How To Shave Like Your Grandpa

by Brett on January 4, 2008 · 255 comments

Proper shaving has become a lost art. Today’s average male has no clue about the fine art of the traditional wet shave that their grandfathers and some of their fathers used to take part in. Instead, they’re only accustomed to the cheap and disposable shaving products that companies market. I’m not sure when or why it happened, but the tradition of passing down the secrets of a clean shave abruptly stopped. Thankfully, this glorious male ritual is making a comeback.

Benefits of The Classic Wet Shave

Reduce costs. An 8 pack of your typical four blade cartridge razors can set you back over $20. $20! That’s $2.50 per cartridge. The cost of a double edged safety razor is no more than $.25. You can save some serious money switching over to a safety razor. Additionally, you can save money by using traditional shaving creams and soaps. A can of the chemically packed gel goop that most drug stores sell can cost you up to $5 a can and it doesn’t even last that long and they don’t give you a quality shave. On the other hand, traditional shave creams and soaps are made out of natural materials. While their up front cost may be a bit more than shaving gels, you require less product to get a proper lather. Thus, you end up saving more in the long run.

Reduce environmental impact. Traditional wet shaving with a double edged safety razor uses less waste than shaving with cartridge razors. The only waste is a single metal razor blade and lather down the sink. Unlike today’s razor cartridges, a double edged blade can easily be recycled. The tubes and bowls that most traditional shave creams and soaps are sold in produce less waste than those clunky non-biodegradable aerosol canisters that gels come in.

Better, more consistent shaves. Most men today walk around not knowing they have horrible shaves. Electric razors and the latest 5 blade contraptions irritate the skin more than needed, leaving razor burn, ingrown hairs, and redness. Shaving with a safety razor will eliminate the skin irritation and give your face a clean healthy look because you’re just using one blade instead of several that chew up your face in order to cut your whiskers.

You’ll feel like a bad ass. It’s nice taking part in a ritual that great men like your grandfather, John F. Kennedy, and Teddy Roosevelt took part in.

The Tools

Safety Razor

Switching from a cheap disposable razor to double edged safety razor is like upgrading from a Pinto to a Mercedes. A safety razor is a machine. It’s nice holding a piece of heavy, sturdy metal in your hand while you’re shaving as opposed to a piece of cheap-o plastic.

You can find safety razors in a variety of places. First, ask your grandpa if he still has his. Chances are he does. If gramps doesn’t have one, try checking antique stores. I found my 1966 Gillette Superspeed Safety Razor in an antique store in Vermont. I only paid $10 for it. If you don’t have any luck there, stop by eBay and do a search for safety razors. You’re bound to find a few there. Finally, if buying a used safety razor doesn’t fancy you, you can always buy a new one from the several companies that still make them. A highly recommended safety razor is from Merkur. They have several types to choose from at varying prices. Look to spend about $40 for a new safety razor.

Blades

You can choose from a variety of different blades. Each blade has a unique sharpness and cutting ability. Experiment with different kinds until you find the ones you like.

Suggested Razors
American Personna. You can find these in most drugstores. They’re usually marketed as generic brand blades. They’re pretty forgiving for the first time user.
Merkur Double Edge Razor Blades- Pack of 10 Blades- Made in Germany

Shaving Brush.

If you’ve never used a brush during shaving, you’re in for a treat. A brush helps hydrate the shaving cream in order to form a thick rich shaving lather. Using a brush to lather up helps get the shaving cream up under each whisker which results in better, smoother shaves. Plus, it just feels nice on your face to lather up with a brush.

Brushes are made out of two types of animal hair: boar and badger. Boar bristles are stiffer than badger bristles and hold less water. Boar hair brushes are also cheaper. You can find a boar hair brush at Wal-Mart for about $4. If you really want to have a nice shaving experience, splurge and buy a badger hair brush. Badger brushes create more lather and it feels a lot nicer on your face. You can pick up a nice badger brush at any Crabtree and Evelyn. If you don’t have a Crabtree in your area, try Amazon.

Soaps and Creams

If you’re like the average guy, you’ve probably been getting your shaving cream from a can. This blue/green, chemically laced goop does nothing for your face and smells like a hospital. Traditional shave creams and soaps on the other hand are full of natural ingredients that nourish your face and leave you smelling absolutely manly. While these high quality creams and soaps may cost more than the can stuff, just a dab will create enough lather for you to lather up twice.

