The Pleasure of the Shave
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The Pleasure of the Shave

Byrichard

Last night I was thinking about the act of shaving and what a pleasure it is, For a long time I saw it as a daily chore, which is why I switched to an electric razor for years. Eventually the blades dulled so I looked for alternatives before deciding to try safety razor shaving, and I find it to be extremely pleasant. 


Learning Process


Shaving requires a methodical approach. It requires wetting the face, lathering the soap, shaving one way, lathering again, shaving the second direction, lathering again, shaving the final direction. That methodical process is what makes safety razor shaving such a pleasure. It is ritualistic, like getting ready for a dive, or other potentially dangerous activities. The better your routine is, the safer you will be. 


Finding the Right Razor


There is one caveat that I would like to add. I tried three razors, and three soaps, and I have two preferred soaps, and one preferred razor. With one razor I find that the blade is too lose, to free to move around as I shave. I don’t mean that it swings like a pendulum. I mean that the blade isn’t as protected with others, so if you nick yourself it’s deeper. 


With the second razor I tried, I eventually grew used to it, and find it the best of the three. I like that it’s easy to load, and exposes the bare minimum of the blade, to be effective. It makes the experience of shaving more pleasant. 


The third shaver, when I tried it for two shaves was less pleasant to use, because it felt that it was catching. I don’t know whether it was pinching hair but it just didn’t feel smooth. I’m glad I found a razor I like, and I’m happy that it’s the cheapest of the three. 


A Luxurious Habit


By learning to cut my own hair I save 30 CHF per hair cut. By learning to shave with a safety razor, and eventually a straight razor I am giving myself an experience that people pay 30 CHF to 35 CHF to experience at the barber’s. The shave I give myself for “free” is worth 30-35 CHF, per shave. 


And Finally


Once you get over the initial fear it does become more pleasant. 

The Mindful Shave

The Mindful Shave

Byrichard

For two weeks or so I have been using a safety razor rather than the usual electric shaver, or conventional three to four blade shavers. In the process I have had to become more attentive to what I am doing. 


The Usual Shave


With an electric razor you turn it on and you shave, until you’re happy that it’s done. With a wet shave with plastic razors you wet your face, get some shaving foam on your face and shave. Both of these are fast, and easy. You’re just doing something that you have done for years, or even decades. 


The Safety Razor Method


With the safety razor shave things change. With the safety razor you are gently guiding a razor blade along your face. For it to be effective you need to wet, and even moisten your face. You need to make sure that, not only is your face covered in shaving soap, but that the face is wet enough for the hairs. to soften. 


It doesn’t stop there. You also have to pull your face to be taught, to be more effective, and to prevent blade bounce, because blade bounce can result in nicks and cuts. You need to be focused and attentive when you’re shaving with a safety razor because a mistake will result in a little cut. 


Minor Cuts and Scrapes


In my experience the cuts and nicks are minor and stop bleeding almost instantly. Psychologically though, it is frightening, to guide a razor blade along one’s face, even if it is a safety razor. 


It’s that fear and potential danger that makes shaving with a safety rewarding so rewarding. It’s because of that need for absolute focus, and methodical approach, that shaving the old fashioned way feels like pampering, rather than a chore. 


I tried two razors. 


I have two safety razors. I bought the first one, and used it two or three times, but the blade felt too exposed and it scared me, so I bought a second one. The second one feels like it exposes less depth of the blade to my face. My rational is that if it can’t dig as deeply into my skin, if I make a mistake, it is safer. 


The razor that scared me is the Pandoo. The one that I feel more comfortable using is the Wilkinson safety razor. I feel more comfortable with it. 


Softened Skin, and a Light Touch


From the paragraph above you’d think “Why the bell would you shave with something so dangerous?” and the answer is that you don’t. Everything about safety razor shaving is about minimising risk. It’s about spending a minute getting the face wet, applying shaving soap and shaving within 30 seconds, before reapplying shaving soap. It’s about having a blade that is not more than five shaves old. It’s about caressing your face with the safety razor, rather than scraping your face. It’s about having a light touch. Although a safety razor sounds brutal it forces you to be gentle and attentive, to treat shaving as an intimate, rather than a mechanical experience. 


