Toss the Old Razor, Get an Older One

The newest trend among the refined gents West of the Atlantic is wetshaving. Hardly new to our European counterparts, good shaving creams, old-school razors, and most importantly, badger hair shaving brushes have taken the States by storm. Much of this revival of quality over marketing is thanks to the success of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. For those of you who haven't seen it, Johnny Depp sings and dances his way through the more nefarious use of a straight razor. Strangely, seeing it made me want to test drive one of those silver-handled beauties, but I haven't had the time to go learning a new skill this year.

If you're still shaving with a disposable or (worse) an electric then it's time to trade up. These bizarre creations of modern industry belong in the Senate debates about the definition of "torture," not in your bathroom cabinet. Razor blades, simply put, are not quite as tough as we'd like them to be. Think of it this way. Imagine trying to slice through a piece of hemp rope, hanging from the ceiling, using only a knife, without pulling the rope taut. The rope, because it is both tough and flexible, would simply swing. If most blades cut into it, they'd simply tug at it, pulling it at whatever angle you dragged the knife, until it slipped off. Now, imagine that the ceiling is made of a sensitive material akin to, oh, I don't know, human flesh. See where I'm going with this?

When using a good razor, a glycerin-based shaving cream, and huge quantities of hot water the blade glides across the surface of the water, slicing though the hairs without irritating the skin. Adding a badger hair shaving brush (the most important tool in this equation) makes this work perfectly. The brush (and it really needs to be badger) holds hot water which is mixed with the shaving cream or soap to make a rich, foamy, elegantly scented lather. Moving the brush in a light, circular motion across the face layers the protective lather onto the face while lifting the hairs and exfoliating the skin. A good, sharp razor, pulled across the face without any pressure, slices the hairs instead of tugging at them. Sound good?

I'll spare you the specifics of "how-to" and simply refer you to two excellent purveyors in the UK whose web sites have step-by-step guides, Geo. F. Trumper's and Taylor's of Old Bond Street. Both of these shops have been in business since the 19th century and boast an amazing selection of products. I recommend Taylor's rose shaving cream and Trumper's violet shaving soap, but trying out new scents is half the fun here.

If you have especially sensitive skin, both have an excellent line of products to help there. Try Taylor's pre-shave oil to protect before the shave, and use one of Trumper's "Skin Food" moisturizer/aftershave products after the fact. Avoid using any aftershave that contains alcohol, even if it comes from a reputable source. Some old habits should die, but just don't seem to.

Insofar as brushes go, I like the Vulfix line. They can be found everywhere, even on Amazon.com. Their entry level badger brush is $40, and it does the trick just fine. You do not need to pay in the hundreds of dollars for an ultra-luxurious shave brush, but if you're the type that would you'll probably buy one just to tell me that I'm wrong. For what some brushes cost, I imagine you could find a trained badger to do the job for you. If you plan to travel, a self-encased travel brush would be in order. Both of the above sites have high-quality brushes as well for slightly more than the Vulfix line, but once you account for shipping the difference might be negligible.

If you want to be a real man's man (or plan on disposing of a rival), both sites have a decent selection of straight razors and accessories, but I might recommend starting with an old Gillette DE or a Merkur knockoff of the same. The antiques are going for relatively good money on Ebay these days, but Merkur makes copies of all the old Gillette models, platinum coated blades, and even new styles of DE razors that all do exactly the same thing. Their "Futur" model even looks like it might involve a light-saber-style blade.

The start-up costs here are significant for most guys, or at least it seems so. Buying a brush, razor, pack of blades, shaving cream, and any extras can easily run into the $200+ range after exchange rates and international shipping take their toll, but it pays for itself quickly. Aside from the old adage about getting what you pay for being true in this case, these products last longer and are cheaper to maintain. Where a pack of cartridge razor blades (like a Mach 3) can run over $20 for 8, a pack of 10 Merkur butterfly blades for a Gillette DE is only $5. The shaving creams and soaps last longer, too, as you only need a tiny bit to make a lot of lather, and without the spray can you don't tend to use more than you need.

The final selling point is a little more vain. Women love this stuff. Simply put, your gal (or the gal you're trying steal from the loser at the pub) will appreciate that your face now smells like fresh-cut roses, violets, limes, or sandalwood instead of deodorant and hairspray. When she sees you in the bathroom in the morning lathering up the old fashioned way and using a piece of steel on your face instead of a piece of plastic, she'll be sold. This is a simple decision. Chest waxing, by comparison, is painful and, frankly, a little nancy, but old school shaving is one of those rare moments when you get to do something that improves your appearance, feels better than what you're already doing, and is fundamentally more manly.