How to Use a Straight Razor

(Page 4 of 4)

March/April 1972
By John D. Meek 
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(1) Always shave against the grain. That is, if your whiskers grow down, shave up. Shave cowlicks twice, once up and once down. When you make razor strokes only with the grain of your beard, you're not shaving, you're just scraping your face and it'll feel like it.

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(2) Good concentration is absolutely essential until you get the hang of handling a straight razor so, at least at first, use a light touch, take your time and shave alone. Later, after you've mastered the art, you can let the kids watch or you can think about the compost heap while you shear your shag.

(3) Always mow in a direction 90 degrees to the length of your razor's blade. Never, never, never move that blade lengthwise across your face. Be especially careful when trimming around your mustache or 'burns, unless you want a nice scar to use as a guide in the future.

(4) Finish with a little alcohol (it's much cheaper than the perfume they sell for aftershave lotion and just as effective) and then go out and turn your buddies on to a really decent shave with about as little environmental impact as possible, a shave you can get anywhere (I've shaved in the rearview mirrors of my truck out in the wilderness).

If you pack your razor with you and it doesn't have a case, wrap a strong rubber band around the instrument a couple of times after you close it, to keep it closed. And don't EVER leave that thing lying around where your little boy can get it; children love to imitate paddy shaving, and emergency calls are expensive.

Well, there it is, an introduction to the finest shave in the world and the best, the greatest, the ONLY way to trim around mustaches and stylized beards such as goatees. With a straight razor you can select a single hair that's out of place and cut it off without touching another whisker. The tool will make beautifully straight lines for this job and, with a little practice, trim curves too. Just remember that you must never move that "razor sharp" blade lengthwise.

Shaving with a straight razor is a very simple idea that will preserve your face and, in some small measure, the environment, as well. Small measure? I may be nuts, but when I think of all those old razor blades rusting away inside the walls of houses, all those throw-away shaving cream cans, and all the raw materials and energy it takes to produce and market them . . .

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Comments

  • Alexander Frost 3/22/2009 9:21:55 AM

    I'm looking into using a straight razor for the first time, and I'd have to say that I'm pretty disappointed that this is the first article that comes up on google. Well done on getting that number one spot, but don't you think it might be nice to update to an article written less that 35 years ago, when something other than a safety razor was the height of shaving technology.

  • matthew aldridge 8/14/2008 11:50:44 PM

    I must say I use a staright razor and have foe a while not that I am an expert but this information is somewhat flawed on it suggestions. The only rhing of value is the blade material and the enviromental issues it rasies.

    Razor: DOVO or Thiers Isard, top quality razors avaliable from $60 (not bad for a razor that lasts a life time)

    Soap: High glyserin content is a must

    Hone: Norton whetstone two sided 4000/8000 grit $100.
    you can always send the razor out ot be hones and depending on your hair growth and coursness will be infrequent,
    the barber hone which costs $2 - $5, small awakward and unless you get trained will damage your blade if your starting out, use something a little more forgiving ie..norton or japanese whetstones...

    Strop; $30.

    miras covered the technique spot on and as for using alcohol, good idea if you want to look old fast!

    This is a realistic setup cost still cheaper than buying gillete blades the rest of your life..

    lots of you tube video on honing, stropping and shaving check those out.

  • Sam 1/4/2008 8:34:11 PM

    Hey, I'm a thirteen year old kid who wants to shave like in the old
    days. Ever since i saw my barber use it i have been waiting for the
    time when i start to grow hair. Well thanks mr. John, and now i
    know how to shave. I also want to show off that i can shave with a
    straight razor

  • john 12/8/2007 7:21:19 PM

    NEVER shave against the grain, this can cause skin irritation and
    ingrown hairs.

  • Miras 9/9/2007 1:32:04 PM

    Having used a straight razor for quite a while, I continually
    endeavor to integrate my experience with suggestions from a range
    of other publications seeking to improve my experience, and ease of
    shaving and razor maintenance. Unfortunately, this article
    incorporates a number of wholly inappropriate suggestions as well
    as inadequate explanations, preventing individuals from evaluating
    them. Among other things, the espoused means of holding a razor is
    dangerous--always avoid holding the protective handle while shaving
    by opening the blade to 270 degrees and hold the blade
    itself--thunb underneath, first two fingers above in front of
    handle, and ring finger on the curved finger rest. the ninety
    degree instruction leads to excessive scrapping--angle of blade to
    skin should remain between 30 and nearly 90 degrees (the latter
    steep angle is for scraping the upper lip and around the chin). 45
    degrees is often ideal when moving across the cheeks. Stropping and
    honing instructions are absent--and must be discussed in order to
    maintain a razor (i.e. does one use abrasive rubs on the strop,
    should one avoid them and stick with fat/oil based strop
    conditioners, what grit is ideal for a honing stone, what is the
    angle of incidence when stropping and honing, especially for hollow
    ground razors, etc.). Also, good quality shaving soaps are ALWAYS
    needed for a straight razor--foams and gels are designed to aid our
    modern 2-4 blade razors in moving cut beard out of the way, not
    properly lubricating and conditioning the skin. Rather than alcohol
    (instead of after shave), if you want to save money, the
    environmment, and your face, usee mild astringents like witch
    hazel. Rather than go on further, I would advise readers to look
    elsewhere and site managers to update this article with a much
    better one. Also, new razors are not that expensive and worth the
    investment.....

  • J. 2/28/2007 1:08:24 PM

    This is one of the best instructions I've found on the matter of
    handling and using a stright razor. Shame the pictures are missing
    though but it's still a very good if one read carefully. Thanks
    JOHN D. MEEK (even if this article is pretty old) and thanks Mother
    Earth News for sharing it.
    MOTHER EARTH NEWS RESPONDS:
    You can view the pictures in the Image gallery at the top right
    of the article under "Related."

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