Bic disposable, Gillette, Schick…these are all brands that pass for shaving razors now. Don’t get it wrong, some of these brands make excellent razors, but whatever happened to the manly art of straight razor shaving? Our fathers and their fathers before them enjoyed what is now the lost art of straight razor shaving. When men were men and shaving was a skill worth mastering.
The Lost Art of Shaving
In our quest to live in a ‘microwave society’ where everything is almost instant, we lost a few wonderful traits along the way. A few decades ago, our father shaved with what was known as a straight razor. This was a shaving device so precisely made that it could double as a weapon.
Made from carbon steel, the straight razor could fold into its own handle which protected both the blade and the user. When folded, the blade was kept sharp and safely tucked away within the handle. When open, the handle gave the user the leverage and ability to reach some of those difficult to reach places.
The straight razor was sharpened using a wet stone and only the most skillful of barbers could wield this wonderful tool. To give you a clean shave, the barber would go through a routine that was almost ritual-like. This culminated with you getting the cleanest, closest shave ever to grace the face of men.
Using the strop (a leather strap that hung on the side of the barber’s chair), the barber gave the blade a razor’s edge by ‘polishing’ it on that strop regularly during the shave.
Experience a shave by an expert and see if it is for you!
Why the Art of Straight Razor Shaving is Lost
The one and only real reason why this art is lost now is ‘convenience’. Somewhere along the line, men got too busy to master ancient arts such as straight razor shaving. We started using multiple-blade cartridge razors instead, many of which were disposable.
Years ago when the multiple-blade razors where being introduced into the market, the very first men to try them out were non-too-impressed. In fact, they out rightly disliked the feeling these razors evoked. They said that the razors felt like cheese graters on their faces.
That, however, did not necessarily deter the producing companies from mass marketing these new products. Thousands of strategically placed Super Bowl ads later and the art of straight razor shaving were lost forever.
Why These Commercials Worked
The argument for multiple-blade razors was that each one of the blades made a separate, yet consecutive pass down or across your cheek. This means that the more razors your multiple-blade razor had, the closer the shave you got. Whether that is true for every individual is a matter in contention.
What we do know is that a straight razor shave was definitely a close shave. The problem was that this art was difficult to master. With a straight razor, you didn’t just ‘slightly nick yourself’ when you handled the blade badly. You quite literally cut yourself. That is why it was the privilege of every father to teach their son how to shave.
Why the lost art of straight razor shaving should be saved
In a world where human contact and connections are getting more and more virtual by the day, we definitely need something that will bring us closer together in a more traditional fashion.
Absentee parents (fathers in many cases) mean that fewer boys grow into men in the right way. There are traditions that should not be messed with at all; such as teaching one’s own son how to shave. Not only did this bring fathers and sons closer together, but it also allowed the boys to learn self-control and to develop patience. It showed many:
- How to stay clean shaven, neat and presentable.
- How to interact with other men in the barber shops.
- How to make sensible decisions and to live with the ensuing consequences (only trust the best and most thoroughly vetted barber with your neck).
If you’re looking for a place to buy a straight razor as a gift, check out our store.
The lost art of straight razor shaving did much more than just give you a clean shave. It made a man out of you.
by Victor Bertoni with http://gentlemanhq.com/