Blasted Eye Glasses

Gentlemen,

Even though I have refused to budge from age 27 for several decades now, my eyes, unfortunately, have not. Now I find myself forced to wear reading glasses while shaving.

With double edge razors this is a little problem. With straight razors, however, with all the stretching, tugging and pulling, especially around the temples, the blasted eye glasses get in the way and become a big problem.

Today for the first time I lost the eye battle and wore my reading glasses while shaving straight. It was most awkward. What do you four-eyed gentlemen do to make life easier when shaving straight? Your thoughts will help.

Many thanks and regards,

Obie, the four-eyed straight razor commando.

I don't wear eye glasses, but one thought cam to mind. If your out at the mall you may want to experiment with one of the portable 2 sided mirror's where one side is magnified. This may give you better visibility without use of your specs. Just a suggestion

Nobody can call me 4 eyes, 3 eyes maybe, but certainly not 4 lol. Fortunately my sight is great up close, I can read smaller print sans glasses than I can with, however, I think the magnified mirror would be the ticket. I'm not sure where you could buy one, but they used to have the ones that hang around your neck. You wouldn't have to hang it from your neck, maybe the shower head or a hook on the wall.

I wear bifocals but fortunately for me I can and do shave without them. I guess it will depend on each individuals visual acuity. :shrug:

When you really think about it most of your shaving is done by feel. we used to have or maybe still do have a member who is legally or totally blind and uses a straight. I wear glasses and don't use them for shaving however my eyesight ain't that bad.

Try and shave part of your face with you eyes closed and you'll see what I mean. I've tried it with no mishaps but if you cut yourself I'll deny I told you to do it and this post will self destruct in 72 hours.

I wear glasses when shaving the stretching does not bother me, when I do the over the head with the opposite arm stretch.

The place where the glasses is a problem for me is where I have hair growing underneath the lens. I shave as best I can below the the lens then I do a few carefull up-strokes ATG to get the remaining hairs that are beneath the lens. To sum it up I do an all over pass then do cleanup ATG to get the straglers that are underneath my glasses.

Four Eyed Charlie

I take my glasses off when I'm not wearing contacts. A magnifying mirror on an extension arm to bring it very close to my face is also quite useful.

X

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas. They are useful.

Obie

I wear bifocals and had the same problem you have. After you get used to straight shaving you will find that a lot is done by feel. If you can see your ear, nose and chin w/o glasses you may be able to progress to this level of shaving. The only time I put my glasses on is when I trim around my mustache. W/o the glasses I would trim it to non existence.

Good luck.

If I don't wear my contacts or glasses when I shave the scales hit the mirror when I'm trying to see what I'm doing. I wear contacts throughout the week and glasses on the weeken. The glasses don't really get in the way during the shave except for beside my ear. At this place I need to use a heal first sything motion.

Several years ago I started wearing reading glasses. I asked my wife to get an extension arm mirror for Christmas so I could get the mirror closer to my face. She found a source on the internet. The mirror has a regular mirror and a magnifying side. I use the magnifying side and stow the mirror against the wall when I'm done. This type of mirror is more expensive than a swing arm mirror that can accomplish the same results at less cost. I wanted the extension type for its vintage look. Kind of goes with the straight razor now that I have started using one.

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your continued thoughts on this topic.

By the way, I tried one of those special bathroom mirrors, but soon discovered my condo walls were not exactly stone walls used for castles.

Still, I love your suggestions.

Regards,

Obie

The only problem that I really have is directly under the arms of the glasses. I solve this as best I can by raising the offender an Inch or so, shave and lower. The rest comes with feel as The Bigspendur said. Not sure whether I can really help. Unlike you, I've been wearing the things since I was seven. They're part of the facial furniture. I've been thinking about a magnifying mirror lately though.

How about a monocle? You could switch sides to the one you are not stretching and look cool too!:tu

Gentlemen,

Yes, monocle does sound like a colorful idea. I will definitely keep it in mind.

I often shave at the health club — straight or double edge — and one of these days the local constabulary will probably come and arrest me for my archaic, but delightful, method of adding two more eyes to my face.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.

Obie

http://symonsez.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/klink.jpg

Definitely cool imo

I wear trifocals and can hardly see the large E on the wall chart; however, that has never been a problem straight shaving. It seems as though it is perfectly fine to shave in soft focus. Most of the process is done by muscle memory and feel. Good luck.

Lewis

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

I wear trifocals and can hardly see the large E on the wall chart; however, that has never been a problem straight shaving. It seems as though it is perfectly fine to shave in soft focus. Most of the process is done by muscle memory and feel. Good luck.

Lewis

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I agree...

i have worn glases for about 15 years now i cant see any thing without them but i have found out that after i got the hang of shaving with a straight for the last 2 years now i have done this the last 4 shaves taken my glasses off after i lather up and shave without them on it was scarey as hell the first time but , i relaxted and it was a great shave it was like i did not have to see that good ,because i kenw what i had to do, so just try it and go slow.

I have to wear glasses to do anything... if I want to see anyway. I do however remove them to shave. I lean in real close and can get a good enough idea of where everything is at to make a go at it.

One thing I do do if I need glasses for detail work (trimming up side burns, getting those nose hairs, etc) is turn the glasses up. Put the ear pieces up away from your ears... up by your temples. Looks goofy and it does distort your prescription a bit but you still have use of them and can see. With some extra attention you can work around them when they are like that too and shave.

This is a good question as I too must use my glasses to shave with. My problem is that I wear bifocals and I cannot see up close without them. So for me, it is a matter of shaving by feel. Not a fun way to shave I assure you but it can be done. I shave once a day without nicking myself too badly.

Yes, I am that age where reading spectacles are required.

I don't think it's a problem. I recall my first shave with a straight, (all nervous and terrified with full expectation of being cut to ribbons), and I think that if I can learn to shave with a straight, learning to shave with a straight (plus eye glasses) is a doddle.

I have actually started to shave without my eye glasses as I realised that after shaving my mug every day for about thirty odd years, I can actually do it by feel, and everything being a bit blurry is better than nothing.