How to Wet Shave
Wet shaving means softening the beard with warm water and lather, then cutting it with a single blade rather than a cartridge of several. This page covers what you need, how to prepare, how to find the angle your razor wants, and what to do afterwards.
What you need
A double edge razor. The razor holds one blade, and its head geometry decides how much of the edge meets your skin. Many safety razors have enough weight that very little added pressure is needed.
Blades. Blades are the part of the shave that varies most. What suits one beard can be uncomfortable on another, so there is no best blade, only the one that suits you. A blade sampler is a sensible way to find out which that is.
A soap or a cream. Both build lather with water. Creams generally work up quickly; hard soaps usually take a little longer and often last longer.
A brush. The brush carries water into the soap, builds the lather, and lifts the beard away from the skin so the blade meets hair rather than hair lying flat. You can lather with your hands, though most people find a brush makes it easier.
Something for afterwards if you want it: a balm or a splash, whichever you prefer.
Before you shave
Warm, wet hair cuts more easily than dry hair. Shave after a shower, or hold a warm wet facecloth against the beard for a minute first. That step can make the first pass easier.
Wet the brush and leave it in warm water while you wash. Shake it out, load it from the soap or cream, and build the lather on your face or in a bowl until it is thick and slick rather than airy. Lather that looks like foam from a can is usually too dry; add water a few drops at a time until it turns glossy.
Finding the angle
There is no universal correct angle, because the angle at which the edge meets your skin is set mostly by the razor’s head, not by you. Two different razors held identically will present the blade quite differently. What you are learning is the angle your particular razor wants.
Find it like this. Rest the top cap of the razor flat against your skin, so the handle sits close to parallel with your face and the blade is not yet cutting. Now lower the handle away from your face, slowly, until the blade just begins to engage. That is the shallowest working angle for that razor, and it is where many razors are most comfortable. From there you need only very small adjustments.
Keep the angle steady through a stroke by moving your whole hand rather than turning your wrist. If the razor scrapes, skips or feels harsh, the handle has usually dropped too far. If it slides over the stubble without cutting, the handle is probably still too close to your face.
The first pass
Shave in the direction the hair grows. On most faces that means downwards on the cheeks and something less tidy on the neck, where growth often runs sideways or in whorls. Check the direction with the back of a fingernail before you start.
Use short strokes and let the weight of the razor do the work rather than pressing. This is often the hardest habit to unlearn coming from a cartridge. Rinse the head every few strokes so lather and cut hair do not pack the gap.
Second and third passes
One pass with the grain is a perfectly good shave. If you want closer, re-lather properly and go again across the grain, at right angles to the growth. Add a third pass against the grain only once the first two are comfortable, and skip it if your skin objects. Never take a second pass over bare skin.
Afterwards
Rinse with cool water and pat dry rather than rubbing. Then put something on if you like: a balm if your skin runs dry, a splash if you prefer something lighter that evaporates. An alum block, drawn across damp skin and rinsed off, is a traditional finish; it may sting on areas with small nicks or irritation.
Looking after the kit
Rinse the brush until the water runs clear, shake it out gently, reshape the knot with your fingers and leave it to dry in open air; a stand is a convenient way to store one. Rinse and dry the razor and stand it up rather than leaving it in a puddle on the sink. Take the blade out if the razor is going to sit unused for a while. Change the blade when it starts to pull rather than cut; how many shaves that takes depends on your beard and on the blade.
Wish4Blades is a family business in Montreal and has been selling traditional shaving supplies since 2004.