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Copyright, Legal Notice And Disclaimer

This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights: you are not allowed to give or sell this Guide to anyone else.

Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence. Although the author and publisher have made every reasonable attempt to achieve complete accuracy of the content in this Guide, they assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Also, you should use this information as you see fit, and at your own risk. Your particular situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated here; in fact, it's likely that they won't be the same, and you should adjust your use of the information and recommendations accordingly.

Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if we use one of these terms.

Finally, use your head. Nothing in this Guide is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice, and is meant to inform and entertain the reader. So have fun and learn to dress sharp!

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Wet Shave Like A Professional

Written By Antonio Centeno Edition 2 – 2017

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Copyright, Legal Notice And Disclaimer

One Week to a Wet Shave A Step-by-Step Guide to Wet

Day 1: Get Educated What's the Problem with Cartridge ? The Wet Shave Alternative - What's Involved? Further Reading

Day 2: Select & Purchase Your Razor Types: Double-Edged, Single Edged, and Straight Gap Size and Adjustable vs. Set Gaps Safety Bars vs. Other Issues Razor Blades

Day 3: Pick Your Soaps and Creams The and Cream Shaving Other Shaving Products

Wet Shave Like A Professional – 2nd Edition 2017 – Copyright Real Men Real Style Return to Table of Content Day 4: Your First Wet Shave Step 1: Set Your Space Up Step 2: Wet Your Step 3: Create Your Lather Step 4: Apply the Lather Step 5: Shave Step 6: Rinse

Day 5 (and Onward): Vary Your Shaving Technique Vary the Skin and Temperature Vary Your Skin Treatments Vary Your Lather Vary Your Razor

One Week to a Wet Shave: Conclusion Shave Maps – Direction of Hair Growth and Blade Route

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Check out our RECOMMENDED courses:

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One Week to A Wet Shave

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One Week to a Wet Shave

In a heartening trend, men of all ages seem to be realizing that the multi- bladed cartridge razor is an overpriced gimmick.

That shows fortitude in the face of intense ad campaigns telling you that more blades, more gel strips, more vibrating motors, and more anything else they can strap onto a razor handle is better for your face.

Facts have a way of coming out in the end.

And the fact about shaving is this: you don't need the latest in cartridge technology to get a good shave with minimal effort.

What's the alternative?

The same thing our fathers and our grandfathers did, before disposable razor cartridges became widespread: the wet shave.

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Wet Shaving

"Wet shave" is a cultural shorthand for a broad idea: shaving your face with a single-bladed metal razor, generally with cake soap or plain water instead of canned foam or gel.

There's quite a purist culture of wet shavers out there, and it can intimidate a man who's used canned foam and a cartridge razor all his adult life.

Depending on where you go for your information, the specifics of razor types, soap types, blade types, and more can get overwhelming. The purpose of this guide is to take things one day at a time and get you from a cartridge shave to a wet shave in a week -- without feeling frustrated. Take your time and go one day at a time.

You don't need to be an expert in 24 hours. You don't even need to be an expert in a week -- you just need to be a guy who's comfortable shaving with lather and a single-bladed razor.

Once you've made the transition, there's a whole world of details and specifics out there that you can get as invested in as you want.

But these basic steps will get any guy shaving comfortably, without having to devote his whole life to the skill.

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Day 1: Get Educated

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Day 1: Get Educated

If you're reading this, you probably already know the basics of wet shaving, or have at least some notion that you'd like to change from cartridge razors.

But since every guy's heard slightly different information, take this first day to just look over the basics.

Use this section to get a good idea what we're talking about, and why it's worth your while.

What's the Problem with Cartridge Razors?

For a lot of guys, we are talking about a transition from something they're used to, here.

Disposable cartridges (and disposable razors, for that matter) have been the norm in America, and to a lesser degree in Europe, for about a generation.

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The case for cartridge razors is usually about convenience and shave quality. If you believe the manufacturers, a cartridge with multiple blades shaves closer and smoother than a single blade, and the process is quicker and easier.

The convenience part is probably true. There's no denying that spritzing on some gel or foam and running a cartridge razor over your face a couple times is probably at least a little quicker than a wet shave with a .

But the shave quality is pure hype -- you can get yourself baby- smooth with a basic single-bladed razor, and you can get a terrible, patchy shave with lots of painful nicks using a cartridge razor.

Your technique and the frequency with which you change your blades have a lot more to do with your shave than the number of blades you're using. And that brings us to the biggest problem with cartridge razors -- those little bundles of extra blades are expensive.

