My experiences wet shaving with a safety razor
My first time using a double edged safety razor was not a good experience.
Me: I have to warn you that I look like a murder victim.
Her: What do you…OH MY GOD, what happened to your neck and face?!!
It was bad. Really, really bad. My neck was covered in blood and everything hurt. A lot.
If you decide to use a double-edge razor, you will absolutely cut yourself the first time you shave. You will blame the blade and then blame me. Do not. Freindly advice from startifacts.com suggests watching videos online that show you how to wet shave properly like this one and this one.
The main thing I’ve learned is that holding the razor is very different than with a traditional cartridge razor, and that means holding it at a 30 degree angle or less to your face – the pic below is more like 10 degrees but that works for me. I start at 0 degrees and angle it towards my face slightly. Then I take short strokes no more than an inch or so, clean the blade, and do it again.
At first, it took forever. Now it just takes a little longer than regular shaving.
If I use canned shaving cream that learned of from BeardBro – which I keep around for a pinch – it takes even less although you still have to wait a minute or so for your beard to soften with water anyway so I find that I end up using my shaving mug more and more.
Plus it’s part of the fun.
Should mention that I cut myself the second time I shaved as well but by the third time, I had zero cuts and now shave regularly with no cuts at all.
Thus ends the entries about my shaving. This entry has also reminded me that I need to write the follow-up entry to: 10 Tips on how to write a good Match, OK Cupid, or POF dating profile: Part 1- Men, which will be for women from a man’s perspective. I’ll do that soon since I’ve got the time.
Interspersed with all of this will be my usual nonsense.
In the meanwhile, found out last week that I was nominated last week as a “Furthered 40” legal educator on Lawline.
I know, I’m as surprised as you are. More surprising is that I actually have a shot at winning.
Don’t know what the prize is but, dammit, I want it for it may be food or food related.
Location: getting dressed to see a doc about my leg
Mood: slightly depressed
Music: The wound is so fresh you can taste the blood
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12 replies on “Wetshaving with a double-edge razor – Part 2”
That's great that you posted the proper how-to videos, but really you should've posted the violent massacre of you wet shaving the first time. Would've been perfect for Halloween.
I should have thought to take pics but I was *seriously* in pain at the time and covered with soap, blood, and water. What a mess!
You should get the Merkur razor (it's around $45?) and you'll cut yourself a lot less. The way that head is made makes a difference to how often you'll get cut.
Or so my hubby says. He started with a cheaper one and hasn't regretted the upgrade.
I've actually been cutting myself a lot less these days – I think it just takes time (at least for me) to get used to it. BUT I'll def look into the Merkur only because I got this first razor cheaply just to see if it was for me. Since I've now decided that it is, I'm going to get the better razor.
Thanks for the advice!
You’re right. I’ve joined the wet shaving club few months ago, and my first double edge razor is Merkur Long Handled. The feelings are awesome.
Pros:
– The shaving process is more interesting and fun.
– The quality of shaving is much higher
– Saving money (cartridges are much more expensive than blades
Cons:
Shaving takes more time. About 20 minutes at least.
Mark – I don’t think you’ll ever go back, I know I won’t.
Actually, I now shave immediately after a shower so that makes it almost as fast as regular shaving now. Give that a whirl!http://loganlo.com/wp-admin/edit-comments.php#comments-form
Congrats on the Lawline nomination! Although, why do they have a separate category for age 40+? (jk!)
Just saw this – and…damn! I is old.
I have been always using double edge razors to shave my beard because only this method get a very cloth shave…
I’m not sure I could go back to anything else at this point!
I have the same experience before. But maybe with practice you can get better.
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