Thread: The leap of faith.

Hello,

I would like to use a straight razor, but I've yet to take this leap of faith. I've always loved the archaic elegance of straight razors, DE razors and all their requisite accessories.

I've been using a Merkur DE with Feather blades for some time now and have never had any problems with the setup so perhaps, the transition from DE to straight shouldn't be such a hard one?

My concern is that while I have fairly coarse facial hair, the hair doesn't grow very fast or too much--usually I only have to shave every other day.

Any thoughts?

Get a Shavette, and continue using Feather blades for a while. If you like the experience, go on and get a real straight razor.

Welcome to SRP


Nenad

I´d say go straight without using a shavette. You can buy a cheap shave ready piece from Josh or Alex, strop it on the belt and give it a whirl.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

I´d say go straight without using a shavette. You can buy a cheap shave ready piece from Josh or Alex, strop it on the belt and give it a whirl.

I agree, skip the shavette if you are comfortable doing so. I have a shavette and, althought it is nice to have a sharp blade from the get go, I have learned some pretty bad habits (bad angles and the like).

Here's another vote for skipping the shavette and going directly to the straight. The only functional difference between the DE and the shavette is the grip. With a true straight you'll likely get a more comfortable shave. You'll have to undertake learning to strop as well which I suspect you'll enjoy from the way you describe approaching these ideas. Be brave and take the leap of faith.

X

I agree, skip the shavette and go straight to the straight.

However, a warning-Shaving with a DE in no way prepares you for shaving with a straight. It like saying I flew model airplanes as a kid so I can now get into a single engine plane and go flying. Its a whole other set of skills you will need. Its not a leap of faith at all just a new opportunity to learn a new skill set. Like everyone else you will learn it and master it. Just be prepared to devote the time and attention required and don't expect success overnight. It takes some time to master everything, shaving, stropping, honing, etc.

Bigspendur, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here. Learning to shave with a DE requires you to learn about prep, making lather, the direction of your beard growth, skin stretching, using light pressure and doing mutiple passes.

I struggled with my straights when I started out, and the month it took me to learn to get a good DE shave was a huge help when I came back to the straights.

I think a DE gives a newbie a good head start, but you'll still have a lot to learn about shaving and maintaining your razor.

Just my two cents,
Josh

If you buy a str8 be absolutely sure that it has been both honed and shave tested.

Welcome to SRP!,

Shaving with a DE prepares you to learn proper pre-shave techniques. It does not totally prepare you to shave with a straight. But regardless of what you shave with...prep is important.

RT

Hello,

Thank you all for the replies.

I've always taken care with my pre-shave preparation and I use the following:

Vulfix Super Badger Brush
Taylor of Bond Street lavender shave soap
Merkur "Hefty" Classic Safety Razor
Feather blades
Pre-shave oil
Alum block
Various after-shave balms
Moisturizer

Also, would it be acceptable to purchase a vintage razor and then send it to someone for honing? I love the idea of vintage razors and someone I know has a Puma in fine condition that he wants to get rid of. I think it would be more practical for the first hone to be perfect and then subsequently learn.