Suggested Creams and Soaps
Proraso Eucalyptus & Menthol Shaving Cream 150 ml.
Kiss My Face Fragrance Free Moisture Shave, 11-Ounce Pumps (Pack of 4)
Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream Jar
Proraso Shave Cream Tube
Body Shop For Men Shave Cream

The Technique

Prep your beard. If you want a clean shave, you need to prep your beard adequately. The goal during beard prep is to soften your whiskers so shaving is easier and causes less irritation. The best way to soften your beard is to to shave right when you get out of the shower. The hot water from your shower should hydrate and soften your beard enough for shaving. If you haven’t showered, at least wet your beard with some hot water. A hot towel is a great way to soften your beard.

Lather up. Take a small dollop (about the size of nickel) of your shave cream and place it in a mug. Take your brush that you’ve pre-soaked with water and swirl the cream around until you get a nice thick lather. Apply the lather with your brush in swirling motions. When your face is nice and covered, take a few strokes to smooth everything out.

The shave. Unlike shaving with cartridge razors, shaving with a safety razor actually requires some skill and technique. Once mastered, though, you should be shaving effectively in no time. The four keys to a successful shave with a safety razor are 1) use as little pressure as possible; 2) angle the blade as far away from your face as possible; 3) shave with the grain; and 4) go for beard reduction, not beard removal. This will take some getting used to if you have used cartridges your entire life.

You don’t need to use pressure because the weight of the safety razor is sufficient to cut your beard. If you press down, you’ll end up hacking up your face. To help counter the tendency to apply pressure, try holding the razor by the tip of the handle.

Angling your razor is probably the trickiest part. The proper angle is somewhere around 30 and 45 degrees. To get the proper razor angle, put the top of the razor head directly on your cheek, with the handle parallel with the floor. Now slowly lower the handle until the blade can cut your whisker. Practice on your arm if you’re not comfortable practicing on your face.

While shaving against the grain can get you that smooth feel, you risk slicing up your face and causing ingrown hairs. When you’re first starting out, shave with the grain of your beard. If you lather up and pass the razor more than once over your face, you’re guaranteed to get a smooth finish.

The goal with shaving should be gradual beard reduction, not beard removal in one deft swoop. Most men try to get rid of their beard in once pass of the razor. This hack-and-go technique is what causes the majority of skin irritations. If you want to avoid skin irritation, lather up and pass your razor over your face several times. Your face will thank you.

Post-shave. Rinse your face off with some cold water to close your pores. Treat your face to a nice aftershave. There are several to choose from, so pick the one you like best. Aftershave helps reduce any irritation that may have occurred and will leave your skin looking healthy.

Additional resources

Several resources exist on the internet on traditional wet shaving. Check these sites out for more information.

Badger and Blade (This is an excellent resource. I learned most of what I know about the traditional wet shave from this forum.)
Shaveblog
A Guide to the Gourmet Shaving Experiene

{ 241 comments… read them below or add one }

← Previous Comments

201 Mr. W November 26, 2012 at 7:06 pm: A man without his beard is like a lion without his mane, you know, as long as you keep it well trimmed and upkept.
202 joe November 29, 2012 at 1:04 pm: If anyone is looking to find the tools for shaving like grandpa, see if there is a store nearby called the art of shaving. I just went the other day picked up a safety razor a brush and some nice shaving cream and lotions. Well worth the dough, it was by far the closest shave I’d ever had, and I felt like a total badass. If you’re on more of a budget, look around for other options, this place was pricey, but you get what you pay for. Either way, make sure you are shaving like your grandpa.
203 Tony Viele December 4, 2012 at 6:15 am: I find the hot towel treatment prior to shaving well worth the extra time
204 Daniel December 6, 2012 at 11:44 am: Duluth Trading Co. has some great safety razors in their catalog.
205 John Byrom December 11, 2012 at 9:39 pm: perhaps shaving should be a lost art. it’s committing beard abortion.
on the flip side safety razors are great.n i’m lucky enough to have been raised by very old men (my dad is pushing 70 and i spent my formative years in the care of his dad) so i actually got to see these devices at work as well as inherit them.
206 NATHAN . F December 23, 2012 at 11:05 am: How old do you think my son needs to be to Shave
207 Jacob Waterworth December 25, 2012 at 10:32 am: http://www.classicshaving.com/Home.html…this website is where I get all of my products. They also have some good articles about shaving and grooming in general.
208 Jake Risener December 29, 2012 at 11:50 am: Am I doing this wrong? I had to use pressure and didn’t even come close to cutting myself… It wasn’t dangerous at all. It smelled really good and felt cool, but the shave itself wasn’t much different…
209 Ryan January 2, 2013 at 2:33 pm: Got a kit for Christmas. Surprisingly easy to use (I figured I would have a more difficult time getting the angle correct). A new chapter has begun.
210 Corey Young January 3, 2013 at 9:34 pm: I finally took the plunge about a month ago and bought a vintage Gillette safety razor for $22 and 4 packs of safety blades (5 to a pack) at the dollar store. I bought myself a Van Der Hagen shave set (soap, brush, and bowl) at “Wally-Mart” for around $10.

