The Finer Things

by Longtime Phillytown.com Crony - Elbo

Standard Phillytown.com Disclaimer: Awww, hell, it's Elbo, do we really need a disclaimer...nah. Send comments to Elbo about this article HERE.

EL Razor

With the world changing so fast and ever greater leaps forward in technology being attained it’s hard to believe sometimes that old world equipment can possibly outperform modern day apparatus. Sometimes it’s hard to improve upon an original and with shaving this happens to be the case. For those of you who are interested in straight razor shaving, read on, all others I suggest you have a professional barber give you one from time to time so you can understand what it feels like for those of us who practice it.

Most men remember as young boys the first time they noticed their father shaving. I remember my father with his face covered in shaving cream looking almost like Santa Claus just before he took his first strike. I watched him drag the razor down his face clearing off the cream and stubble with each stroke. I also remember him telling me that one day I too would have to shave. I couldn’t wait to reach that rite of passage because it would mean that I was a man and had all the rights and privileges of a free citizen in this world. The time would come soon enough as I started shaving at the age of twelve.

By the time I had stubble to shave my parents had separated and my father had moved out thus I had no one to show me where to start, how to begin or even what to use. I later read that most fathers don’t teach their sons how to shave so having dear old Dad there might not have been any more helpful. Most men, from what I’ve read, feel that the art is instinctual and therefore needs no instruction. Well, in any case I began teaching myself how to do it. I used what I learned from just watching Dad and from what I generally saw on TV. I tried one of the razors that Dad left behind, it was his old Gillette Atra and it had two blades and a pivoting head. I soon found out that my beard was too course to get a satisfactory shave from this blade so I set out in pursuit of the best shaving instrument.

I tried everything: electric shavers, Sensor razors, double edge razors and finally the straight razor. I was introduced to the straight by the dear departed Father of my best friend. He overheard me talking to his son and telling him of my plight – that nothing seemed to get close enough. Ironically he happened to be shaving at that moment and he poked his head out of the bathroom and said, “Try a straight razor it’s the closest shave you’ll ever get”. He wasn’t using a straight at the time, just a regular blade but he said he had used one as a younger man and that those were the best shaves he ever got. He also said he stopped using it because he developed what he called “the shake” otherwise he would still be using one. I was a little floored as I didn’t even know if such things were still made or if there was any place I could still get one. Well with the phonebook, some time and a little persistence I found a nearby beauty supply that sold all the equipment I’d need. I went down there and got everything I could. That trip started me down a road that’s been quite a learning experience and a journey that has continued to this day.

As you can imagine, twenty years ago there weren’t too many people still using the straight razor to shave so there was no one outside of my barber to whom I could turn for instruction and advice. With the proliferation of the Internet this has changed dramatically. There are a plethora of sites where you can obtain straights and learn about the art of shaving with one. One caution though, it takes a lot of hands on experience to learn how to shave with and maintain a straight razor. I’ll try to pass on here some of the knowledge I’ve learned over the years but the learning curve is steep and requires much more information than I can impart in such a short article. If you’re truly interested in learning the art I encourage you to seek as much information as possible prior to actually using a straight. I’ll provide some links at the end of this article to help you get started.

Motivation

I think most men have encountered the downside to modern shaving systems. I can say that even though for the better part of the last twenty years I have used a straight I also have tried other shaving tools, including the ever exalted Mach III. When I tried the Mach III it was so bad in comparison to the straight I discontinued use of it halfway through the shave and had to redo the already shaved parts and finish the unshaved parts with a straight. This poor performance may have been due to a lack of knowledge of how to properly use a Mach III but that seems unlikely to me as that razor’s design makes it elemental.

There is nothing on this earth that will shave you smoother than a straight razor. It is still the closest, most comfortable shave possible. Part of the reason for this close shave has to do with the technique employed, but more on that later. When a man uses a straight razor he transforms the chore of shaving into a ritual that ties him to his forefathers for a thousand generations. Some people make their morning ritual a cup of coffee, the newspaper or some other routine. The ritual that you’ll perform with the straight will find it’s own place in your heart and may even take the place of your normal routine. The first initiation into this practice of high society will be learning how to choose a proper razor.

The Razor

Good “Razors of the Lost Art” are made from newly forged high carbon steel. One must be cautious though as several manufacturers in Asian countries are selling sub par razors made from recycled steel that are worthless because they’ll never be able to take and hold a good shaving edge. Also, I advise against stainless steel blades as they are harder to hone and do not hold their shaving edge as well carbon steel, especially if one has a very course beard. Some of the World’s best razors are made in France by Thiers Issard using a lead hardening process during which the steel is plunged in boiling hot lead to heat it to the perfect temperature then it is quenched in water. These razors are the ultimate in straight razor shavers as they take a wickedly sharp velvet edge that would embarrass any modern safety blade. They also hold that edge longer than their high quality counterparts which are made in Solingen Germany by Dovo. However, choosing between a German or a French blade would be like choosing between Mercedes Benz and Rolls Royce; no one should hesitate to buy from either maker as they are both excellent choices, it’s just that one is a notch better than the other.

