Straight razors look like knives. You apply it straight to the face and go at it. Reminds me of old westerns and adventure movies.
Safety razors are double sided and require single blade inserts. The only things you ever have to replace are the inserts themselves. The safety guards themselves last a lifetime. Reminds me of that "simpler time" your grandpappy keeps talking about.
Both require a decent amount of skill to work, but once you get the hang of them, you'll find no better shave.
I found both of those options interesting, but I decided to go with the safer option and opted for the safety razor. And I must tell you... It was a wonderful decision. I was able to take my time, and it felt great.
Now the ritual of shaving is something that has somewhat lost its way in this day and age. I know I rush my shaves, usually scraping away as fast as possible so I can be out the door. We use 15 blade cartridges that sound like aircraft to zip around our delicate chins, only to enjoy the fresh burn of wrecked skin touching cool air. Some people were taught this knowing no other method. Here is what I had learned while making my purchase.
A proper shave consists of these steps:
- Cleaning (cleaning the skin and opening the pores)
- Prepping (lifting the hairs by applying shave cream/gel)
- Shaving (removing the visible layer of the hair)
- Post-Shave (cleaning the excess and closing the pores)
Actually following through with the correct format and seeing the results gave me a surprising amount of confidence in the rest of the day. And who would have thought such a routine thing would be so enjoyable?
