Straight Edge Shaving- What a Relaxing Experience.
Wow. Maybe our grandfathers were on to something when they would ramble on about shaving with a straight edge. I needed to try something new for IIO #3, and since I did not have the guts to skydive, I decided to head on over to Bluesbarbershop to get a professional straight edge shave for my beard.
For anyone that doesn’t know what straight edge razor shaving is, its essentially a using a knife to shave your face. It may seem barbaric and outdated, but its known to give men the closest shave possible (while also feeling really manly by allowing a weapon to be so close to your face and throat).
Getting a straight edge shave was a similar process to getting a haircut. I had an appointment for noon this past Saturday, and after showing up I was kindly greeted and shown to my seat. I was lucky enough to have Monica Taylor- the owner- conduct my shaving. She started by placing a very warm, damp towel on my face. She explained that this was important because it would open up the pores on my face, which would allow the razor to glide more smoothly over my skin.
This was already extremely relaxing, and after several minutes, the towel was removed and Monica prepared the lather. The lather was a light shaving cream that was applied using a special brush designed for applying lather to faces- meaning it was very gentle. Only half of my face was lathered, and then Monica began the process of shaving over the lather with the razor.
I wasn’t nervous at all since I knew Monica was a professional, but it is still a little bit eerie to allow a stranger to approach your face with a fierce looking razor. However, I felt that Bluesbarbershop did a great job at making its customers feel at ease with relaxing music and an incredibly kind staff.
It’s a little bit hard to describe how the actual shaving felt, other than it felt similar to a regular shave, just with a distinct “scraping” sound, yet no discomfort whatsoever. After finishing the one side of my face, Monica placed another warm, damp towel on my face in order to keep my pores open. The feeling of a warm towel over your freshly shaved face is something I highly recommend.
Monica repeated the lather process once more, and finished off the other side of my face. Once she finished, she placed another warm towel on my face (again, super relaxing, totally recommend), but then surprised me by placing a cold towel on my face immediately after. The surprise of the cold of created a kind of shocking, almost numbing feeling. But, it was a refreshing feeling, and Monica explained that the cold towel was to close my pores, preventing any dirt or outside materials to enter my pores after the shave. After removing the towel, Monica finished the process by applying a soothing aftershave to my face, and I thanked her and returned to the front desk for payment.
Getting a straight edge shave was an awesome experience I think all men should try at least once. In fact, I am now considering buying my own straight edge razor and teaching myself how to straight edge shave. The smoothness of a post-straight razor shave is unparalleled to any other shave I’ve had (yup, my grandfather was definitely on to something).
I think Bluesbarbershop did a phenomenal job and giving me the most relaxing experience they could- although, I’ll admit I don’t know any better as this was my first time going to a barbershop for a shave. That being said, I would give the luxury of a professional straight edge shave a solid 10/10.
References:
Bluesbarbershop. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
Heger, Jason. “Cutthroat Shave.” Pinterest.com. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
“Kingsley Straight Edge Razor Stainless Steel with Wood Inlay Handle.” amazon.com. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.
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