should i get rid of the straight for a de?

i used to shave every couple of days for my job, which is the reason the straight appealed to me, but i dont need to anymore. i hardly shave once a week now.

shaving with cartridges always irritates and leaves a rash/bumps so i bought a straight, hanging strop, and paddle strop. soon after getting it i got a new job and didnt need to shave as much so i didnt. there in lies the problem. since i dont shave much i dont get much practice with the straight or stropping so progress has been super slow. cant seem to get a smooth shave that doesnt pull, and also doesnt take forever, with a 2, 3, 4 week beard and my wife doesnt want me to shave everyday, she likes the beard.

since i shave so little should i sell my straight stuff and get a quality de and blades? id like to have a nice shave with non irritated skin afterwards but i really dont feel like putting in the time it takes to use a straight and perfect technique. it is intriguing, as a man i guess, to use something dangerous to shave with but cant say its worth my time right now.

also i have pretty thick individual hairs, kinda rectangular in shape, and a thick beard which doesnt help.

so what do you guys think? am i just doing everything wrong or is my shave schedule and impatience a good enough reason to switch to de?

thanks.

equipment:
dovo 5/8" stainless steel half hollow razor from the superior shave
http://www.shaverhut.com.au/media/ca...-white-5_1.jpg

3" big daddy leather strop from star shaving
3" "Bid Daddy" Leather Strop

3" 2 sided paddle strop from star shaving
2 Sided Paddle Strop, Balsa/Felt

Seeing as this is the Straight Razor Place, I am not really sure what kind of an answer you are looking for.
Then again, straight razors are not for everyone.

I hear what you're saying, but you've got a nice little setup there, that you'd probably take a good hit on if you sold it.

I've seen new DE set's for under $50 new if you look around. I'd keep the straight set-up, you never know when you'll want to pull it out again, and you don't know if you'll like the DE shaving experience, it's different than a straight and a cartridge, and has it's own learning curve depending on the razor.

Good luck either way!!

Cheers!

the only reason to sell the straight is because im on a budget, otherwise id just buy a de.

do people buy des based on hair structure? i need something thatll tackle my thick hairs without killing my face.

I use both. Once you master the straight, that will solve most of your shave problems. As far as convenience, a straight shave can be done in under 15 minutes. Don't shoot for BBS but comfortable.

One advantage a straight has over the DE is that a straight never clogs up with hair

I am not too sure if a DE clogs up like cartridge razors but I remember shaving a week old beard with a cartridge was a chior having to go at it with a pair of clippers 1st to thin it down then I could shave.

I have shaved week old beards with out any issue with straights.

Just my 2 cents

maybe i just cant get my straight sharp because it always tugs at one point or another on my beard, mainly on my sideburns when im making a straight line and also next to my lips and chin on the sides. stropping hasnt helped much either.

thats another thing. id rather not have to strop and maintain the edge, since i apparently suck at it, popping out a dull blade for a sharp one in a more familiar type of shaver sounds more appealing.

Go to the classified section & trade your straight razor equipment to someone, for some DE equipment in return.

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

Go to the classified section & trade your straight razor equipment to someone, for some DE equipment in return.

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Doh! Excellent idea Hirlau!!!

Send me a PM and I will send you a DE and SE if you are interested.

Hnsb has an online shop, he has a vintage D/E for $9 available. If you want to sell the straight gear then do so if you don't use it. But maybe get a D/E first and see if it suits you better. Or just shave daily for a while to get the skills up, then drop back to four weekly shaves.

thanks for the help guys.

im gonna try stropping again for a little longer and see what that does.

is there a certain type of de i should try to get for my certain beard type, or is it just trial and error with these things?

DEs hold a blade. That is where you will find the most difference, blade choice. I am the only one who knows which is best :<0) I rarely use 1 but the 3 piece seem to be nice in my opinion. Holds the blade tight and they are cheaper. I would suggest you get one a try it before you give up the straight. They do cut the tough ones off my chin easier but I am getting that down with a straight and never really a problem. Shave ready and good stropping technique sounds like what your missing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by V3nom

maybe i just cant get my straight sharp because it always tugs at one point or another on my beard, mainly on my sideburns when im making a straight line and also next to my lips and chin on the sides. stropping hasnt helped much either.

thats another thing. id rather not have to strop and maintain the edge, since i apparently suck at it, popping out a dull blade for a sharp one in a more familiar type of shaver sounds more appealing.

