How To Shave For Dummies


This is for all of you young guys who are about to embark on the lifelong drudgery of shaving. It's also for you, who like me, have been shaving for 60 years, AND for all of you in between.

Now you might say shaving is pretty much straight forward. Well it is, but there are many ways to accomplish that simple task. I don't intend to explore all the different ways to shave, but I will concentrate on the one optimum way. THE ONE WAY that will give you the best and smoothest shave you ever had, (and save you money in the process).

This method applies no matter which brand of shaving equipment you are using, whether it be Gillette, Schick, or any of the other brand names out there.

BRIEF HISTORY of SHAVERS

I'll begin with a little history on the evolution of the shaving blade as we use it today. The first relatively modern development was the straight razor. However its use required a great deal of care (to avoid slitting your throat) and skill.

The development of the double edged safety razor held within a device with a handle that accepted the razor and held it securely in place was a good start. That device exposed only the cutting edge of the blade making difficult to cut yourself. The "safety razor" was born!

This development made the straight razor virtually obsolete for the average person. Only a few diehards clung to the use of a straight razor.

Now come incremental improvements. The first blades were made of ordinary carbon steel. Then came some advancements in the manufacture of the carbon steel. Next came the stainless steel blade which greatly extended the life of the blade. Then we were introduced to the titanium blade which was touted as the ultimate in shaving. Each of these improvements promised a "cleaner and smoother" shave. Of course all of these improvements came with price increases.

We're not finished yet. As you know, we saw the development of the disposable blade with one cutting edge. Then we got two blades in the disposable head. The second blade mounted in the head was supposed to cut the whisker that the first blade pulled up. Yeah, the whisker just hung out waiting for the second blade to come along and lop it off. This was supposed to eliminate going over that same area twice. I go over the same area again despite that claim. And I do go against the grain contrary to the advice that this is not necessary. Furthermore, why didn