At under $40, I have already “made my money back” in what it would have cost if I was still using disposables.

The shave is the best I have EVER had! I was afraid I would massacre my face but the shave was easier than I expected…especially when using a hot towel on my face prior to shaving.
211 Andrew January 4, 2013 at 7:19 pm: My wonderful wife just bought me a Muhle safety razor and Merkur razors from ‘Art of Shaving’ for Christmas, and Holy Cow!, it truly is the best shave I have ever had in all of my 28 years (disregarding when she bought me a straight shave from ‘Art of Shaving’ this past August. If you’ve never had a straight shave, what are you waiting for. GO! DO! You won’t regret it. Women pamper themselves in spas and salons, so you should go pamper yourself in a barbers chair). I will never, ever go back to cartridges again! My next goal is to buy some “old fashioned” shaving cream and a brush so I can get the absolute best shave possible. The goop in a can, as you put it, is for the birds and I can’t wait to leave it behind. As always, great article, AoM!
212 Trevor January 5, 2013 at 9:57 am: I highly recommend the Proraso shave soap. A big dish cost me around $15 at Amazon, and the menthol on your face is an instant recharge. No matter how good or bad you feel, your mood will go up significantly after shaving with this product and some good hot water.
213 mrs christo January 9, 2013 at 1:37 am: I live with a husband and son in the army (australian…) – so razor shaving is a daily occurrence in our house. I agree with Trevor – my boys swear by Proraso Shaving Soap/cream – they won’t use anything else. Any aussies reading this can buy it and all the good shaving gear at “The Shaver Shop”.
214 Ryan January 22, 2013 at 8:02 pm: I have been wet shaving for over a year now. I’m 21 and started out on a piece of junk disposable when I was 15 or so. I always suffered from razor burn and ingrown hairs til I started using a DE, brush, soap, witch hazel, and sometimes an aftershave balm/splash.

My favorite soap right now is Mike’s Natural Soaps. It contains tallow,kokum butter, and lanolin. All of them are good moisturizers. After using this soap, my face is usually so moisturized that I don’t need an aftershave.

Check out The Shave Den, it’s where I learned a lot of the things I know now.
215 Matt January 25, 2013 at 6:26 pm: I just picked up a nice vintage Rolls Razor with the full kit. Came with original boxes.
216 William of Texas January 29, 2013 at 8:42 pm: My first safety razor was/is a ’62 Gillette I found in a shoeshine box at an antique store. Box cost $5 dollars and discovered the razor inside as a bonus. I did gloat a wee bit on that one. The second I recently aquired is a vintage Gem with these long teeth-like protrusions.
The Gillette is a sweet kitten; the Gem is a blood thirsty, unforgiving wench. For newbies using an old Gem….set up a litre of blood, IV style before dragging that bitch across your jowels. After a good couple of weeks you’ll begin to enjoy her. The sound of that razor mowing through thick stuble is wonderful to the ear and she’ll methodically devour your beard the way a Scotsman will a pint. Good luck and good shaving men.
217 Toni February 3, 2013 at 11:13 am: Learning to like grandpaand Loving the results. Oddly, my 9 y-o daughter is fascinated by this and wants to try it. Blade out, soapy mess, she LOVES copying me. So a side benefit is all this funny watching her do this!
218 Al February 7, 2013 at 1:26 pm: Truefitt and Hill is what you need!
219 Mar.Z. February 7, 2013 at 11:31 pm: Of course there is always the barber style razor, although there is quite a learning curve.

P.S. My grandpa shaved with a box cutter and water.
220 Vincent February 18, 2013 at 7:37 pm: Nathan, there’s no age limit… He should have something on his face to shave. That’s your cue. lol
221 RAYMOND MILLER February 22, 2013 at 1:36 am: I began wet shaving in the mid 90′s and bought my Gillette Tech safety razor for $1.50 in an antique store. I mix it around a little, but right now I use Porasso pre-shave, Porasso shave cream with a Saville Row badger brush. Finish up with a little Porasso after shave and some bay rum cologne and I’m ready for the day. QEDUSA.COM has a nice selection of products to check out too.
222 Tim March 1, 2013 at 12:41 pm: Yeah, after years of those crappy ass plastic razors I switched to a classic double-edge bladed “safety” razor. Never. Switching. Back.

