Old School Shaving
Posted on March 7, 2008 - Filed Under General, Life, Shaving
My daily nemesis has always been the morning shave, always a hate filled event because I have sensitive skin and because I never knew how to shave the correct way.
I have been reading quite a bit on classic wet shaving and how it’s supposed to be the best way to get a proper shave without the problems presented with modern-day methods and decided to take the plunge.
When I started shaving as a teen, I had an electric razor and thought that was the way to go. I used to press too hard and by the time I was done my face hurt like hell and felt like I had a massive rug burn. I switched to wet shaving with modern blades about 5 or 6 years ago and that was better but I still had issues with the sensitive skin and razor bumps on my neck. Better than the electric razor but still missing something.
A few weeks ago I watched a series of videos on YouTube about classic shaving with a safety razor, and how to properly do this without carving your face like a Thanksgiving Day turkey. Finally sold on trying this I decided to throw down my hard earned cash on a newbie safety razor kit from classicshaving.com and give this a try. At worst I’d be out about 75 bucks.
I purchased the Merkur “Hefty Classic” Double-Edge Safety Razor, a middle of the road Vulfix Pure Badger Shaving Brush, Proraso “Pre-Post” shave cream and Proraso shaving cream (green tube), and a Taylor of Old Bond lavender shaving cream. I also picked up a variety pack of razors from West Coast Shaving so I could decide which blades were right for my skin. This was about 100 bucks total, more than I thought originally but in the long run I’ll be paying less than usual for blade refills and shaving cream.
My first time trying this was actually a decent experience. Only a few cuts but nothing major. I was happy with the results and checked a few of the YouTube videos again the make sure I was doing this the correct way.
I’m a week into this and I have to admit, this is the best shaving experience of my life. Closest shave I have ever had without the skin irritation and razor bumps and no more cuts! I can shave before I go to bed and make it through the next day without needing another shave.
The key is un-learning everything you’ve been taught about modern shaving. You have to be willing to learn new techniques in order for this to be successful.
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Congrats on your new-found pleasure! I’m glad you found the videos useful.