Proper shaving has become a lost art. Today’s average male has no clue about the fine art of the traditional wet shave that their grandfathers and some of their fathers used to take part in. Instead, they’re only accustomed to the cheap and disposable shaving products that companies market. I’m not sure when or why it happened, but the tradition of passing down the secrets of a clean shave abruptly stopped. Thankfully, this glorious male ritual is making a comeback.
Benefits of The Classic Wet Shave
Reduce costs. An 8 pack of your typical four blade cartridge razors can set you back over $20. $20! That’s $2.50 per cartridge. The cost of a double edged safety razor is no more than $.25. You can save some serious money switching over to a safety razor. Additionally, you can save money by using traditional shaving creams and soaps. A can of the chemically packed gel goop that most drug stores sell can cost you up to $5 a can and it doesn’t even last that long and they don’t give you a quality shave. On the other hand, traditional shave creams and soaps are made out of natural materials. While their up front cost may be a bit more than shaving gels, you require less product to get a proper lather. Thus, you end up saving more in the long run.
Reduce environmental impact. Traditional wet shaving with a double edged safety razor uses less waste than shaving with cartridge razors. The only waste is a single metal razor blade and lather down the sink. Unlike today’s razor cartridges, a double edged blade can easily be recycled. The tubes and bowls that most traditional shave creams and soaps are sold in produce less waste than those clunky non-biodegradable aerosol canisters that gels come in.
Better, more consistent shaves. Most men today walk around not knowing they have horrible shaves. Electric razors and the latest 5 blade contraptions irritate the skin more than needed, leaving razor burn, ingrown hairs, and redness. Shaving with a safety razor will eliminate the skin irritation and give your face a clean healthy look because you’re just using one blade instead of several that chew up your face in order to cut your whiskers.
You’ll feel like a bad ass. It’s nice taking part in a ritual that great men like your grandfather, John F. Kennedy, and Teddy Roosevelt took part in.
The Tools
Safety Razor
Switching from a cheap disposable razor to double edged safety razor is like upgrading from a Pinto to a Mercedes. A safety razor is a machine. It’s nice holding a piece of heavy, sturdy metal in your hand while you’re shaving as opposed to a piece of cheap-o plastic.
You can find safety razors in a variety of places. First, ask your grandpa if he still has his. Chances are he does. If gramps doesn’t have one, try checking antique stores. I found my 1966 Gillette Superspeed Safety Razor in an antique store in Vermont. I only paid $10 for it. If you don’t have any luck there, stop by eBay and do a search for safety razors. You’re bound to find a few there. Finally, if buying a used safety razor doesn’t fancy you, you can always buy a new one from the several companies that still make them. A highly recommended safety razor is from Merkur. They have several types to choose from at varying prices. Look to spend about $40 for a new safety razor.
Suggested Razors
Merkur Classic Safety Razor, Straight-#178- Made in Germany
Merkur Futur Adjustable Double Edge Safety Razor with Satin Finish- #700- Made in Germany
Merkur Classic Long Handled Safety Razor, Straight
Blades
You can choose from a variety of different blades. Each blade has a unique sharpness and cutting ability. Experiment with different kinds until you find the ones you like.
Suggested Razors
American Personna. You can find these in most drugstores. They’re usually marketed as generic brand blades. They’re pretty forgiving for the first time user.
Merkur Double Edge Razor Blades- Pack of 10 Blades- Made in Germany
Shaving Brush.
If you’ve never used a brush during shaving, you’re in for a treat. A brush helps hydrate the shaving cream in order to form a thick rich shaving lather. Using a brush to lather up helps get the shaving cream up under each whisker which results in better, smoother shaves. Plus, it just feels nice on your face to lather up with a brush.
Brushes are made out of two types of animal hair: boar and badger. Boar bristles are stiffer than badger bristles and hold less water. Boar hair brushes are also cheaper. You can find a boar hair brush at Wal-Mart for about $4. If you really want to have a nice shaving experience, splurge and buy a badger hair brush. Badger brushes create more lather and it feels a lot nicer on your face. You can pick up a nice badger brush at any Crabtree and Evelyn. If you don’t have a Crabtree in your area, try Amazon.
Suggested Brushes
Omega Creamy Curved Handle Pure Badger Shaving Brush – #13109
Porter’s Badger Shaving Brush
Omega Brownie Junior Badger Shaving Brush with Stand – #63184
Soaps and Creams
If you’re like the average guy, you’ve probably been getting your shaving cream from a can. This blue/green, chemically laced goop does nothing for your face and smells like a hospital. Traditional shave creams and soaps on the other hand are full of natural ingredients that nourish your face and leave you smelling absolutely manly. While these high quality creams and soaps may cost more than the can stuff, just a dab will create enough lather for you to lather up twice.
Suggested Creams and Soaps
Proraso Eucalyptus & Menthol Shaving Cream 150 ml.
Kiss My Face Fragrance Free Moisture Shave, 11-Ounce Pumps (Pack of 4)
Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream Jar
Proraso Shave Cream Tube
Body Shop For Men Shave Cream
The Technique
Prep your beard. If you want a clean shave, you need to prep your beard adequately. The goal during beard prep is to soften your whiskers so shaving is easier and causes less irritation. The best way to soften your beard is to to shave right when you get out of the shower. The hot water from your shower should hydrate and soften your beard enough for shaving. If you haven’t showered, at least wet your beard with some hot water. A hot towel is a great way to soften your beard.
Lather up. Take a small dollop (about the size of nickel) of your shave cream and place it in a mug. Take your brush that you’ve pre-soaked with water and swirl the cream around until you get a nice thick lather. Apply the lather with your brush in swirling motions. When your face is nice and covered, take a few strokes to smooth everything out.
The shave. Unlike shaving with cartridge razors, shaving with a safety razor actually requires some skill and technique. Once mastered, though, you should be shaving effectively in no time. The four keys to a successful shave with a safety razor are 1) use as little pressure as possible; 2) angle the blade as far away from your face as possible; 3) shave with the grain; and 4) go for beard reduction, not beard removal. This will take some getting used to if you have used cartridges your entire life.
You don’t need to use pressure because the weight of the safety razor is sufficient to cut your beard. If you press down, you’ll end up hacking up your face. To help counter the tendency to apply pressure, try holding the razor by the tip of the handle.
Angling your razor is probably the trickiest part. The proper angle is somewhere around 30 and 45 degrees. To get the proper razor angle, put the top of the razor head directly on your cheek, with the handle parallel with the floor. Now slowly lower the handle until the blade can cut your whisker. Practice on your arm if you’re not comfortable practicing on your face.
While shaving against the grain can get you that smooth feel, you risk slicing up your face and causing ingrown hairs. When you’re first starting out, shave with the grain of your beard. If you lather up and pass the razor more than once over your face, you’re guaranteed to get a smooth finish.
The goal with shaving should be gradual beard reduction, not beard removal in one deft swoop. Most men try to get rid of their beard in once pass of the razor. This hack-and-go technique is what causes the majority of skin irritations. If you want to avoid skin irritation, lather up and pass your razor over your face several times. Your face will thank you.
Post-shave. Rinse your face off with some cold water to close your pores. Treat your face to a nice aftershave. There are several to choose from, so pick the one you like best. Aftershave helps reduce any irritation that may have occurred and will leave your skin looking healthy.
Additional resources
Several resources exist on the internet on traditional wet shaving. Check these sites out for more information.
Badger and Blade (This is an excellent resource. I learned most of what I know about the traditional wet shave from this forum.)
Shaveblog
A Guide to the Gourmet Shaving Experiene
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{ 166 comments… read them below or add one }
“How to shave like your grandpa” left out one very important and manly fact: facial hair IS manliness. There are many of us in fact that find the clean-shaved image quite unmanly and even suspect, as though one is ‘trying to recreate their boyhood’.
The war going on between the conformists and the individual reveals one clear point: what did nature intend men to look like? For the overwhelming majority of us it became apparent in our teens that our male bodies sprouted hair in certain, if not many, places of the male body to make the strong and impressive fact that we look like we do because we are MEN…not boys anymore, not women!