For good shaves, you want to be changing your blades every week or so. Maybe stretch it to two weeks if you don't shave every day, or if you've got high-quality blades, but in general -- every week. Less than that at the blade gets dulled and nicked, and those rough spots will miss (leaving stubble) and catch on your skin (leaving cuts).

Single blades for safety razors cost maybe a buck a piece for the classy brands; less if you go bulk. Cartridges, on the other hand, start about around $20 for a pack of four or six, and go upwards from there.

Do the math and you'll realize that you're talking a difference of literally hundreds of dollars each year.

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And that -- along with the general cheapness of the product and the reliance on chemical gels and "soothing" strips -- is the big problem with cartridge razors.

The Wet Shave Alternative - What's Involved?

So all right -- you'd like to save some money, get a better product, and maybe feel a little more in control of your own shaving process. That's why you're here.

What's involved in the transition?

Not too much. A traditional wet shave requires four basic things:

● a single-bladed safety razor (generally metal) ● soap of some kind (generally cake soap in a ) ● a brush to apply lather with ● water (generally warm)

In a pinch, you can even do without the soap and brush (more on that later).

Most of the transition comes down to knowing how to select the right equipment. Once you've got it, the shave itself is pretty familiar -- you'll need a little less force and a little more respect for the heavier razor, but it's the same basic motions as shaving with a plastic cartridge razor.

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Further Reading

You don't need to know much more than that, but if you want to get into the whole wet shaving culture thing, it's got a strong online presence that you can check out.

Sharpologist.com is a great shaving resource site, as is Shaving101.com. ClassicShaving.com is primarily a sales site, but their how-to has a good beginner's guide as well (though nothing quite as detailed as this step-by-step guide).

For discussion forums, try BadgerAndBlade.com or TheShaveDen.com, or more general men's fashion and style forums like AskAndyAboutClothes.com and ArtOfManliness.com.

Find sites you like and browse a bit, but don't get caught up trying to remember every detail from every article you come across. Just know what resources are out there, so that you can come back to them if you have questions.

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Day 2: Select & Purchase Your Razor

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Day 2: Select & Purchase Your Razor

A whole day just to buy a razor?!

Absolutely. Bear with us here.

If you've done a lot of reading and you already know exactly what brand and model you want, good for you -- you're ahead of the game, here.

Go ahead and order your razor. If you're using a site like Amazon, you can probably even have the shipping expedited to truly make this a one-day task.

(Finding a good store in town that sells razors can also make it a one-day purchase -- as convenient as the internet is, don't forget that brick-and-mortar is often quicker, and keeps the money local!)

But if you don't know the exact razor you want, you're going to need a couple hours and some information to figure it out.

There are a couple major features that come in varying styles, and you want the one that's right for you.

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Razor Types: Double-Edged, Single Edged, and Straight

Virtually all of the razors we talk about here are going to be single- bladed, double-edged safety razor.

That means you're using one flat razor blade, sharpened on both the long edges, screwed or clipped into a non-disposable handle.

People usually shorten the term for that whole family of razors to "safety razors," or sometimes to "DE safety razors."

You can find the occasional single- edged blade for safety razors, but they're obscure and mostly obsolete -- more of a collector’s item than anything.

Straight razors, on the other hand, are still available many places. These are not safety razors, and they require a different set of equipment to maintain and use properly! A is a fixed blade permanently attached to a handle, which is not replaced -- instead, it is sharpened and re-sharpened after use.

While cool and also a long-term cost-saver, straight razor shaving isn't what we're talking about here. For purposes of the wet shave transition, you'll almost always want to go with a double-edged, single-bladed safety razor.

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Gap Size and Adjustable vs. Set Gaps

The "gap" of a safety razor is the amount of blade exposed beyond the cap-piece or safety bar (more on that in a minute).

The more blade you have exposed, the "rougher" the shave. You have to work more carefully when the full width of the sharpened section is exposed than when you're just working with the very edge of the blade.

Beginners generally want a razor with a small gap, or an adjustable razor. The latter are more expensive and harder to find (there are only a few being made currently, plus some vintage options), but they have the advantage of letting you experiment with different gap sizes without buying multiple razors.

Safety Bars vs. Combs

Unlike cartridge razors (which have a plastic frame surrounding the blades), safety razors use metal cap-pieces to hold the blade in place at the top of the handle.

The or open comb is a row of small teeth on either side of the head. The gaps in between the teeth help funnel lathered hairs into small clusters for the razor to rim.

A safety bar razor works the opposite way -- it has a small, flat bar that sits below the blade. The bar moves along the skin and pushes hairs into the blade, while separating the skin slightly from the cutting edge.