The width of the blade should also guide your choice of razor. Blades come in a variety of widths: 4/8” (a.k.a. ½”), 5/8”, 6/8” (a.k.a. ¾”), 7/8” and most rare 1”. The rule of thumb is the coarser or harder the beard the greater the width of the blade should be. Thus men with very hard beards should use a 6/8” or larger width. For comparison though most men use a 5/8” and it is sufficient. I myself have the “Irish Curse”, a beard that feels as hard as iron and I use a 6/8” wide razor. Razors in the 4/8” range are generally used by barbers for shaving neck hairs. Some men use them as daily shavers but these men probably have naturally fine soft beards.

Once a razor has been chosen it is helpful to know that most of them come shaving sharp from the factory but there are a few that don’t and for those that don’t it’s important to mention here that a new skill will be necessary to acquire in order to put a shaving sharp edge on the blade -  honing. In most cases professional honing is not readily available in most areas so the art of honing will need to be acquired. In any case a user will need to learn to hone because after approximately six months of use you’ll notice the razor will start to slightly pull and will need a touch up. If you think about it though, six months of use before any maintenance is needed – try that with a multi blade razor. The best part is that the razor is made for a lifetime of service and if maintained properly will outlive you and more than a few generations. If you take a look on eBay you’ll find a plethora of razors that are in excess of 50 years of age. Many of those razors came with the same guarantee that one manufacturer put on their razors, “Unconditionally guaranteed forever against all manufacturing defects”. How many things do you know that come with that kind of guarantee?

Honing

Honing a razor is like seducing a woman, a light touch is involved. You caress the edge of the blade with the stone. The tools you’ll employ are a hone and a razor. A hone is usually made of stone or some synthetic material and most times is made expressly for razor honing. Barbers of old used something called a Belgian stone that had been mined in Belgium from a light cream or coffee colored rock and it was two toned. The other side was a dark colored rock. These stones are not really mined anymore as the most suitable stone has been depleted so some suitable substitute needs to be used. If you can get a hold of a Belgian stone though I highly recommend it, just make sure that it’s from the late part of the nineteenth century or the early part of the twentieth century as these are the best. Fortunately some manufacturers make a water hone that puts a superb edge on razor. One such manufacturer is Norton and their products are easily obtained over the Internet. The best Norton product for this purpose is the combination grit stone 4000 and 8000. The 4000 side is used to put an edge on a very dull razor and the 8000 side is used to polish that edge and it’s also used to maintain the edge of an already sharp razor that needs a touch up or for regular maintenance of the edge when the razor starts to pull.

When you hone, follow the instruction of the hone manufacturer to use the hone properly, I’m referring to hone preparation etc. Honing a straight razor is done by laying the razor flat on the hone and pushing it with the edge leading and down diagonally towards the handle for a very short stroke. The stroke should be long enough to make sure that the whole edge comes in contact with the hone. The razor is then flipped over on its spine/back and the other side is pushed in the same manner blade leading in a forward and down diagonal motion. You’ll be making an X pattern using this technique. Use only the weight of the blade or as little pressure as possible needed to keep the edge in constant contact with the surface of the hone for the whole stroke. If renewing the edge of a blade that has been in regular use five passes (one pass equals both sides being pushed) on the 8000 side of the hone usually does the trick. It may take a total of 10 minutes and the blade will last you approximately another six months.  After honing you’ll need to strop the blade on a leather strop only to perform a final whetting of the edge. From then on ten to twenty passes on the strop prior to each shave and you’re ready to experience the world’s finest shave.

How do you know if you’re blade is properly sharp? Well, there is a test. After honing and leather stropping the blade’s keenness or sharpness is tested by slicing a hair plucked from your head (I use hair from my wife’s hair brush). The technique is performed like so: pinch the hair between your thumb and forefinger and let it hang down. Hold the razor perpendicular to the hair and very slowly push the blade at the hair. This is not a swiping motion or a scything motion but slowly pushing the blade at the hair. The blade must catch the hair and slice through it with almost no noise. The piece you’ve sliced will fall away.

This section is just a primer on honing and gives you all the generalities to get started. You must research more on the fine points of honing if you’re going to be successful. I’m providing links at the end of this article that will allow you to more easily pursue that knowledge.

