The Lost Art of Shaving

For ages men have sought the quicker easier versions of nearly everything. Unfortunately shaving is one of those things. Shaving is an art, and I’m sad to say a lost art.

Our Dads, Grand Dads, and their Dads all shaved with what is called a straight razor. Usually made out of carbon steel in a foldable form where it folded into its own handle. The handle protected you when it was closed, but it when open; it gave leverage and ability to reach specific shaving angles.

The razor was sharpened on a flat stone called a whetstone, with oil or water and then the edge was perfected on a razor strop. The strop is a flat leather strap usually hung on the side of the barber chair (remember?) and the razor is drawn back and forth on it to “polish” and sharpen the edge. There was a day when the straight razor was the thinnest blade used on a daily basis. The razor was stropped before every use to give it a “razor’s edge” so it would cut only hair and not skin when glided across the surface at the ideal angle.

Every man had a straight razor, a stone, and a strop. So did every barber. The popular phrase “A haircut and a shave” was said in every barbershop across the country.

Safety razors made their way into the consumer market for convenience, disposability, and I’m sure for good ole consumerism.

The straight razor was something you cherished and took care of, because when treated right, it took care of you.

Most barbershops don’t use the straight razor today or give “straight shaves” as it’s called, due to the possibility of blood born pathogens and disease. If a straight blade is used, it is a disposable straight blade in a handle and a new blade is used on every guest in that barber chair.

Go into most “salons” or “haircut factories” and ask for a straight shave. You’ll get a wide variety of responses from “We don’t do them” to “What?”. Go to an authentic barbershop and ask for one and you may be able to get one if you’re lucky. If you can get one, you’ll experience possibly the best shave you’ve ever had in your life. It’ll cost you though. The average straight shave today, if you can find a barber who does them, cost $15-$20 and takes 20 minutes on top of the haircut.

As far as I know, my friend Nic Prosseda at Modern Male in Sellersville may be the only one that does them in this area, and he does alot of them. I spoke to Nick about this lost art of shaving.

You never hurry a shave. Maybe a haircut, but never a shave, and for obvious reasons. You recline the guest so their face is below your chest level. You apply a hot steamed towel to the face and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. This softens the beard hair. Then you apply a hot lather to the face with a badger hair brush or by hand. This also helps soften the hair that will be shaved, makes it easier to cut, and also lubricates the skin so the razor glides over the surface of the skin and doesn’t cut the skin. The razor is then glided at the precise cutting angle and short deliberate strokes are made. There is a protocol or “face map” that every barber has for themselves. The face is mentally sectioned off and each section is shaved. The direction of the blade depends on the angles and contours of the guests face and the growth pattern or “grain” of the beard. If the guest has groomed facial hair such as a mustache or goatee, extra care is taken in detailing those areas to create perfectly groomed appearance. After all, that’s why you go to a barber isn’t it?

When the face is shaved, the barber must apply a concoction that is antiseptic (kills germs on the open skin), astringent (closes pores open by the heat) and heals the skin that has been opened by the heat and the blade. The average consumer aftershave does NOT do that because it’s just alcohol with fragrance. With that kind of product you end up doing the “Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone” impression. I am not into pain so I have discovered what is most effective is a combination of rum, witch hazel, aloe, spices, and bay leaves. It cools, soothes, tightens, and heals the skin. I make my own Happy Hour brand and the product is Bay Rum Runner.

I was concierge for Nick this year at Cigar International’s Cigar Fest where all he and his two barbers did straight shaves all day. I listened to men say things like “I never had one of these before and just wanted to try it once”, and then when they were done, they said they wanted to make it a regular thing. I can’t think of a better gift for a guy than a straight shave gift certificate at a barbershop. Now that’s a gift for the man who has everything! I also listened to a man whose two boys, both in college, ages 18 and 21, wanted straight razors and badger brushes for Christmas this past year. What was this I heard? A new generation of young men rediscovering a lost art!

Call around. Treat yourself to a straight shave. Better yet, learn how to do it yourself and make the lost art and a regular practice. You’ll be glad you did.