Do you really get a better shave from a manual razor as opposed to an electric? What are the benefits?
ANSWER:
It’s the efficiency of electric razors that I find most
bothersome. They are efficient and fast, but they deprive a man of a practice
that is an ancient one. Wet shaving makes you contemplate. It makes you stop.
It’s a ritual that’s deep in our psyches. Rubbing a machine over your chin
while you speed down the highway at 70 mph is not in our primal nature.
Apart from the emotional benefits of shaving with a manual razor, the process is also superior when it comes to exfoliating the face. There is nothing like washing, soaping, shaving and toweling to keep your skin looking younger and more vibrant. And there’s no question that you get a shave that lasts longer. Even proponents of the electric razor will give you no argument in that regard.
Believe me, I’ve been barbering for 41 years. If someone came in to my barbershop and said they had an electric razor that was superior to a manual one, I would definitely use it. But that simply hasn’t happened.
About the Expert
Aidan Gill first learned to shave at age 16 in Dublin. Having been in the United States for 20 years, he owns two barbershops in New Orleans, where he estimates he’s shaved thousands of men from all 50 states.
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