The Quest for the Perfect Shave Goes On

[elfs]

Every man who must shave every day is on a quest for the perfect shave. Either that, or he has let reality defeat him, reducing this daily ritual to an act of quiet desperation, a dream of a day without razor burn, a moment of smooth-skinned zen.

One of the other things I bought yesterday at the cutlery specialty store was a Merkur shaving handle and blades. This is old-fashioned shaving at its finest: a big hunk of metal, from which a single blade extends alarmingly far if you're used to a cartridge or disposable. I had three days' worth of growth on my chin.

I took a shower and fitted the dangerously flimsy blade to the razor. I used my usual shaving gel-- a glycerin-and-aloe based stuff from an upscale department store that I really like called Zhir-- and proceeded to try shaving with this ancient tool.

There's a scene in Star Trek: The Next Generation where Geordi reveals just how much of an idiot he can be. He shaves with a broken electric razor and when Data asks him why he says something like, "Because it's a challenge, and facing challenges is very human." If Geordi wanted a challenge, he should learn to shave with a working Klingon straight-razor, like Worf does!

But this single-bladed ancient tool, in perfect working order, was enough for me. All shaving manuals always tell you never to shave against the grain, and now I know why: if you do it with one of these, you will nick yourself. I did, on my chin. Most cartridge razors, especially the new triple and quadruple-bladed kind, are safe enough a palsiated orc couldn't cut himself, but the cost of that safety is a shave that's only second-best. This thing gave me a smooth, clean face without shadow or burn the first time. It's an enlightening experience. It takes a little longer to shave because you have to go slower, and it takes more care. But it's something I'm going to cultivate just because the end result is so much better.

Comments

Razors

[happy-hacker.livejournal.com]

I used to shave with a straight razor. It's actually not any more difficult once you get over the intimidation factor of a large naked *sharp* piece of steel that close to your jugular veins. The big problem was keeping it sharp, and ultimately I gave up on shaving with straight razors because of the maintenance headaches. You do get a great shave with them, and truth be told I only managed to cut myself with the thing once, whereas nicks with a triple blade safety razor aren't that uncommon. *mutter pimples at 37 are NOT fair mutter*

I'll have to try an old fashioned safety razor like you're using.

As far as products, after a recommendation on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, I've been using eshave's products, and been quite happy with them.

-HH

[rapier.livejournal.com]

See, this is one of the only genetic advantages to being Asian -- even as a full grown adult male (28 is full grown, right?), I only have to shave perhaps three times every two weeks. It used to be once a week, but I get to looking pretty scraggly if I do that. When I DO shave, it takes perhaps three minutes with an electric razor, because I only seem to grow hair on my chin, upper lip, and a few stray miscellaneous hairs on my imaginary sideburns. Breaking out an actual razor with the shaving cream and everything is a poor decision in time management, mostly because I never really learned how to do it.

Now, before my follicularly-enhanced brothers curse my name, remember that being Asian does come with a genetic drawback. I won't go into gross detail, but suffice it to say I'll never wind up in the pornography business.

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Actually, the reason you are supposed to shave with the grain is that it's supposed to reduce the chance of in-grown hairs, and thus "shaving bumps"

Personally, I'm hoping there comes a device that just plain kills all the facial hairs permanently. (Maybe everything from the neck down as well, but that's a topic for another thread...)

[fallenpegasus]

Such devices exist.

They required a trained technician, and charge PER HAIR (or by time, which is equivalent), to operate. It would cost several thousand dollars and a fair amount of time to perminantly zap a man's face.

[kengr]

And unless you are a masochist, you need anaesthetic cream to dealk with the pain factor.

I have TS friends who've gone into *great* detail on this... :-)

[mothball-07.livejournal.com]

er.. *shave*, not slave...darn.

I once wrote a story related to both topics, and was patiently reading down looking for the place where your post would take a similar tack... colour me a titch disappointed. ;)

[fallenpegasus]

I actually cut opposite the grain, because my hairs are so straight that they don't get ingrown.

[blackcoat.livejournal.com]

Actually, I have a question for you regarding the goatee.

How do you get the bits between the middle and the sides clean shaven?

[fallenpegasus]

I cheat. I arranged to have the genetics such that very little hair grows there.

Another common trick is to stick your tongue under your lower lip to each side in turn while touching the spots with the razor.

[funos.livejournal.com]

Hm. I found that (with a plain BIC/2/3/4 blade razor) if I shave first with the grain, then again against the grain, I get a perfect shave.

Tradeoff is that the hairs have to be a millimeter or two in length for this to work. Before that, there are still 'bumps', and shaving will cause many tiny nicks, but maybe that's just me.

Someday I'll give a straight razor a try.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I think if I ever went back to shaving, I'd like to try that technique....

Did you get you a mug and brush, too, or should I go grab you one for a belated birthday present? May as well have the whole kit... :)

(Besides, good old-fashioned shaving soap smells wonderful.)

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

It was years before I discovered the secret to a good shave (for me, at least) is patience: after applying the shaving cream, wait about 3 minutes. There are chemicals that soften the hairs and (do something, I don't know what) to your skin and they take time to activate. Also, a sharp blade really makes a difference for me. I have to change cartridges every 5 or so shaves or I'm doomed. Since I can't remember shit, I just decided to always start a new cartridge every Monday morning. That way I don't have to keep count.

Here's my complete ritual:

Shave first. It softens the hairs.
Before you towel off, apply the shaving cream.
Wait about 3 minutes. Kill time by standing in front of the Tivo trying to watch last night Daily Show yet not enough to drip cream all over the place.
Use hot water to clean the blade.
Use cold water on the blade before it touches your skin. The cold water has 2 purposes: the coldness makes your irritated skin feel a lot better. it also hardens the lubricants of the shaving cream.

I don't have a sink with separate spigots for hot and cold water, so I look like a three-stooges act of switching the water back and forth, but it's worth it.

Another tip for cleaning the blades: I hold the cartridge as low as possible. That is, let the water accelerate at 32f/s for as much as possible before it hits the blades. I used to hold the blade almost at the spigot because it felt like there was more pressure. Nope, hold it as low as possible.

I didn't learn most of this until recently. How embarrassing. I've been shaving for 15-20 years.

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

That should be "SHOWER first. It softens the hairs."