And what do the gurus of Madison Avenue typically say? Well, based on ‘what women want’ or whatever flavor of style they wish to impose, we the mustached/go-teed/bearded are frequently squeezed into the box called nonconformist Neanderthal for being so. That’s EXACTLY what manly men do. They do not give into popular opinion or culture; they know exactly who they are and are not afraid to flaunt that image (such as that of the Paul Mitchell from the hairstyle world or the legendary Ernest Hemingway).
It happens from time to time that the hairy may ends up the object of desire from others, and the pendulum swings now and again in our favor. However, we manly men don’t need a swinging object to tell us that we do not need to test the wind direction to change our image; if anything, the rest of the world needs a strong reality check to find out why they are so easily manipulated into changing their own.
-Bill Alley
Norwich CT
Sorry but theres nothing manly about a safety razor, shaving isnt supposed to be a safe activity, comback once you’ve used a straight razor and we’ll talk
I’ve been trying to get my 21-year-old son to switch to a razor for a while. I’ve used a double-blade cartridge style razor for years. It took care of a problem from which he still suffers: the irritation, razor burn, and ingrown hairs. BUT you have to use it right! You can’t draw the razor up your neck, against the growing pattern of your beard. Same with your face. “Go with the grain, you’ll avoid the pain!” (New marketing slogan for shaving with a razor.) 8^)
[...]Just surfed over to a new blog on how to be more of a man in our modern age.
Here’s a great article on classic shaving technique:
http://artofmanliness.com/2008/01/04/how-to-shave-like-your-grandpa/#more-7 [...]
I like the author’s writing style – brief, but with meat. Check out Brett McKay’s “The Art of Manliness.”
@ Larryedit- “Go with grain, you’ll avoid the pain.” I like that. Send your son over here and we’ll convince him to switch to wet shaving.
I am going to put another plug in for the straight razor. If you are going to go the environmental track it has 0 disposable parts. Yes a good one is a large capital cost, but once you have it you have it. If you take good care of it when you move on it can pass to your greatgrandson. It takes a little painful effort to get the hang of it but once you do you will never find anything that gives a better shave.
May I suggest using Witch Hazel as an after shave instead of those perfumes? My grandfather and father used this natural astringent. It does a better job and you don’t have to put up with the fragrance.
@ Doctuh- I’ve put a straight razor on my wish list for next Christmas. Any suggestions on a particular one?
@Bob-I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks for the tip!
I’ve been using a Futur razor since picking one up in Austria back in 1999, been on the same bar of DR Harris lavender soap for nearly 4 years now. I couldn’t imagine shaving with anything but platinum coated double sided razors, a bar of shave soap and a badger brush.
I have a stainless steel one from Dovo in Germany. It has performed flawlessly, and as my barber attests: I have a very tough beard.
One drawback: no air travel with it, better pack the safeties for such travel.
As far as the Shave Soap / Aftershave I use the fantastical Burt’s Bees / Bay Rum line of products, the shaving soap and cologne mixed with water for an aftershave. They discontinued this line over a year ago and I personally cleaned out most of the stock I could track down in New England. It is great stuff. Their new line of men’s products is junk.
I have no problems with the cartridge blades. I stopped even bothering to use shaving cream and haven’t had any problems…
When I was 14 I decided that I was a MAN and could shave — I told my father this and he promptly went out and got me a Wade & Butcher straight razor, badger bush, shaving mug/soap, sharpening stone and strop —- needless to say I spent the next couple of years learning how to shave with, strop and sharpen the thing and, once I really did start to get a beard, was able to produce the smoothest shave I think was possible.
This all went on until I went into the Army (they didn’t let me keep the thing there) and by the time I got out I was too lazy to keep up the ritual needed to shave this way.
If, however, anyone is willing to go through the learning process you’ll be able to enjoy the nicest shave there is.
@ IIya- My father-in-law shaves like this. It works for him. I tried it for a bit, but I just couldn’t get used to it.
@ Mike- I wish my dad got me a shaving kit like that! That’s awesome. Are you starting to get back into the ritual again?
@ Mike Panic-
Wow! Four years with the same bar of soap! I’ll have to look into that
No, I don’t think I have the ambition needed to procure the supplies and relearn the old skills (funny how things used to seem so easy when you were young and so much trouble as you get older)
@Brett
I did replace the soap from time to time (Old Spice and other suppliers would sell the cakes-and I imagine still do) — they looked like hockey pucks and fit into a standard shaving mug.
“4) go for bread reduction”
Woah Nellie! You got a typo there.
Let me tell you the biggest advantage of using a safety razor. My safety razor will cut through a weeks growth as easy as a days growth! Cartridge razors get all clogged up when I use with over 3 days growth. I love my safety razor, but you have to be careful and make sure you don’t move it side to side. I bought a swank looking merkur futura adjustable safety razor about a year ago and love it! Like I said the best part is how it will mow down a weeks growth without clogging like a disposable razor cartridge, not to mention the cheap blades.
My dad taught me to shave using a safety razor. I still have my granddad’s safety razor, his brush and I used it before I came to US.
@Bob… I hate aftershaves that doesn’t sting!
@ first comment, Bill Alley:
“The war going on between the conformists and the individual reveals one clear point: what did nature intend men to look like?”
Blah blah blah. It always amazes me how men like you will decry the same pressures that keep women shaving off their very natural hair. If you want to have a face like beast, that’s cool. But don’t come down on clean-shaven men because we like to kiss our women without leaving a rash on their face. Laziness does not equal manliness.
Or does it?
Try dry-shaving with a bowie knife. That’s the definition of man right there.
Re: the comment about about shaving with the grain. Actually it is quite common to shave against the grain. I recommend http://www.badgerandblade.com and http://www.shavemyface.com for the real info from the hobbyists who are really into wet shaving.
I learned initially about wetshaving from a digg post suggesting a video series from a user called “mantic59″. http://youtube.com/user/mantic59 The trick with a safety razor or a straight razor is multiple passes for beard reduction. 1st pass, with the grain. 2nd pass, with or across the grain, 3rd (and 4th passes if you want) goes against the grain.
The downside to all of this, once you have a really smooth shave anything less, such as a single pass disposable shave, will seem awfully stubbly. So prepare to spend 10 minutes every morning the rest of your life!
equating that which is natural with the good is something ethicists and other philosophers call “the naturalistic fallacy.” case in point: if it were really true that natural things are good, we should all eschew modern medicine and die of cholera in our twenties.
sound like fun?
Some wrong data there….
Shaving Gel Can (Nivea, 10 inch long) can be bought for $1 to $2 if you strike the right deal at Long’s Walgreens Walmart etc. Gillette Mach 3 Turbo cartridges can be got for about $2 per cartridge if you strike the right deal.
One cartridge of Gillette goes about 4-6 months for me, if you don’t wipe it after shaving. I shave twice a week. A can of gel goes for about a few years. The cost of cartridge + gel, compared to the monthly rent is negligible. It doesn’t even compare to the phone bill.
Finally, i do agree that brushes and lather gives a better experience after shaving. I have a plastic brush working since past 9 years and it is still white as it was. Further, some brushes have Horse’s hair as bristles too. But plastic one works well too!
Scraping the fuck out of your face every morning is not only barbaric it prematurely ages your skin because skin living cells are removed, you end up looking old after your face toughens over the years. I’ve nearly always shaved electric and never had a problem that was not regular maintance related. (replace the foil) I’ve used numerous models. Some work a little better than others but it’s the best shave and least abusive solution.
Try this, scrape your elbow or finger with an emery board every day for a month or two and let me know if a callus forms. Saving with a razor does the same thing to your face over time.
(ok, b 4 you flame, I recognize that everyone _IS_ different, I had a roomate and him using any electric shaver was like using a 8′ chain saw to cut down redwoods. It just didn’t work very well. He also had to use a two throw aways to get the job done right. )
What does everyone here think about shaving oils like Somersets? I started using it when I was travelling and now I can’t go back to canned cream.
Has anyone tried both the oils and the cake w/ badger brush? How do they compare?
Just don’t shave at all thats what I do and I’m not only saving the environment but I look like a badass.
Shaving cream? Lather? SOAP?! How is that manly?
I haven’t bought or used a dollop of lather or soap for my shave in at least five years. Hot water. That’s all I’ve used. And disposable .50 Bic razors. No irritation, no smell of glycerin, and no more nicks or cuts than when I used cream. Just a teeth-gritting splash of Old Spice, and I’m done.
