Whether you are looking to maintain a shaved face, shaved legs, a shaved head, or any part of your body to fit your style, finding the best way to shave is ideal. Finding the right shaving cream or shaving oil that works for your skin. The best type of aftershave that cleans your pores and sterilizes any cuts without causing too much irritation is another concern. Then, of course, the decision with by far the most to consider: The way to shave in the first place.
There are a considerable amount of blades on the market and all of them have unique strengths and weaknesses. The vast majority of these devices are disposable, even products like electric razors, while their blades are longer lived, tend to be good for a rather short term use without a recurring expense:
There are a considerable amount of blades on the market and all of them have unique strengths and weaknesses. The vast majority of these devices are disposable, even products like electric razors, while their blades are longer lived, tend to be good for a rather short term use without a recurring expense:
Single Edged Razors
Double Edged Razors
Static Razors
Cartridge Razor Blade Variants
Electric Razors
Unlike the prior examples of shaving as we know it today, for the longest time there was only a single type of razor the Straight Razor:
Flat Blade and Strop
This traditional approach to shaving wasn’t nearly as safe as our modern approach with safety razors is, but it definitely has its attractive attributes. For instance, when you bought a razor, it was the only one you needed for life with proper maintenance. One simply had to remember, prior to shaving, to slide the blade along a lightly oiled strop. A stop was a long piece of leather that would straighten, sharpen and polish the blade keeping it keen and protect it against corrosion. This simple ritual is still practiced at barber shops around the world today, and is the only blade maintenance needed during a lifetime apart from a rare oil stone sharpening honing at most every couple of years.
Such sensible practices are far from main stream unfortunately as it is much better business to have people dependently purchasing razors designed to fail after a couple weeks of usage. Modern razors come contained in plastic making traditional honing via a strop impossible. Skin cells and hair become stuck in between the blade and plastic or other blades dirtying, dulling and knocking the blade out of alignment, making any modern razor subject to a very needlessly short lifespan. As well as encouraging ingrown hairs, razor burn, and dry patches of skin.
Recently however, a new product inspired by the traditional strop has been introduced:
This clever product is engineered to hone, align, and protect modern razors with either shaving oil, or the oil found in any shaving cream. One simply has to pass the razor down its contours prior to shaving and any modern razor is sharpened, cleaned and honed. This practice takes the average lifespan of a disposable razor from a couple of weeks to a couple of years. It’s a shame it took so long to come about, but I must say I’m glad it finally has and I hope more to see and pass along more modern solutions for sensible traditions appearing on the market soon.
- BIMO
- BIMO
