12 hours a day which was definitely starting to take its toll on him lately. Plus he's had a bad case of Asthma almost all his life. So a few months ago, he came down with Covid himself and unfortunately one of the side effects he had besides having increased fatigue, which is a common side effect of Covid, his Asthma got
noticeably worse. AJ Sharp and I, another close friend of Marks and myself were worried about Mark and his health issues and the fact that he was pushing himself. We had a 3 way conversation with him only few weeks ago and talked to him about an early retirement which he was strongly considering already. Mark has always been a strong individual who walks to his own beat and I know the thought of quitting was not an easy pill for him to swallow.
Marks life was cut short and at this point I'm still not a 100% sure what caused his sudden departure but I’m waiting to hear from the family on that but I know he was having real trouble catching his breath lately and form what I’m getting from the family is he’d be out of breath just going from the kitchen to the bathroom. He wasn’t one to complain or whine, so I just found out about that after his passing.
A little about Mark and our friendship. We met quite a few years ago over on another shaving forum when I was doing Shave Off’s and in particular it was my first Shave Off Thread which was all about Vintage Gillette Aristocrats. Mark messaged me one day as he wanted to talk shaving, razors and technique. We ended up staying on the phone for hours and basically from that day forward our phone and text conversations have been pretty much daily to no less than a couple times a week at the least. Mark and a few other Shaving friends finally met up in person at the last Maggard Shave Meet where we had a great time and it even further solidified our friendship. Mark and I were what I’d call both shaving hobbyists and we both collected shaving razors. Mark was more into modern razors, but he had some great vintage ones as well whereas my collection was more vintage at the time with a good amount of modern’s as well. Mark also collected Shave Brushes and he had a very nice collection that he was very proud of. We’d talk about razors we got and if either he or myself really liked one we just got it was almost a given that Id' either send it to Mark to take if for a few spins or he’d send one to me. Many times we'd both end up with the same razors. We were both deeply down the rabbit hole when it came to razors. I’m not sure how many razors Mark had in his collection but I got up to about 161 so I’m sure his wasn’t far behind me. Thing about Mark that really stands out in my mind and memories is Mark probably bought just about every razor that came out! From inexpensive all the way up to the very expensive. Although he had SE razors, he was more of a DE guy and it’s the main reason I’m posting this thread in the DE Section, as he spent most of his time here and I know a lot of guys knew him. He posted on other forums as well and it was most often in the DE Section or in SOTD sections.
One of the things that bring me laughs when I think of Mark and maybe a few of you who knew him or followed him can relate to is about Mark. He had this thing about trying just about every new razor that came out. I mean this man would sometimes have it the day it was released and in some cases before it was released. I know he did a lot of prototype testing for multiple razor makers and he enjoyed that very much.
So here’s the funny thing. He’d get a new razor and do a shave or two and he’d be like " Frank this razor is great, it's so smooth and efficient were his favorite definitions and I’d be like is it a keeper Mark? He’d come back with well I need a little more time with it but yes I’m pretty sure it a keeper but then like two weeks lather it would be up on some BST! This didn’t just happen a few times it happened so many times over the years that I got to a point that I’d place bets with shaving friends that Mark would sell a mew razor he got within a few weeks and most of the time I'd win that bet! We’d always bust his chops when he’d get a new razor and I actually think he got a kick out of it and also he liked surprising us with “Oh btw guys I just ordered this razor, or I just got that razor. Don’t get me wrong he had his razors that he would never sell and especially if it was one that was given to him as a gift by a family member like his wife, daughter or his son in law Bo who is also a wet shaving enthusiast and a member on here. He had some special
razors in his collection which included some unobtaniums that he wasn’t interested selling. His latest razor acquisition which he really loved was a Wolfman WR1 .94 DC in Antique
Bronze. Sadly, I think he only had a couple shaves with it. In fact, one of our last conversations we had was going over what I should order when my name comes up on the Wolfman waiting list as I was going back and forth on what I wanted. He was giving me his input which I always took seriously as sometimes I think he knew me better than I knew myself and I’m going to miss his advice.
Speaking of his advice. It was Mark and another member on here who actually kept pushing me to get into making Men’s Grooming products once they found out I’ve been in personal care product development for over 25 yrs. At first, I was resistant, but Mark was also consistent in pushing me or else I probably would have passed but he kept giving me encouragement and all the reasons why I should jump into it. He's advised me all along the way concerning ETHOS Grooming Essentials. Something that he never stopped
doing right up until the last time we talked. I’m going to miss that man and hearing the voice at the other end of the phone that always started or ended our conversations with “Hey Buddy “Mark was a true friend and I have another empty spot in my life…another lost soul.
So, I’m doing a tribute Shave Soap and Skin Food Splash and the proceeds will be going to one of Marks favorite Charity’s, The Ronald Mc Donald House for children. I consulted with the family on this and they have been very supportive of this and said Mark would have really liked this. I know it's been really hard on his family. And his daughter Ashely had Marks grandchild only a few days after Marks passing. This is very sad as I know he was very excited about having a new grandchild so I’m sure this has been very hard on Ashley
and the whole family.
I’d also like to say something on the subject of his family. His wife and Bo said they are not ready to part with Marks Shaving gear at this time so please don’t try to contact the family on this subject. Bo mentioned when they are ready, he’d let me know. I know Kay his wife said Mark got an average of 5 to 10 emails a day from fellow shavers about shaving so for those that have been wondering why he hasn't responded to you..well now you know why. I know this man will be missed in the wet shaving community and I thought you should all know about it.
Below are photos of the Shave Soap and Skin Food Splash with his screen name on it " Shave MD " that is one of my ways to pay tribute and honor my good friend Mark . Just so you know I made sure the family approved of the label. They loved it and said Mark would have to!
Picking out a scent was not to difficult. Mark having such a bad case of Asthma, we'd have many conversations about what he could and couldn’t use. He had gotten to a point where he pretty much only used natural aromas and especially his beloved Lavender and also he loved and could tolerate citrus scents. So not that long ago I made him a custom blend of several citrus EO’s. Mostly Lemon and Lime and I added a little Ginger which Mark liked. He nicknamed it " Ginger Ale " and said that it would be his Summer scent. So, this is what
I’m going with scent wise in his honor.
BTW I messaged Andrew before posting an off topic thread in this DE Section and he was good with it in case anyone is wondering.
I will be posting up a release date when I’m certain of the date and it won’t be
long. These will be found exclusively on the ETHOS Grooming Essentials
Website.
Hey Buddy
Miss you Buddy
Frank