The only non-manly thing about using cream is that its messy, which is a common attribute to most manish activities.
If you really want a fancy shave, just go to a barber who still has a barber Pole out front, and get a tradition hot shave with a stropped straight razor. That is manly.
One benefit of traditional shaving (whether with straight razor or single-bladed safety razor) is that most men start to *enjoy* the morning shave. It’s true that this mode of shaving is easier on the skin and can give a smoother shave, but it’s the benefit of enjoyment (from something that was once a chore) that means most to me. And this is from a guy who most of the time wore a beard simply to avoid shaving.
One point I should make regarding double-edged blades. For reasons not fully understood, a shaver’s response to a brand of blade varies widely from shaver to shaver. A wonderfully sharp and smooth blade for one shaver will be condemned as a terrible, dull blade by another. The only way to find the blade that works for you is to try a wide variety and find out by experience. (“Not working” generally means that, for you, the blade seems dull and pulls at your beard instead of cutting smoothly.) To that end, you can get sampler packs of blades: a package of a variety of brands, with 5 to 10 blades of each brand. This is a key step in finding a better shave, so don’t neglect it.
Real men don’t shave, they growl at the mirror and scare the hair off their face.
Seriously, though, the straight razor ritual is king. There’s a sense of accomplishment. It’s a daily reminder that you’re alive. A man can hardly shave with a straight razor and not feel more confident.
That, and I hate to give my money away for overpriced disposable cartridges.
>>Try dry-shaving with a bowie knife. That’s the definition of man right there.
That’s for limp wristed effetes. I smash one of last night’s beer bottles on the rocks near an ice cold stagnant puddle out the back. A great edge and the slime acts a stubble softener.
you’re right, been doing it for 10 years as well, never wanted to go back the new way of doing things, a very good shaving soap is the Tabac soap, should be on your list of recommended soaps
http://www.nextag.com/TABAC-Soap-by-MAURER-528101730/prices-html?nxtg=ce610a24052c-B950DDFF51D395B9
>>Try dry-shaving with a bowie knife. That’s the definition of man right there.
I use a Ka-Bar when I’m camping…
https://www.kabar.com/product_detail.jsp?productNumber=1217&mode=category&categoryId=1,2,3,7&categoryName=Military/Tactical
What about shaving IN the shower? Been doing that with a safety razor and plain old soap (lever 2000) for about 10 years now. Best shave ever. For best results (don’t freakin laugh, it’s the truth) I make lather by using the soap on my chest. Rubbing it around in the chest hair makes a great later. Seriously.
I’d have to argue with saying that a straight razor will give you a closer shave over the DE razor (most people who say this shave with straights and have never shaved with a DE), almost everyone I know who has shaved with, and are skilled with, both instruments will tell you that they can get equally close and comfortable shaves with both, some people even claim they can work a closer shave with their DE since its “easier”. You’re not missing out on anything with a DE as opposed to a straight, especially with decent blades like Derbys or the frightfully sharp Feathers.
Gus-scraping the skin cells off your face is actually good for your skin and will keep you looking younger. It forces your skin to rejuvenate and make new cells. This is why women use creams, scrubs, and chemical peels to burn or rub off the top layer of skin of their faces.
My grandpa had a beard.
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Wow! Lots of great comments. I’ve learned a lot from you all.
There is a new (at least in my neighborhood) store in the area called “The Art of Shaving” They sell badger brushes, kits with preshave oil, shaving cream and an after shave balm. They also sell safety razors, straight razors and ridiculously over priced handles for several cartridge razors. I received a starter kit for christmas and you do get a nice shave without the razor burn.
The company also has a website where you can spend quite a bit of money on your face.
How to get that perfect shave: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/
Introduction to Traditional Wetshaving: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhIy9rgWQU
@ Bill Alley. You took the words right out of my mouth.
I mean, if we were supposed to remove it, then it wouldn’t come back again, right?
My father also had a salt stone to rub on his face after the wet shave. Now that was badass! You forgot to mention that was oldschool too.
The salt stone was probably an alum block, and quite a few shavers still use one after the shave. More info here.
Albert Einstein once said he used the same soap for washing and shaving, because he didn’t want to unnecessarily complicate his life. Remembering his, one day, when I ran out of shaving soap, I lathered up a bit with Ivory, and found that my shaving experience was exactly the same as with specialized shaving soap or gel!! So ever since, when having a set shave, I use ordinary soap. Try it. You’ll see it’s the same as those expensive “special” shaving soaps and gels.
I bought one of the shaving soap bars 2 YEARS ago and it is still going strong. This one to be specific
A lot of great classic shaving tools can be found at http://www.classicshaving.com/
There are some *excellent* hand made shaving soaps available on the web. I use a Bay Rum shaving soap made with goat’s milk (http://www.udderdelight.com/ – look in the catalogue under soaps).
Shaving like your grandfather is overrated. Shave like your great grandfather instead: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddboy/2234870265/
On a day-to-day basis, I’m a ’shave in the shower’ guy personally – a bar of soap and a three blad Shick disposable. The razors last for at least a couple of months with no noticable degradation in performance, and my wife thinks I’m smoother than a three year old’s face (we have a three year old nehew so she can compare) afterwards. Every couple of years i grow a full beard for the winter, and when it’s time to peel it off, I pull out a Rolls Razor that I bought years ago at an antique store. Not only does it do the job in two passes max, it is one of the neatest gadgets I own – built in stone and strop – basically a big piece of straight razor that mounts in the handle. You pull it back and forth inside the case with the stone side first, then a few strokes with the strip side and you’re good to go. Thanks for all the great comments – really interesting article too.
Best to you,to you best for easy bathing!
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Our best product for old fathers is walk-in bathtub!
Would any of you guys want your woman to not to shave? Well, treat shaving as a method of returning the favor. Better yet, ask her if she want you to shave. Manliness? If you need to prove your manliness to others by not shaving then apparently there is a reason why you have to do it. It probably has nothing to do with facial hair but with how you think others perceive you. If you are that concerned (whether you want to look manly by shaving or not) then… it is not very manly to even care about it too much.
great article, thanks
i have 3 expensive electric shavers + mach2, mach3, fusion, shick, etc etc and i don’t get a pleasant shave with any of them, i’m gonna go ahead and try the old school way…
My grampa said shaving is for pussies – just shuddup and grow a beard you goddamn pansy.
I guess that I must have a particularly stiff beard. Evidence is that a mach3 cartridge lasts 3 weeks before it starts pulling from dullness.
A couple of factors to add, I shave my head (going bald, so the blade is not working that hard) only shave every other day, and have a goatee.
I am also one of those men that have never found an electric of any kind that did not rip my face off during use. I have been on the lookout for a decent safety razor for a while now.
hint: for those of you that deign to use canned cream, fill your sink with hot, hot water and drop the can in before you get into the shower.
Rob
what should i shave my frank and beans with?
When I was young, my dad taught me to use a safety razor. Great shave. As I grew up and moved out, I moved to the disposables until I started growing a full beard – which I kept into my late 30’s. Then back to disposables… When my dad passed away at 85 a few years ago, I found his old Gillete, gold plated, safety razor from the 1940’s along with his mug, badger hair brush and a couple tubes of Gillette shaving cream. It brought back a lot of nostalgia from when I was a little boy watching him shave. When I got back home, I brought all that with me and went back to the old-school methods and haven’t even thought of switching back. I find myself thinking of my dad every time I shave now. Great article. Thanks…
As an alternative treatment after shaving….
Wash your face with warm water. Make sure you remove all the remaining lather/soap.
Then use an aftershave cream or balm, or a gel. Nivea for Men or Gillette after shave gel will keep your skin in better condition than the alcohol-based perfumes.
It’s important to moisturize, especially if you’re outdoors in the winter. It also keeps us mature men looking a little younger.
@Ian Millard:
Thanks for the tip Ian. I’ve used Nivea before and liked it.
