Shaving Like a Real Man

Recently I was in Toronto for my niece's Bat-Mitzvah and realized that I had forgotten to pack shaving cream. My wife offered to pick some up at a convenience store close to our downtown hotel. Little did I realize that this seemingly innocuous event would awaken me to a whole new world that I previously knew nothing about.

When my wife returned she handed me a container of non-aerosol shave cream. Up until this point I had never used anything else besides mass market aerosol shaving creams. Usually, the only thing I paid attention to when deciding which shaving cream to purchase was the price. I never gave any thought to the notion that shaving creams are not all created equal. I liked the way this particular shaving cream felt on my face immediately. It was more slippery it seemed, and had a much better smell than the usual supermarket glop I had become so accustomed to for over 25 years. What really was amazing was the shave itself. Using my standard, horribly overpriced Gillette Fusion 5 blade cartridge razor I ended up with about the smoothest shave I had ever experienced in my life. Moreover, my skin felt good, wasn't hacked up or torn apart, and smelled decent too.

This was the beginning of an epiphany of sorts for me. Shortly after returning home I needed to pick up some replacement cartridges for my razor. So I went to a local chain drugstore and plopped down $15 and change for 4 cartridges. Yes, that's right, these babies cost almost four bucks a piece and last for about 4 or 5 shaves. This is just ridiculous I thought! We are on a tight budget these days, and this is just too much money to spend on shaving. I had tried the cheaper disposable razors in the past, but found them to be horrible. Not only do they butcher my face, and provide an inferior shave, but the razors and the oversized plastic containers they come in are non-biodegradable, and therefore terrible for the environment. There just has to be a better way I thought! Using an electric razor by the way is something that is just out of the question. There is just nothing at all cool about electric razors.

I started to do some research on shaving and to my amazement found a wonder world of shaving enthusiast websites, shaving blogs, videos providing shaving tips, and a plethora of companies selling shaving products and accessories. As it turns out there are many men just like me out there who are fed up with the inferior shaving products that are foisted upon us by an industry that is mainly dominated by two giant companies, Shick and Gillette and to a lesser extent Bic.

I discovered that there is no less than a burgeoning movement of men out there who want to bring back the "art of shaving". These are guys, who fueled by nostalgia, want to bring back the days when real men like Lee Marvin, John Kennedy, Cary Grant, and Humphrey Bogart shaved with a shaving brush, shaving soap, and either a straight edge razor or a dual-edge safety razor. This type of shaving is also referred to as wet shaving because the idea is to keep the face wet at all times.

This modern movement wants men to not just accept shaving as simply a necessary inconvenience that is a dreaded daily chore of living in civilized society, but rather to embrace shaving as a time honored, manly ritual that should be savored and appreciated, and passed down from father to son. They talk about the evils of shaving with crummy disposable razors, and the unadulterated pleasure that one derives from using a heavy, substantial, well engineered razor made of a quality metal such as brass, stainless steel, or nickel. These are beautifully crafted personal grooming utensils that if properly cared for can last for decades. Wet Shaving with a real razor also has the added benefit of costing much less than the modern disposable razors and disposable cartridges that have taken over the shaving industry. Dual edge razor blades that are used in safety razors cost around .40 cents a piece and can yield about five shaves per blade. Compare that to the four bucks I spend on Gillette Fusion cartridges that yield about the same number of shaves, and you can see how the savings can add up over the course of a year. Mind you that the disposable shaving industry is not about making it easier for the user, but about making as much money as possible.

Many men yearn for a return to a simpler time when the art of shaving was a masculine ritual and rite of passage that fathers taught their sons. There are discussion forums that focus on the benefits of using high quality shaving soaps and creams, some of which come from high end boutique stores in London and can cost upward of $30-35. I found shaving brush reviews that discuss the attributes and benefits of using a high quality badger hair brush versus a lower quality boar bristle brush. These brushes by the way can run as high as $250 on some websites. I also found however that there are good shaving soaps that can be found for just a couple of bucks, and decent shaving brushes that can be purchased for around $25. But for the true gentleman afficionado for whom money is not an object, there are shaving accessories that go well into the hundreds of dollars.

I found myself fascinated by this new world. I remember many years ago when my dad used a shaving brush, a pewter mug of shaving soap, and a metal safety razor with disposable blades. I just hadn't given it any thought over the past 28 years. I went to a chain drug store looking for metal, dual edge, safety-razors and was disappointed when I found that they did not carry any. I went to another chain drugstore and found the same thing. I was dismayed to say the least. It seemed as though the shaving industry had effectively wiped out the manly tradition of wet shaving with quality implements in favor of increasing profits by selling cheap, crappy, disposable razors and mass produced shaving cream that dries out the skin and smells like a hospital. I discovered however that there are a couple of ways to obtain a fine, metal safety razor that can last many years: either find a high end shop that specializes in grooming products, or purchase online.

When purchasing online one has a choice also. You can either buy a brand new razor or buy a vintage razor from an online auction site such as ebay. From 1903 until 1973 Gillette manufactured millions of these metal safety razors. Then they discovered the profits that could be made with disposable razors and ceased manufacturing safety razors. There are companies such as Merkur, a German company that still manufacture men's safety razors. Their razors range in price from about $ 24 and go up to over $150 depending on the quality of metal, the handle and the technology in the razor. There are a few other companies that also manufacture and sell well-made, metal, safety razors. But again, it's difficult to find these products in retail stores. In today's world of wussified metrosexuals, instant gratification, and disposable everything, finding manly shaving products is not that easy. Therefore, most people would be better off purchasing from one of the many online stores that specialize in shaving products and accessories.