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Both are effective. The open comb design can provide a slightly closer shave, but is generally considered harsher on the skin. That said, the gap size (see the previous subsection) is a major factor here, so a safety razor with a large gap may shave closer and more harshly than a comb razor with a small gap.

Other Issues

There are a few other minor concerns when selecting your razor. The actual raw material is a good one to keep in mind -- you want a metal handle and head if at all possible. Stainless steel gives the razor enough weight that you don't have to apply any pressure yourself when you're shaving, and keeps the razor from rusting in the humid air of a bathroom as well.

Most safety razors these days are three-piece assemblies -- a handle, a baseplate that goes under the razor blade, and a cap that goes over the razor blade. There are also two-piece razors where the handle and baseplate are fused, and even a few one-piece razors that snap open for you to place the blade inside, and then snap closed over the blade for use.

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There's no real advantage to one over the other (although one-piece safety razors have more moving parts that can wear out or break, and as a result aren't made much anymore -- they were sort of the hot new gimmick just before cartridge razors hit the scene).

Finally, there's the question of whether to buy new or vintage. Most vintage razors still take the same size of blade as modern razors, so that's rarely a concern. So long as the razor is solid, has substantial weight to it, and isn't made of something that can crack or chip easily when it ages (like a wood handle, which will swell and split over the years), vintage is usually just as functional as buying new. It's a matter of taste more than anything.

Want to know 7 shaving secrets? Click here to watch the video.

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Razor Blades

When you buy your new razor, you'll also need to grab some blades for it. Luckily, the blades are cheap and easy to find. That was one of the big reasons to make the switch, remember?

Stainless steel is your basic material here. Some will come "plated" with rust- or wear-resistant metals like titanium and platinum, but the coating in question is usually so thin that you won't notice much practical difference.

Experiment with a couple brands and see if you notice any difference. Packs are so cheap there's no real reason not to pick up three or four brands at a time and try them. Some fancier shaving- goods stores and websites will even sell mixed sampler packs, but it's easy enough to buy a five-pack from a couple different brands at most drugstores.

Plan on changing blades about once every week or two weeks. You can do it more often than that if you're really obsessive, or stretch it a little longer if you're not a daily shaver, but between one and two weeks per blade is the ballpark.

As soon as you feel any tugging or resistance, or have to apply pressure or go back over rough spots, it's time to change the blade.

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Day 3: Pick Your Soaps and Creams

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Day 3: Pick Your Soaps and Creams

Now we get to the "wet" part of the wet shave.

The razor selection is important -- maybe the most important part of getting yourself set up. It's certainly the purchase that will last you the longest.

But finding the product and method of lathering your face that suits you best is equally important in terms of making you like your shaving experience. If the soap is harsh or you don't care for your brush, you're never going to stick with wet shaving.

Your basic equipment here is soap and a brush. Here are a few more specifics to break it all down for you:

The Shaving Brush

Unless you go with a canned foam (not recommended), the brush is the go-to tool for applying lather.

The advantage of whipping up your own lather and brushing it on is that it doesn't require any matting or pressing down of the hairs. You can coat them without plastering them to your skin, which makes them easier for the razor to remove without tugging or slipping.

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A good brush needs to be soft (for your skin's sake) and capable of holding water (to keep the lather smooth). The best (and most expensive) are made from badger hair, with boar's hair or a badger/boar mix as a cheaper and more common alternative. Synthetic bristles are usually made from , and are the cheapest option available.

Unless you're a professional , you probably don't need to worry too much about the grades of badger hair (but if you're curious, they're grouped from coarsest to finest: pure badger, best badger, super badger, and at the top of the heap silvertip badger).

There's nothing wrong with starting out with a synthetic or boar's bristle brush. They won't last as long, and tend to become brittle at the tips over time, but you should still get a couple good years' use out of them.

Shaving Soap and Cream

There are two main options for the actual lather you use on your face during shaving: soap and cream.

Shaving soap comes in a hard cake, usually a circular puck, which is placed in the bottom of a mug, bowl, or "scuttle." A wet brush is swirled on the top of the cake until lather builds up, which is then dabbed onto the beard with the same brush.

Shaving cream, in contrast, comes in a semi-liquid form contained in a tin. The brush is dipped in the cream, which is then dabbed directly onto the face, with none of the swirling used with soap.

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Of the two, creams are faster to use, and easier on the wrists -- there's no "whisking" to build a lather -- but they tend to be stickier and oilier, and often contain synthetic chemicals that can irritate sensitive skins.

Soaps, while requiring a little extra effort, create an ideal lather (once you get the right amount of water down), can be made from just a few natural ingredients, and last considerably longer.

They're also cheaper -- a $5 soap cake could last you the better part of a year, while you're likely to go through a $20 tin of in a month or two.