If you really and truely want to shave like your grandpa and save money and reduce you environmental impact, simple use a straight razor, leather strap, and water (no lather)
It seems that one giant demographic has been left out of this discussion… the people who shave the most: people with shaved heads. I learned to shave with a safety razor and thought it to be fine until I came across Gillette’s Mach-3’s. I get the same exact shave from both razors on my face, but the Mach-3 does a far superior job on my head. No matter how careful I am with the safety razor, it doesn’t conform to the curves of my head like the Mach-3 can and I usually end up with irritation and/or nicks at the base of my ears and neck and on the top of my head. My balding father began shaving his head a few years ago and he even began using the Mach-3’s over his decades old safety razor because of the noticeable improvement in irritation.
As for the cost of the cartridges, I’ve found that I can get 3-4 great shaves out of each Mach-3 by simply shaving once I get out of the shower. I shave once every couple days, so 16 shaves from 4 cartridges @ $8-something a box comes out to roughly .50 cents a shave. If you take care of the handle of the razor, you can easily get many good years out of just one.
You forgot to post a link to Mantic59’s educational series on classic shaving via youtube. Look it up, he is the master symposium of shaving knowledge and will improve your shave 10fold.
Also: I am a manly man and enjoy being clean shaven.
Nice article. I may attempt implementing some of these ideas someday. But for now, I have a full on wild man beard, and I like it.
Anyway, as I was reading this I remembered a story about a guy who was seemingly obsesed with freezing things with liquid nitrogen. Car engine blocks, razor blades etc. I couldn’t find whatever article it was that I read about him, but I did find something that I think most here will appreciate. It’s an article that talks about how just drying your disposable cartridge blades can extend their life by more than double. Here it is:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/chi-ym-spending-1104nov04,1,2143390.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Whoever said that shaving ages your skin is very wrong. Shaving is the same as a women who ex foliates their skin. The process of ex foliation removes dead skin cells and allows your body to create new skin. Without the removal of dead skin cells skin becomes tough and dark. Shaving allows your face to ex foliate. Research also shows that ex foliation of the skin helps prevents skin cancer. I also recently read that guys do not ex foliate the rest of their body enough.
Also the ones that say not shaving is very manly. It’s fine if you don’t want to shave, but most research shows women are attracted to clean shaven men. Also if you like the natural feel; try running your hand up a girls leg that has not shaved and see if you like that.
@JR:
Thanks for the link. I saw a similar article a few months ago and started implementing drying my blades. I can vouch for its effectiveness. My blade stay sharper, longer.
@A. Human:
I’ll have to add a link at the end of the post. Thanks for the suggestion.
Great tips, thank you so much!
“Albert Einstein once said he used the same soap for washing and shaving, because he didn’t want to unnecessarily complicate his life. Remembering his, one day, when I ran out of shaving soap, I lathered up a bit with Ivory, and found that my shaving experience was exactly the same as with specialized shaving soap or gel!! So ever since, when having a set shave, I use ordinary soap. Try it. You’ll see it’s the same as those expensive “special” shaving soaps and gels.”
You are so full of shit.
Albert Einstein also needed a nurse to tie his shoelaces and to wipe his ass for him.
Hi! Found your blog on yahoo – thanks for the article but i still don\’t get it, J.Kopler
Nice article.
I just saw this razor in a swedish auction site, anyone knows how old this might be?
http://www.tradera.com/Gilette_Rakhyvel-auktion-57743676#pic
Martin,
Check at http://www.straightrazorplace.com, I bet they can tell you more about it.
someone mentioned using lavender soap or aftershave.
While we’re on the topic of manliness… DO NOT use lavender if you want to maintain your manliness. Lavender oil mimics estrogen and studies are finding young boys developing breasts because of using lavender in soaps and other things.
some say the effect is negligible in adult males, but I wouldn’t take my chances.
This looks like a very interesting prospect, if what it says is true then all the water, shaving soap and brushes might be something for grandpa but maybe not for the newer generation.
http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/02/13/a-shave-as-smooth-as-a-babys-bottom/
I’m a fairly lazy bastard, and only shave when I have to. What this usually means is when I am working, once every three days, or when I’m not working, about once a month. I use a Gilette Mach 3, and the cartridges are useless after the second use, and vastly overpriced. I’m going to have to give this a shot. I assume that it will be as simple to keep the shape of the beard I keep with a safety razor as it is with a disposable?
Excellent article! I have an old-fashioned pointy moustache, and I use classic tools to groom it. I even made my own moustache wax according to an old Hungarian recipe. A video and pictures are available here: http://www.smpl.se/blog/2007/05/03/diy-moustache-wax-preussian-whiskers/
I hope you don’t think this is spam: I’d be more than willing to write a “real” article on moustache-grooming for Art of Manliness if you think there is an interest.
Regars,
Martin Olsson
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Gents,
On an outing to the local mall I discovered “C.O. Bigelow Premium Shaving Creme”. Outstanding stuff, the smell is wonderful and it leaves skin feeling extremely smooth. It’s got eucalyptus and it comes in a tube. Like the cremes mentioned on here a small dab on your finger will yield a generous lather. I found it at Bath and Body Works, and refuse to use anything else. Strongly recommended.
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When I went to the barber and beauty supply store, the gentleman there showed me a “hair shaper” for less than $5.00 It had a removable tooth guide which I promptly threw away. It uses single sided razor blades, sold in a box of 5 for $2.99. Works and looks just like a straight razor, but I don’t have to go through the ritual of sharpening and stroping the blade, I just toss and replace once a week at the most. Best shave I have ever gotten. Just took a week to get use to doing it without nicking myself. and about a week after that for the “learning” nicks to heal. My wife loves the feel and look. In the mornings before I shave, I have less shadow than I use to come home with i the evenings when I was using the multi-blade disposables.
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this is very odd do not right stuff like this ever agen!!!
Egads! The yuppification of shaving?. Chocolate, cookware and coffee are bad enough. Now shaving? I’m old enough to remember how GREAT it was when disposable came out!
Awhile back I saw something on the net about the new fad of safety razors. I sez, what the heck? So I dug out grand dad’s old Gillette. Damn! That hurt. Falling for the “cheap can’t be good” yuppy fallacy, I ordered one of those fancy import razors and blades. Damn, that still hurt! Back to the disposables.
Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years. A mug and brush are da bomb! No need for fancy, expensive soaps, though. Wallyworld sells Williams Mug shaving soap at $0.99 a chunk. That’s what my dad used and his dad and….. Still as good now as then. With one trick.
When you’re buying that soap, drop over an isle and get a bottle of pure glycerin. It has no odor, contrary to a claim in this thread. About once a week put a teaspoon full of glycerin in your soap mug. The effect is remarkable. It makes a lather that looks and feels like whipped cream.
Don’t wash out the brush after each shave. That just wastes soap. Just plop it back in the mug. It’ll stay wet until the next shave. A chunk of soap lasts me 2-3 months. I can’t tell enough difference between badger and boar bristles but then again, maybe I’m not SENSITIVE enough…..
Nothing beats shaving in the shower. Make it the last thing you do before getting out. Let the steam soften your beard during the rest of your shower. While lathering up the shampoo, give your face a good rub. This cuts the oil from the beard and gives it a head start on getting soft.
About disposable razors. The “problem” with them is that they’re very inconsistent. In a given package, some will be extremely sharp and some duller’n dirt. I’ve found that to be the case regardless of brand or price.
I buy the cheapest brand that I can find at the grocery surplus outlet. I rarely pay over a dime a razor. I take one swipe at my face with a new one. If it shows the least bit of pull or discomfort, it goes in the trash. Probably 2/3s of the package ends up that way. But when I find a sharp one, I baby it. It lasts me a month or better. The combo of Williams, glycerin and a steamed beard is super gentle on the blade.
Y’all can mutilate your face all you want with those old safety razors. I’ll stick with my carefully selected double bladed disposable.
John
I thought I was going to get a lesson on shaving with a straight razor; that’s what my grandpa used. That’s how men shaved for centuries. Safety razors are for the faint-of-heart.
I use my saftey ravor with shaving oil…. works wonders.
When I learned to shave from my father and grandfather I did as they did and learned to use a straight razor. Sadly as I grew older and succumbed to modern conveninces I too changed over to a safety razor as my father did in his later years. My grandfather would never have considered such a thing and still used his straight razor even when his sight was almost gone.
