Weed whacker vs. Double-edge, single blade razor.

As much fun as it might be to prune with a chainsaw, the bushes cry at your enthusiasm. Similar is the story of impatient shavers attacking skin and stubble with their multi-blade disposable razors.

Getting a good shave is important. Even if a quick shave is all you want, I would argue that you should at least learn about wetshaving. It will leave you smoother, more satisfied, and in less pain than whatever you were doing before.

Wetshaving

There are a lot of resources out there on wetshaving, and I don’t much feel like writing it all over again. So here’s the summary:

• Keep the shave area moist with warm water (shaving is preferably done just after a shower).
• Use lube (shaving cream, soap, etc).
• Shave to remove layers of hair over a number of passes; don’t try to take it all off in one swipe.

It sounds simple enough, but I know a lot of people who just use water (or not even that) at a time of day opposite of when they showered. Here’s a little video about wetshaving; this guy’s amusing and has his own blog too. See the bottom of this post for more resources.

Introduction to Wetshaving

DE Razor

I used to used to shave with a Mach 3 and then a Quattro. More blades is better, right? Maybe not. From www.shavingstuff.com:

Most men on the planet shave with a disposable or cartridge razor with some sort of canned foam or gel. This has several issues:

1. Cartridge razors are expensive
2. Aerosols used to dispense the cream or gel from the can are not good for the environment
3. A cartridge razor is made for the “average” male face, leaving little room for superior results. Furthermore, multi-blade razors can be quite irritating to many men due to repeated shaving of the same area by the multiple blades and the possibility of ingrown hairs due to the “lift and cut” operation.

The use of a double edge (DE) razor can alleviate many of these problems. They are quite cheap, extremely sharp, and when properly used can provide an extremely close shave with little or no irritation. The same can be said of straight razors, though they have a higher learning curve.

Bottom Line

Due to irritation from my Quattro cartridge razor, I was only ever able to shave every other day or every third day (even wetshaving). Wetshaving with a DE, I can shave daily (though it usually works out such that I don’t). Also, get a brush; it’s worth it (I use a cheapie from WalMart, but it works fine).

The shave is close and my skin is happpy. Yay.

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Resources

Here are some good resources and explanations on wetshaving:

Badger & Blade – Wet Shaving FAQ

ShaveMyFace.com – Guide to the Art of Shaving

How to get that perfect shave – Today, Weekend Edition – MSNBC.com

Great Video Howtos:

• Mantic59’s Shaving Blog: Introduction to Wetshaving
• Mantic59’s Shaving Blog: How To Shave Part 2: Lathering
• Mantic59’s Shaving Blog: How To Shave Part 3