It may take a couple tries to find something that gives you the lather you like. Start with a simple soap cake and go from there. If you have sensitive skin, a glycerin soap may be easier on it, and you'll want to avoid anything with chemical additives.

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Shaving Mugs

There are countless shaving mugs, bowls, and scuttles out there, and the difference between them is mostly aesthetic. As long as you've got something large enough to contain the soap cake and an inch or two of lather spread up the sides, you're in good shape.

An old coffee mug will do if you want to save some money. If you buy something shaving-specific, expect to pay anywhere from $20 on up to $100 or more, depending on the materials.

Other Shaving Products

You don't have to buy any of these to get started on your wet shaving, but some men find any or all of them helpful:

● Pre-shave oils and - moisturizing products designed to soften the hairs before lather is applied. Useful when you don't have time to shower or apply a warm cloth.

● - astringents designed to close the pores after shaving, often with a mild scent.

● Alum blocks and styptic pencils - surface treatments for small nicks and scrapes.

It's up to you whether you want to use these or not. The lotions and aftershave make for a slightly more luxurious experience, which some men like, but you can get by just fine without them unless your skin is particularly sensitive.

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Day 4: Your First Wet Shave

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Day 4: Your First Wet Shave

By this point you should know more about shaving products than you ever expected to.

Today it's time to put the ones you picked out to use. (Assuming they've arrived. If you're stuck waiting on delivery, you might have to put your shaving plans on hold for a day or two here. Maybe go read some blogs or join discussion forums to keep the idea fresh in your mind!)

But assuming you've got all the supplies, it's time to tackle the first shave, step by step.

We're going to start with the most common and popular method: warm skin and warm water. This is how most people prefer to shave.

There are other methods, and they have their die-hard advocates! But start with this one, and then experiment with variations to see what you like.

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Step 1: Set Your Space Up

Go ahead and carve out a permanent space for your shaving gear in the bathroom. Butt up against other toiletries' territory as much as you need to.

You'll want the mug with the soap in it on the sink, or somewhere else easily accessible. The less chance of knocking it off an edge the better, especially if you're using a porcelain mug.

You'll also need either a sink you can plug or a small basin of water to rinse your razor. A running tap will do in a pinch, as will wiping it on a cloth, but the easiest and best way to clean the razor as you go is to swirl it in some standing water.

Lay everything out for your shave ahead of time: the razor, the mug with soap in it, the brush, and any lotions or topical treatments you plan to apply before or after the shave.

Step 2: Wet Your Beard

The easiest shave for most men is done when the hairs and skin are soft and wet. Shaving after a shower pretty much guarantees this, and it's how a lot of guys prefer to schedule their shave.

If you don't have the time to shower before your shave, or you prefer not to, a cloth soaked in warm water can be laid over the beard and left there for three or four minutes to soften the hairs.

A pre-shave can also help prep your beard for a shave if you don't have warm water available.

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Step 3: Create Your Lather

If you're using a tinned shaving cream or an aerosol can, this step is already done.

Men with cake soap will need to do a bit of work with their brush to create a good lather.

First, wet the brush. It should be wet all the way through, but not dripping -- an easy way to do this is to stick the brush under a faucet or under water and hold it there, then take it out and shake it briskly until large droplets stop flying off the bristles.

At that point it should be wet but not dripping.

Once you've got the brush wet, lay the tips of the bristles against the top of the soap cake and start whisking it around in little circles.

Don't give up too soon. It takes a solid minute or two to build a proper lather! That seems like forever when you're just standing there whisking your brush around, but it's not actually that long.

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A good lather will be a thick, smooth foam. There should be plenty of air and water in there (sort of like beaten eggs), not just soap. If it's sticky to the touch, or thick and smeary like toothpaste, add more water. If it's runny and drips off the brush, dump a little water out, shake the brush off, and beat the lather some more.

Step 4: Apply the Lather

Once you've got a lather, swirl the brush in it firmly to coat the bristles.

Give a quick shake to get rid of any big clumps, and, using the tip of the brush, start to dab the lather onto your beard.

The goal here is to coat your hairs without mashing them down against the skin, and without piling on so much lather that it hides everything completely.

You'll ideally end up with a nice, even coat of lather, with the tips of the hairs visible through it. If it takes a couple tries to get it right, don't be afraid to wash everything off with a wet washcloth and start over.

Step 5: Shave

The moment of truth -- pick up your razor and go to.

Shaving with a good lather should be smooth and easy. Place the razor at the top of the space you want to shave and move it gently downward. Resist the temptation to press it against your skin! If the blade is sharp, the weight of the head should be enough to shear through your hairs without you applying pressure.