You can use a straight razor around the edges of your beard. I currently do that, and before I grew the beard last year used a straight razor for quite a while for the complete shave. I would never go back.
Oh, and straight razor place is the place to go to learn how. Lynn, who runs the site, has some good videos available and sharpens blades as well.
For supplies, a good central location is http://www.classicshaving.com. They have everything you need for manly grooming
.
For many years I went to the same old barber(who much to my dismay retired in his mid 90s). He would give me a good haircut and(when I got older) a straight razor shave. I noticed that the straight razor shave didn’t give me razor burn and just generally felt better.
Several years ago I bought a Dovo straight razor and the necessary accessories online. I used Colonel Conk’s Shave Soap(http://www.col-conk.com/) with a badger hair brush. I absolutely love shaving with a straight razor. The shave soap doesn’t have an over powering odor, and it goes well with my cologne.
Unfortunately I’ve since gone to a Mach 3(mainly due to not being a morning person). I can’t stand to use a disposable at all, the same goes for an electric(they tremble at the mere mention of my name). I’ve considered using the old double edge style razors but I’ve never tried it. I think I will soon be returning to my old methods, hopefully never again to depart.
Two tips to save yourself a ton of money.
1. Buy a single pack of mach4s (or whatever brand you prefer) with the handle. Often the with-handle packs are cheaper than just the blades.
2. If you’ve used the blade a few times and you’re worried it’s not as sharp as it used to be, run it backwards over your palm a few times. There’s no risk of cutting yourself this way, but the rubbing action smooths the blade and coats it with a bit of oil from your skin.
Using these two tips I can spend a grand total of $10 a year on blades.
Dan,are you crazy?
Do you want us to cut our hands?
Oil from your skin…what a bunch of BS.
Well I’ve been using it and it’s great. You won’t cut your hands because you’re going the other direction – away from the cutting edge. imagine you were shaving your palm. (heh.) now do the same movement backwards. see? no cut. i’ve been using it to great success.
That’s very funny! The pity thing is that I don’t have a grandpa, so I can’t shave like my grandpa. Haha! I just shave in my style.
To all who think that shaving isn’t manly, remember:
Some of the manliest professions require a clean shaven appearance. Soldiers, police officers, and firefighters are all (typically) required to be clean cheeked.
Baby oil works for me (it does eat up the rubber parts on the newer cyborg 20 blade razors out there). I clean up with hot water. I’ve never tried the safety razor thing. I might have to now.
I’ve tried all of the methods listed above, from the straight edge to the disposable. The straight edge does work extremely well, but the maintenance and time spent on the blade is simply too much for me. I used a safety-razor for a while as well. The blades always start off wicked sharp. In shaving there is such a thing as “too sharp.” Usually takes a few uses to get into that smooth zone (I really hope I’m not the only one to experience that. Ha). My morning ritual went as such: shower, wait and dry off a bit (as my face would be a bit ‘puffy’ from the warm water), I would then apply olive oil (it’s what I have around the house anyways) to my beard (but just a little!), then use hot water to lather up some Col. Conk’s amber shave soap, and top it off with a few passes with an alum block (salt stone). Best shaves ever!
I must say, however, that I am fully bearded at the moment. I went on a camping trip for about a week and didn’t feel like lugging shaving stuff with me. I was surprised to hear from female friends that they really liked the beard. I do rigorously maintain the appearance by trimming and maintaining clean cut angles (done with a Gillette Sensor).
I think having a beard is just as manly as being clean shaven assuming you’re not just being lazy. Maintain that sucker! Think shampoo, regular edging, and combing. Whatever you do, do it with some dignity and pride!
Bravo for a great article!
I made the switch from an electric to a DE razor and have never looked back
Guys don’t know what they’re missing when they keep shaving with a five-blade rake and crap-in-a-can.
According to Lupo: “Cold water can keep your pores from producing excess oil, but they will never close. Alternately, steam won’t cause them to open, but it will stimulate the oil glands.â€?
http://futurederm.wordpress.com/2008/01/02/does-cold-water-really-close-your-pores/
I tought this blog was about manliness? DE safet razors?!? Those are for pussies. There’s only one type of implement for removing a beard: a straight razor. Learn how to hone, learn how to shave with a straight, and THEN, my son, you’re a man.
i just use a regular, non disposable razor (as in one that you gotta buy new blades for now n then).
Never had a problem with it, I probably spend roughly $20 every 2 months for blades, so not like it’s forcing me to choose between rent and shaving.
Just a note for anyone who’s using any aftershave products, if you really care about your skin, look for something that contains minimal (or preferebly NO) alcohol as THAT will dry out your skin and kill newly forming skin cells. (which is exactly the reason you’re not supposed to use rubbing alcohol to clean new piercings/tattoos, it’ll just kill any healing tissue)
It’s pretty common knowledge to not use alochol based aftershaves but there’s always people who don’t know/think about it, so figured id just leave a post.
this article just makes me wish i could grow something on my face that needs shaving. i feel that there’s a whole ritual, a rite of passage even, that i’m missing out on. that said, being somewhat of a traditionalist when it comes to tools, i’d likely opt for the straight-razor myself.
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All you so called “men” shaving with your straights and knives need to strap on a pair and sharpen up a hatchet – now that’s shaving…
MY FATHER HAD A BEAUTIFUL SET OF SEVEN STRAIGHT RAZORS WITH MOTHER OF PEARL HANDLES. ONCE A WEEK, EVERY WEEK, WHEN HE WENT TO RALPH THE BARBER FOR HIS HAIRCUT HE WOULD BRING THE RAZORS AND RALPH WOULD STROP THEM ON A LONG LEATHER STRAP HANGING FROM THE COUNTER WITH THE WARM SHAVE CREAM MACHINE AND BOTTLES OF STEPHENS HAIR TONIC.
Being able to shave “old school style” is a pretty nice skill to have as a bachelor. Whenever I spent a night at my girlfriends house, she would always be interested in standing in the bathroom doorway, watching me shave in the morning. This has happened with several women that I have dated, and I have to say, I’m in my 30’s and have been married for less than 2 years, so I would think this would apply pretty well to today as well as back then.
I agree with Mr Alley in the first comment: shaving your face is the antithesis of manliness. Women’s faces are meant to be smooth. Wear a beard–and wear it proud!
i first came across this over the summer, and i’d been looking for products locally. about 2 months ago, i came across The Art of Shaving at Westfields Topanga in Woodland Hills CA. All I can say is that Gillette has lost a customer since i found this place. Now that i’ve started using a safety razor and new shave cream, i’m not breaking out below my jawline. that alone makes it worth the cost.
the store’s website is http://www.theartofshaving.com
Sorry safety shavers, although you want to start your day off with a satisfying rewarding activity, the protected blade is simply like wearing a condom. Come out of the closet of your five o’clock shadow and become a straight man. Woman who like men prefer straight men. (Men too, I suppose) . The reason is simple, bigger is better. A straight razor is the biggest, both in length and girth. Next would be the safety razor, but it is almost three times smaller, and the cartridge, even with 5 blades its just teeny tiny, then there is the electric razor, with it’s itsy bitsy rotary blades, and ribbons of steel(ribbons? WTF, ribbons are not manly.)and that is the smallest of all. No matter how many blades, they are smaller and cannot match up to a big one.
I currently have a Wapienica straight razor. ($20)(new old stock carbon steel Soviet made in the 70’s) It was cheap and easy to sharpen, and the shave is just fantastic. Ebay has many razors. Look for shave ready, and check the forums. I use an e-shave badger brush($55), and switch between Poraso soap ($11)and The Art of Shaving Sandlewood cream.($22) I have purchased all of the drug store aftershaves. Old Spice(mostly because I dig that movie it made a cameo in, starring Linda Lovelace.), Brut, Clubman, Lime SEC, and Aqua Velva. I bought them all for under $30. I had to break a 6 year Cerutti Image habit. I took the money I saved and went to a biker bar and drank Tequila all night. the straight is actually a heck of a lot of fun, and has a very Zen-like quality.
My Grandpa had a DE safety razor, so I’ll be sure to look for that.
