Need a gift for dad? Try a cool, retro safety razor for the closest shaves possible

By Robert W. Wynkoop

I joined the Marines to be a combat correspondent when I was 17. Though I barely had any facial hair at that young age, at Boot Camp, in the summer of 2001, shaving became part of my daily life.

Try a cool retro safety razor for the closest shaves.

I, along with other Marines I served with, have had my battles with the dreaded razor bumps. My daily shaving caused painful bumps and I had bad skin irritation often. A few years ago, I read an article in the Stars and Stripes newspaper about “the perfect shave.” I mentioned it to my significant other, and it went on the list of gifts for the man in her life…

Christmas morning, two years ago, I became the owner of a stainless steel safety razor.

And it was then that I was introduced to The Art of Shaving products – which took shaving my face from a sometimes painful and annoying daily necessity to a classy, pleasurable experience that I no longer mind doing.

Every morning, I shave my face using the Art of Shaving Perfect Shave Kit that includes pre-shave oil and rich, high-quality shave cream applied by a badger hair brush. I use the stainless steel safety razor which looks like something your great grandpa would have in his medicine cabinet. I love how old school it feels!

The process begins first by using high quality razor blades in my stainless steel safety razor. This ensures that I won’t be using dull blades which can irritate the skin. By applying a small amount of pre-shave oil on my face, I create a smooth extra barrier between the razor and the blade. I love the pre-shave oil so much that I actually take the bottle and squirt a tiny drop or two onto the blade itself. I find this helps move the cut hairs through the stainless steel safety razor better.

Then I mix up a thick lather of the Art of Shaving Shave Cream. This is more like a thick paste that you combine with a tiny bit of water and lather up with the badger hair shaving brush. It creates a thick cream which along with the pre-shave oil leaves plenty of protection for your face and minimizes the chance of irritation.

The most important thing aside from using a luxury shave kit is your technique.

Remember these three tips for getting the closest, bump-free shave:

1. Always go with the grain first. That means, shave in a smooth, controlled downward motion. Make sure you are only shaving over areas that are covered with shaving cream. It is easy to reapply shave cream with the badger hair shave brush, so don’t rush and try to make multiple passes with your stainless steel safety razor in the same area. Make sure to clean the safety razor with hot water on high pressure from your tap. This will keep it clean and keep it running smoothly over your face
2. Once you’ve gone over your face in a downward motion, then if you want an even closer shave, reapply the thick shave cream and this time use smooth, controlled upward motions. When I’ve satisfactorily gotten the closest shave possible, I rinse my face in cold water. The cold water seals the pores and then I blot my face dry with a clean towel. Don’t rub it as that can also cause irritation.
3. Lastly, don’t forget to get the Art of Shaving styptic pen You will cut yourself. You will bleed – make no mistake about that. Having this little darling around will keep you from having to have tiny pieces of toilet paper hanging from your lip or cheek to stop the bleeding. Using natural alum, it quickly helps your body clot and gets you on your way.

Getting dad a gift like the Art of Shaving kit is really something every shaving man should love. It will take a little getting used to, but it can take shaving from being the boring daily chore to the 10-15 minutes of self-pampering that every man can look forward to. For those who don’t want to delve into the depths of using a stainless steel safety razor like your grand dad did, the Art of Shaving also sells handsome bone handles that integrate with contemporary razor blade cartridge manufactures like the Mach 3 and Fusion.