Most men do it, and most men loathe it. I’m not exactly sure why that is the case with shaving, but you hear guys grumble about it all the time.
Part of me wants to believe it’s a machismo thing. If they bemoan shaving, it indirectly implies they are able to grow a healthy beard, moustache, pork chop sideburns or goatee (style options are limitless, not all are recommended) without having to brag about it.
Then again, that is probably just me being jealous. I’m lucky if I have to break out the razor more than twice a week. It took the entire month of Movember for me to produce something that resembled anything close to a moustache.
Our toque-wearing photographer, Cory Bialecki, had handlebars within a week.
I do get the practical side of the matter – shaving can be a hassle, especially if you are someone who has to drag a razor across your face daily.
Every time you shave, you run the risk of nicks, cuts and razor burn. If you’re like me, you get a stern talking to any time you leave whiskers in the sink.
Let’s not forget about the cost of shaving. Replacement cartridges in those supposed smooth-gliding, five-bladed power razors can be as much as $5 per, and you’re lucky to get a month’s use out of one. Even less if your facial hair grows like a Brillo Pad.
High-end electric razors can be in excess of $200, and while I have never used one, they seem a little excessive.
Disposable razors are cheap, but they also feel cheap and don’t last. And they create more waste than most other options.
If you can relate to any of this, I have a cost-effective suggestion for you – go old school.
I lost my trusted Mach 3 razor, the one I started shaving with as a teen, last summer. After months of literally scraping by with disposables, I began looking for an alternative to those expensive, gimmicky cartridge systems. I mean, how many blades are ever going to be enough?
A friend suggested I try going REALLY old school with a straight razor, which I balked at immediately. Too many visions of guys getting whacked in barber chairs in gangster movies.
I eventually settled on a German-made double-edged safety razor setup, complete with shaving brush, stand and apothecary mug for the soap.
The initial cost is expensive (about $130 for the entire setup), but I can order blades for less than 50 cents each, so I will make up the cost over time.
The metal handle has some heft to it, so it feels good to hold, and the blades are easy to replace.
Now all I gotta do is figure out how to use the thing without massacring my face. Let’s just say there is a “sharp” learning curve with a safety razor. I have already managed to cut the collateral damage to a nick or two on any given attempt.
I think best of all, this switch has changed my mind-set about a fairly mundane task. I tend to look at shaving as a skill rather than an ongoing chore. It has also instilled in me a sense of style and nostalgia.
I remember watching my dad shave as a kid. He had an Old Spice shaving mug that I dutifully bought him replacement soap for every Father’s Day (I’m sure he needed a few refills in between).
He would even let me lather up once in a while and, taking out the blade, practise a mock shave.
That memory alone is worth a few drops of blood.
