Tonsure
Shaven heads and clean shaven faces have been common in some key religions. Tonsure is the term for religious head shaving. Also a Tonsorialist is someone who professionaly shaves the public. Which makes us those I suppose. Just by selling you a safety razor. There is very little info on why Christian monks had only the tops of their head shaved. My suggestion is completely ungrounded but I will still explain. I think a key cleric started to go bald and felt self conscious. He then made it compulsary across Europe or you probably went too hell.
Another possible reason which is more probable is that the ring resembles a crown of thorns. I doubt that the maiden who’s chastity was not at peril. Who shaved the Monk used a D.E razor. Infact we know now that the razor goes back as far as the ancient Greeks. The ancient razors found are usually made of copper or a very soft metal reflecting the age. Im certain it was relatively easy to sharpen a copper razor. But hard to keep it sharp. They would have also been scraper shaped as pictured.
Safety razor
The development of the safety razor came in victorian times. When things became more uniformed. Everything was measured and before this point everything was bespoke made. The Kampf brother saw a hole in the market which was filled by their razor which had a fixed blade. Soon after Gillette flew in and got a contract with Allied armies for both world wars. Interestingly it was millitary uniform to have a mustache. But the first world war was called the chemical war for a reason. Sadly the use of poisonous gasses pummeled the ranks of both sides. To mitigate this the first gas masks were used. To make a tighter fit clean shaving became the norm.
Civilians were issued also with gas masks. They remained unused however as there were no inland gas attacks. So interestingly war shaped male facial hair fasion. Which obviously went out of the window during the 60s with beards and also in recent years. I hated having a beard. Also I find people who have come in late in the game a bit pretensious. I did like the experiment to see if I could grow one. But when it got hench it became like wearing a balaclava of hot fiber glass. There are beard clubs now that see it as a status of masculinity.
I however display mine when I shout at people in traffic. Or when a drunk man pushes past me in a kebab shop. Grow a pair of balls not a beard as a substitute.Shaving with a safety razor everyday sets me off with a clean start. People have more respect for you if you are well groomed. I enjoy the process of shaving well with great kit. I hope you have enjoyed the article and would like to hear from anyone interested.