Men: Throw Away Your Disposable Razors and Go Retro

Our middle son, Austin, is a lot like me. He loves collecting information and finding the best way to do anything. His latest adventure is in shaving techniques. You see, Austin got his complexion from his red-headed grandma, and his skin is easily irritated. He wears a goatee, but when he shaves around the edges, his skin turns red for a day or two. He also has to shave completely when it's National Guard weekend.

So, he tried something different: He bought an old-fashioned double-edge safety razor. Now he says he's getting a better shave with less irritation. Who'd a thunk it? The kind he has does not look like the butterfly-opening razors I remember. It's a German brand called Merkur, and he also recommends the Merkur blades. You can get the razor for around $25 at a barber supply or online.

From Austin himself:
"Let your beard soak up as much water as possible in the shower, even try using conditioner on it. Wash your face well, then soak it for a couple of minutes with a hot towel. Build up the lather of your shaving cream with a brush (shown). If you use spray lather, mix some hot water with it in your hand or a cup, using the brush. Lather face, then shave with the grain. Lather again, and go against the grain. Use a hot cloth to wipe down your face.

It'll take a little practice to find the right angle to hold the razor. If you hold it too flat it will drag and grab and too high won't hardly cut at all. Use short strokes and rinse your blade often. Also, try to use each side of the razor evenly so you can get the most use out of a blade."

Here are a couple of websites Austin used to research this:
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Main_Page
http://www.shavemyface.com/

If this is something you do practically every day, why not do it the best way? Happy Shaving!