Everything Swank

Unless you are Grizzly Adams, you probably shave every day. And although electric is pretty good, nothing beats a blade. There is no electric razor that shaves as close as a blade. I have tried them all. Recently out of frustration or boredom, I decided to pitch my Mach 3 and go old school. I had perused several websites looking for a better way.

I tried to go ancient with a straight razor, but that requires a learning curve that I refuse to navigate. Instead I finally settled on a old double sided Merkur safety razor. It’s probably what your grandfather shaved with.

You’ll fork out between $20-$35 for a nice Merkur razor. That seems like a lot, but you more than make it up with the razor blades. They last longer, are easier to clean, and a whole lot cheaper. It takes a little bit to get used to how it shaves. The blades are very sharp and the razor is a lot heavier. You’ll need to resist the urge to press and let the weight of the razor do the trick. There is also no pivot head, so you’ll have to do the work of maintaining the proper angle. Go in short strokes and go lightly.

I still use aNorelco that I got as a gift. It’s handy for traveling and in the car when you don’t have time on the morning commute. I also use it every morning in addition to my Merkur. I run the Norelco over for about 45 seconds to do most of the cutting work. Then I use a very cheap shave soap (.99 and far superior to any gel or foam) and clean up with the old double sided safety razor. Some swear a badger brush is necessary, but I rarely use mine.

I have found this is the fastest, cheapest, best results you can get. Give it a try. Below are product links for all the products mentioned.