Safety razors aside, I’ve been looking for a good quality straight razor and strop, but I don’t know the difference between the different kinds in terms of quality, useful life, etc. I see hundreds of cheap straight razors and strops on e-bay made of stainless steel, carbon steel; and then the strops, which don’t have much else on the listing other than length (or maybe if it has leather and canvas).
I don’t want to spend a ton to get a super expensive straight razor, but I also don’t know if I can trust the ones that go for under $10. What would be the ’specs’ and cost of a decent one? What about strops?
@Brett – Have you tried out the straight razor yet?
I’ve recently started shaving with a brush and soap, the other day was in a rush and jst grabbed the closest thing, a can of shaving foam. its terrible compared!! now i just gotta get me a safety razor
or a straight razor
I have to ask a question similar to those previously mentioned by many, that being simply, what are the pros and cons of a straight blade?
I’ve been looking into making a purchase and want to know what the differences are here, both between it and the safety razor, and also within the straight blade market.
Any helpful facts here?
That is awesome! I was just thinking of saying it when I came across this, I did it and made all of my less manly friends wince like girls, I use a safety razor and hot water. thats it. no foofy soaps or astringents or any other metrosexual type stuff.
I wish I could find a really sharp bear claw to use………..yeah thats the ticket!
Well, I believe that electric razors may be the most benefitial way of the future, personally. This is not because of its ease, or even just because of its speed… but call me unmanly if you want to, but what is more many than getting the chicks. This is my reasoning.. even a crappy electric can shave down your beard and in 30 seconds you can get down to that stubble. In EVERY EVERY scientific study on how women perceive men, the clean shaven is not the considered the most handsome, but is perceived more handsome than a man with a beard, goat beard, or soul patch (as they score worst), the highest scorer, always in every test is a man with stubble. Not clean shaven, not bearded, but stubble. You can’t get that with any kind of razor, and while you can get a clean shave with an electric, if you just run the razor over your face it is a perfect stubble… Call me unmanly, but i dont care if men like me or how i look or do things.. i care about the wo-mans… I win–
The history of shaving points to it being a characteristic of either a ruling class or otherwise relegated to the people who could afford the equipment, so it’s cool that there are so many affordable options to getting the ‘ruler of the world a thousand years ago’ look.
(http://www.heart.net/~krumholz/history.html)
i have three old razors or shavers i woud like to know value and possibly seel
During WW2 my father and all the gents of that era had it tough if they were dedicated shavers (aka: slick faces) because of the shortage of good steel which was used by the war effort and therefore unattainable for the faces of the slobs not in the service of the United States. Blades were kept sharp by many
means that were dream of by the few.
My dad was showing me how to sharpen a safety, 2 sided blade. He took a water glass that was smooth and with out distortion of design. Wetting the blade
and placing it on the inside of the glass with the axis of the blade aimed from top to bottom. He then placed his finger on the blade causing it to conform to the shape of the glass and pushing it around and around and up and down. The only abrasive used was the glass it’s self. With little effort the blade was sharp again and dad didn’t have those little cut marks all over his face. He had reformed the edge of the blade to get him through until the next time.
Thank goodness things have changed and I don’t shave until I am good and ready. Usually in about a week. However I must say that nothing feels as good on my face as the hands of a grandbaby or the hot lather applied by the badger brush.
By the way, I can remember a little girl watching me shave and wish she could see me now.
I’ve been using a brush and safety razor for a few years now. My absolute best tip to share is this (and it took me a while to figure out): After a day or so of not shaving, look at your face VERY CLOSELY in the mirror. You want to see exactly how your hair grows, so that you can shave precisely WITH the grain.
My neck always broke out, even after I switched to the classic wet shave. It was only after carefully learning which direction the hair grew in which spot did I finally attain that “perfect” shave. the face was easy, but the neck took careful study to get right. Now, my neck never breaks out (unless I’m careless).
By far the best shave cream Ive ever used isnt for shaving at all, its Dr Bonners soaps, http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm
Very creamee, so a very SMOOTHE shave
And they smell nice!
And are made by a good company!
And you can take a bath with these soaps and shave all at once.
Nice!
I sure hope I win still. I miss my olden saftey razor.
if there is a secret to a good shave it has to be slow is smooth and smooth is fast its a little secret that i use to say when i had to shave really fast back in iraq
I’ve not purchased a safety razor yet and I just recently changed over to a cartridge razor from an electric Braun. I never had razor burn until now. Is razor burn normal with a cartridge razor because it’s drivin’ me nuts and looks terrible. Is this something to expect due to my recent change and therefore my skin is not used to it, or am I to expect this every time I shave? I’ve used an Anthony razor burn gel as well as tried an after shave balm from “Art of Shaving” (Lavender for sensitive skin) Neither one seems to help much.
Thanks.
I think both facial hair and clean shaven may look well if they are neat. It’s all a matter of preference. I myself prefer to be clean cut with my side burns very short, ending right where my ear lobe starts.
I happen to have a problem with irritation on my neck, which through the years has severely gotten better. I found letting the weight of a razor shave you and taking your time works best, any stay hairs on my neck (they grow all sorts of messed up ways) I don’t insist upon with a razor. Where ever I feel I might get irritation I pluck a few hairs out and for some reason I don’t get the irritation. Yes some might find it effeminate but it works so I stick by it.
I can shave both ways, with a mach 3 or a straight razor. I prefer a straight razor mostly because when I shave I am ridiculously ritualistic about shaving. Close the doors, normally take off my shirt, take my sweet ass time and have a smoke during it. Normally will play Bach or Beethoven.
Don’t hate on stubble though on days off, I have found that most women are highly attracted to stubble.
And I’m sorry but I found women prefer groomed pubes, not shaven. Yes totally off to bring this up but well taken care pubes is better than a furry mess. I’m going what I’ve been told and experienced. Way I see it, they take care of themselves as should we.
Why would I shave? What’s manly about scraping a sharp object over my skin to remove what God and nature put there?
Bald faces, bald legs and bald armpits are acquired tastes. Shaving sucks. Would never ask my wife to go through that every day or week.
@ Jon Reiswig on December 14th, 2008 11:53 am
I’d like to offer some suggestions to help you combat that razor burn. I’m no skin expert but I’ve been more “into” shaving properly as of the past few months so I can offer some tips based on my research and personal experience.
1. Use a DE (double edge) safety razor instead of a standard cartridge style razor. With a DE you will be passing only one blade against your skin instead of multiple blades. Less blades rubbing up against your skin lessens the chance for irritation. I use a Merkur “Hefty Classic” and highly recommend it.
http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522941/284057.htm
DE blades are pretty inexpensive too in comparison to most cartridges.
2. What kind of shaving cream or soap are you using? The irritation may be due to not enough lubrication. If the blade’s rubbing up against your skin and there’s friction, that could cause razor burn.
3. Are you prepping your beard well? I recommend soaking a medium sized towel in a sink full of hot (not warm) water, lifting it just out of the water and soaking and finally putting your face down into it, covering all of the areas – neck, jawline, cheeks and mouth. Leave it there for about a minute or until the water isn’t hot any more. Soak the towel again and repeat. Do this for at least a few minutes. THEN apply shaving cream/soap/gel/whatever you use. If you want to take it to the next level, you would wait about another minute for that to soak in and once more apply the hot towel, then later again before shaving. Might sound like a lot of work but it pays off in the end, resulting in a much easier shave since your whiskers are softer.
4. Use as few strokes as possible.
5. Keep the blades very wet. I shave a pretty small area, then wet the blade continuously.
Some of these are more general tips than specifically related to combating razor burn. I ended up rambling a little bit. Anyway let me know if any of these suggestions help you (or anyone else for that matter).
Hi. Love the website.
Hey where’s the printable version of this article? Would like to share it.
Thanks
I think we all need to slow down and regain some roots every once in a while, this is a fantastic article! In this day and age we have all became used to doing everything way to fast, for example , electric razors, disposable razors, SHAVE GELL for crying out loud! Sure we DO live in a busy world, and yes, we can cut down on grooming time by using modern grooming devices, but PLEASE take some time to yourself and practice some of these techniques. For example I have a wife, and two crazy little boys, I shave with one of those crazy 3 or 4 bladed razors most days, but on Sunday morning I get out my WWII issued Gillette safety razor with that beautifull butterscotch bakelite handle, my shaving soap and brush, and I spend about 15 minutes shaving my face, and when I stroll out of that bathroom I can’t help but feel manly. So please, men, take some time to do this and don’t forget to teach it to your kids!!
