Being a stylish man is not only about how you dress, but how you look as well. Being clean shaven with that smooth skin is a key part of leaving a lasting impression. For this reason, an introduction to wet shaving is seemingly imperative for the modern man. Wet shaving is an art that has lost its touch since the introduction of disposable and cartridge razors. The truth however is that those two types of razors are not cost effective, environmentally friendly, nor as effective as they can be.
Wet shaving involves the use of a different type of razor: but most popularly used is the double edged safety razor or straight razor. While a straight razor is what your barber uses, it is not recommended because of its difficulty of use and how easy it is to get it wrong and end up cutting yourself. Instead, you should look towards getting a double edged safety razor and start shaving with that.
Why a Double Edged Safety Razor?
A DE razor is one of the most effective ways to shave in many ways. Introduced in the early 1900s, it is still used today because of it’s many benefits. Here are some of them:
- Firstly, after your initial purchase of the base razor, your cost per blade is significantly less at a fraction of a cost than that of cartridge razors.
- They are environmentally friendly because they don’t have the plastic that cartridge or disposable razors do.
- Once the growing pains are done, the shave is the closest and smoothest that you can get.
- Lastly, the experience of shaving is much better. You will start to actually enjoy shaving.
So What Do You Need to Get Started with DE Wet Shaving?
First, you need to get yourself a DE razor. Read a review of the best safety razors and pick one that suits your needs. Be sure to get one that is not as aggressive because it will be very hard to use it properly without hurting yourself. Two great beginner DE razors are the Parker 96R and the Merkur “barber pole”.
Next you will need a shaving brush, a chrome stand to hold the two, a natural shaving cream, and a mug to create the lather in. Shaving brushes come in several types, but the most popular ones are badger and synthetic as of now. There is also the inexpensive boar’s hair brushes but that is more stiff and not ideal for wet shaving. You can still find plenty pure badger hair brushes for under $15 and they are the superior choice by far.
While the silvertip badger is the most expensive and highest of quality brush, it is not required and you can get away with a lower cost pure or best badger brush instead. If you do not condone animal cruelty, go for a synthetic brush. The quality is still great and it can easily create a rich and peaky lather for you.
If you are looking to save money and time, you can just go for a safety razor set that comes with everything you need to get started right away. The only thing that’s left is a shaving cream or soap and that is based on your preferred scent.
After the initial cost of getting everything you need to get started, you will end up saving an incredible amount of money by not buying disposables or cartridges anymore. Double edged safety blades are a fraction of the cost and you can even buy them in bulk, thus saving you even more cash in the end.
How to Wet Shave with a DE Razor
The best way to learn how to shave with a DE razor is to practice. Wet shaving takes getting used to, but you can do things to expedite that process. A great beginner method is to go with two passes: with the grain at first, and then across the grain after a quick rinse.
Be sure to look at guides on how to shave with a DE razor on YouTube so you can visually see what to do as that can drastically speed up the learning curve. It might take you a couple of shaves before you get used to it, but once you do you are guaranteed to have the best shaves of your life from then on. Forget about cuts and ingrown hairs as those will be a thing of the past.
Furthermore, you can begin to enjoy what once was a tedious task and turn it into something that you look forward to. So remember friends, a stylish man is not just one who wears the right clothes, but one that is well groomed as well.
Original article appears on MenStyle1.
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