I started growing a beard immediately after getting out of the Army 40 years ago.
I recall shaving maybe two times in the whole time we lived in California. And one of those times really freaked out Lisa!
Then in 2004 I had to have a minor surgery on my chin. I shaved to provide access and kept shaving for about a year to monitor the spot of the surgery.
I let my beard grow back after that, but after a few years thought I detected a recurrence of the basal cell skin cancer so I shaved it off to keep an eye on things.
No return, but for the past few years I’ve shaved every spring and keep it up until late fall.
I started with whatever modern multi-blade system was popular, I think it had 3 blades. I then upgraded to a 5 blade system, and it was a little better, but there are spots I’ve never been able to shave as closely as I’d like.
So a couple of years ago I started looking into alternatives. I briefly considered a straight razor, but value my life too much to have pursued that option.
Double edge razors on the other hand … hmmm?
This year I took the plunge and went retro! I purchased a double edge safety razor and accompanying kit.
The first shave was a bit rough, but it was the first of the year which is always a bit hard on my face.
I tried to prepare myself for the new experience. I read about how, compared to the multi-blade systems, no pressure other than gravity is required. I read about the proper angle of the blade to the face and a whole bunch more!
I told myself my first shave would likely not even be as close as with the previous system.
Hah! While there’s no doubt going to be improvement over time, there are already parts of my face that are smoother than I could ever get before.
And so with that, on to the pictures. None of me, my face is a bit red and raw in spots, but here’s the equipment I got. Besides the shaver, I got an assortment of blades, a boar bristle brush, some English shaving cream and some face conditioner with witch hazel. Oh, and a styptic pencil, still unused. (The rose smells a bit like the incense we had as kids 🙂
That’s a great looking kit, and it’s well worth the expense even for the relatively little you’ll use it. For me, the brush is the best part of the ritual, and I only use it on those rare occasions when I trim my beard.