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Try to keep your shaving only to lathered skin. If a stroke removes all the lather but leaves stubble, dab a bit more on before going back over the area.

Rinse the razor in a sink or mug filled with water in between strokes. You can switch between the two sharp edges to extend the lifespan of the blade a little longer, or you can mark the razor and use one side until it dulls and then switch to the other -- both techniques work fine.

Everyone's routine will be a little different, but always shave with the grain of your hairs -- in the direction they're growing, not against it -- and use your free hand to tug the skin taut where you want a particularly close shave. (Use even less pressure when you do so, however. Taut skin nicks very easily.)

Use the most care underneath the chin, down near the Adam's apple. This is the most fragile part of the neck, and the part where most shavers nick themselves. Treat your razor with respect -- it's a heavy piece of metal with an incredibly sharp edge!

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Step 6: Rinse

Once you've shaved to your satisfaction, rinse your face with clean, cold water (not with the water you've been rinsing your razor in).

A washcloth works fine for your rinse. So does scooping up a handful and splashing your face. Go with whatever you like best.

Cold (or at least cool) water will help tighten the skin up and close the pores, which helps prevent infections and razor burn. Make sure you've washed off all the lather and stray hairs, as those are the most likely things to cause irritation if they stay on the skin.

Once you've rinsed, apply any after-treatments you like. A splash of aftershave or witch hazel works for some men, and dries the skin of others -- you'll have to experiment and find what you like.

Use an alum block or styptic stick to dab any cuts, if you were unfortunate enough to acquire them, and pat everything dry with a soft cloth.

That's all there is to it -- you're done with your first wet shave. Hopefully it didn't go too badly!

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Day 5 (and Onward): Vary Your Shaving Technique

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Day 5 (and Onward): Vary Your Shaving Technique

At this point you're familiar with the default wet shave technique: soften the skin and beard, lather up, shave, rinse, and go.

Now it's time to start identifying things that you're not 100% satisfied with and making changes to get where you want to go.

Think of this as the troubleshooting phase. You've got a good sense of the basics, and now you're modifying them to suit your own need.

Here are some changes you can make to the basic routine:

Vary the Skin and Hair Temperature

Not everyone gets a good shave from softening his hair and skin in a shower.

Some men prefer to splash cold water on their face before lathering up, or even to avoid using any water on the hair at all before applying the lather. It all depends on the natural hardness of their

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Return to Table of Content hairs -- if yours are already soft and silky, getting them warm and wet may make them lie too flat to trim easily.

If you're having trouble with the razor gliding over hairs and leaving them uncut, try applying a cool lather directly to the dry hairs. If that's too harsh, soak them with cold water first.

Find the technique that gets a good shave, but doesn't have your skin feeling tugged at when the razor passes through the hairs.

Vary Your Skin Treatments

Every skin is different. Some feel best after a simple shave with lather. Others feel painfully irritated unless both a pre-shave lotion and an aftershave are applied.

There's no real way to tell what works best for you except trial and error.

Look around for some trial-sized lotions and , and give them a try. If you find something you really like, stick with it.

It may be important to try lotions out if you're having irritation problems. Keep the skin moisturized, and if you're feeling dry and itchy, avoid astringent, alcohol-based aftershaves.

Vary Your Lather

Not everyone needs a thick, creamy lather. You may even prefer shaving without -- some men do just fine with nothing more than warm water after a softening shower or lotion rub.

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Try varying amounts and varying thicknesses to see what works best for you. The upside of all that practice? You'll get very good at controlling the consistency of your lather very quickly.

Vary Your Razor

If all else fails, your razor might not be quite right for you. It's the most expensive fix, so try other solutions first. But if you seem to be nicking yourself constantly, and you just can't stop, consider trying a different razor.

Look to change some of the factors that affect how the blade moves across your skin: the weight of the head, the blade gap, and the style of comb or safety bar used. It's worth the investment to get something that works right for you.

Here are 7 tips to the best shave of your life. Click here to watch.

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One Week to A Wet Shave: Conclusion

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One Week to a Wet Shave: Conclusion

If you've followed the guide all the way through to this conclusion, you should be a pro wet shaver!

What seems like a lot of information on paper boils down to a very small, simple routine in your daily life.

Once you've got the right tools, getting a good shave every day is just a matter of whipping your lather up and treating your face with care. Pretty soon it'll be almost as fast as using cartridges and canned foam -- and a whole lot better for your skin and your wallet.

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Shave Maps – Direction of Hair Growth and Blade Route

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Grab our FREE products:

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Check out our RECOMMENDED courses:

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