The Strop

A strop is really a fine leather belt that has a finished smooth surface over which the razor is dragged flat with the back leading. The strop smoothes out the edge of the razor making it superfine and ready for shaving. There are many types of strops that a person can use for their regular razor use. A Russian leather strop made from Shell Horse is generally considered the best. Other variations of the Russian strop are made from cowhide and there is also one made from a lesser horsehide. These are excellent alternative choices. The difference is that the Shell Horse will probably not need a “breaking in” whereas the other choices will most likely need some type of minor breaking in. In any case one should always examine the strop for flatness and a smooth as glass finish on the stropping side. If these are not present a “breaking in” will be necessary.

Breaking in a strop can range from massaging the leather with your hand or forearm for a while to a more involved process of lathering the strop up and scraping it with a pumice stone. Fortunately in almost all cases today’s modern strops only need a hand rubbing and a straightening. The leather of the strop cups or does not lay completely flat so wetting it and laying it flat wrapped in a towel and placed under a heavy flat weight will straighten it out. Allow it 48 hours to dry under the heavy weight and that should do the trick. There are more sources on the Internet that present more involved methods for strop care and I encourage you to read them if you feel that your strop is not performing satisfactorily. It can be a subject entirely unto itself so I won’t get more elaborate here than I already have.

Leather strops should be treated about once a month or as frequently as needed with a conditioning paste. Conditioning pastes can be made from synthetic creams or a type of fat which has been treated with preservatives to keep it from going rancid. Of these two types of conditioner the fat is probably better as it imparts a better drag on the strop to allow it to better polish the blade. A container of either conditioner will last an incredible amount of time as only a very small amount is rubbed into the pores of the leather with the palm of one’s hand. As an example I have a 2 oz container of the fat conditioner that I’ve had for approximately seven years and I haven’t even used a quarter of it.

In general I recommend getting a brand new strop because it will require the least amount of attention to begin using it. The life of a properly cared for strop is indeterminable. One may easily obtain a used strop that is seventy-five years or more old on eBay. It’s service period will probably go for another 75 to 100 years if properly maintained. The problem with getting a used strop though is that you don’t know how well it’s been cared for and there is some cleaning and reconditioning that may be involved. For a few bucks more you can avoid this and begin using your brand new strop. Used strops are very good for polishing pastes. Polishing pastes are pastes impregnated with extremely fine abrasives that can impart a high polish and extremely fine edge on a razor. There are various grit levels that can be used. One should never use a strop impregnated with polishing pastes as their final strop before shaving. And after using a strop impregnated with a grit paste the razor should always be thoroughly cleaned before it is allowed to touch a plain leather strop. A plain leather strop treated only with conditioning pastes should always be kept as the final strop before shaving.

Proper stropping technique is probably one of the hardest techniques to master but one of the more forgiving actions on your blade. Many a man has taken a gauge out of his brand new strop because he did not take his time to strop properly. One should remember that there is no prize for completing the stropping fast. Take your time, use little more than the weight of the blade and you’ll thank yourself for not slicing your strop into pieces. A few nicks here and there are to be expected, even the best of us occasionally nick the edge of their strop. Should you take more then a nick don’t panic you’re strop is still usable. Most chunks, even if they’re a little deep, can be smoothed out with very fine grit sandpaper. Once sanded out wipe the strop off with a damp cloth and treat the strop with conditioner. You should be good to strop at this point, just try to avoid the nicked area if it’s deep. Most strops are twenty-four inches in length and only eight to ten inches are really needed to strop properly.

A leather strop often comes with a linen strop. The purpose, use and necessity of the linen strop is a debated subject even amongst barbers and there is no consensus. Some people assert that the linen strop is entirely unnecessary. With that said let me tell you how it’s used, what I believe it does and why I recommend it. Essentially the linen strop is used identically to the leather strop. It is used prior to stropping on the leather and only six to ten strokes are used at most. In my experience the linen straightens out microscopic serrations on the blade, cleans the edge of any microscopic rust and dirt and prepares the blade for the leather strop. I recommend using one because I believe that its use provides a better shave, helps maintain a blade and extends the period of time between honings. This is only my opinion born of my experience. You can experiment yourself to see if it makes any difference to you and go with whatever works best for you.

The Technique

Stropping is almost the opposite of honing except that no metal is removed – the blade is dragged with the spine/back leading while lying completely flat on the leather. It is also dragged somewhat diagonally to cover the whole blade. Once a side is finished the razor is flipped over on it’s back and dragged in the opposite direction. One should use little more than the weight of the blade, that is to say only enough tension to keep the blade in contact with the strop. Since most blades are longer than the width of a strop one should use an “X” pattern when stropping allowing the blade to move lengthwise while dragging the blade down the leather so that the whole length of the blade is dragged along the leather during the stroke.

