Straight Razors – Getting Back to Basics
Have you noticed lately that a lot of people are getting back to basics? Granted, I love technology; I would HATE to not have my computer or my HDTV or my cell phone. however, there are certain things that I really feel are better when they’re simple and done the way we used to do them.
For instance, although I have a cell phone for when I’m on the go, I still have a landline at home and have no intention of ever getting rid of it; it’s just too reliable. also, my wife and I shun the microwave; we have one, we just think that food cooked in a regular oven tastes better.
The one thing I’ve really gone back in time for, though, is a nice, comfortable, luxury shave using a straight razor. Cartridge blades, disposables, and electric razors either just don’t shave close enough or do so at the expense of your skin. how many of you HATE shaving?
It irritates your skin, leaving you itchy for hours. For some of us, it leaves you with razor bumps or severe razor burn, and that foamy stuff in a can has way too many manmade chemicals in it; it can’t be good for you.
Razor bumps occur when a hair attempts to grow into the skin, usually because it is cut below the skin line and then gets caught underneath the skin when it tries to grow.
Straight razors, like those made by Dovo, can’t cut your hair below the skin line, whereas multi-bladed razor commercials actually brag about that, claiming that’s how they give you the closest shave. What a crock A straight razor will get your beard to skin level, so all you feel is skin; a close shave and no bumps
Razor burn happens because too much of your skin has been removed during your shave and makes it raw; add chemicals from your foam shaving cream and you might as well be throwing salt on your wounds. The problem here is twofold. First, most people press too hard when they shave. with anything, whether it’s a straight razor, or a cartridge razor, or even an electric razor, always, always, always let the weight of the blade (or device) do the work. The more you push, the more skin you’ll remove. Secondly, again it goes back to the number of blades you’re working with; each pass from a Gillette Fusion is like 5 passes from a straight or double-edged razor. That means 5 times as much skin removed per swipe.
A Dovo straight razor, along with a good, old-fashioned shave soap (or cream), a shave brush, and lots of water will give you the closest, smoothest, most comfortable shave you’ve had in a long time. Plus, there’s practically no chance for razor bumps and little chance for razor burn (if you take your time and don’t press down).