Guide to Shaving

Copyright Tal Liron. All rights reserved.

"Your father's lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon... for a more civilized age." — Obi-Wan Kenobi

Wet shaving with safety razors and double-edged disposable blades: cheap, efficient, comfortable, and yet somehow also elitist. It's perfect.

You should avoid disposable razors not only because of their high cost and wastefulness, but also because of discomfort. Disposable razors tend to have several blades (4! 6! 8!) that irritate your skin more than they help mow down hair. A single, very sharp razor can cut down stubble in a single swoop.

The Safety Razor

Razors vary mostly by subjective qualities: aesthetics, weight, balance, length and thickness of handle, and grip.

You can get a great razor from a reputable brand for ~$30. These are well-machined products of the industrial age and should last several lifetimes.

The more objective quality to consider is their "aggressiveness". Razor heads vary in how much pressure they put on the flexible double-edged blade, resulting in more or less of the blade being revealed as well affecting its angle (though of course how you hold the razor affects the angle, too). When more of the blade is revealed we call it "aggressive" or "efficient", meaning that it will do a good job on longer and thicker hairs.

Aggressive razors are recommended if you shave infrequently or otherwise have tough growth. But there are two downsides. First, more blade means it's easier to get hurt. There's a bit of a learning curve to get the proper, safe angle. Secondly, its harder to get a close shave for similar reasons: it takes skill to get the angle just right to be close to your face and not get nicked. Less aggressive razors require no skill at all to slice through the shortest stubble, but do require more work for heavy growth. On the flipside, folk with sensitive skin may get irritated by having the blade too close with non-aggressive razors, and thus may actually prefer the more aggressive razors. And of course most razors fall somewhere in between.

Why not both? Get an adjustable razor that lets you dial in the angle. Go high when your beard is thick and then switch to low for a second run to get the perfect smooth shave. Adjustable razors tend to be more expensive and have more parts (meaning more stuff that can go wrong) but what they lack in minimalism they gain in flexibility.

Also check out Geo Fatboy's introduction video.

My state-of-the-art expensive (overpriced?) adjustable: Rockwell Model T and its stand

(there are much cheaper adjustables)

My classic 3-piece (a bit aggressive): Merkur 33C

Double-Edged Blades

The shape is standard, so any double-edged (DE) blade would fit in your safety razor.

Blades are very cheap. A good blade can cost as low as 15¢. Some people prefer a new blade for every shave. Others stretch the same blade for 5 shaves. 3 shaves per blade is a good rule of thumb. Math: a pack of 100 blades ($15!) can last between one and two years.

They're tiny, too, easy to store in your medicine cabinet or take on the road. Though note an important downside: current airline regulations won't let you pack them in a carry on. So either check in, buy some at your destination, or slum with a disposable when traveling.

Blades vary primarily by sharpness and durability, usually with one at the expense of the other. Smoothness (how straight the edge is) can be an issue with cheaper blades, but all the famous brands should be smooth enough. Sharpness adds efficiency (see "aggressive" razors, above) but also a higher chance of nicks and cuts. Refined Shave has a useful comparison table, but honestly any reputable brand should be fine, unless you really suck at shaving or have extremely sensitive skin.

Also check out Geo Fatboy's introduction video.

My everyday, balanced choice: Personna Blue

Blade Safe

The best way to dispose of used blades is to insert them into candy bars and hand them out to children on Halloween. Trick or treat! The second best option is to use a "blade safe" (or "disposal case") to collect them so that you can put them into candy bars later.

These things are cheap and convenient. You should get one.

My choice: Rockwell Blade Safe

Cream

Very subjective! The main selection criteria are scent and sensation. Some people get very particular about the thickness and texture of the lather. Some creams include mint or eucalyptus to add an invigorating, tingly sensation. Note that the scent will only be present during the shaving experience. Once you wash it off it's gone. So, get a scent that you think you'll enjoy for your few minutes of shaving.

My foamy, oily, cheap, old-timey, eucalyptusy choice: C. O. Bigelow

A lot of people like this one, but I think it feels plasticky and smells like a dead Barbie: Taylor of Old Bond Street (Sandalwood)

Brush

Brushes are an optional but very enjoyable way to lather up the cream and spread it on your face. Of course you can just rub the cream on your stubble with your hands—or even use a shaving soap instead like your great-great grandpa—but the brush does a good job at getting into all the gaps between whiskers and face, ensuring the most thorough preparation for the shave.

Just make sure to use warm-but-not-hot water to wash your brush. Hot water can loosen the glue that keeps the brush hairs bound together.

Badger hair brushes are considered the best: example

Bowl

You can create perfectly good lather by cupping your hand and briskly whisking the cream with a brush held in your other hand. Or, just get a small bowl or cup from your kitchen. Any old bowl would do, but a textured bowl makes thicker lather faster.

Here's my gorgeous heavyweight that I can also use to defend against trespassers to my estate: Charmman Granite

Oil

You can use oil as a pre-treatment before lather, as I do, or even instead of lather. Oil helps separate hairs from skin, ensuring a less irritating shave. Expensive, but a little lasts a long time. You need only a few drops per shave.

Note that you really need to give the oil time to do its work. I find that anything under 5 minutes is pointless. So, brush your teeth while it soaks?

My hippie choice: Pacific Shaving

Alum

Screw aftershave! This stuff is cheap and amazing. Just wet the block of aluminum potassium sulfate, dab it directly on nicks and sensitive areas, or everywhere, really, and let dry. Alum encourages pores to tighten and blood vessels to constrict. It really works. This shit is magic. It's available as blocks or sticks that look like lip balm and are good for travel.

My choice: Bloc Osma

Aftershave

Ooh, look at mister fancy man over there splashing on his aftershave like some kind of prince or baron! Note that aftershave is not cologne: it's not supposed to smell good; it's supposed to feel good and sooth your poor face after you've scraped metal all over it.

My choice: Taconic Eucalyptus Mint Splash