Based on this entry, I went and ordered a safety razor and blades off of ebay. Worked great the first time out. I guess my “girly” beard ain’t as tough of some of you.
I just finished shaving with a safety razor. I will never go back to cartridges again.
All you straight razor guys are over-compensating for something else. I’ve used all kinds of razors and straights are a gigantic waste of time. Besides I doubt any of you pussies are as tough as the WWII Gi’s who were issued safety razors.
I read this article months ago, and I have come back to it today to re-read. I’m a college kid, for at least a few more months ‘fore they kick me out with a degree, but I’ve been wearing a beard on and off for the past three years, and I’m proud of it. My girlfriend loves the beard, and says I just look wrong without some hair on my face (shes seen me cleanshaven, and over the summer, with a goatee, because I thought I wouldnt beable to get a job with a beard….i was wrong, by the way,but thats not the point)
I trim it (the beard itself) with an electric beard trimmer/shaper, to keep it neat, and at a (mostly) even length. I am sad to say that I have been using the same electric trimmer to keep my neck bare.
Well, that ends today. Today, I found my grandfathers old gold plated Gillette Double Edged Safety Razor up in the attic of my grandparents house. It needs to be cleaned I think, but other then that, its in great condition. I plan to go get some blades, a brush, and some soap tomorrow. From here on out, I’ll shave my neck, and sharpen/shape the edges of my beard with my grandfathers old razor. Best of both worlds of manliness, if you ask me
While I agree with some of what this article said, the best shaving advice I’ve come across for the modern man comes from http://www.theartofshaving.com. This site has very good advice on shaving techniques and the sell products that are top quality for getting a great shave. They are probably a bit more commercial and cost slightly more to use but the results are awesome.
Just wanted to let readers know to check out http://wwwtheartofshaving.com
Thanks!
Eric
pls show me the photograpf of boys making their own shaving by them selves.
When I was in high school, I always had issues with razor burn on my neck. I’d shave down for the chin, and up against the grain for the beard. This went on for some time. Jump 4 years ahead and I’ve purchased a Merkur HD razor and have a good twenty disposable blades. I also have a Mach 3, and *gasp* I am able to get a fantastic shave out of either. Too many guys in the wetshave community get a hard-on for DE razors, or condemn anyone using canned cream/cartridge blades, awfully stupid if you ask me. Hell, my aftershave is Corn Husker’s Lotion, a $3.50 bottle lasts me 6 months and soothes my face once I’m finished. I honestly can say that the ONE thing that makes or breaks a shave is prep work.
1.) Splash face/neck with abundance of hot water (hot as you can handle) for a good minute or so.
2.) Crank up the temp on the faucet, run a clean rag under it until it is hot, apply to chin/cheek area for 30 seconds.
3.) Place the rag back under the water until it is hot, apply to the neck area for 30 seconds.
4.) Splash face/neck with warm water.
5.) Use either brush/soap (I use william mug shaving soap & boar brush) or shaving gel (Edge) to work a thick lather across the face neck.
6.) Shave with the grain with razor of choice maintaining small short strokes.
7.) Splash face with warm water
8.) Examine face for any missed spots, lightly coat with lather, shave in direction of hair growth.
9.) Splash face/neck with cold water.
10.) Pat face dry with clean towel
11.) Apply aftershave.
I should also add that waiting 1-2 days between shaves helps immensely and makes for an easier shave.
i shaved yesterday with a DE razor and got horrible razor burn. not only on my neck, like what i get with my mach 3, but on my cheeks as well. any suggestions?
I offer qaulity shaving creams such as Arko and Solo imported from Europe on my site. This kind of shaving cna save you a boat load of money over time and become some sort of a hobby once you learn there are better creams then Wal Mart sells. Check it out….it really is the one thing we as men need to take time doing besides hair for some. Why should’nt it be pleasant.
Safety razors?
Straight razors?
Knives?
Hatchets?
Real men shave with samurai swords or “sharks with lasers on their heads”
It lets people know we are men and “not women”
Women have bodily hair too, 1st commentator.
I love how it’s perfectly acceptable(and encouraged by the commentors) to not shave and/or remove hair for men.
but women DO GROW HAIR.
underarms, legs, and stomach, plus some women grow it on their necks and chins.
And I know if I decided that razors were cruel and unusual, same with the cremes that have given me chemical burns before, and the wax I’m forced to use on my eyebrows every two weeks, males would be the first(and were the first) to comment on the face that I’m not doing what I should be doing.
I actually only started shaving my legs, underarms, and tons of other areas because people comment on how unacceptable it is for me to not shave/pluck/wax/melt away hair on my body.
So I’m only about to do it as long as the guy I’m with does it. Why take care of myself if you’re going to let your nasty scraggly beard grow with abandon?
On a better note: I wish I could use a straight razor on my legs. It’s a little too dangerous for me to do so, but I’m guessing a straight razor might work if I’m careful…hrm….
I have volunteered to shave my boyfriend’s beard for him before if he got a straight/saftey razor, but no dice. Any tips on getting him to convert?
I spend about .08 a blade for my Derby Double Edges.
I bought a Merkur 5 years ago and have never looked back.
Wish I had discovered wet shaving day one…
When I wanted to grow a beard in high school back in late 60s, my father (the WWII Marine Corps vet) said, “If God wanted men to have beards, He wouldn’t have given us razors.” Really. I could only shake my head in wonder.
Well, I’ve had a full beard since 1974. But I do shave my neck every morning with the same old Gillette double-edge razor Dad gave me in high school. I’ve got several more now that I picked up on eBay. I’ve also tried some of the fancy English shaving soap brands, but the one I’ve stuck with for awhile now is the “Tom’s of Maine” brand, an organic peppermint soap that comes in a tube, like toothpaste. It’s much cheaper than the fancy English soaps (manlier?). Just a dab or two in your palm rubs up into a decent lather, and the smell helps me wake up. And, I don’t know… Using soap simply called “Tom’s” is seems manly enough for me and it’s easy to remember – in middle age.
Anton
I have just read your page and I have to say that I feel this is a great page on shaving. You like me enjoy a great shave every morning, have you tried the Goodfella Safety Razor?
Let us bring back the old style of removing facial hair and introduce it to the young people of today. It is an art that must be passed on from generations to generations. It is a good thing to note also, that there are lots of companies, like Taylor of Bond Street , who are dedicated in creating products for wet shaving.
Good overview. I am a firm believer in the values of wet shaving. However, I have two suggestions.
1. Buy an alum block. Not a styptic pencil. You won’t need styptic after you get used to wet shaving, you’ll rarely cut yourself. However, alum blocks function similar to witch hazel. They are astringents, and also seem to me to help prevent razor burn. They’re also perfect when you’re starting out practicing wet shaving, as the degree of the burn that you’re feeling reflects how well or poorly you’ve shaved. A light sting usually is normal, but a full on “my face is on fire!!!” sensation means you didn’t give yourself a very good shave. I usually rinse in cold water, then apply the alum block (gentle rub over my face) and let it soak while I clean my bowl, brush, and razor. Then I rinse one more time, pat dry, and apply aftershave. You don’t need a bracing aftershave if you use an alum block, a balm will work fine, and will leave your face feeling particularly healthy.
2. I can’t suggest them enough. If you crave ungodly sharpness, feather brand razors are the way to go. I think I spend about a quarter per blade on them when I buy them in bulk, but my god they’re sharp. They have the same edge on them literally as a surgical blade in a hospital. I lose 1-2 shaves per blade with them, but a fresh blade will slice through the toughest, thickest beard you can imagine like it wasn’t there.
Great article. Just got back to using a brush and shave cream. Still on a slight learning curve but it was nicer than using the crap from a can. I currently use a cartridge razor but I initially learned to shave as a teenager with a safety razor. I found it a bit clumsy and hard to handle even after several months. I switched to the Trac II that had come out not too long before (this is 1973) and found it a good compromise. It felt like switching from a dump truck to a sports car. Once I finish up my current supply of Gillette Fusions, I’ll look around and see what’s available. I doubt I’ll go to a straight razor (major fumbly fingers) but may try a DE again or if possible, go back to the Trac II if they’re still available. I will agree that there’s nothing like a classic barbershop shave. I’ve indulged in that particular pleasure a couple of times.