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Sounds like you want a Dovo Shavette or a Feather straight with disposable blades? maybe.....
All the danger of a straight - without the fuss

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Originally Posted by 10Pups

DEs hold a blade. That is where you will find the most difference, blade choice. I am the only one who knows which is best :<0) I rarely use 1 but the 3 piece seem to be nice in my opinion. Holds the blade tight and they are cheaper. I would suggest you get one a try it before you give up the straight. They do cut the tough ones off my chin easier but I am getting that down with a straight and never really a problem. Shave ready and good stropping technique sounds like what your missing.

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Let me guess, the mystical dubl duck dubl edge blade :) guaranteed to never go blunt:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by V3nom

maybe i just cant get my straight sharp because it always tugs at one point or another on my beard, mainly on my sideburns when im making a straight line and also next to my lips and chin on the sides. stropping hasnt helped much either.

thats another thing. id rather not have to strop and maintain the edge, since i apparently suck at it, popping out a dull blade for a sharp one in a more familiar type of shaver sounds more appealing.

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Give shavette a try

Hi V3nom,
Sorry if I'm coming in late on this. I used to have a full well groomed beard that I loved and I hated shaving. That has now turned 180 degrees.

The main point is to do what you enjoy, without regard to another's opinion. Now to share my personal decision and feeling.

You can find an excellent vintage Gillette DE for $20 or less. You don't need to sell you Straight equipment unless you want to.

I shave with Straights and Safety razors. I have been shaving with Straights for just over 2.5 yeas and Safety razors for about 2 years. I still feel like I can improve a lot.

I find that I get the same quality shave with both. The Straight DOES take more work to keep the edge in shape and avoid tugging. It takes me a little longer to shave with a straight, but I love partaking in an act that my great grandfather did. For me straight razor shaving is a way to be in touch with ancestors I never met.

I shave with vintage DE's for somewhat the same reason, but feel that I don't have to focus on technique quite as closely. Without a doubt a DE is more forgiving.



The bottom line is chart our own course. Heck, grow a Goatee, shave the left side with a straight and the right side with a DE. :idea:

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Originally Posted by buzzhave7

Give shavette a try

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I tried a shavette and it bit me! Two days of great shaves then my attention wandered... :tameshigiri:

Proceed with caution!

After about a year or so of shaving with a straight I bought a DE razor out of pure curiosity. I was surprised! You can get really nice shaves with them! It was definitely easier to learn than a straight that's for sure. But I have noticed that I prefer shaving with a straight when my beard is a little longer. For a more short stubbly face, I shave with the DE. I've found that i'm much quicker with the DE, so when I'm in a rush or traveling I shave with the DE. The rest of the time I shave with my straight. Either way, you're a wet shaving bad$%@. :tu

so shaving a full grown beard is easier with a straight than a de?

found this.

New, Double Edge, Safety Razor, G & F Timor, Black, #1321

only like $21~/shipped but it doesnt come with blades. good starting de?

Perhaps, change your paradigm and ask yourself, should I be looking for a better job that will not only allow, but require me to straight shave frequently? ;)

Seriously, though. Yeah. the clogging.

I still hang onto my cartridge to finish up some really awkward growth at the neckline that I just haven't figured out the right angles(pun,,,nyuk, nyuk).

Cheers,

ok i think im gonna do like suggested and try out a de before ditching the straight.

i think i like the 3 piece over the butterfly for its less moving parts and being less likely to loosen up.

should i get an aggressive or mild cutter for thick hairs on a thick beard? i also have sensitive face skin if that matters (which is the whole reason for getting away from cartridges).

can i get a variety pack of blades? i see a blade can make or break the razor as well so i need to find one that suits my face better.

Look for sampler packs of blades on Amazon. They're relatively cheap. I would go for aggressive if you're hacking off a lot of beard growth as I think it has more room between the shaving edge and the razor frame. I would think it would clog up a little less.

I think a Slant razor (Merkur) maybe a good choice, love mine, an aggressively Smooth shavers.
I'd definitely get a variety pack, every ones skin is different and a blade that suits you will be easier to pin down.
I use Feather (Yellow pack), and Astra platinum (green pack), Also tried Personna and they seem to be nice

Quote:

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Originally Posted by V3nom

ok i think im gonna do like suggested and try out a de before ditching the straight.

i think i like the 3 piece over the butterfly for its less moving parts and being less likely to loosen up.

should i get an aggressive or mild cutter for thick hairs on a thick beard? i also have sensitive face skin if that matters (which is the whole reason for getting away from cartridges).

can i get a variety pack of blades? i see a blade can make or break the razor as well so i need to find one that suits my face better.

