Better shaves. I thought my shaves couldn’t get any better after I upgraded from my Mach5 to an old school safety razor. I was wrong. The first time I shaved with a straight razor, my face looked as smooth as a baby’s behind. My wife noticed the difference without me even telling her what I had done and declared that it was the smoothest she’d ever seen. So make the switch to a straight razor. Your face will thank you for it....
Reduced costs. The upfront costs to get started with straight razor shaving are a bit on the expensive side. But after you buy all the gear, you’re set for life. You’ll never have to buy razor cartridges or double edge blades ever again. Just give your straight razor a nice stropping and you’re good to go. The only cost you’ll have from here on out is an occasional tube of shaving cream.
Environmentally friendly. Today’s modern shaving racket creates needless waste. When you’re done with a cartridge, you have to throw it out. When you buy new cartridges, you’re left with a ton of packaging material. Shaving with a safety razor reduces this waste, but straight razors take it one step further. The only waste you’ll create is biodegradable shaving scum. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, greenies.
Meditative. Straight razor shaving has meditative benefits. It’s a craft that requires you to slow down and really focus on what you’re doing. After a few times of shaving with a straight razor, you just might start to notice yourself entering an incredibly manly zen-like state.
You’ll feel like more of a bad ass. You’ll be shaving with a tool that can double as a lethal weapon. Putting razor-sharp steel next to your throat every morning reminds you that you’re alive.
The Tools
The Razor. Your most important tool is your razor. Don’t get skimpy with your razor and buy the cheapest one. You don’t want the cheapest; you want the best. Poor razors end up being more trouble than they’re worth. They will irritate your skin and cause nicks and cuts that will annoy you as long as you use it. A good quality razor, on the other hand, is a joy to use. If well maintained, a good razor will last for years. Your great-grandsons might even use it....
When shopping for razors, consider the following factors:
- Check the steel’s quality. A razor with good temper sharpens better than poorer quality steels. One way to check if you have a well tempered blade is to catch the point of the blade under your thumbnail and let it slip off quickly. If the blade gives a good clear ring, it’s likely well tempered. If it doesn’t, the blade was likely tempered unevenly.
- Most modern straight razors are ground with a hollow. Hollowing places a concave on each side of the blade that makes the razor lighter, sharper, and easier to handle. You can purchase blades with varying degrees of hollowing. While full concaves will give you the sharpest edge, it’s not recommend for beginners. When such an edge comes in contact with a stiff beard, unless you hold the blade very flat on the face, it is quite likely to bend and spring, resulting in a cut.
- Also consider the blade’s width when selecting a straight razor. Don’t select one that’s too wide. Look for a 5/8 size. It’s easy to control and follows your face’s contours more closely than other blades.
- Finally, consider what type of blade point you want. Blades come in either rounded or sharp points. Sharp points have a tendency to nick and cut, so go with a rounded point.:
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