Like most guys, I was never “taught” how to shave.  When I was old enough to amass enough scraggly chin pubes to warrant shaving, I simply went to the nearest drug store and bought whatever astrofacelube and hyper valyrian turbo razor was “the best I can get”.  As expected, it was a less than thrilling shave, but it got the job done.  On I went, experimenting with just about every product on the shelf in hopes of finding something better.  Eventually I just settled on the fact that I could either get a baby’s butt smooth shave that result in tons of irritation 24 hours later, or I could get a mediocre shave and my face would calm down a bit.

A few years ago I decided to take another crack at experimenting.  After loads of research I learned about the classic wet shaving method.  This is basically the method old school barbershops and your grandpa used to use.  It involves a routine of good care for your skin and facial hair and the use of a manual razor, be it the usual disposable cartridge style, a cutthroat straight razor, or the most common double edge safety razor.  (No electrics, and I get into the why later)  Why would I go back to such an antiquated method you ask?  Well, first off, you probably wouldn’t be reading this far if you are already satisfied with your usual shave but I’ll give you a few more good reasons.

1.  If you stick with my recommendations, I promise you really will get the best shave of your life.
2.  If you go with a safety razor, its much more economical to replace the blades and always have a fresh, sharp blade.
3.  It’s environmentally friendly.  Safety razor blades cause far less waste to produce and dispose of than cartridges.  Also, good quality shaving creams and soaps tend to made of more natural ingredients than whatever the heck that canned, aerosol driven gook is.
4.  It’s therapeutic.  Taking a little extra time out of the day to pamper your face and enjoy the shaving experience is almost meditative.
5.  Let’s face it.  There’s just something cool, visceral, and manly about artfully carving those whiskers off with a finely crafted razor.

So, if you’re feeling pretty geeked about this let’s start diving into the good stuff.  In these posts, I’m going to break wet shaving down into 3 parts: The Gear, Preparing Your Face and Post Shave Care, and lastly Shaving Technique. And now for the gear porn!