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Chad with shaving cream on his face
4

Getting a Straight Razor Shave? First Time Experience

Chad smiling while getting a straight razor shave

I Recently spent two weeks in Europe traveling from place to place with no razor, and not enough good sense to realize that I was starting to resemble a drunken homeless person. After a few choice comments about my fine-looking beard, I decided to do something about it. I did what many would consider insane, and allowed another person to hold an unbelievably sharp blade near and against my face. Yes folks, I got a shave the old-fashioned way, with a straight razor.

If you’ve ever dreamed of getting a shave that’s far closer than any electric or disposable razor can provide, or you simply want to experience the thrill of having another man stretch your skin taught while raking a blade across your face in a manly fashion, then consider getting a shave from a trained professional. I’ve wanted to get a straight razor shave for years, but after having seen a friend buy his own, shave with it, and fail in a spectacle of bloody-faced glory, well… I opted to let someone else do it for me.

Chad with shaving cream on his face

What you can expect from your first straight razor shave…

  • Stretching… so much stretching. Given the comically sharp nature of the straight razor, your shaver will stretch your skin taught as he/she works to make sure that they don’t accidentally remove parts of your face. It’s a bit uncomfortable, but go with it, lest you look like someone out of a Picasso painting.
  • You may feel like someone is dragging sand paper across your skin. I didn’t find this particularly uncomfortable, but it was a little strange. The reason for this is that the blade is so sharp that it removes a bit of skin as well. It’s almost like you’re getting a facial scrub at the same time, amazing!
  • If anyone is watching you, they’re probably laughing and making fun of the hilarious facial expressions you’re making. I can’t speak for everyone, but my face contorted into various freakish expressions, partly out of terror, and partly because the guy was tugging my face around like a Stretch Armstrong doll.
  • Burning, so much burning. After the person finishes shaving your face, they’ll slap on some after shave. I generally shave with an electric razor and had never tried an after shave before, so the moment of eye-watering burning was a bit startling.
  • Once the barber finishes, you’ll notice that your face is as smooth as a baby’s bottom. In the hands of a skilled operator, straight razors make for an incredibly close shave. If you’ve gone to an idiot, though, perhaps you lost your nose.

Photos of Chad getting a straight razor shave…

Chad getting a straight razor shave

As you can see here, the barber is going straight for my jugular. Watch what you say when they’re shaving you because, you know… they’re holding a blade to your neck.

Man pinching Chad's nose

He’s trying to cut off my air supply so I pass out.

Barber applying after shave to Chad's Face

Picture me screaming like the kid in Home Alone. That’s totally what happened when the guy put the after shave on.

Chad before he got a straight razor shave

This is me pre-shave in all my hobo looking glory

Chad after his shave

and this is me after my awesome straight razor shave.

What I’ve described may sound mildly terrifying to you, but I assure you that the result is well worth the 5 or 6 minutes of minor discomfort. I’ve never had a closer shave in my life, and found it interesting getting a shave in the way that men had done for ages before someone invented safety razors and electric razors. It’s definitely a unique experience, and given the relatively low-cost if you shop around, there’s really no reason not to give it a try. I had my shave done in Berlin for a mere 10€, but I imagine the price varies from place to place. Shop around, and see what’s available in your area.
Originally published on May 8, 2016 in Grooming
mm

Chad

I'm a co-founder and writer here at Unfinished Man. I write, manage the look and feel of the website, and make sure that nothing breaks. I also reply to the vast majority of our emails, so if you're sending one through, I suggest you be nice. Everyone says I'm the least offensive of our writers, so they gave the email jockey task to me. When I'm not improving the site, I write about fashion, video games, politics, and anything related to science and technology.

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4 Comments

  • Shane T. says: September 19, 2011 at 4:24 pm

    You paid 10 Euro’s for a freaking straight razor shave?? That’s a little over $13 USD. I hope you only paid that much because it was your first time and you wanted to experience it. Other wise, you’re nuts!

    Reply
    • mm
      Chad says: September 19, 2011 at 5:54 pm

      Haha, is that an unreasonably low amount of money, or a lot for a shave? I don’t really have much basis for comparison.

      Reply
      • mm
        michael says: September 19, 2011 at 7:03 pm

        It’s very high amount for a shave 😉

        But then again, everything in Europe is expensive.

        Reply
  • Shane T. says: September 19, 2011 at 7:04 pm

    A haircut in the USA costs around $15. $13 USD is a bit much for a shave but then again, I’m comparing it to my travels through Asia and South America where I paid $0.30. If I felt like treating myself, I would go to the “high-end” places and splurge a whole $1. And no, never got any infections of any sort.

    Reply
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