Common Mistakes & Wet Shaving Myths

Introduction

By this point, you've learned how to prepare your beard, build a proper lather, choose a shaving brush and reduce the beard through a controlled series of passe

You know enough to achieve an excellent traditional shave.

Unfortunately, you also know enough to start encountering opinions.

Spend any time around traditional wet shaving and you'll discover no shortage of them.

One gentleman insists that a badger brush is essential. Another swears that synthetic brushes are superior.

One shaver uses three passes every morning. Another hasn't shaved against the grain in twenty years.

Some soak their brushes. Some don't.

Some build lather in a bowl. Others build it directly on the face.

Some own one razor. Others seem to own enough shaving equipment to open a small barber shop.

And somehow, many of them achieve excellent shaves.

That's because traditional wet shaving has principles—but far fewer rules than people sometimes imagine.

Most poor shaves come from a handful of genuine mistakes: too much pressure, inadequate preparation, poor lather, incorrect angle or repeatedly shaving unprotected skin.

Everything else deserves a little perspective.

This chapter separates the mistakes that genuinely matter from the myths that simply make wet shaving sound more complicated than it really is.

Mistake: Pressing Harder for a Closer Shave

This is probably the most important habit for a new wet shaver to unlearn.

Modern cartridge razors often encourage pressure. Their blades sit behind guards and the head pivots automatically, so pressing the cartridge against the face can feel perfectly natural.

A traditional safety razor works differently.

The blade doesn't need to be forced through the beard.

It needs to meet the whisker at the correct angle and cut it cleanly.

When the razor isn't cutting properly, pressing harder usually makes matters worse.

More pressure creates more friction.

More friction creates more irritation.

And irritation encourages you to blame the razor, blade or soap when the real problem may simply be your hand.

If the razor seems reluctant to cut, stop and ask:

• Is the blade still sharp?
• Is my lather properly hydrated?
• Am I using the correct angle?
• Am I shaving in the direction I think I am?

Pressure should be one of the last things you add.

In fact, with a well-balanced safety razor, you generally don't need to add it at all.

Let the razor do the work.

Myth: A Closer Shave Is Always a Better Shave

There is something wonderfully satisfying about running your hand over a freshly shaved face and finding absolutely no trace of stubble.

Wet shavers sometimes call this a baby-smooth shave.

It's pleasant.

It is not compulsory.

The purpose of shaving is not to win a competition against every whisker on your face.

The purpose is to finish looking well groomed while leaving your skin comfortable.

For many gentlemen, two passes—one with the grain and another across it—produce an excellent everyday shave.

A third against-the-grain pass may make the face smoother.

It may also produce irritation on skin that doesn't tolerate it.

If the choice is between a perfectly smooth face that burns for the next six hours and an almost perfectly smooth face that feels wonderful, the decision should be easy.

Comfort wins. Every time.

Myth: You Must Shave Against the Grain

Against-the-grain shaving is a technique.

It is not a graduation ceremony.

You haven't somehow failed to become an experienced wet shaver because you prefer not to do it.

As we learned in the previous chapter, the first pass reduces the beard with the grain. A second pass across the grain reduces it further.

For many gentlemen, that's enough.

If your skin comfortably tolerates a final against-the-grain pass, there's nothing wrong with using one.

But there is equally nothing wrong with stopping after two.

Your beard and skin make that decision—not tradition, an internet forum or somebody else's morning routine.

Mistake: Shaving Skin That No Longer Has Lather

This one is simple.

If you're going to put a blade on an area again, put lather there again.

During a shaving pass, the razor removes the lather along with the whiskers.

Going back over that same area without replacing the lubrication means the blade is now travelling across relatively unprotected skin.

It's tempting.

You see one tiny patch you missed.

Just one quick stroke.

Then another.

Those innocent little touch-ups can create more irritation than the entire shave that came before them.

Relather first.

It takes seconds.

Your skin will notice the difference.

Myth: Thick Lather Is Better Lather

This is one of the most persistent misconceptions in wet shaving because thick lather photographs beautifully.

A brush overflowing with dense white foam certainly looks luxurious.

But your razor doesn't care how impressive your lather looks.

It cares how well it glides.

The best lather isn't necessarily the thickest.

It is properly hydrated, slick, stable and protective.

If your lather looks magnificent but the razor feels as though it is dragging across the face, something is wrong.

As you learned in Chapter 2, beginners frequently stop adding water too soon.

The result is a dense, attractive lather that is actually too dry.

Don't judge lather by volume.

Judge it by performance.

Myth: More Soap Fixes Bad Lather

Sometimes it does.

