My first shaver was a Braun electric shaver that my dad gave me in my teen years. I received the shaver shortly after my Grandpa teased me about having “dirt” on my face. The electric shaver never really worked for me. In my 20’s I switched to a Gillette razor which I used until just recently.

During a walk in the Calgary’s Inglewood neighborhood, I came across a new men’s shaving store, Kent of Inglewood. I had been intrigued with the idea that traditional shaving methods give a better shave, are more economical, and reduce environmental impact. After a short visit, I walked out with a lovely Merkur safety razor and a few different packs of blades to try.

The next step was to understand how to use my new safety razor. This is a funny and informational video I found and was very helpful. I would recommend watching it just for the laughs alone:

How to Shave Like Your Grandpa

You’d be better off raking your face with a rusty butter knife and some kerosene.

Thanks Billy! Thanks Narator Man! That was really helpful.

Shaving with the safety razor resulted in a noticeable improvement. After using it for a couple of weeks, I believe the experience of shaving with a safety razor contributes to the quality of the shave. Compared with pulling a Gillette 5 blade swiveling head across my face, a safety razor feels more tactile. I am more in control. I can feel and hear when the blade is cutting the hair and when it is not. When the blade needs changing it is obvious and I switch to a fresh blade right away. I believe that better blade quality and better tactile control of the razor results in a higher quality, closer shave. I like the way my skin looks and feels after shaving.

I spend a little more time and care in the morning on shaving and this is probably a good thing. I spend about 3 to 5 minutes now instead of my previous 1 to 2 minutes with my Gillette. It’s not much more time, and this additional care and attention also improves the quality of my shave.

For the first time, shaving is an enjoyable experience rather than a necessary chore. I like my well constructed safety razor. It feels solid in my hand. Shaving with it is more tactile and feels good. New shaving creams and shaving soaps are available to try and enjoy. I’m thinking of putting a nice shaving soap on my Christmas list this year. It is fun and I am left with a good feeling after I am finished shaving.

I also like the feeling of taking control of my shaving experience. I am no longer being influenced by a large corporation whose sole purpose is to sell me their overpriced, mediocre product. Replacement blades are high quality, compact, have a low environmental impact, and are inexpensive. I can try different brands of blades to see which I like. I have options.

Shaving is an example where new ways of doing things isn’t necessarily better. As things change, and we gravitate toward modern convenience, we can lose sight of quality. Why did we wander from the way our grandpas shaved? They did it well. It is great to see a revival in these traditional approaches to shaving. We should have been doing it this way all along.