Using a Cut Throat Razor – Things You Need to Know

Definitely, this is the era of science and technology. From tooth brushes to washing machines to razors – everything is automated. Shaving was a manual task a few decades before. But today, there are electric razors and trimmers available in the market. They make the task of shaving very easy. But, even today, some old school people prefer manual method to the new method for shaving. For them, shaving manually gives some unique satisfaction. If you are one of those proud old school people or are just trying out a cut throat razor, it is worth trying. In this article we shall try to cover the basics of Cut Throat Razors and how they are used.

What is a cut throat razor?

A cut throat razor looks pretty much like a foldable pen-knife and has a long blade set in a handle. Using a cut throat razor involves a few important things, some of them are given below.

#1 Stropping the razor

Stropping is done to ensure that the edge of the blade is straight. This is to ensure that the subsequent shaving session is safe without any bruises. This is different from sharpening, which is called ‘honing’.

Here, you run the blade horizontally up and down a leather surface with the sharp side facing you. This means we are not even touching the sharp side which cuts hair.

Cut Throat Razors

#2 Preparing the shaving surface

Most of the times, cut throat razors are usually used to shave the face. Preparing the face is very necessary to ensure that there are no injuries caused while shaving. Use warm water to wash your face or even take a shower before shaving. This will help to cleanse the pores and soften the bristles so that shaving becomes easy.

Precautions while using Cut Throat Razor

Here are a few precautions to take while using cut throat razors.

  1. Angle

Keep the razor with your dominant hand at an angle of 30 to 35-degree angle, stretch your skin gently with the other hand and slowly move it in the direction of the growth of the hair. Anything steeper than this angle may put you at the risk of cutting through your skin.

  1. Cleansing the Skin

Cleansing the skin with warm water and a nutrient-rich face wash is very essential because you will be removing no less than two layers of skin while shaving. Also, warm water makes the skin soft which makes shaving relatively easy.

Exfoliating the skin or not is entirely your choice. But make sure you do not exfoliate your skin too much because you are already prepared to lose some layers of skin by shaving (which will grow back) and you cannot risk losing even more by exfoliating the skin.

These were a few tips on using cut throat razor and giving yourself a very neat and near-complete shave like a professional barber. Happy shaving!!