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| Merkur 38 Safety Razor |
Until quite recently I hated shaving. I hated it with a real
passion; it was a painful chore that drove me to distraction. That was until a
good friend introduced me to a better way to shave; one that doesn’t include a multi-bladed, burn-inducing razor from either of the big two companies. So
today I thought I would share my smoother way to a close shave.
Equipment
- A face towel
- A badger-hair shaving brush. It's worth buying a good brush as it will last you around thirty years if you look after it.
- A lubricant like Geo F Trumper's Skin Food which will help to reduce the friction of the blade on your skin.
- A fine shaving cream. Never use a gel or a foam, they don't lubricate your beard anything like as well as a good cream.
- A good quality double-sided safety razor is essential. You can spend anything from £20 up to £200 on a razor but there are two things to consider. The weight of the razor and how aggressive the shave you get from it. (An aggressive razor will have allow the blade to get closer to your skin.) Read reviews of any razor you consider buying or check them out in a store. It is all down to personal taste but I would suggest that a less aggressive razor is a good starting point and will save you some money on medical plasters.
- Razor blades. The big advantage in terms of cost is that the blades are better value than the multi-blade cartridges. A pack of ten of the highly-rated Feather Platinum blades cost just £1.55. That works about roughly 3p per shave.
Preparation
Much of what makes a good shave is in the preparation. If
possible, leave your beard for as long as possible between shaves. The longer the
hair, the softer it is, the easier it is to cut. Of course if you have to go to
work every day and they expect you to be clean-shaven, that won’t be possible
for you. That means your preparation becomes even more important.
- Begin by soaking a face towel in hot water.
- Put your shaving brush into the warm water to soften the bristles.
- Place the hot towel over your face to help soften your beard.
- If you have a particularly dense or tough growth, repeat the hot towel.
- Rub the lubricant into the bristles on your face. You only need to use three or four drops for each shave, so a 100ml bottle will last between nine months and a year.
- Create a lather from the shaving cream and apply liberally to your face using the brush.
The shave
- On your first pass, rest the razor gently on your face at an angle of thirty degrees. (You can’t press a safety razor to your face in the way you would with a multi-blade.) Move the razor in the direction that the hair grows. This will help you to avoid pulling the hair and reduce shaving rash.
- Before the second pass, lather your face again. This time cut across the grain of your beard, maintaing a thirty degree angle, moving the razor from each ear to the centre of your face. (i.e. From right to left on the right side of your face, from left to right on the left.)
- Lather your face once more before the final pass. This time cut across the beard from the centre of your face towards your ear. (i.e. opposite from above.)
Post-shave
- Soak a face towel in cold water and then apply to your face. This will help to close your pores.
- Apply the skin food or other post-shave balm to help cool your face and prevent your skin from becoming dry.
- Wait an hour or so before applying your favourite after-shave if you wish. Waiting an hours helps to reduce the stinging effect.
You can check out some of the supplies at the Gentleman's Groom Room or you may have a local supplier. Across the Internet you will find there are a number of excellent videos and websites that offer advice on a getting a good wet shave. Gents, I hope you'll give shaving like your grandfather did a try. Believe me you'll never go back.
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