Often it doesn't.

When lather feels heavy, sticky or pasty, the natural instinct is to load more soap.

But if you already have enough soap in the brush, adding more simply makes the mixture even more concentrated.

What it probably needs is water.

Add a few drops.

Work the brush.

Watch what happens.

A surprisingly small amount of additional water can transform dull paste into glossy, slick lather.

Soap, water and air must remain in balance.

More isn't automatically better.

Balance is better.

Mistake: Changing Everything at Once

Your shave wasn't quite right this morning.

So tomorrow you try a different blade.

And a different soap.

And perhaps that new brush you've been meaning to use.

While you're at it, you adjust the razor.

The next shave is wonderful.

What fixed it?

You have absolutely no idea.

Traditional wet shaving rewards experimentation, but useful experimentation requires consistency.

Change one thing at a time.

Try a blade for several shaves.

Then change the blade while keeping the razor, soap and technique the same.

If you're learning to bowl lather, use the same soap and brush for a while.

Give yourself enough repetition to actually feel the difference.

Constantly changing equipment can make learning surprisingly difficult.

Consistency teaches.

Myth: Expensive Equipment Produces a Better Shave

A beautifully made razor is a pleasure to own.

A handcrafted shaving brush can be something you enjoy for decades.

Fine tools have value.

But price and shaving performance are not the same thing.

A modest safety razor with a blade that suits your beard can deliver an exceptional shave.

A modern synthetic brush can build excellent lather.

A simple bowl can work every bit as well as an expensive handmade shaving scuttle.

Premium equipment may offer better materials, craftsmanship, balance, finish, appearance or simply the pleasure of ownership.

Those are perfectly legitimate reasons to buy it.

But none replaces technique.

A gentleman with excellent technique and modest equipment will usually enjoy a better shave than a beginner holding the most expensive razor in the room.

Myth: Badger Is the Only Proper Shaving Brush

Badger brushes have a long and deserved place in traditional wet shaving.

They can hold water beautifully and feel luxurious on the face.

But they're not the only proper shaving brushes.

Modern synthetic brushes can be remarkably soft, efficient and easy to maintain.

Boar brushes offer wonderful backbone and often develop tremendous character as they break in.

Badger brushes provide their own distinctive feel.

All three can create exceptional lather.

The best brush is not determined by tradition or price.

It's the brush you enjoy using.

Myth: There Is One Correct Way to Build Lather

Face lathering.

Bowl lathering.

Shower lathering.

Ask three experienced wet shavers which method is best and you may receive four answers.

That's part of the fun.

Each method has advantages.

Face lathering is direct, simple and excellent for beard preparation.

Bowl lathering gives you tremendous control over consistency and hydration.

Shaving during or after a warm shower provides exceptional beard hydration.

None possesses a secret ability to produce a superior shave simply because of where the lather was made.

Good lather is good lather.

Choose the method that suits the morning.

Mistake: Ignoring Your Beard's Grain

Your beard does not necessarily grow downward.

In fact, parts of it probably don't.

Whiskers may grow sideways along the jaw, diagonally across the neck or even change direction within a surprisingly small area.

That's why copying somebody else's shaving strokes can produce poor results.

Their beard isn't yours.

Take the time to understand your own grain pattern.

Let the beard grow long enough that you can feel its direction.

Run your fingertips across it.

One direction feels smoother.

The opposite feels rougher.

Once you understand how the beard actually grows, terms such as with the grain and across the grain become useful instructions rather than vague directions.

Your face is the map.

Learn it.

Myth: A Sharp Blade Causes Razor Burn

A sharp blade can certainly nick careless skin.

But sharpness itself is not usually the enemy.

Dragging is.

A fresh blade cuts a whisker cleanly with very little force.

As a blade becomes dull, it begins pulling rather than slicing.

The natural response is to press harder.

Now you have a dull edge, additional pressure and increased friction all working together.

That's an excellent recipe for an uncomfortable shave.

Don't judge a blade only by how many shaves it has completed.

Beards differ.

Blades differ.

Razors differ.

The moment a familiar blade begins tugging when it normally glides, pay attention.

A fresh blade costs very little.

Your face is worth considerably more.

Myth: Every Nick Means You're Doing Something Wrong

Nicks happen.

Even experienced wet shavers occasionally catch a tiny bump, blemish or uneven piece of skin.

One small nick doesn't mean your technique has suddenly failed.

Repeated nicks, however, are information.

If they occur in the same place, examine your angle and grain direction.

If they appear throughout the shave, consider pressure.

If the razor is tugging, consider the blade.

If you're repeatedly touching up without lather, you already know the answer.