You need to understand, safety here is used in comparison to what came before…the straight razor.

Your plastic razor is a butterknife by comparison.

Free tips: learn your face. let the beard go for a few days. then after you get really scruffy, get to know your face. feel it with your fingers. take blade-out practice runs with the safety razor.

Do not use any pressure for the blade-in shaves. Let the razor do the work. Just trust me. Never move the razor in a side-to-side direction on your skin.

No matter how careful you are, you will cut yourself. Suck it up buttercup!

Clean and dry the razor after use. Put it where the kids can’t get it. You will spend weeks getting used to the dang thing.

You will not regret changing to the safety razor.

After shave will be your new best friend.

Good luck, and good shaving!
223 Chris March 3, 2013 at 11:26 am: It’s a bit pricey, but if you want a good, organic shave cream that will last you a long time and have your face feeling great, I recommend Supreme Cream Triple Cushion Shave Lather by Jack Black. It’s $23 for a 8 oz. jar (I know, I know). I got it in December and I still have about 3/4 of the container left. Granted, I only shave every 3 days or so, but I do 2 passes with my razor, and a lather for each pass. A little dab’ll do you.
224 afromuscle March 5, 2013 at 5:44 am: as a man of colour I tried every single shaving method known to man. It all led to the same result: crazy shaving rash and pesudofolliculitis.

Any black men reading this who wonder just what they have to do to keep a smooth face, you might be well served in trying a chemical shave instead.

I understand concerns around putting those chemicals on your skins and the toxins they may carry and yes, I worry about it too. But either that or scarring your face forever.

A rock and a semi-hard place.

I use magic shave.

Cheers
225 Nick P. March 9, 2013 at 9:34 pm: I started traditional wet shaving a couple of years ago after about 15 years of razor burn and irritation. The comfort is unsurpassed and nothing beats the timeless aesthetics. I also use my grandfather’s old spice shaving mug to mix my lather. I never knew him but it is a small thing that helps me feel a connection to him.
226 Scott March 9, 2013 at 11:23 pm: I thought this was a site about being a man. If a MAN is going to shave he will use a straight razor. I remember watching my grandad using his knife. Sadly most men have no idea how to sharpen a blade any more.
227 Seedy March 23, 2013 at 6:03 am: I love this blog, and enjoy reading the pieces, but I believe (and hope) it isn’t meant to be taken too seriously.

Our fathers and grandfathers shaved the way they did because it was all that was available at the time – not because it was some much-loved ‘manly ritual’. Grandfather might have used a straight razor, but I bet he ditched it when safety razors came along. Now many men use electric shavers because (used properly) they give excellent results, and are easy, safe and enjoyable to use. If Grandfather could have gone forward in time – to now – he might have found them an unbelievable luxury.

