Double Tall Iced Mocha, Lite on the Chocolate

October 22, 2004

In search of the cleanest shave

Filed under: /potpourri — @ 9:25 am

Shaving for me can quite an ordeal. If I go more than two days without shaving, I end up dulling a brand new razor fairly quickly. The straight razor shave is something that has always intrigued me, however I have yet to find a barber that does them.

I first thought the lack of straight razor shaves was related to people fearing the accidental slice of the jugular. However after some research and talking to a barber, I have found that is not always the case.

I was cruising up the escalator in building on 4th ave, making my way up to the new library. I passed a place called Capellis *A Gentlemen’s Barbershop*. I popped in and decided to ask them about the Straight Razor Shave.

The woman I spoke to informed me that she knew of only one barber shop in Seattle that still practices this lost art: 5th ave Barber Shop. Even then it is by appt. only, and she could not say for certain that just anyone could schedule one. I also learned a little bit about its extinction:

  • Straight Razor Shaves take a long time, and there for usually cost as much as a good haircut
  • It is generally not taught anymore, where as back in the day barbers would practice on balloons
  • With the possibility of bloodletting comes the potential to spread disease
  • Keeping your straight razors sanitary is a pain, some that still do it use disposable straight razors

    So one of these days when my Gillette Mach 3 has frustrated me to no end, I will go and search out this mystic barber at the 5th ave Barber Shop, and see if I can weasel myself in for appointment with his cool steel. Until then I leave you with some interesting facts on shaving:

  • Some of the first known shavers used clamshells and flints over a 1000 years ago to shave
  • The Greeks and Romans around 330 BC started considering it a battle necessity to shave, and those that did not shave were referred to as “barbarians”, because they were unbarbered.

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