do you really enjoy going through this
everyday it's never been a particularly
good shave has it
five o'clock shadow at two o'clock maybe
it's time to try something different
maybe blade shaving
well I see you've tried the latest gel
and razor but that wasn't much better
was it Nicks and cuts and how about
those cartridge prices would you like to
get a shave so good so close and
comfortable that you might consider
shaving as a pleasurable hobby instead
of a painful chore I'm talking about
traditional wet shaving that is shaving
using a shaving brush shaving soap or
lathers cream and some of the
traditional techniques that your
grandfather might have used rather than
being forced into the one-size-fits-all
style of most commercial shaving
products traditional wet shaving allows
you to custom tailor your shave to fit
your individual circumstances there is
also an element of Zen in traditional
wet shaving there's something very
pleasurable and introspective about the
ritual of applying warm fragrant lather
to your face with a soft brush and the
scents are nothing like the anonymous
deodorant smells that come out of
mass-marketed pressurized cans of goo
that you see advertised instead you'll
experience smells like citrus woods and
spices most of the shaving products
you'll find at grocery or drugstores are
no more than shaving versions of junk
food widely available convenient and
cheap but not necessarily very good for
you and ultimately unsatisfying
however you may find a few traditional
products such as Williams mug shaving
soap suri glycerin soap and Palmolive
shaving cream the stuff in the red tube
on the left of primary importance is the
shaving brush most of the brushes you'll
find in mass-market outlets will be
inexpensive but poor quality however it
will be enough to get you started if
you're transitioning from an electric
razor
you'll need a blade razor with
traditional wet shaving you don't need
the latest multi bladed razor that
vibrates like a marital aid so stick
with something simple if you already
have a blade razor go ahead and use it
for now though you'll probably find it
overkill or even counterproductive in a
wet shaving environment a styptic pencil
probably wouldn't hurt either to deal
with the Nicks and cuts you may get as
you learn a new shaving technique and
your face gets used to a new way of
doing things don't forget to pick up an
aftershave balm - something without
alcohol here you'll actually find a
selection of reasonably good quality
products at the big stores if you live
in an area large enough to have a
natural food store or at least a natural
food section in the supermarket look for
kiss my face and tom's of Maine products
used by themselves they're just fair to
middlin but when these products are used
in the traditional shaving style with a
brush they will yield excellent shaves
if you happen to have a Target store in
the area head over to the section
labeled spa or Bath & Body adjacent to
the ladies cosmetics for proraso
products imported from Italy their
lather shaving cream and soap contain
eucalyptus which creates a great cooling
effect when you rinse it off after your
shave it's great for the hot summer
months they also carry a shaving brush
that is much better than anything you'll
find in a grocery store or drugstore if
you live in a larger city you may have
access to even better products Crabtree
& Evelyn
carries some excellent men's shaving
supplies and upscale retailers such as
Nordstrom's Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth
Avenue carry brands like True Fit and
Hill & Art of Shaving and specialty
stores in large metropolitan areas may
carry a
some brands such as Trump errs imported
from Britain by the way don't let the
comparatively high price of these
products put you off these products are
so concentrated that the cost per shave
is actually not much higher than the
drugstore stuff and if all else fails
there's always ordering off the internet
the shaving brush is probably the single
most important part of a wet shavers kit
inexpensive shaving brushes are made
from boar hair and cost from about five
to 15 dollars better brushes are made
from badger hair and cost from about 20
to several hundred dollars something to
remember is that sense these brushes are
animal hair the first time you get them
wet they may smell a little funky so
before you use that brush for the first
time wash it with a little animal
shampoo or soak it in a sink full of hot
water with a couple teaspoons of borax
dissolved in it that should knock down
the smell to an acceptable level and
after a week or so the smell should go
away completely
as for the razor you can use the latest
high-tech gizmo but most traditional
shavers prefer a good old fashioned
safety razor you can still buy these
razors new or you can look for a recent
vintage safety razor on your favorite
internet auction site or maybe even your
grandfather's medicine cabinet comparing
a multi-blade to a single blade razor is
like comparing a highway cruiser with an
automatic to a sports car with a stick
shift both will get you to your
destination just in different ways now
that you've gotten your gear let's
discuss the most important concepts in
wet shaving technique first it's all
about water before and during the shave
you'll need lots and lots of hot water
to cleanse the skin and soften the beard
after the shave you'll need lots of cool
water to rinse the lather residue off
and close the pores the second important
concept is to shave gently think of it
like your bathing an infant
don't go hacking at your face like
you're chopping firewood
the next important concept is to think
of your face as a golf course know the
lie of the land the traps and shoot for
par don't take more strokes than you
need to one way to do this is to
critically examine your own face look
and feel all around the beard area to
discover how it grows don't rely on your
eyes alone trust the feel of it then
draw a diagram of what directions your
beard grows in this will help you
understand your shave better and
ultimately give you a better shave
finally consider that your goal is beard
reduction rather than beard elimination
you do this by shaving in stages or
passes with each pass reducing the
amount of remaining stubble until you
have a really close comfortable shave
most traditional shavers shave in the
morning at least 20 minutes after
getting out of bed but before breakfast
why this particular routine works is up
for debate but it does work
some prefer shaving just before they go
to bed they enjoy taking their time and
their shave is so good that they look
fine through the following day many find
it helpful to shave after showering
they'll be sure not to draw your face
afterward some enjoy wrapping a warm
towel over their face for a couple
minutes just like preparing for an
old-time barber shave if you do nothing
else at least rinse your face with hot
water for a good 30 seconds before you
shave