Blog | Page 11 of 20 | Original Shave Company

7 steps on how to shave correctly

So you have your safety razor in hand and now just keep looking down at it wondering how to shave. It sounds like a silly question, but using a safety razor for a wet shave is not the same as using a cartridge razor. We’re here to help. Below is a quick seven-step guide to how to shave using your new safety razor. Just gear up and go!

shaving with a straight razor — Shaving with a straight razor

1. Determine your hair growth direction.
Before starting your perfect wet shave routine, you need to reacquaint yourself with your hair growth. Hair growth is the road map of how to shave. Let your beard grow for a few days, until you have visible stubs and can see which direction the growth on each area of your face occurs.

When you start wet shaving, you will want to shave in the direction of your hair’s growth to avoid nicks and cuts. As you become acclimated to your new routine, you can give shaving against the grain a try. Just don’t do that right out of the gate.

2. Cleanse and exfoliate your skin.
Using a quality skin cleanser that exfoliates, such as a facial scrub, spend some time in the shower or at the sink focusing on a good exfoliation to lift facial hair and remove dead skin. This will help you experience a smooth, comfortable shave and less ingrown hairs, particularly as you relearn how to shave using your new safety razor.

3. Steam your face in the shower or with a hot towel.
In a warm shower or using a hot towel, apply steam or warmth to your face for about half a minute. This warmth softens your hairs, making them more responsive to the razor’s blades.

4. Apply pre-shave oil.
To further prep your skin and soften hairs, apply a quality pre-shave oil, gel or lotion. Pre-shave oil helps protect the skin’s surface by encouraging the razor to glide over its surface. Pre-shave oil also moisturizes your skin and improves how it looks between shaves.

5. Use a badger shaving brush to apply shaving soap or shaving cream to your face and neck.
Using a badger hair shaving brush helps evenly apply your shaving soap or shaving cream. It also lifts facial hair so it is “in place” for optimum cutting by the razor. Before shaving, let the shaving soap or cream remain on your face for about half a minute, to work its magic.

Shave in the direction of hair growth, starting on the sides of the face and progressing to the neck, jawline and finally the mouth area while using short strokes. Do not apply pressure to the razor or press it into your skin. Simply hold the razor firmly at a 30-degree angle. Remember to go slowly and stretch your skin with your free hand where needed.

6. Cold water splash.
To rinse your face, use a cold water splash or a cold wet washcloth. This will close your pores and ready your skin for after shave application.

7. Application of after shave.
Lightly apply after shave lotion, balm or cream to your shaved areas. After shave hydrates the skin and provides anti-bacterial protection to minimize bumps and irritation.

Posted on July 15, 2016October 17, 2017 by Sean Mason

History Of High Quality Feather Razor Blades

When looking at the history of the legendary sharp Feather razor blades brand, one of the first things you will note is a significant gap between the startup date of the organization making these high quality razor blades and the next point in its history. This is because the Feather razor blades brand is shrouded in mystery, legend and folklore only eras of conflict, war and crisis can foster.

History of Feather Razor Blades

Feather Safety Razor Company of Osaka, Japan has been producing the sharpest razor blades for generations, since 1932. These blades are used in shaving razors and even surgical instruments. You know that what is good for a surgeon must be good for your morning shaving routine! With its manufacturing headquartered in the “City of Cutlery” of Japan, Seki City, the legend of sharpness and quality grows even more.

Throughout the world, Feather’s blades are considered the sharpest. Most men familiar with the brand recognize them by their trademark yellow and black packaging. As manufacturing has evolved, this packaging has remained very much the same throughout these years.

But its history is what really makes legend of Feather blades so, well, legendary. According to Yasuoki Takeeuchi in his book History and Culture of Shaving in Japan, Feather blades are steeped in World War drama.

Supposedly, after the first World War ended in 1918, Gillette T-Shape safety razors were the big market monopolizer in Japan. Then two former German POWs who decided to remain in Japan after the war started making their own version of safety razors. These became very popular and started the Feather brand as Japan Safety Razor Company. The name was later changed to Feather.

When the China incident occurred in 1937, Japan headed into World War II after the war in the Pacific. As of 1940, the government of Japan banned razor import and production of open razors. Safety razors were still allowed, however. So Feather was able to take over the market without a struggle and basically held a monopoly at 80 percent of market domination.