Don't become frustrated.

Treat mistakes as feedback.

Traditional wet shaving is a skill, and skills improve through observation.

Myth: Traditional Wet Shaving Takes Too Long

It can.

A leisurely Sunday shave with a favourite brush, warm towel and carefully built bowl of lather can become a twenty-minute ritual.

There's nothing wrong with that.

But it doesn't have to be.

Once your equipment is familiar and your technique becomes automatic, a very good traditional shave can fit comfortably into an ordinary morning routine.

The beginner takes longer because the beginner is thinking.

How much water?

What angle?

Which direction does my neck grow?

Do I need another pass?

Experience removes those questions.

The ritual remains.

The hesitation disappears.

Eventually, slowing down actually makes you more efficient.

Myth: You Need a Large Collection

Traditional wet shaving has a peculiar habit of turning practical objects into hobbies.

One razor becomes three.

One brush acquires companions.

A single shaving soap somehow becomes an entire shelf of fragrances.

There's nothing wrong with collecting.

Fine shaving equipment is enjoyable.

But collecting and shaving are two different hobbies.

You need remarkably little to achieve an excellent shave:

• A good razor.
• A suitable blade.
• A quality shaving brush.
• A proper shaving soap.
• Warm water.
• Technique.

Everything beyond that is choice.

Enjoy the collection if you want one.

Just don't mistake ownership for mastery.

Mistake: Blaming the Equipment Too Quickly

An uncomfortable shave makes it very easy to blame the newest object in the bathroom.

The blade is too aggressive.

The razor doesn't suit me.

The soap isn't slick enough.

The brush isn't good enough.

Sometimes that's true.

But before replacing anything, return to the fundamentals.

• Preparation.
• Hydration.
• Angle.
• Pressure.
• Grain direction.
• Fresh lather between passes.

These variables cost nothing to adjust and account for an enormous number of shaving problems.

Equipment matters.

Technique usually matters more.

Myth: The Perfect Routine Exists

After reading eight hundred opinions online, you may eventually discover the perfect wet shaving routine.

Unfortunately, it will probably belong to somebody else.

Your skin is different.

Your beard is different.

Your mornings are different.

The razor angle that feels natural in another gentleman's hand may not feel natural in yours.

The soap that loves his hard water may behave differently in your home.

His three-pass shave may be unnecessary for your beard.

His favourite brush may feel too soft—or too firm—on your face.

Traditional wet shaving becomes truly enjoyable when you stop searching for the correct routine and begin developing your routine.

Learn the principles.

Then make them your own.

The Mistakes That Actually Matter

After all the opinions, debates and rituals, the genuine mistakes are remarkably few.

• Poor preparation.
• Too much pressure.
• Incorrect blade angle.
• Dry or poorly hydrated lather.
• Ignoring beard growth.
• Shaving repeatedly without fresh lather.
• Continuing with a blade that is tugging.
• Chasing perfect smoothness after your skin has already had enough.

Correct those, and most of the rest becomes preference.

Bowl or face.

Synthetic, boar or badger.

Two passes or three.

One razor or twenty.

Those choices make traditional wet shaving interesting.

They don't determine whether you're doing it correctly.

Practice

For your next five shaves, resist the temptation to buy, replace or change anything.

Use the same razor.

The same blade type.

The same brush.

The same soap.

Instead, pay attention to technique.

Use slightly less pressure.

Add a little more water to your lather.

Study the grain around your neck.

Relather before every touch-up.

And stop shaving the moment your face feels comfortably finished.

You may discover that the biggest improvement to your shave wasn't something you bought.

It was something you learned.

Key Takeaways

✔ Technique matters more than expensive equipment.

✔ A closer shave isn't automatically a better shave.

✔ Against-the-grain shaving is optional.

✔ Never repeatedly shave skin that no longer has protective lather.

✔ Proper hydration matters more than impressive-looking foam.

✔ Change one variable at a time when experimenting.

✔ Learn your own beard rather than copying somebody else's routine.

✔ A fresh blade should cut with very little pressure.

✔ There is no single correct brush, lathering method or number of passes.

✔ The best routine is the one that consistently gives you a close, comfortable and enjoyable shave.

Looking Ahead

Knowing how to avoid mistakes is important.

Knowing how to recognize irritation—and what to do when it occurs—is the next step.

In Chapter 7, we'll look more closely at Preventing Razor Burn, Nicks & Irritation: why they happen, how to prevent them, and how small adjustments in preparation and technique can make an enormous difference.

Because a truly great shave isn't measured only by how close it feels.

It's measured by how good your skin feels afterwards.