How can I get a closer shave?

The Amerinds used to pluck out their facial hair w. clam shells. Seriously, can you find an old-fashioned barber? (Do they still exist?) They used hot lather and a sharp straight edge. Think Sweeney Todd; or maybe, don’t. How about the stubble look? Or a neat little goatee?

Hmm. Head over to badgeandblade.com. Lots of people on that site are enthusiasts for traditional safety-razor shaving, which they claim does a better job. Maybe it does. But for sure they are obsessed with shaving, and they will have lots of good tips for you. They are the serious experts, and I bet they’d put GQ and Esquire to shame. They also can also recommend some crazy blades that are really sharp.

At the same time, some people have coarse, thick hair, and it might not be possible for you to get a baby-smooth shave. But I’ll bet you can improve on where you’re at now.

I shave with a straight razor. Nothing’s closer. Find a barber who’ll give you one; if you want close, you can’t do better.

Have you tried a long hot shower before hand? The hot water and steam opens your pours and softens the hairs. Making for a more cooperative shave.

Try the classic razon blade, and I mean, 1930 design or something similar, and after the hot towel, or some steam, before you shave use some almond oil instead of shaving gel, you can’t have any better.
let me know if it worked out.
Luiz

By ‘classic,’ if Luiz is talking about a safety razor, then you should look for a Merkur safety razor. They’re they ‘classic.’ If you look for straight razors, there are tons available for sale by collectors, usually not too expensive. Try looking at a website like http://www.classicshaving.com/ or others. Safety razors, while good, don’t work as well as a straight razor.

The advice for using hot water and pre-shave oil is good. In addition, get some good shaving soap (not gel or cream) and use a badger hair shaving brush. The foam made my this combination is far better than what you get with gels or creams. Finally, when rinsing, use COLD water. This makes the hair follicles close and the hair retract beneath the surface of the skin. NOTHING works better. NOTHING.

Straight razors work better for me than any major commercial brand.