A guide to some shaving terms

Welcome to my current post regarding wet shaving.

To help out those peeking into the wonderful world of traditional wet shaving, I've put together a little article on some of the common terms you will see banded about on forums, Facebook groups and other places our little passion gets discussed.  Some will be obvious, others not so much, so this guide will help you out.  We'll start with soaps and creams.

SOAPS AND CREAMS

When it comes to soaps and creams, there are quite a few terms you'll see that may not make much sense.  Such as:

Glide - Simply the ease of which is afforded to a razor gliding over your skin.  The slipperier the better.  Think of a greasy floor versus a dry floor.  You'd much rather the feel be slippery than dry, causing the razor to skip over your skin, which invites cuts and weepers.

Cushion - How much protection against the blade do you get.  Simply, the more you feel the blade, the less cushion your chosen soap or cream offers.  Some people prefer to feel the blade, many others (like myself) prefer to feel less of the blade.

Croap - This is a made up word, an amalgamation of cream and soap.  Essentially, it is a hard cream, or a very soft soap, more akin to a cream.  Proraso soaps can be considered croaps (and incidentally are worthy of a place in anybodies collection).

Post Shave Feel - This is the feeling left behind on your skin once you've finished your shave.  Some skin can be left dry and tight by some soaps (your experience may vary), whilst others can be left rejoicing in wonder at the fantastic properties of the soap or cream.

RAZORS

Next on the hit list are razors.  There are many types of razor that have their own quirks, but these terms can be applied to all (with a few exceptions).

Aggressive / Mild - This term refers to exactly what it says.  If you've come from the world of the cartridge razor, these can be considered very mild indeed.  Now, a more aggressive razor can be said to feel harsh against the skin, due to the exposure and angle of the blade, which translates to a very different (some say more efficient) shave.

Single (SE) / Double (DE) Edged Razors - This is a simple description of how many shaving edges are available to you on your razor.  DE razors are undoubtedly the most common razor available, with there being devout users of each type.

Head / Cap - This refers to the non handle parts of a double or single edged razor, the bits that hold the blade in the position to shave.

Straight Razor - Your traditional cut throat razor, from days of yore.  They require patience and a steady hand, as well as maintenance, but they are worth it for the nostalgia alone.  Captain Long John Silver used one don't you know.

Shavette - These are  razors very similar in looks to straight razors, but with replaceable blades, often DE blades snapped in half, or proprietary blades such as the Feather Pro.


Grind - Not the type associated with the bump, this refers specifically to the shape (when looking end on) of the straight razor blade.  You can have wedges, hollow grounds (and varying degrees of 'ground' such as quarter hollow, semi hollow etc), near wedges and more.  I'll cover these in a separate article another day, but at least now you'll not be lost in a world of jargon.

BRUSHES

Another hugely important part of traditional wet shaving is the brush.  Lots of things can be said about brushes, some of the more common terms are below:

Knot - The knot is quite simply the hairs used to make up the brush part of the brush.  The bigger the knot, the bigger the brush in terms of width (common sizes include 21mm, 24mm, 27mm).

Backbone - This is how stiff the bristles are.  The more backbone your knot is said to have, the firmer it is and harder to splay (press flat) it can be.  This is a very personal thing, you may prefer lots of backbone, others prefer a floppy knot that can feel more luxurious

Loft - Quite simply how lofty (tall) the knot is.  The taller the loft, the more bristle length that is exposed outside of the handle, and as a consequence, the floppier it is likely to be.

Bristle - There are four common bristle types used in shaving brushes.  Badger, boar, synthetic and horse are the types you can find easily at just about all shaving vendors.  Badger hair (particularly silver tip) is one of the most popular options out there, said to be luxurious and soft, whilst being able to make a wonderful lather in most cases.  Boar is a generally firmer bristle, preferred by many.  Synthetics are very hardy brushes, as the plastic bristles are consistent, don't require particular treatment and they dry without any funky smells.  They are perfect for vegans and those who don't use animal hair for other reasons.  Horse is the least common option, but is still widely regarded.

So there we have it, a brief guide to some of the more common terms you'll see mentioned here and there.  If you see terms you're not sure of and want a bit of elaboration, please feel free to comment below and I'll update the glossary accordingly.

Regards!
Nick