Skip to main content

Straight Razor Shaving 101

Some people swear by straight razor shaving. There are many reasons why a person may choose to shave with a straight razor instead of today’s disposable bladed models:
  • Smoother shave
  • Budget friendly
  • Less waste to send to landfills
  • Classy! It’s just way more stylish than disposable razors.
So just how does one go about shaving old school? Read on and find out.
Tools of the Trade Since your only real investment will be in the razor, choose one that is a quality product. Some cheaper ones won’t even give you one good use while a more expensive one could be in your hands for years to come. Take a look at a few models and see what feels comfortable for you. As far as blades are concerned, stay towards the thinner options. They will provide better control and adherence to facial contours. You will also need a shaving brush. These brushes can be had fairly inexpensively with either badger or boar bristles, and of course nowadays there are synthetic bristle options as well. Avoid the latter if at all possible. Lastly, invest in a good quality shaving cream or soap and say no thanks to the chemical cocktails most people use. The price may be a little more upfront but you will get more mileage from the purchase.

shutterstock_93827500
Prepping! Take a bit of your soap or shaving cream and, using the brush, whip it a little bit in order to aerate the substance.

It is best to shave as soon as you exit the shower since your scruff will be well softened after that time in the water. If this isn’t possible try holding a damp steamy towel on your face for a couple minutes. After you are softened up, use the brush to paint shaving cream all over your face.

shutterstock_88782319
Ready for Action…
The most popular grip for newbies on the straight razor scene is three fingers on the front of the blade and the thumb on the back. As you become more seasoned you will find other ways to hold the blade depending on what and how you are shaving.

A couple of last minute tips before you press that blade to your face…
  • Hold the blade at a 30 degree angle to your face.
  • Don’t apply too much pressure, this will cause cuts.
  • Use long even strokes.
  • Shave with the grain.
Using a strop
It’s important to strop your blade before and after every shave to ensure it stays sharp and to remove all the moisture from the edge. Stropping keeps your razor in shave-ready condition, but it’s an art quite difficult to master. First off, you need a strop – a leather one at that, if possible. You’ll also need a stable spot to secure your strop to. If you don’t have anything better in your home, a door handle will do, just make sure it’s stable enough to tighten the strop. This is where it gets interesting, and some experience will help you get better! Take the blade’s end between your thumb and forefinger, apply the right amount of pressure and, well, start stropping. Don’t worry even if you find it difficult in the beginning, you’ll get it after a bit of practice!

There’s the tips to get you started, take your time and don’t give up right away. Shaving with straight razors is an art and will take some getting used to. And if you need a reason to stick it out, just think off all the ladies who will want to kiss your cheek when it looks smooth as glass.

Kate Simmons is a freelance writer on health and beauty topics for both men and women.

Image Courtesy: Shutterstock.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kapalabhati Pranayam for wrinkle-free, radiant complexion

Did you know that Kapalabhati Pranayam / kriya can also be used to enhance your beauty and ward off skin aging? Done the right way,  Kapalabhati Pranayam can be used as a beauty aid - it can give you a wrinkle-free, luminous forehead and radiant complexion. Kapalabhati For Beauty   ‘Kapalabhati’ Pranayam breathing exercise is an excellent way of maintaining good health and fighting diseases. ‘Kapala’ means ‘skull’ (and ‘forehead’ also) and ‘bhati’ means ‘shining’. By doing kapalabhati, the ‘nadis’(nerves) of the brain get good exercise. This is achieved by exercising the diaphragm. There will be a glow on the forehead. After the age of 25, the tell-tale signs of ageing start making their appearance in the form of fine lines on the forehead. A regular practice of Kapalabhati for 10-15 minutes everyday will give you a tight forehead sans wrinkles for many years to come. Avoid Botox, try Kapalabhati Why resort to Botox   and other expensive chemical or surgica...

Teeth whitening remedies

Teeth could be naturally dark or could be discolored by repeated exposure to beverages like tea, coffee or red wine, smoking and also medications apart from decay and trauma to the tooth. If you want your captivating smile to be adorned by a row of glistening pearly white teeth, then try these treatments and remedies: ‘In chair’ bleaching at the dentist for teeth whitening Though there are several options available for teeth whitening, bleaching at a cosmetic dentistry clinic can significantly lighten your teeth within an hour. A large percentage of the people who have undergone bleaching have experienced a positive change in the color of their teeth. Read about it at About Cosmetic dentisty . ‘At home’ teeth whitening bleaching kit The ‘at home’ teeth whitening technique is also a popular bleaching procedure to whiten your teeth. You can obtain the bleaching kit from your dentist or make an over-the counter purchase. Use it conveniently at night and the gel should work while you sleep...

11 things you can do with olive oil

Besides lemon , milk , sugar , aloe , turmeric , sandalwood and honey , olive oil is another household item that has multifarious uses as a beauty aid. It is a mild, non-irritant, antibacterial oil that is rich in antioxidants; hence is ideal for the skin. Here are a few things that you could do with olive oil .

Home remedies for sore throat

Sore throat is a common malady that each one of us faces sometime or the other in our lifetime.  That scratchy, dry and abrasively painful feeling at the back of the throat that you experience is so very discomforting! There are many ways to relieve that scratchy and painful, infected throat. Sore throat home remedies are many and varied and range from the folk ones to the medically tested and proven ones.  With this common recurring condition many sufferers have their own favourite sore throat treatments that seem to work for them. Sore throat is one of the ailments which responds very well to home based remedies, so there is no reason why one should hesitate to try out these invaluable tips which have been handed over to us by generations of yore.  After all these remedies have negligible side-effects and so there is no harm in trying them. And you can always rush to a doctor if they don’t work for you. 

Pore shrinking mask recipes from home

A face with large open pores when seen from close quarters doesn’t look so good. While it’s quite common for oily skins to have a tendency towards open pores, an attack of pimples also leaves ugly scars and open pores behind.  Even though the scars may fade away after some time, open pores appear to be more obstinate and hardly show any signs of shrinking.  Age also takes its toll by giving an uneven/pigmented tone to the skin and making the open pores more prominent. Heredity could also be a contributing factor in determining your pore size. It’s not easy to get rid of these pores or shrink them completely or permanently using serums, lotions or face packs. Even resorting to drastic chemical/surgical procedures at the dermatologist’s isn’t quite capable of giving satisfactory results.  Nevertheless, you can try and minimize their appearance at least temporarily with clever makeup and a few natural skin care masks such as these: * Cleanse your face with a mild ...