Safety razors are razors that have a guard in place that makes it difficult to cut yourself while shaving. They give a great shave if used properly, are cheaper than buying expensive replacement cartridges for today’s razors and even bring a bit of nostalgia to the chore of shaving every day. Safety razors were first invented in the 1880s and were reportedly of high quality because they were designed to be used for long periods of time. In 1895, King Camp Gillette came up with the idea of making disposable razor blades for the safety razor, the website Classic Shaving.com reports.
Buy Good Blades
When purchasing blades for your safety razor, Classic Shaving recommends buying the best blades available. They note that the average cost of razor blades for safety razors is about 45 cents, versus the rising costs of disposable razors and replacement blade cartridges. A high quality safety razor blade will shave you for about a week and the experts at the website recommend changing the blade on the same day each week.
Not Too Much Pressure
Classic Shaving calls using too much pressure on your beard “the single most-often mistake” made when using safety razors. Using more pressure than necessary will cut through a layer of skin, resulting in razor burn. They recommend applying no additional pressure other than the weight of the razor itself. Too much pressure will result in razor burn.
Angle of the Razor
Place the razor against your face with the handle parallel to the floor. This angle is optimal for shaving with a safety razor because the blade is not in contact with your face. From this angle lower the handle slowly to where the blade is able to cut the hair but not the skin of your face, Guide to Shaving.com notes. The website suggests that 30 degrees from horizontal is the optimal angle. Using this angle and a light pressure against your face ensures that you don’t shave skin.
Razor Stroke
The proper razor stroke is dependent on the type of beard being cut, experts at Classic Shaving note. A good rule of thumb is that the thicker and more coarse the beard being shaved the shorter the shaving stroke should be. This is the result of the amount of friction and resistance the beard hairs present. A fine beard will allow for a longer stroke while a thick beard requires shorter strokes with the razor.
