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Straight Razor Shaving

The perfect shave is what all men strive for every morning when they bring their razor up their chin – an effortless shave that’s baby smooth, and without any of the usual skin irritation, redness, and that burning sensation most men seem to feel is par for the course when it comes to shaving.

Many of us regard shaving as a daily chore which must be completed as quickly as possible. This is a shame as the benefits of a good traditional wet shave are for us to feel and others to see. It exfoliates the skin, removing dead skin cells and allows the skin to breathe. The method also provides the closest possible shave with lasting results. All too often the result of a quick poor shave, is discomfort in the guise of razor-burn, rashes and dry-skin.

Up until recently having a traditional wet shave or using an open straight razor aka "cut throat" was seen as something special, but the use of these razors has seen a resurgence. Now that men of all ages are paying more attention to their appearance, it’s no wonder that men have been surprised to discover that the “old fashioned” method of shaving is actually the best quality shave you can get.

So here at Aspetto we have put together a simple guide on how to use these precision made tools to the best effect and how to make sure they stay in tip top condition.

The Razor

Hold the razor with your working hand. Place your thumb on the underside of the shank against the shoulder. Put your index, middle and ring fingers on the opposite side (top) of the shank. The handle should be between your ring and little finger, with the little finger resting on the tang. Some people prefer to have the ring finger on the tang also, but this is a matter for you.

The Shave

Your skin should be prepared and a good lather has been applied. Hold the razor at an angle of 30 degrees. If you hold the razor too flat it will tear the stubble, too steep and it will cut the skin. A useful way of starting is to lie the blade flat against your cheek and then lift the spine to the desired angle of 30 degrees before applying your first stroke. Use little pressure and apply even strokes with the razor in the direction of the hair growth.

We have numbered the areas you should shave first, as shaving in this orde allows the shaving cream to penetrate areas where the beard is heaviest, thus standing the hair up making for a closer shave. The razor must not be pulled or dragged and the skin must always be held taut. No stroke should be shorter than 1" or longer than 3".

When shaving the chin, lift the razor slightly. Use the middle of the blade for going over the chin. Never begin a fresh stroke on a prominent part of the face, such as the chin or jawbone. Begin a little away from such places and work over with steady strokes.

Treat the two sides of the upper lip as part of the face, shaving the right side from nose to face and the left side from face to nose, leaving the centre of the lip to be done separately by holding the nose up slightly to tighten the skin.

Once you've finished with your first shave you can then rinse, relather and shave again. This time though, you should go against the direction of hair growth.

When you have finished shaving, rinse the shaved area with warm water and then follow up with a cool water rinse to close the pores.

Apply a moisturising balm to the face to soothe and moisturise the skin, and use a styptic pencil for any nicks or cuts.

There are no strict times as to when you sharpen the blade, but we recommend that when you feel the blade dragging on your skin paticularly around the cheek area, it is time to give the blade a sharpen. We offer a honing stone and strop, giving you both methods of sharpening the blade.

Always keep the blade flat to the stone with the spine never leaving the stone whilst you run the blade the full length of the stone, otherwise this will blunt the blade.

Make sure you give each side equal strokes 5-6 strokes is adequate, and remember to sharpen the full length of the blade. Once you have done this try cutting a single strand of hair to test the performance. If you think it needs more then go back to the honing stone.