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Straight Razors - A Brief History Of Time

The history of straight razors reveals that man and his perception of himself throughout time have involved facial hair, or a lack thereof. The unearthing of razors crafted from bronze in ancient Egyptian tombs evidenced that even 3,000 years ago the removal of facial hair was en vogue. In the early 1700's, women of North America resorted to the use of caustic lye to remove unwanted hair. It is recorded that Native American men utilized clam shells as the early form of tweezers to removed facial hair in painstaking one by one sessions. A history of straight razors actually demonstrates that in 1762 the first safety razor was invented by a French barber. The year 1900 saw a flourishing of the barbershop trade, which was the preferred method for men to have unwanted facial hair safely removed, while the advent of razors with disposable blades in 1903 revolutionized the history of straight razors forever.

Nonetheless, neither the invention of the electric shaver in 1931 nor the electronic tweezers, which first saw the light of day in the late 1950's, were able to replace the straight razors in the shaving kits of men.

It is noteworthy that the history of straight razors clearly reveals that straight razors by themselves are only a part of a good, old fashioned, effective, and close shave. In addition to the razor, the purchase of high quality shaving brushes, shaving brush stands, razor strops, razor hones, and shaving mugs is required. Naturally, a close and smooth shave that leaves the skin soft, healthy, and smooth also require the proper shaving soap and it is unwise to skimp on these attributes. While inexpensive versions are available, in the realm of shaving you truly get what you pay for, and the incurring of an initially high expense will be rewarded with a long-lasting satisfactory shaving experience, whereas the attempt to cut fiscal corners will be result with a less than average shave.

 

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