Now I am on a budget right now. Money is fairly tight, and spending $30 on a safety razor, $40 on a brush, and $3-5 on shaving soap is an extravagance I can't afford now. Granted, that once one invests in a safety razor the blades are very inexpensive, typically they come out to about .40 cents per blade which can last for 5-6 shaves. It's just getting set up that requires an initial investment. There are the true hard core shaving connossieurs who prefer using the old-fashioned straight blade razor. These can cost around $30-300 depending on quality, but once you make this purchase you will be set for life. Single edge blades for straight razors come out to about .10 a piece and can yield a week's worth of shaves. This is clearly the most economical way to shave. Straight razors are for a rare breed though. They require heavy maintenance, and most people are frankly too faint of heart to even consider dragging a fully exposed, sharpened, steel blade across their face, over their neck, and past their jugular vein. I decided that I really want to partake in this time honored tradition of wet shaving and using more manly shaving gear, but I just can't spend that kind of money now.

So I decided to look on ebay. I found that there are hundreds of those vintage Gillette razors from the 1910's-1960's available for a reasonable price. Some of the more desirable models that come with the original box and are in pristine condition can fetch upwards of $ 40-80, and I as I have learned, there are many collectors out there who will pay these amounts for razors that originally sold for under a buck. However, I found quite a few of these vintage Gillette razors on ebay for between $7-15. They vary in terms of their condition, but many are in surprisingly good shape, and have been sanitized, polished, and look nearly new even though they are 50-60 years old ore more in some cases.

I finally spotted a very nice, clean, Gillette, dual-edge, safety razor, model i-3 from the year 1962. That is five years before I was born! John Kennedy was president, and sending a man to the moon was still a dream that wouldn't be realized for 7 years. The starting bid was $ 3.50. I entered a bid of $3.75 and was quickly outbid to $4.00. Mind you this was my first foray into the world of online auction bidding. I quickly got caught up in the excitement and found myself having the high bid of
$ 7.00 with only 8 hours left. I went to sleep, and when I awoke saw that I had an email which notified me that I had won the bidding process. I got my ATM card out and filled in the required numbers. With postage and shipping the entire cost for this beautiful piece of nostalgia was a whopping $ 10.00. That's less than one of the new Fusion razors that the same company now sells in drugstores everywhere. This was 2 days ago. So now I am waiting for my new safety razor to arrive.

Of course wet-shaving and using a dual-edge safety razor is different than shaving with the disposable multi-blade razors that I have grown accustomed to over the past 25 years. The process of wet shaving takes some time and should not be rushed. This may be counter intuitive to the sensibilities we have developed living in such a fast paced, instant gratification society. Wet shaving however is a well earned luxury that men deserve. It is an indulgence and a pleasure that should be enjoyed. It is not just about the final product: a close shave; it is also about the journey or the process. Selecting the right products, using a hot towel on the face to open the pours, getting a good, rich lather from a quality shaving cream, and finally perfecting the fine skills required to deftly shave with a real razor rather than a cheap throw away. I have learned that there are very precise techniques that must be used to avoid razor burn, cuts and a bad shave. The whole process is different than what I have been used to. The cheap multi blade razors most of use today employ a technique known as "pull and hack". The first blade pulls the whisker, and the next blade hacks it off. This is bad because the whisker can snap back into the folicle which can cause ingrown hairs. Using a single blade approach to shaving is far superior to the pull and hack method. A single blade simply severs the whisker at the skin's surface. It's neat, it's clean, and it's simple. Sometimes the beauty of things are found in their simplicity.

So I have been doing a little research and educating myself on the art of using a safety razor. I have discovered for instance that unlike with a disposable razor where applying significant pressure is required for best results, with a safety razor it is actually better to apply less pressure. I also have learned that it is best to keep the wrist stiff and to let the arm do the work. There are other things one needs to know before shaving with a safety razor as well. For instance for best results one should employ the "3 pass system" of shaving. In other words, the first "pass" is shaving with the grain. The second pass is shaving across the grain. And for that smooth as a baby butt shave, the third pass should be against the grain. However the shaving enthusiasts who dispense their knowledge online warn that this third pass against the grain is tricky business, and should only be attempted by those experienced in the fine art of wet shaving.

Now I am just waiting. In a couple of days my new toy will arrive. I will be the proud owner of a beautiful, vintage 1962 Gillette dual-edge, super speed, safety razor model i-3; in other words a real man's razor. A razor that John Wayne or Steve McQueen would have been proud to use. I still do not have a shaving brush or shaving mug. Eventually I will pick up these necessary accoutrements. I am excited for the first time in my life to engage in this most manly of time honored traditions: shaving like a real man. This is the way our grandfathers used to do it. When men were men, and things like quality and craftsmanship still meant something. I expect there will be a learning curve, and that I may not get the best results the first couple of times I shave this way. I am looking forward though to partaking in the ritual of whipping up a frothy foam lather in a shaving mug using a fine English shaving soap, and employing with expert precision my finely crafted stainless steal and nickel plated razor. No more cheap plastic for me! I will be a part of a rich and proud tradition of manly men. Men who liked their liquor strong, and their coffee black. I know that eventually I will figure it out, and then I will be able to not only save money, and get the best shave ever, but to look down on all those lesser men who still use cheap, mass market, disposable, crap razors and chemical laden aerosol shaving goo. It's good to be a real man!