How To Give Yourself an Old-Fashioned Barbershop Shave
Shaving should be an enjoyable experience, something you look forward to every day rather than an inconvenience. For a change of pace, try to duplicate your grandfather's old-time barbershop shave. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Get your soap and brush ready. A shaving soap is different from a regular bath soap in the ratio of oils used. Shaving soaps are generally high in natural glycerin and usually have clays added to provide slip and glide for the razor. Serious shavers use badger brushes, but they are pricey. Most people use boar bristle brushes.
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Soak your beard. Soften the beard hair by applying a warm, damp towel to the shaving areas for a couple of minutes. This is the most enjoyable part of the shave. The warm towel opens your pores, softens the beard hair and feels good on your face. You can skip that step if you just got out of the shower. Just don't let your beard dry out too much. When your beard is wet, it is soft and the razor cuts it much more easily, making the shave more comfortable.
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Lather up. Wet the brush with warm or hot water and use it to work a thick lather of soap inside the mug. Apply the lather to the face with a circular motion and let it sit for a couple of minutes. If you are using a straight razor, strop it. If the lather begins to dry, use the brush to apply additional moisture.
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Start to shave. In the area to be shaved, pull the skin taut with your fingers, but make sure your fingers don't get in the way of the blade as you shave.
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Shave with the grain first. You don't want to make your first shaving stroke against the grain. It will hurt, and you might wind up with dozens of little cuts. If you want a closer shave, relather and shave again, this time against the grain.
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Be careful if you decide to use a straight razor. The motion is more like scraping with the grain of your beard, with the razor at a 30-degree angle. Use a slow, short motion perpendicular to the blade. Any movement side to side along the razor edge will cut you. Be very careful while shaving the chin. Everybody cuts their chin at first.
For the first few times, you may wish to use the straight razor for only a part of the job, such as the cheek or sideburn, then shave the rest with your modern razor.
If the shave isn't close, either your blade or your skill needs some work. Consider giving up for the day or finishing with a safety razor. Shaving over an area numerous times will only lead to cuts and an extremely painful aftershave application. -
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Keep the razor clean as you shave. Rinse the razor occasionally in a bowl of warm water, which will waste less water than a running tap. After shaving with the grain, re-lather and shave against it.
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Rinse your face with cold water, dry with a towel and apply the aftershave lotion. Rinse all the soap and beard from the razor.
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Clean up and care for your straight razor. When you are finished with the shave, rinse the razor well and use a towel to gently blot the side of the blade dry with a towel. You may wish to strop the razor a few times. Be careful of the edge. If you drag something across the edge, even a towel, it will dull it. If you drag a finger across it, it will cut you. Apply some mineral oil to the blade and hinge after it's dry. Most straight razors are made of high-carbon steel. They will usually last a lifetime, but you have to take good care of them.
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Tips & Warnings
Try an actual barbershop shave. Ask questions. Barbers who still shave customers have this down to a science. Reclining in a barber's chair with a hot towel on your face is a very enjoyable experience.
Be careful. You're bound to cut yourself, but try to reduce the frequency and the severity of cuts.
Don't shave with children or other distractions nearby. You need to concentrate while you shave.
References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images
