I have started a new little morning ritual: wet shaving. I have always had very sensitive skin on my face and have looked continually for a better way to shave. What makes this especially tough though is I have an extremely heavy, coarse beard.
Over the years, I have tried the multi-blade razor. I wasn't crazy about it, but I got used to it. The first problem with these multi-blade "systems" is the concept behind them. The idea is the first blade pulls the whisker out away from the skin and the second (or third or fouth...) cuts the whisker. Yank hack yank hack.
As you can imagine, this results in a lot of tugging that is not exactly pleasant. Further, when the whisker is pulled out and then chopped off, the remaining whisker snaps back and actually disappears below the skin level. While this does lead to a very close shave it also leads to irritation, reddened skin, and worse, ingrown hairs. Ouch.
The second problem is the expense of these multi-blade razors. For many years the double bladed razor was the standard. Then several years ago, the new standard became the three bladed razor: the Gillette Mach 3. It was and still is a hugely successful product. The problem with this razor is that it is hugely expensive to operate. Blade costs are frankly staggering. And now we are on to the 5 bladed "Fusion" system. I have not priced these blades but I am quite certain they will be even more expensive.
Third, there is the ecological challenge presented by these multi-blade systems. The cartridges use plastic and steel for their construction. They are virtually impossible to recycle. And if you are using the "disposable" razor (which you can only get about 3 maybe 4 good shaves out of), the waste factor is even higher.
I finally broke down earlier this year and bought a top of the line electric shaver. After a break in period and using the electric razor for several months, I gave it up. I still had some skin irritation, but it was manageable. The biggest problem is no matter how much I went over an area, I could not get a close shave. Five o'clock shadow at noon. And the stubble on my neck was ruining my dress shirts.
After going back to the old Mach 3 for a while, I was introduced to wet shaving. This is the shaving your father (or more likely) your grandfather did. It was done with the old style double edged razor. It takes a bit of getting used to and I am still learning. After my first shave, my face looked like it was hemmoraging. However, I am getting better and liking it better each day. Fewer nicks and less skin irritation. Best, no ingrown hairs and ecologically it is very sound. Just a little bit of steel that can be recycled easily.
But, the weird thing about it all, I actually enjoy shaving now. I feel connected to a long line of men from the past. I get the notion that I am doing something my dad did, my grandfather did, and countless other men from the past. It feels like I am carrying on an old masculine tradition.
As I go forward with this, I will keep everyone informed of how it is going and will offer a few links to products and videos as I go.
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