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There comes a time in every beard columnist’s life when the unmentionable must be mentioned: Shaving.
Normally I wouldn’t even consider broaching the subject of shaving – with an important exception made for the shaving of one’s head – but I’ve recently been exposed to a method, nay, a lifestyle, of shaving that is of comparable manliness to beards.
Matt McEntee, a senior University of Maine student, shaves only one way. His method is so intense, so brutally embodying of everything that is masculine that the first time he tried it, he “thought he was going to puke” from fear.
He shaves with a straight razor, and he’s been doing it for about a year.
A straight razor, for those of you never saw “Sweeney Todd,” is the simplest form of personal shaving devices. It consists of two parts: A handle and a blade. Generally speaking, the blade folds down into the handle for ease of travel. If you still can’t grasp the gravity of what shaving with this thing would be like, imagine trying to shave with something about as forgiving as a steak knife – and much sharper. It was the implement of choice for men everywhere until the invention of the safety and electric razors.
“I’d been kind of enamored with the idea,” McEntee told me. He said he first considered taking the sharp dive when his electric razor broke down. The major benefits of the straight razor, according to McEntee, are its sustainability and longevity.
“This is ultimately the way to go, environmentally and energy-wise,” he said. “If you screw up the edge, you can re-sharpen it. If well maintained, it’ll last you your life, and then you can give it to your kids and they can use it.”
Shaving with a straight razor is a far more involved process than the lazy shave to which most men are accustomed today. Aside from the dangerous prospect of the shave itself, it also requires practice to hone and strop the blade, to maximize its effectiveness.
McEntee never learned how to hone the blade, he admits, but the blade is still incredibly sharp, and thinner than a sheet of paper at its edge. Stropping is the process of smoothing out the edge of the blade, which may become dented or uneven on a microscopic level. Running the blade across a strap of leather does it – in what seems to be a typical utilitarian bent, McEntee uses the backside of his belt.
Talking to McEntee, the shift from using an electric or safety razor to a straight razor takes on an almost spiritual quality. He mentioned it becomes “very much” a ritual and takes on a different importance, like becoming skilled at any other craft. He admits the straight razor “does make it a little more challenging to get all the little facets of your face,” but says it’s worth it. “It’s a nice process.”
Though I don’t advocate for any man to make a habit of shaving, I must say the willingness to run a blade that looks more fit for murder than whisker removal across your face is more than admirable enough to make up for it.
Bangor Daily News