In the Guide, I recommend that novice DE shavers time their shave from time to time. Because one’s attention is so focused on the act of shaving — which helps induce a state of flow — his sense of how long the shave takes (in clock time) is lost: it takes as long as it takes. This loss of a sense of objective duration is one of the characteristics of the flow state.
As a result, a novice whose timed shaves initially take (say) 20 minutes may find, when he times his shave a couple of months later, that his shave now takes 15 minutes, though the duration feels the same.
I noticed over a few years the duration of my shaves dropped from around 25 minutes at the start to 5 minutes, though I felt I was shaving always at the same speed. (Never shave in haste. That’s a mug’s game.)
Today I’ll time my shave for the first time in a while. I expect the time will be a little longer because my prep is just a bit longer. Even so, the time will be only two or three minutes longer than what I estimate is the time for a shave with canned foam and a safety razor, and I get an enormous return in pleasure, satisfaction, and morning outlook for that two or three minutes.
If you are inclined toward obsessiveness careful record keeping, when you might want to compare one timed shave to subsequent timed shaves, you might note:
- Prep: describe pre-shave preparation (e.g., pre-shave oil/cream/gel/soap, whether use lathering bowl, shaving soap or cream, hot towel, whatever)
- Shave: the razor and (if DE) blade used
- Post shave: whether alum block used, whether styptic needed, aftershave.
- Time from when prep begins until aftershave applied.
- Result of shave (quality of result)
Again: DO NOT RUSH. In the timed shave, try to take the same amount of time that you typically do. You’re not going for a personal record, you’re trying to find how long your usual morning shave takes. No haste, no hurry. Enjoy the process.
The payoff is seeing what a difference a year makes.