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My Selection Of Razors

Shaving, and other rituals

 I love shaving. There, I’ve said it.

I own 5 different razors, two brushes, assorted creams, gels and accessories. Some might call this egregious, but I call it perfect. Each of my four safety razors has a different aggressiveness, weight, and size. When I haven’t shaved for 7 days, I reach for the Feather: a marvel of japanese engineering. If I need a quick freshening, I’ll grab the Merkur. The Muhle is a daily driver. When I am in a huge hurry, I have a Gillette Fusion as a backup, but it rarely gets used. It doesn’t feel like I actually accomplished my perfect shave.

I also use different shaving creams, based on mood, facial hair length, or light level in the bathroom. I use a predefined set of strokes, always starting from the right side of my face. I then move left under the jaw, then finish up in front the mustache and chin area.

This is one of those rituals I love – it forces me to take time to do something right. No slap-dash approach to a daily chore for me. Shaving is an art, one that gives me a sort of inner peace.

Some of my other rituals are less glamourous, like the nose and ear hair trimming. I actually have a Groom Mate Platinum Nose Hair Trimmer. This sits comfortably in the back of the shaving drawer until needed. A few spins of the tiny appliance and things are tidied up nicely.

I handle finger and toenails as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is so non-glamorous, I usually hover over the toilet to catch the scraps.

We are all inner obsessive-compulsives in regard to some aspect of our lives. It must come with the lizard brain lurking behind us all. For my girl, its cleaning. It just makes her feel calm and complete. Shaving is the same for me.

You don’t need to travel great distances, or learn meditation techniques to find an inner calmness. You can get it from everyday life.