Safety Razor Shaving Tips

So you want to shave how real men shave. Well, I’m proud, because you decided to go with one of the best. Safety razor shaving will not only dramatically improve your overall shave quality, but it will give you a new sense of proud in taking the time to do something right.

I will give you a few tricks that were passed on to me when I began safety razor shaving. I’ve passed these tricks on to my customers and it got them off to a good start with wet shaving. So, with all that being said, here are some solid tips for shaving with a double edge (safety razor).

Lets Read Some Safety Razor Shaving Tips

When shaving with a multi-blade it’s easy to become dependent on the pivoting technology. No matter how we hold the handle on those Gillette and Shick razors, it will always remain flush with skin. That’s because those blades are positioned at 30 degrees, which is the “ideal cutting angle.”

Now, I don’t know it that’s exact science or a rough estimate, but I do know that if you hold the safety razor handle somewhere between 30-45 degrees, you will get some good cutting action.

Keeping the handle at that angle throughout the entire shave will do the trick. Be sure to slow down at the jawline. There is where it gets tricky because the angle changes drastically. It’s not terribly difficult; it will only take a few shaves to get comfortable.

Again, when shaving with a multi-blade, its pivoting technology relies on you keeping the blade pressed against the skin. This allows the blades to follow the contours of your face with no problem. However, it’s not such a good idea when using the safety.

Providing that your blade is sharp and you properly prepped the hair prior to the shave, the double edge will need no assistance from you to cut the whiskers. It will cut indeed. Just let it rest with its own weight on the skin and simply guide it across the grain.

If you press it against your face, you are more likely to cause irritation or injury to the skin. So, remember, no pressure.

Now most men, are familiar with the long sweeping stroke to make passes, but with the safety it’s really nice to execute short strokes. I find myself using a combination of both long and short strokes to make passes, but the short strokes are definitely my favorite.

I learned this technique from GeoFatBoy’s YouTube channel. This is very effective for shavers in a hurry. You can really knock out a shave with a minimum of two passes in about 5 minutes. I like to move right to left making about 4-5 short strokes on each side of the safety razor before rinsing. That’s half of my face already shaven (not including my neck) before even making my first rinse.

Let me also mention that I don’t have to spend precious time unclogging the razor, like those poor gents using a multi-blade. When I go to rinse the blade, as soon as the water hits the razor, the hair’s gone and I’m shaving again with nothing slowing me down. If that’s not efficiency, I don’t know what is.

And that’s enough to get you started. Besides most of what you will learn will be via trial and error. Practice getting to know your face and your hair growth pattern, and always make sure to do a good prep before a shave. You want those hairs nice and soft so that the poor safety doesn’t have to work harder than it has to. Start with-the-grain first (the direction the hair grows in) and you will be perfectly fine.

Practice makes perfect!

Good Luck