In the brand’s history there is a gap from 1932 to the late 1950’s. This is because ownership changed from the German POWs to that of Japanese citizens. This is where the brand’s myths and mystery are really born.

Reliability Beyond the History of Feather Razor Blades

Today, Feather razor blades are known for being the highest quality and sharpest stainless steel blades on the market. Maybe this is due to the brand’s extremely high standards in quality control for consistency in manufacturing. Maybe the sharpness can be attributed to the manufacturer’s detailed assurance of the highest quality materials in its products.

Aside from the debate of truth or myth in stories of Feather’s brand history, the fact remains that these blades are as sharp as any Japanese shogun warrior would expect. You will love their sharpness and quality for your wet shave, too.

Posted on July 11, 2016October 17, 2017 by Sean Mason

How Using a Badger Shaving Brush Can Change Your Shaving Routine

How Using a Badger Shaving Brush Can Change Your Shaving Routine

Since the 1750s in France, men have enjoyed using shaving brushes like the badger shaving brush of today. To the French, this brush was known as a “blaireau.” This translates to “badger,” the origin of animal hair used for crafting finer shaving brushes.

Handles of the Badger Shaving Brush

Simpsons Shaving Brush - Berkeley 46 Pure Badger — Simpsons Shaving Brush – Berkeley 46 Pure Badger

The handle of a badger shaving brush is where most men focus their shopping attention, once deciding what quality of hair they seek. Some handles are made of porcelain, crystal, tortoise shell, gold or silver. Once upon a time, elephant tusks were used to make ivory handles, something no longer practiced today.

Throughout the history of the badger shaving brush, the handle is where status of a man using it could be made clear. These handles started to evoke individual personality, as much as affluence, in the 1800s. Men started to seek the most expensive and unique shaving brush handles they could afford, just so anyone who walked into their bathroom or boudoir and started snooping would know what kind of man he was, or how he wanted to be perceived.

Edwin Jagger SilverTip Badger Brush & Stand - 1EJ467SDS — Edwin Jagger SilverTip Badger Brush & Stand – 1EJ467SDS

Wet shaving is becoming as popular today as it was in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, when a badger shaving brush was a man’s coveted possession. Men have once again started shopping for the precise badger brush that reflects their individual personality, style and taste. Yes, some men even today seek to raise their status or assert it a bit, by seeking the most expensive shaving brush.

The irony is that an expensive shaving brush handle does not necessarily mean higher quality of the brush, itself. Quality actually lies in the badger bristles of a brush. In fact, modern synthetics used in handles of today’s badger brushes are far more durable and remain better looking over a longer period of time, than one of precious metal, tortoiseshell, brass, or other high value substance. Synthetic handles are less prone to breakage and moisture damage.

In fact, even the most expensive brushes are often crafted using some synthetic materials, such as nylon, urethane and plastic. So do not be fooled by a pretty handle. The quality is in the badger bristles.

Badger Brush Bristles

There are a variety of quality grades of badger brush hair available for shaving brushes. You will usually notice the following options, when shopping for a shaving brush made with badger hair:

Edwin Jagger Shaving Brush - Pure Badger 81P26 — Edwin Jagger Shaving Brush – Pure Badger 81P26

As you shop, you will notice that pricing is lowest for pure badger and progresses upward for the highest quality of Silvertip badger. Pure badger hair is the most common hair found on these animals, on about 60 percent of their bodies. Best badger hair covers about 20 to 25 percent of a badger’s body, so fewer of these hairs are available. These hairs are longer and lighter in color than pure badger hair. Super badger hair is graded and sorted for superior performance. These brushes tend to feel a bit softer than the pure or best badger versions. Silvertip badger brushes have naturally silver tips, a fluffier appearance and ability to hold more water.

When reviewing available badger shaving brushes to select your own, the best choice is to start with one at a level of quality you are comfortable with, then choosing the handle that best suits your personal taste, decor or stylish shaving kit. Badger shaving brushes last a long time. So you may gain years of wear from the one you choose now. Or, you may decide to upgrade your quality at some point or buy additional brushes for travel and other purposes. Regardless of the badger shaving brushes you ultimately choose, they will provide your best wet shaving experience for years to come.

