Ask Aaron Q/A: Top tips on how to shave with a straight razor
Ben Stone, from the UK, asks:
“What would be your best piece of advice for someone who has never used a cut throat/straight razor before? What kit would I need to buy and how would I start my first cut throat shave?”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Stone,
I’m glad you want to take the plunge into straight razor shaving! You’ll need at the least a straight razor and a strop. The strop is a leather strap similar to a wide belt that helps align the metal on the edge of the blade keeping it razor sharp. This is your basic kit! Although if you don’t have them already you’ll want a shaving brush and a good quality shaving cream and aftershave balm. And since you’re beginning with a straight razor, I’d recommend an alum block or styptic pencil because nicks will be inevitable at first until you get the technique down.
To begin your shave I recommend showering or applying a hot towel to moisten and soften the hairs. Apply a pre-shave oil and lather up your shave cream with the shaving brush either in a bowl or on your face. Shave very gently with as little pressure as possible letting the razor do the work slicing the hairs. Reapply the lather with your shaving brush for each pass. Since you are starting out I recommend just doing one or two passes with and then across the direction of hair growth until you get the technique down. You may want to continue using your current razor to clean up any missed spots. Once you are done shaving rinse off with warm then cool water and apply the alum block or styptic pencil as needed then apply your post-shave balm.
Welcome to the world of wetshaving! Hope you enjoy and if there is anything else I can do, please contact us again!
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”
Do you have any burning questions you would like ask our wet shaving expert Aaron Wolfenbarger?
CLICK HERE TO ASK AARON YOUR QUESTION
The Benefits of a Sunday Shave
We live in stressful times. Between the rising costs of everything from gas to groceries to health insurance and the unstable economy leading to more job loss than ever before, most people are suffering the ill effects of stress with very few healthy outlets for it. Yet, for men, there is a healthy, relaxing option to release the stress of the week. It is a ritual that many men have forgotten in the hectic pace of today’s world – the Sunday shave.
While a comparison could be made to the typical “spa day” for women in that they are both relaxing personal care activities, the atmosphere of the barber shop is a far cry from the spa. It is more a place of camaraderie between men, filled with scents of shaving lather and old leather.
There is something almost homey about the place as you walk in. When your barber greets you, it feels like being welcomed into an old friend’s home. As he ushers you towards your chair, you are already starting to feel stress melt away.
Once in the chair, the magic begins. After placing a towel around your neck to protect the collar of your shirt, your barber then presses a warm, steaming towel against your face to soften your whiskers for shaving. Yet, it also seems to soften the hard edges of your stress as well as you inhale the steam and feel its warmth spread along the lines of your jaw and cheekbones.
As the towel is removed, you can feel the cooler air brush along your skin just before you are once again encapsulated in warmth from the hot foam that the barber meticulously spreads over your cheeks and jaw. The scent of the shaving cream permeates the air with a smell that reminds you of your father and grandfather, an unidentifiable smell that just says “man.” After the application of the foam, the barber pulls out his straight razor, the super sharp edge gleaming in the light.
The barber draws the blade against your skin in smooth, swift strokes, each rasping away the hair with a whisper of sound. Yet, it is not only the hair that those blade strokes remove. With each hiss of the blade against your skin, the stress of your life seems to be removed as well. In such a relaxed atmosphere, it is easy to lose track of time. The barber seems to be shaving you for an eternity, yet in reality, he works swiftly and cleanly while paying attention to every nook and cranny of your face. He even removes the fuzz from your earlobe.
After the shave is complete, the barber runs a warm towel over your skin to remove any excess shaving cream, then applies aftershave to your freshly-shaven skin. The scent and sting against your raw skin energizes you and jerks you from the relaxing stupor that the act of shaving had placed you in, similar to diving into n chilly pool after lounging in a hot tub for hours. You walk out of the shop energized and without stress, ready to face the challenges of your life with a refreshed sense of self.
Los Angeles’ leading barbershop giving a traditional cut-throat shave using Bluebeards Revenge shaving cream
In this traditional shaving documentary, Vinnie Morey and Trent Magnano talk about how their unique Hollywood barbershop (The Proper Barbershop), a blend of modern art, street culture blended with the traditional and old-fashioned, was born.
They discuss their open razor technique using Bluebeards Revenge shaving cream and how a traditional shave is “one of the last things a man can do to really enjoy a service that is not a manicure and pedicure you can do with your wife”.
The Proper Barbershop was created by Vinnie and Trent as a way of bringing back the classic old-fashioned barbershop to the modern world.
Vinnie and Trent are both very decorated barbers with a driving passion and true respect for the art and tradition of their craft.
“We both realised that there was a huge gap in the Los Angeles men’s grooming community,” said Vinnie. “In our view, too many men have never been to or even seen a real traditional barbershop!
The Proper Barbershop is located on 7950 3rd St. Los Angeles
“With that in mind, we decided to build a barbershop that has never been seen before. It was the most beautiful marriage of modern art, street culture blended with the traditional, old-fashioned barbershop. In that moment, The Proper was born!”
The Proper Barbershop is located on 7950 3rd St. Los Angeles.
“Come in today for a hot towel shave and a real barber’s haircut, and make sure to enjoy our fun-loving, easy-going atmosphere while you’re here,” added Vinnie.
“Relax with an X-Box, watch a funny movie, and have a cold beer in our back lounge. We set out to create the last true safe house for a man to come and enjoy being a man.”
-
Stay connected:
-
Keep up to date
-
-