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Not that I have used one, but perhaps an adjustable D/E might be the go.

so blade gap determines the aggressiveness, such as the distance between the blade and comb?

Some of your questions don't make any sense. It's as if you've never shaved before yet you clearly have. Nothing shaves or shapes 2, 3 or 4 week old beards you mention like a straight. I shave with both straights and DE's and enjoy them both. Keep your straight, get a DE, double your pleasure in finding the paths you like the most.

Shaving can either be a dreaded chore or a hobby to be enjoyed. The choice is yours. Shucks, if you wanna sharpen up an old rusty hunting knife or frog sticker, then shave with that if it makes you happy. Or don't shave at all. If your wife likes her man bearded then make that woman happy and be a happy man.

+1. A straight will most definitely be better at cutting off a beard. I just recently used my straight to completely remove my 4 month beard. Easy as pie.

I'm about 50 shaves into using a straight and over the past week I feel like I have moved from beginner to intermediate. I'm faster and the shaves are smoother and closer. I also used a DE for about 3 years before trying straights.

I gave up on the straight about a year go and have just come back to it. I'm glad I did. I have a beautiful NOS Gotta 120 that shaves superbly.

My advice is keep the straight gear but try out a DE (which will also have a learning curve if you've never used one before).

Then decide what you like better.

Good luck

V3nom: Shaving should be considered a "beard reduction program". If you have a full beard, take some clippers to it first no matter if you are using a DE or straight. Removing a beard, for me, requires me to do a bit of prep first. First I clip it down with the clippers. I personally will condition the heck out of it in the shower after I have double shampoo'd my head and face. I will let the conditioner work while I wash the rest of myself. Then I will rinse, towel dry the body & head, but not the face...it stays wet. I immediately whip up a good lather in my bowl that has been sitting in a trickle of hot water. Then a shave is done the same, no matter if a DE or straight (98% of the time): One pass north to south (wtg), from the ear to the chin (xtg), and then south to north (atg). This is always done with a new blade or sharp razor.

You might just need your razor honed/touched up as it's real easy to mess up a blade. If you would like I would evaluate your edge to let you know if the edge is good or not & if not, I will properly hone it if you cover the return shipping. Remember, it takes about 30 shaves to "get it right" and for all the skills to come together. As mentioned before, a straight isn't for everyone for a number of reasons.

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Originally Posted by shooter74743

V3nom: Shaving should be considered a "beard reduction program". If you have a full beard, take some clippers to it first no matter if you are using a DE or straight. Removing a beard, for me, requires me to do a bit of prep first. First I clip it down with the clippers. I personally will condition the heck out of it in the shower after I have double shampoo'd my head and face. I will let the conditioner work while I wash the rest of myself. Then I will rinse, towel dry the body & head, but not the face...it stays wet. I immediately whip up a good lather in my bowl that has been sitting in a trickle of hot water. Then a shave is done the same, no matter if a DE or straight (98% of the time): One pass north to south (wtg), from the ear to the chin (xtg), and then south to north (atg). This is always done with a new blade or sharp razor.

You might just need your razor honed/touched up as it's real easy to mess up a blade. If you would like I would evaluate your edge to let you know if the edge is good or not & if not, I will properly hone it if you cover the return shipping. Remember, it takes about 30 shaves to "get it right" and for all the skills to come together. As mentioned before, a straight isn't for everyone for a number of reasons.

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I'd take this offer...Scott can put a beautiful edge on a razor!

His advice is sound as well.

Man - I love wet shaving. So were I to shave but once a week, I would so make the most of it :). That would mean a straight for me, but then I guess I have quite a bit of experience with them.

I love my DE's - don't get me wrong. You'll love yours too were you to get one. They are pretty inexpensive to get started on too. It might just work wonders.

But all said and done, I would want something more "fun" were I to be shaving but once a week. Hence I would save my penny's and get me a Feather Artist Club (aprox $100). Best of both worlds, and you don't need to stress the honing.

What I wouldn't do is sell the Dovo. I know money can be tight, but if you can, hang onto it. Having that thing in your bathroom is bad-ass. I have a few that are in a cheap Hobby Lobby book frame hanging in my bathroom just for looks :). And - you might change your mind. I went on and off straights often before committing.

Good luck!

*EDIT* - and note too - a Feather will go through (on average) a full beard like butter... like butter I say :).