Well, I got the DE razor and the mug and soap (already had the brush). Guess what? I now look forward to shaving in the morning. Little or no razor burn and I’ve realized that once you learn to use a DE, it’s like riding a bicycle, you never really forget. I’ve got the angle just fine, but I need to refine my technique a bit. A few minor nicks here and there (who hasn’t gotten a few) but the overall shave is way better than with the Fusion. I do use the Fusion for my neck and for the hair in my ears (hey I’m at that age). They’re areas I don’t feel comfortable using the DE and razor burn isn’t an issue.
I cant even read the first posts from last year. Good god what a laugh. GRRRR Im a real man so I dont shave!! GRRRR!!! GRRR!!! I dont use ANY cream or soap!! GRRR!!! Im a real man. Yup,my manhood and manliness is based on how I shave. Its crap like this that causes men to follow that stupid Madison Ave crap. Rather than just do your own deal you have to PROVE your a real man.
http://www.theartofshaving.com
Has some great razors of all types, the 3 and 5 blade cartridge types as well as safetys and straight razors. They also have lots of good creams and what not.
GRRR If you are a real man you will buy from them!!! GRR!!!
Recently started shaving this way after reading this article. Best shave of my life. Great information and tutorial.
What a great article! I think I might link to this from my website http://www.shaving-guide.com
An awesome place to pick up quality new and vintage products in this department would be badgerandblade.com, bestgroomingtools.com. or straightrazorplace.com — all should have exactly what you need to get that manly shave!
This may seem like a strange question, but I’m only accustomed to an electric razor (well jeez, I’m 16…). I have some moles on my face, and not all of them are the flat kind. They’re not like warts, but they’re slightly raised. Are these going to be cut in the shaving process? I’d like to begin using a REAL razor, but I’m not sure if those moles are in danger or not.
Has anyone tried the shaving products from Lehmans (http://www.lehmans.com/)? They offer safety razors, straight razors, etc. I’ve found other items from the company to be good quality.
To Fred
I have a mole on my face, and it never got cut while I was shaving. I’ve been using a Double Edge Safety Razor for about 6 months and used a straight razor for a few months before that. Even before, I always used cartridges and none of those blades cutted me (at least not my mole =P).
Just don’t begin with a very sharp razor, find one that’s better for beginners, and do it gently, slowly and, most importantly, without preassure. Hold your hand really steady, but don’t apply preassure. Then you should be fine.
another way to practice is to blow up a balloon, lather it up and “shave” the lather off. If you can do that without popping the balloon you are ready for your face.
Really excellent article. I know this is usually not recommended under any circumstances, but I’ve found out recently that dry shaving with a safety razor works best for me. Common sense says that wet shaving is supposed to reduce irritation, but for me, I’ve found that I get absolutely no irritation or nicks/bumps from shaving totally dry. I’ve used electric razors, both wet and dry, as well as the normal wet safety razor technique and I’ve had terrible irritation with all of these methods, no matter how carefully I shave.
With my dry technique, it does take longer to get a super close shave, but avoiding the irritation is totally worth it. I begin shaving with the grain a few times, pulling the skin taught to get closer, then I go sideways, then against the grain. It may sound crazy, I know, but if nothing else works for you, it may be worth a try. Note: It will hurt a bit at first because the hair gets pulled a little bit, but that has never been an issue for me.
Just a few comments from the other side of the pond. Here in the UK it isn’t always easy to find good shaving products as many small pharmacies no longer stock them. I suppose that the demand is relatively low and the big chain stores only sell the disposable razors and multi-blade cartridges. However I always end up with a good quality shave by getting good products when I can and using them appropriately.
Kent make a range of badger hair shaving brushes with wooden, ceramic, or plastic handles. It doesn’t matter what the handle is made from, so chose plastic for ease of cleaning. The quality is excellent and will probably last me the rest of my life.
Woods of Windsor produce an excellent shaving soap. It comes in a shaving mug and lasts me around 2 years. I shave at least once a day, so that’s not bad. It’s quite hard to come by the Woods of Windsor product, so I buy it when I can. Some supermarkets stock a shaving soap by Wilkinson Sword. It’s pretty dreadful stuff, but when needs must…
If you prefer a shaving cream, then Palmolive do a very good product and I use this when I’m away from home as it avoids me having to take a fragile ceramic mug in my suitcase.
It’s very hard to come by double edged razor blades and I really can’t tell the difference between my old double edged razor and a Gillette Mach 3 in terms of quality; though I can in cost. Used properly, I can get between 2 and 3 weeks worth of good shaves from a cartridge.
Here are my tips for a good shave using the above products.
Always shave when your skin has been wet for some time, i.e. after a shower. This softens the hairs and makes it much easier for the blade to cut them.
Never let your beard get too long. If you know that you won’t be able to shave until noon, have a shave on the previous evening to keep it short enough to be easy come the noon. Indeed, if you haven’t shaved since morning and are going out for a long evening, you’ll look and feel much better if you shave before going out.
Rinse your razor under really hot water before using it. It kills the bacteria. Wet your face with warm water before using shaving soap. Rinse your brush under really hot water and shake off the excess before applying the soap; this gives you a softer brush and warm soap which helps soften the beard. Brush the soap in very well using a circular motion and then leave it on your face for a couple of minutes before shaving. If using a double edged razor, shave with the grain of the beard. If using a multi blade cartridge, shave against the grain. Either way, you’ll need to finish off with a variety of shaving directions to get the last stubborn areas done.
Regards.
This past week I picked up a Merkur safety razor, after 20+ years of shaving frustration with various and sundry cartridge and electric razors. It took a bit longer than normal because I’d never done it before, I hadn’t shaved in a week or so, and my face was pretty dry. It went well, though – no nicks or cuts or any of that nonsense. My face was considerably less irritated than it has been in the past (even with the lack of prep and the long facial hair), and I had the closest and most comfortable shave in my life. Now that I’ve seen this article, I’ll apply these tips and see how much better it can be.
I have always suffered badly from razor burn and have spent 20+ years looking for the ‘perfect’ shave. I don’t suppose I will ever find it, but I have found that running an alum block over my skin after rinsing off the shaving soap has made a big difference.
For the fellow from UK, you can get plenty of good stuff online from here -
http://www.theenglishshavingcompany.com/
I have no connection with them, other than they hail from my home town
I just tried shaving this morning after getting a Merkur Futur. I took the process very slowly. The one thing I noticed is when I would lather the cream on my brush and put it on my face is that my skin would sting. I also didn’t get a very thick lather. I’m wondering if the brush could be the culprit? It says made in the United Kingdom and that it is Pure Badger, but there doesn’t seem to be a brand on it. Also, I was wondering if the cream itself could be reacting negatively with my skin? Or perhaps it was just my shaving technique, seeing as this was my first time?
Oh well, I’m going to keep at it and see how it goes.
Tried it again and had much more success. Now I’m actually getting excited to shave in the morning…
I think the most important thing is your razor sharpness, the sharper it is the better the result and the less pain or wound you get.
I only used a facial soap to foam my bread before shaving.
Here’s another point:
The shorter the bread the easier it is to shave, so shave them everyday is the best choice.
my uncle makes some amazing hand crafted soap dishes and safety razor handles. please give his site a visit and let him know what you think.
http://my-wood-art.com/
i just had my first shave with one of his safety razors and i gotta say, i love it.
Granted nothing beats lathering up with a badger brush and high quality English soap. And I like the results of a Merkur safety razor. But, really, is there any closer shave than that obtained with a Gillette Sensor? Gets better coverage on neck and reaches upper lip better. Plus, I find a smoother overall shave if I have not shaved in 2 or more days. I heard that Gillette is elminating the line. Interested to know what you think. S
Was interesting up to a point. You lost credibility with “environmental impact”. I had to stop reading fearful that you would exude a rant about man made global warming such that it would make the algore cult proud
Anybody know where you can get Taylor of Old Bond Street at, as far as department stores and such?
Schick injector and Col. Conk