For the last while, I have been using a single blade “safety razor” to shave and it kicks ass. Up until this, I was using the good old Gillette Mach 3 Turbo and before that, it was the Sensor Excel. I was actually considering jumping up to the five bladed powerhouse that is the Fusion, but I decided to take a step back instead. Wielding a single blade gives more control and actually irritates my face a whole lot less, which is surprising given my choice of lubrication for the process – an exotic concoction by the name of soap. That’s right, plain old soap. My current bar was supplied to me by the fine folks at Homewood Suites when I took a trip to San Diego in October. By using a shaving brush, a bowl that I picked up at Big Lots for $0.99 (they were out of cappuccino cups) and hot water, I can get a good lather going and cover my face in foamy suds.

There are some great resources out there in the intertubes to help with technique, so I’m not going to pretend to be an expert and try to teach my own. Just do a search for “double edge shaving” – your face will thank you and you’ll feel way more hardcore. I guess the next step from here is a straight razor, but that ‘s going to require more courage on my part.