If you want to shave with something like a carving knife, then fine. But I now expect to see articles on this site suggesting that we go back to using cars that have to be started with a handle, so we can ‘drive like Grandpa’; or maybe we could return to the years of unsafe working practices and equipment, so we can relive the ‘classic manly ritual’ of losing several fingers while operating a circular saw.
228 nemanja April 11, 2013 at 1:59 am: I’m 23 and proud of shaving like this. When i was like 14 and started to shave the gillete stuff was appealing, but i soon discovered that i was wasting money on junk. i was living with my grandpa at the time, so i started “borrowing” his double edged razor. after he caught me, he bought me my own, and i still use it to this day. Yes it’s a bit more dangerous to use it than a disposable or a “mach 3″ razor, and people still have comments like: “two razors are better than one”. But i wouldn’t change my shaving equipment for nothing. i still use the same brand soap my grandpa did, the same brush, the same blade holder and the same brand of aftershave. I also must add that the recipe for the aftershave and the soap hasn’t changed for 70 years, so that adds me a bit more of the “mannish boy” feeling.
229 BJC April 16, 2013 at 4:10 pm: I use the Van Der Hagen natural boar brush and the Van Der Hagen Deluxe shaving soap (especially that it is now in a travel-friendly plastic case) with a Gillette Trac II razor handle (with Personna Twin II razor cartridges) when I shave my hairline and my face. The shaving soap and brush themselves lasts a very long time and is cost-effective compared to the aerosol cans of gel/foam which is messy; not only that, it gives me a small connection to the “old-school” way of MANLY shaving.
230 Andy April 24, 2013 at 8:11 am: I find that just a bog standard bar of soap whips up a decent lather with a good shaving brush. I picked up a double sided safety razor for about £6 ($8-9 US I believe) made by Bic. Admittedly, it’s not the greatest razor, but it helps you get a nice close shave. I usually get 6-8 uses out of a blade. Running the blade (in the opposite direction to the shaving direction!) up the skin of my arm in between strokes, as it helps clear the blade of fuzz, and seems to keep the blade pretty sharp. A new pack of blades is ridiculously better value than the branded multi-bladed razors. Highly recommended for students therefore.
231 Tony April 30, 2013 at 4:13 pm: Has anyone ever used olive oil when shaving with a safety razor?
232 Ben May 1, 2013 at 11:46 am: I was wondering about oils too… its seems to me it would lubricate better but would also hold down the whiskers. I have been using a straight razor for about 6 months and just bought a safety razor because the straight razor is in need of going to the shop, plus where I am living right now it isn’t a very mobile razor. I really like the shave soaps over canned creams but haven’t gotten up the nerve to use an oil. Plus out of ignorance I confused it with some pre-shave oil products on the market and thought it was overkill. any insight on it would be great.
233 Joe May 4, 2013 at 2:03 pm: Hey guys, I just ordered a safety razor and received it a few days ago. Since then I’ve shaved twice. I need help because it was really disappointing. I’ve got shave soap, the boar-hair brush and blades by derby. Both times I shave, however, it feels like the whiskers are getting ripped and pulled. Is it because I have coarse facial hair? or what? please help because I really thought the safety razor would be a good upgrade to other methods.
234 JimyD May 4, 2013 at 2:20 pm: Another wet shaving tip – after you’ve lathered up your face, gently squeeze your shaving brush starting from the base of the bristles and work your way up to get more foam for your face.

This works for shaving soap pucks and really helps when using high quality shaving cream from a tube or can (which I use for travel) since you can regulate how much you need to take from the can or tube based on how well your brush holds the cream.
235 Chris May 6, 2013 at 8:24 am: Joe, http://fendrihan.com has blade sampler packs so you can try out a variety of blades to see what works for you. I’ve never used Derby’s but I’ve read that they aren’t as sharp as some of the other blades like Feathers. I have a Gillette razor and a Weishi razor and I get a slightly different shave from each even with the same blades. You may just need to experiment with different blades.
236 Scott May 6, 2013 at 8:50 pm: Merkur 180 and Feather platinum blades..they are SHARP and last forever. Never going back to cartridge shaving.
237 celticfiregirl May 7, 2013 at 9:56 am: One of you men need to put these into a book for us moms who have boys. There is so much out there for girls and the changes to their bodies andapproximately when things will happen. I never found anything for the boys. This is great and I’m forwarding this to my two sons.
238 Rahul May 11, 2013 at 9:21 pm: I just ordered a Dovo straight razor from eBay. It is completely made of metal and uses disposable blades…am looking forward to using it. After I learn to use it I’ll “upgrade” to straight razor which has to be sharpened using a strop as opposed to using disposable blades.
239 John May 15, 2013 at 12:43 pm: No matter the razor, use a mug, shaving soap and a brush. I hated shaving due to the irritation, until my sister gave me a mug and brush for Christmas 33 years ago.

In my experience, Williams shaving soap is by far the best. It is a hard milled soap, so it is much less expensive than the glycerine based soaps, lasts far longer and provides as good or better lather. Williams’ lather is far superior to that of Colgate.

One bar that costs me $1.27, lasts about a month. I have found that, as the article states a boar bristle brush does not hold water as well as a badger bristle brush. However, if you will leave the boar bristle brush in the cup, rather than letting it dry, it will soften and retain water. The only down-side is that your bar of soap will not last quite as long and you will need to replace the brush every 3-4 years, where it will last much longer if you let it dry.
240 paul r May 17, 2013 at 6:14 pm: Brett, thanks for this post and especially the video you uploaded recently. I was fortunate to receive a safety razor from my old man and was pretty unsure of the whole process. I got a chance to do the whole nine and set up a traditional shave kit, now my face is smoother than a babys bum
241 Rico Smith May 21, 2013 at 3:23 pm: I’ve been using old safety razors I bought on Ebay for several years now and I love them. I have a light beard, so I only have to shave every other day, so I take my time and just enjoy a good, classic shave. Oh, and blades are less than a dollar for a pack of 20!