Shaving

The Pleasure of the Shave

Last night I was thinking about the act of shaving and what a pleasure it is, For a long time I saw it as a daily chore, which is why I switched to an electric razor for years. Eventually the blades dulled so I looked for alternatives before deciding to try safety razor shaving, and I find it to be extremely pleasant. Learning Process Shaving requires a methodical approach. It requires wetting the face, lathering the soap, shaving one way, lathering again, shaving the second direction, lathering again, shaving the final direction.

The Mindful Shave

For two weeks or so I have been using a safety razor rather than the usual electric shaver, or conventional three to four blade shavers. In the process I have had to become more attentive to what I am doing. The Usual Shave With an electric razor you turn it on and you shave, until you’re happy that it’s done. With a wet shave with plastic razors you wet your face, get some shaving foam on your face and shave.

Adopting the Safety Razor.

For more than a decade I was happy with a Gillette Mach 3. I used it every day for years. Eventually I found an affordable electric razor so I switched to that, and used it until I had to replace the blades at least twice. I only reduced my use of it because the blades became dull. That’s when I started to experiment with a bamboo razor, a Gillette Glide, and finally safety razors.