Newbie Sharing How He Got here...
Hey All, after honing till nearly 03:00 AM I felt compelled to share on a social networking website how I wound up shaving with a straight edge - I thought I'd share with you guys...
So FWIW, here goes...
Fondest
D.
Right, Ladies. I'll add this to my FWIW column. For those friends that need to shave daily… faces, people, faces… consider moving on to a straight edge razor. There is more to be gained other than the obvious advantages of low environmental impact. If you do it right, you can get away with a single, quality straight edge for the rest of your life. Some razors get passed down for generations. Furthermore, I haven’t done the math, but considering I shave at least once per day, that saves quite a few nickels and dimes as well. (Though honestly, I think one can easily get compulsive amassing and restoring straight edges.)
What I was after, as I now am sure most str8 razor shavers are, was the elusive “perfect shave.” A face that is as smooth as a baby’s butt and that FEELS that way as well. This welcomingly included another element: “the ritual.” Whereas there was a time I did not loathe shaving, it definitely was not something that I enjoyed or had a pleasant aftermath. I avoided shaving if not necessary. With straight edge shaving, you experience anticipation! You look forward to your next shave.
No one taught me to shave so, I guess I began hacking away at my whiskers with whatever looked sharp enough – yes, I even did the Crocodile Dundee bit with a degree of success. Remember that, John?
Later I began using aerosol shaving creams and those dreadful gels. Brrrr, I now shiver as I think of those! Harsh-smelling, face-numbing foams followed up post-shave by whatever alcohol I happened to have with in grasp. Ok, the latter not always applied only to my face… but it somehow improved the experience. (I recommend Scope to that point. Cheers, Richard!) After the shave, I marched out into the world with a scraped face, numbed by menthol. GreeEEEeeeeeat! Bring the day’s workload on!
Giving uncharacteristically in to crass marketing, I tried the multi-blade monsters lined with a “magic Teflon strip” to keep from catching on your stubble. I concede, the experience improved, but I clearly wasn’t experiencing the nirvana the geeks on TV ads were. Furthermore, they are certainly painful for the billfold; I mean those ****ers are expensive!!! (The cartridges, that is, not the geeks on TV… then again!) Hm, I hear tell the steel is recycled from decommissioned Russian submarines? Figures!
It got to the point where I experimented with those disposable bic razors. No, no joy there either; just more abrasion. I won’t even go into my encounters with electric razors; rubbing a dry face with a squealing, vibrating devices that unsettlingly seems to heat your skin through friction. User’s manual said it might take a couple of weeks for your skin to get accustomed. I gave it a few months. The results were underwhelming.
Having realized I never learned to shave, I started exploring the glorious net for information on how to do just that. I quickly stumbled on a “wet shaving” aficionado on you tube. The fellow demonstrating wet shaving not only had a great sense of humor, but also clearly enjoyed shaving! I learned about the grain of whiskers; using creams, hot water and a boar brush to make your own lather; and how to use, in theory, a double-edge safety razor. I say in “theory” because there is a learning curve. Yes, you know what I mean!
I remember my dad using a double-edged safety razor. A double-edged safety razor is a heavy, steel jig in which you drop and screw down a single flat blade. These things are scary sharp!
The technique here differs significantly from the yuppie, grinning geeks on TV. Once lathered up, you make a first “pass” to reduce your stubble. The idea is not, as with multi-blade cartridges, to heavy-handedly scrape everything off in one go, but to thin out your beard with several passes. The trick is to apply VERY little pressure against your face. No, lighter than that!
Contrary to those nasty, expensive cartridges, a DE is slices through you whiskers. It’s not a hack-chop, process. You lather up and make a first pass, never going twice over the same patch. You rinse your face, lather up again and repeat. These very light passes gradually thins your beard. Depending on the occasion I would lather-up-and-pass up to five times – the last time possibly against the grain.
Obviously, this routine takes more time than Uncle Wilkinson had in mind. For that reason it may not be for you. Again, there is a learning curve. Inevitably you will push too hard the first couple of weeks and you will feel abrasion. However after a couple of weeks, the results are great! Your post-shave face feels fresh and relaxed. In addition, the shave is close.
My only frustration with this routine was that the blade started catching by the third day and I had to replace it. Hm. I guess I could have opted to use a new blade every shave, but that seemed so inefficient and wasteful. (Geez, am I going green? Nah, I still have my Tangerine Tornado!) It then came to me like an epiphany: Sweeney Todd!
The net is loaded with information on straight edge shaving. Look around! What I was after when I picked up my Dovo was a blade that would be perfectly keen every time I picked it up. In theory, that sounds great!!!! In practice, there is a steep learning curve! Yes, this can and will get bloody!
The blade should be sharp to the point that, were you to drag a hair across it, the end immediately pops off. To get your razor to that level of keenness every shave requires developing skills. Simply, slapping the razor back and forth on a leather belt (strop) isn’t going to cut it. All that does, if you do it right, is straighten the “line” of the edge. Every couple of weeks you have to hone the blade on a whetstone. I was fortunate. Belgium mines some of the best natural whetstones in the world – the coticule. There as well, it took me hours of learning to hone. Contrary to what one might imagine, it is not tedious. Once your skills start developing you can “feel” the subtleness of the blade as you remove metal. You nearly sculpt the keenness with each stroke. It is very therapeutic.
Before each shave, I fine-tune the edge by stropping the blade on a leather strap. Done right, the razor should make a satisfying light rasping sound. Each stroke will offer a very subtle resistance. Mmm, already this is quite pleasant. The edge is nearing shave-ready. In the meantime, I let the warm violet-scented lather I brushed on my face soften my beard. Anticipation builds.
Gently lift the blade to your sideburn. The first stroke must follow the grain of your beard. The blade should be kept at about a 30-degree angle. It is helpful to map out your whiskers, as they don’t always follow the direction you’d expect. Your touch must be VERY light. No, lighter than that!!! Again, do no go twice over the same patch. And yes, you will shed blood as you learn to do this. It is not idiot-proof like those cartridges.
Rinse with hot water after your first pass. Re-lather. Personally, I like stropping again as I can feel the improved keenness and the lather is allowed to further soften the whiskers. This time shave across the grain. I find that my skin likes a slightly tighter angle. Only the straight edge allows you to vary the angle of attack with each stroke. Make sure to pull your skin taut as the blade progresses across your face. Keep the razor in motion. If you stop, it may “sink in” your skin.
The final pass, optional, you do against the grain. Here the blade must be ultimately sharp. I keep my stroke angle under 10 degrees. (I can’t believe I am doing this considering my lack of fine motor skills.) With each stroke, one may hear the whiskers popping off from across the room. It is very unsettling at first.
To end, rinse your face off with cold water and apply a balm of your choice. No alcohol on your face please. ;-)
Voila! Yer ready to go! When you walk out that door, you will be relaxed! Your face will feel fresh and, dare I say, even radiant. Not to mention, that baby butt skin you are fondling like a geek as you commute could easily last two days… if you could hold out that long!