Preparations

When you’re ready to shave you should prep your beard to help make the shave go as smooth as possible. You would do this with any type of razor prior to shaving. Most men shower then shave. This is probably the best way to soften your beard in preparation for shaving. If you’re not showering it is recommended that you wash your face with soap and very hot water, it will remove the oils that build up and soften your whiskers. A good shaving cream should be used to lubricate the face. Some men prefer the canned variety and some men still use the time honored system of brush and soap in a mug. For those cheapskates out there you’ll be happy to know that a large cake of soap lasts about three times longer than a 9.5 oz can of cream and costs about the same. Shaving soap also has more lubricants and beard softeners than canned cream and carries more water, which is essential to a great shave. In any case a proper lather is the consistency of stiffly beaten egg whites. If you’ve ever eaten fresh lemon meringue pie - the white stuff on top (the meringue) is stiffly beaten egg whites. The lather should not be too dry but should have the most amount of water possible in it but not so much as to make it runny. Experiment with water amounts until you achieve the ideal. You’ll find that the lather lasts longer this way.

The most effective technique is to lather the face after washing then strop your razor. After stropping refresh your lather with more moist lather – this is where a brush comes in handy. This gives the lather time to work on the beard, further softening the whiskers and infusing them with water. Most barbers have an old saying, “A well lathered face is half of a good shave”. During the shave be mindful of the state of your lather and if at any time it becomes dry refresh it with moist lather or water. Make sure you’re lather is moist at all times because when it dries out the cutting action stops. I usually refresh my lather on my neck, upper lip and chin after doing my cheeks this keeps them from getting too dry.

The Shave

You should start by shaving your sideburns and cheeks first, hold the blade at a 30 degree angle to your face and push the blade along. You should use very little pressure and go slow, very slow. The pressure should be as light as a lover’s kiss. A good rule of thumb is that if it hurts you’re not doing it right. The cheeks are easy in comparison to some of the other places on your face – the rounded ones for instance, like your chin or jowls. But these other places can be done with a little persistence and careful practice. Keep the skin stretched at all times and keep the pressure light. Go with the grain of the beard. Once you’ve mastered the art you’ll be completing your shave in almost the same time as it took you with a safety razor.

The Aftershave

Once you’re done shaving your face the difference should be immediately noticeable from your previous shaver. Your skin will be much smoother. You may choose to stop here or continue with what professional barbers used to call the “second pass”. The second pass is merely shaving again against the grain or across it with only some water and or some wet light lather. Most straight users perform the second pass but it is possible to get so good at the first pass that you only need to do the second one as a touch up to the areas that are tough to shave.

Once complete, rinse your face with warm water to remove excess soap and then cool to cold water to tighten the pores. In the rare instance that you nick yourself the cold water will help stop the bleeding. Dry your face and apply a good aftershave balm or alcoholic aftershave if your skin can take it. Generally, balms are preferred because they are easier on the skin. One alcoholic aftershave stands out though as a superior performer – Dominica Bay Rum. It’s essentially alcohol, water and a distillation of Bay Leaves and spices. It doesn’t quite burn as much as most alcoholic aftershaves and it has excellent medicinal qualities. Also, one balm also stands out – Trumper’s Skin Food. It’s imported from England, is very expensive but a little goes a long way. One bottle will probably last you a year or more.

Satisfaction

Now when you’re done you’ll notice how invigorated your face feels. It’s like no other shave you’ve ever had. The skin is supple and smooth, with no feeling of irritation. It’s like you’ve been kissed by an angel. Some of us, schedules and personal habits permitting, like to light up a cigar and relax after a good straight razor shave.

Disclaimer

This article is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a replacement for hands on trained instruction and should not be used as such. A trained professional should be consulted prior to any practice of straight razor shaving.

Where to go - Links

For those who are interested in more information I can offer you the following sites:

www.classicshaving.com – an excellent source of knowledge and equipment. This site has detailed instructions on all aspects of straight razor shaving from honing and stropping to how to pick out a shaving brush, and shave, just check out their “How to and Why” section.

www.gentlemans-shop.com – The best English purveyor of high quality shaving goods. They’ll have your order at your doorstep in only a few short days. They have many goods cheaper than the United States even with delivery factored in, especially if the British Pound is weak against the dollar. If you’re in England you can even go there for a shave.

www.shavingsupplies.com – Another provider of top quality equipment. They have some limited knowledge on razor care and use.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/straightrazorplace/ - An online group of straight razor users that is an excellent source of knowledge.

http://www.en.nassrasur.com/razorcentral/index.html - A site authored by a man named Arthur Boon who is generally considered to be an expert in the subject of straight razor shaving. There is a lot of good information here.

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