Posted on July 8, 2016October 17, 2017 by Sean Mason

Why Buying a Shaving Kit For Men Makes Perfect Sense

We caught you looking at the Shaving Kit for Men pages of our website, the Bundle & Shave section. We know you are wondering what value these kits hold. So we are going to explore the answer to that question.

But first, go back in time to your childhood with us. Or, at least go back in time to the pop culture version of modern childhood, one you would see on any family-oriented television program of today. The majority of American men shared this same experience, from when they were so small that they could not see in the foggy medicine cabinet mirror without a stepstool.

A Walk Through Wet Shaving

So you have decided to start wet shaving. Maybe you remember watching your grandfather as he lathered his shaving cream in a mug, the sink filled with steamy water in front of him and badger brush in his hand. You probably remember how great the shaving cream smelled and his almost magician-like hand movements as he glided the safety razor across his face, flipping it and gliding it again before swishing it voraciously in the sink in front of him.

It was such a quiet yet rich experience for your grandfather, a time when he focused on himself and his other cares seemed distant as he stood there in his white undershirt at the bathroom mirror each day before work. His shaving kit was like a personal treasure trove. You wondered what was in that little case, the shaving kit for men. Yes, you knew you would truly be “a man” when you had your very own, a shaving kit for men.

If this is a memory you share with many adults of today, then you probably also recall his wonderfully weighted safety razor and how it felt in your hand. You probably picked it up a few times to try to figure out how he got the blades into the razor and why the head of the razor was smooth, unlike disposable cartridge razors. It all came together as a big mystery and something only adult men fully understood. You could not wait to learn the secrets and start wet shaving, yourself.

Then maybe, if you are a child of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s or beyond, you watched your dad shaving briskly and quickly with canned shaving cream and a plastic razor. It was quick for your father. The razor went into the trash after several uses. Those razors were lightweight and did not feel good in your hand, unlike grandfather’s nice silver or gold one.

Dad’s whole experience seemed like necessity, not quiet indulgence. Like many modern experiences, this version of shaving seems to provide the personal enjoyment of a microwaved diet meal pulled from the freezer. Grandfather’s shaving experience was richer and more complete, like the pot roast from grandmother’s oven.

This is the difference between a quality old fashioned wet shaving experience and one done using a throwaway razor. Wet shaving with a quality razor and other elements of a wet shave is a rich, thoughtful, quiet and personal experience. It is a time when you can focus on yourself, exclusively. That is the experience you desire, grandfather’s way and not the rushed disposable experience of modern dads.

Many men of today feel the exact same way. A sort of wet shaving revolution is afoot – or should we say, “a-face.” More and more men are seeking an authentic wet shaving experience. So, how can you start wet shaving yourself? How do you choose from all of the available products and options, when you are not yet sure what you like?

Building a Shaving Kit for Men

Like many other pursuits, wet shaving using a quality safety razor is one wherein you have to try things out, to know what you like. There is a bit of trial and error. But guided by people who understand wet shaving, you can actually get things right on your very first internet shopping trip. Buying the right shaving kit for men is as easy as 1-2-3 when you go through the Bundle & Shave process and you will save money along the way.

Bundle & Shave options are delivered to you all at once, once you have selected each item through a simple step-by-step online process. It takes only a few minutes and a few clicks, then your complete shaving kit is on its way to your door. Give the process a try. It is far less intimidating than standing on an aisle in a store, glaring at the shelves of products and wondering, “What do I need? What do I choose? Am I doing this right?”

Every Bundle & Shave shaving kit includes:

Wet shaving razor
Shaving brush

Better Bundle & Shave shaving kits include:

Wet shaving razor
Shaving brush
Shaving soap
The right razor blades for your new razor
Shaving mug

The complete and best Bundle & Shave shaving kits include everything you need to start wet shaving or overhaul your old shaving kit:

Wet shaving razor, either a safety razor or straight razor
Shaving brush
Shaving cream or soap
Pre-shave oil, gel or lotion
Aftershave
Your choice of other accessories

Go ahead and give the Bundle & Shave process a try. It makes wet shaving so easy and ensures you have everything you need for an experience fit for your grandfather.

Posted on July 5, 2016October 17, 2017 by Sean Mason