Sunday, December 15, 2013

Using a Straight Razor

I got tired of shaving a long time ago. I don't like having a beard, either. Taking care of a beard is more trouble than it's worth.

When I do shave I have problems with those hollows on my neck. It takes a long time to get the hair off. So, I broke down and bought a straight razor. Sure enough, zip, zip, zip and the hair is gone.

Admittedly you have to be a little careful. When I was about 13 I used my dad's "safety razor" and found you could cut yourself and not even know it. I once used his styptic pencil, shrieked, and never used it again.

It's even worse with a straight razor; however with a little practice and you won't cut yourself at all. I don't even use shaving cream, which is a waste of money anyway, but a little bit of shaving soap will do the trick. And it's a hell of a lot cheaper than shaving cream.

As an aside when I do cut myself I used black pepper to staunch the bleeding. If you have doubts, Google it and you will be surprised.

Shaving is still not a pleasure. It never will be. But it's nice to be able to do i in a few minutes instead of 15 - and a straight razor saves you a lot of money, instead of wasting money on disposable blades or the money for a good electric razor. .

2 comments:

Ecgbert said...

Gillette safety razor and styptic pencil here. I'll try to remember that about the black pepper.

Unknown said...

I have my dad's old safety razor and I still use it sometimes because a pack of blades only cost a dollar. I gave up the styptic pencil years ago. Stings way too much.