Getting a Shave with Straight Razors

[Lincsong]

I have to shave at least twice a day. When I wake up at 6 I shave and if I have an evening event I must shave at 6 p.m. There is no getting around it. Even when I shave at 6 p.m. by 11 I'm with a shadow. The Art of Shaving sounds good. I do beleive I've seen their shop in Bal Harbour and in Las Vegas. I'll have to stop by the next time I seen one. Then I will have to ask my barber for pointers. If he offers to call the ambulance then I'll have to be extra careful.:cheers1:

 

[John in Covina]

The Art of Shaving Shop in Las Vegas


The Art of Shaving has a shop in the mall that connects the Mandalay Bay and the Luxor in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. They used a shavette. AOS has some great men?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s products and truly lovely shave creams although a bit on the pricey side. To feel like a real winner and come out smelling like a rose, I am hoping to get a shave next time I am in VEGAS!

 

[John in Covina]

Down San Diego Way? Barber's shave with a Straight!

Shave Report from a local on a great barber shop & a real Barber Shop Shave!

Located on Orange Avenue, in Coronado California, also known as the Crown city, is a small barber shop known as Crown Barber. Coronado, home to both multi-millionaires and 3 Naval bases is full of well, non-millionaires like myself, is an Island located across the San Diego bay from downtown San Diego.

To get to Crown Barber, simply cross the CA 75 Coronado Bay Bridge, continue straight through town until reaching Orange Avenue, the town's main thoroughfare. Turn left. Continue for a few stoplights, I do not remember the exact cross street, but Crown barber is on the left (for a landmark, the town's only Starbucks coffee is on the right). Find parking and walk in.

Crown Barber Shop 947 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118
(619) 435-8637

The waiting room is a small arrangement of benches around a small table covered in magazines. Many of the clientele are military, it is completely ordinary to be sitting between a group of Navy SEALS on one side and on other side a multimillionaire residing in one of his summer homes. Everyone seems to get along.

I wait my turn, and when called on tell the barber I am interested in shaves. He immediately told me to go back and wait, and told the one of the other Barbers who began prepping the chair next to the sink. Finally I was called up and sat in the chair. The barber had an interesting banter, all too happy to discuss razors, strops (he preferred horsehide, as I recall) and various such things. Then the hot towel. I relaxed under the hot towel until my face had adjusted, then the barber removed this towel, slathered my face with Molle, then some lather from the lather king. Then he put another hot towel on my face on top of the lather. When he removed the second towel, yet another smoothing of Molle (brushless for those who aren't familiar with the product) and some hot lather from the lather king. I was then shaved one pass with the grain, followed by another towel, and a final pass across the grain. He said he did not like to give shaves against the grain, especially with the disposable blade razors, as he believed it caused irritation and ingrown hairs. I could have requested it but didn't push the issue. He finished off with a hot towel, followed by a COLD towel.

He then asked if I was "ready for the Bay Rum!" The Barber said the owner is very interested in remaining a "traditional" style of barber shop so they had all the old classics, including bay rum. I do not know which brand. I said yes, and he splashed the stinging stuff on my face (whoo...smelled good but OWW) after which he dusted my face with powder. I don't know if it was clubman or what. I then proceeded to receive a haircut as well. I walked out of the barber shop (after tipping the barber) feeling like I had just walked stepped out of a time warp to the early 1950's. The clothing styles and magazines may have changed since then, but I don't believe Crown Barber shop has. Price for shave and a haircut? around 15 bucks.

 

[Kaela]

Thanks for the tips, boys!

Best I can tell the safety razors would have been what was used for ladies, also... but something would be appealing about learning to shave with a straight razor! Boy, would that be tough around the curves!
If I have to shave with that absurd sculpted plastic thing any longer, I'll just scream!
Maybe with a little practice I'll have a bomber named after me! ;o)

 

[John in Covina]

Safety razors

There is a place called ebarbershop.com that has some of the best prices on Merkur Safety razors and the blades. the next best part actually is using the badger brush to apply the lather!

i was wired from too much xmas sweets last night and wound up shaving with my first straight razor at about 1am, and managed to nick myself under the chin, but it was pretty small. Stung with the Pinaud Lime aftershave!
Happy Shaving!

 

[John in Covina]

Some special info for those wondering.

Tough Beards and Irritated Skin:
If you are somewhat new to this, I always suggest getting a hone-meister to sharpen your razor for you as it will take the guess work out of the condition of truly ?¢‚Ǩ?ìShave Sharp.?¢‚Ǩ? You?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll then know how the razor feels on your skin and the feel of it shaving your whiskers, you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll feel how the razor ?¢‚Ǩ?ìhandles?¢‚Ǩ? plus you have a clear idea as to what to shoot for when stropping and eventually honing on you own. When you have a tough beard the whiskers are harder to cut, they offer more resistance than an ordinary man?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s whisker. There is a razor design element that can come into play: FLEX which can work against the man with the tough beard. When you have a (Fully) Hollow Ground blade, the sharp edge of the razor is so thin and light that it catches on the tough whiskers and flexes which feels like pulling. Pulling, caused by either flex or by not being sharp enough, results in unconscious compensation of the shaver applying more pressure. The increased pressure can result in skin irritation. A larger blade may (or may not) have less flex. Usually the less flexible blade will be heavier than the thinner flexing blade of the same size. Also since flex is a function of torque or leverage you can find that a narrower blade is less susceptible to flexing so a 4/8?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s or less could help too. Mostly it is the blade profile that controls the flex so a half hollow or quarter hollow should tend to flex less and the infamous Wedge is noted as a barber?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s favorite for tough beards eliminates flex completely, if it is a true wedge profile.

Try to shave after showering and keep the whiskers under the running hot water as much as possible. Also regarding Hot Water: don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t get nuts and hurt yourself, when using hot water, common sense applies here, don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t get scalded! While showering, you can shampoo and using hair conditioners on your whiskers to help soften them.

If not showering, then towels or washcloths with hot water like you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve seen in the old movies and cartoons, the longer the application the more the moisture gets in the whiskers the softer they?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll get. Also some say this brings your natural oils to the surface of the skin which helps protect the skin, too. Lathering twice before shaving can help especially if the lather is wet and hot. You should re-lather for each pass; with the grain, against and then across. The passes aren?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t set in stone, use what works for you.

Some may judiciously use PRE-SHAVE OIL which adds a layer of protection. Others use a PRE-SHAVE CREAM; I believe either Proraso or Musgo Real makes this item. Can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t find one? Others say use the original Noxzema or a store label replacement for Noxzema and apply it to the beard before lathering. There are some that swear by this.

At the end it is important to finish with several generous wipe downs with cold water, and the water should be about as cold as you can stand. Like all inflammation taking the heat out of it is a good first step. Be sure to remove all traces of lather and consider splashing on some AFTERSHAVE or Witch Hazel. If your skin still is having a hard time try a little AFTER SHAVE BALM or use over the counter CETAPHIL as a post shave skin conditioner. If you still have skin irritation, try changing soaps or creams, as some contain chemical compounds to which you are sensitive. I have found several soaps that simply lathering up with causes a burning sensation on my skin. Similarly, you can try to eliminate fragrances to see if it is sensitivity. In the end you can continue and see if your skin just needs to adapt itself to your new shaving regime.