The Result


Shaving with a safety razor leaves the skin feeling smooth. For the duration of the shave you are focused, and in the moment. It forces you to be attentive and to be present. It also feels good. 


And Finally


People speak about using safety razors to reduce on plastic waste and on saving money. I think that these are good reasons to swap but I think that shaving with a safety razor is about appreciating yourself enough to give yourself a high quality shave. Shaving with a safety razor is an experience, rather than a chore. I enjoy the process. With electric razors and normal razors I didn’t. With those it felt like a daily chore, rather than mastering an art. 

Adopting the Safety Razor. 

Adopting the Safety Razor. 

Byrichard

For more than a decade I was happy with a Gillette Mach 3. I used it every day for years. Eventually I found an affordable electric razor so I switched to that, and used it until I had to replace the blades at least twice. I only reduced my use of it because the blades became dull. That’s when I started to experiment with a bamboo razor, a Gillette Glide, and finally safety razors. 


A Healthy Fear


I mention safety razors because the first one I tried really scared me, due to how exposed the blades were. I felt that if I shivered or spasmed for any reason, I’d cut my face badly enough to leave a scar. The first razor I tried was the pandoo but due to what I feel is an exposed blade I chose to try the Wilkinson Edge razor and I am much happier with this razor. I feel that the blade is nicely tucked away, so if, and when, I nick my face it’s superficial. 


Plastic Razor Solutions


With conventional razors you wet your face, put a little foam, and shave. You go with the grain, you go against it, and then you’re done. When you feel your face to see how good the shave was you feel that the shave, despite four or five blades wasn’t good. You also see that there is a lot of plastic waste as you replace one shaving head with another. 


Environmental


One of the best features of safety razor blades is that they’re sold in batches of ten, in paper envelopes rather than plastic and because they’re just metal can be recycled rather than thrown away as incinerator rubbish. When the shaver is metal, and the blades are metal, everything can be recycled. There is, theoretically, no waste.


A Learning Curve


Safety razor shaving has a learning curve. The first step is to learn how to remove the blade and place it correctly. You then need to learn how to prepare your face to avoid nicks and cuts. Lather on the soap, and then shave, but as softly as possible, and more. There are dedicated articles on the art of shaving. 


Some sources say to shower first, and then shave, others say, apply a warm wet towel to your face. Others still say to take a shower after a shave. 


In theory you’re meant to shave in three passes. For the first pass you go with the grain, from top to bottom, then from your ears to your nose, and finally upwards. I am taking it in steps. For the first few shaves I just shaved downwards. Now I have added the “across the grain” step. We will see if, and when, I feel comfortable enough to shave against the grain. 


I have considered practising the movements with the razor, but without blades to build up my muscle memory and confidence. 


More Involved


Using a safety razor is more involved because it is more dangerous. If you are not careful you do cut your face. Even if you are careful you can come away with a few nicks and cuts. The bleeding stops quickly so the injuries are superficial. 


With disposable plastic filled razors I shaved, rinsed my face and I was done. With the safety razor you finish the shave, apply after shave and have the Home Alone scream. Of course as an adult I don’t scream, I just feel the agony of disinfectant getting into all the scrapes and cuts. 


Blade Cost


I read that you can use one blade per six days or so with three passes, but you can change the blade for every shave if you so desire. The cost of blades is between 30 to 60 centimes per blade. Normal shavers cost from 1.50 to 10 CHF per blade so you’re saving a lot of money, depending on how often you shave before throwing away either option. 


Why The Change


It bothers me that I can get an electric shaver for 70 CHF but the replacement blades cost 30CHF. It bothers me that it costs around 2-5 francs per blade for normal shaving solutions. It also bothers me that there is so much plastic and other waste. By taking the time to relearn how to shave with safety razors I am reducing my environmental footprint as I require less plastic and use materials that can be recycled rather than thrown away. 


And Finally


By using a safety razor I have to relearn the partially forgotten art of a traditional shave. With the proliferation of barber shops it is interesting to learn to shave the old fashioned way, to get that barber experience, at home. Although I feel fear when shaving with a safety razor I also enjoy the experience of using an interesting bit of technology. It was an ordinary part of life for decades, if not centuries.