Straight razor shaves have always felt like a treat that one might only experience in a barber chair with specialty hot foam and a warm towel on the face afterwards. So why, after experiencing such luxury grooming, would you ever go back to “standard” razors that we buy over the counter at drug stores? For most people, the idea of switching to a straight razor seems a little daunting and complicated.
To ease razor trepidations, I reached out to Salt Lake County resident and owner of Cutthroat Barbershop Mike Canales. Mike is a self taught barber who started cutting hair 12 years ago out of his garage for friends and family. Once he became a licensed barber, he started to grow his clientele outside of his inner circle and in 2015, he opened Cutthroat Barbershop. Cutthroat Barbershop now has 3 locations in Utah and uses Gravity Razors for all their straight razor needs!
I asked Mike give me some essential “do’s and don’ts” for straight razor novices, and here’s what he had to say:
DO’S
● YouTube tutorials are a great source for beginners.
● Before trying to shave your face with a straight razor, first try it on your arm or legs to get a feel for the razor.
● Make sure to always use a shave gel (see our website for products) and NEVER dry shave. Even if you just use water, that’ll be better than dry shaving.
● The best time to shave is right after you get out of the shower, that’s when your pores are the most open.
DON’TS:
● Again, NEVER DRY SHAVE
● Don’t skip on the after shave (also available on our website). It helps with irritation, moisturizing, and cleaning out bacteria that might have gotten into your pores.
● Don’t use the same blade, use a fresh blade with every shave.
When asked about his number one tip when it comes to using straight razors, Mike’s answer was simply “use them!”
I’ve always been a strong believer that when you look good, you feel good. We spend money on hair products, fancy soaps, and good threads, so why not spend a little extra time and cash on making sure your face is paid the same amount of attention? Please support local shops like Cutthroat, they’re obviously the professionals when it comes to shaving. But if you don’t have the time or need a quick trim, we hope these tips will help you when it comes to doing it yourself at home! (www.cutthroatbarbershopslc.com)