Thread: DE before SR

I have shaved with an electric razor for at least 15 years. Should I start shaving with a double edge before going to a straight razor?

Welcome to SRP. I think that is a good way to begin. You can learn the basics of lathering, preperation, skin stretching and begin to understand the principle of multiple no pressure passes, rather than trying to get it in one shot, and suffering razor burn. A DE, puck of soap and brush is how I began. Check out the SRP library here for tutorials that may help.

That's a tough question for someone else to answer for you. I would recommend you read up on both and see what comes with the different razors than make a decision. Good luck.

Excellent answer from JimmyHAD...note he has more than 25000 posts. Listen to him!

Originally Posted by Fabe60

I have shaved with an electric razor for at least 15 years. Should I start shaving with a double edge before going to a straight razor?

It depends on what you see yourself ultimately doing. If your going to pick one or the other ultimately and the DE is a stepping stone to a straight; I say go for the straight. You can always supplement the SR with your current set up if you find the learning curve a little steep. But IMHO its a quickly learned skill.

I for one started with a DE an made the transition after several years to straights. It seems to be a common progression amongst a lot of the members here. If I had it to do over again I wouldn't change how I did things. My reasoning for that is when you get in a time crunch an have to shave in a hurry, you will grab your DE. If you can shave with both you get the best of both worlds. Also gives a reason to buy more cool gear! Good luck with what ever you decide. Ask the questions. You are in the right place to get good advice. These guys are awesome around here.

I recommend listening to JimmyHAD!

I actually started with Straights then later discovered DEs. A much lower learning curve with a DE will have you enjoying the process quickly. I enjoy and shave regularly with both.

With either you will want a good brush and soap.

For a DE you can pick up a relatively inexpensive DE and a blade sampler. Astra blades are a good starting point. You are ready to go.

With Straight Razors you need the razor then, I recommend having it honed by a pro to start. You will need a decent strop and maybe some mineral oil to maintain the blade. Later you will want to get a few hones.

You can invest a good bit of coin (I have) into either. I just found the initial investment to get started using straight was close to twice using DEs.

That being said instead of having my first couple of straights honed by an experienced honemeister, I did it myself. That significantly increased the cost and learning curve as I needed to purchase the hones upfront and scrape quite a but of face during my learning process.

... in the end its your decision. Pick one and pull the trigger. Just be prepared for what you are getting into. Do some serious research before you leap!

I also switched to a safety razor first, then years later added straight razors. I do recommend the safety razor first, for a few reasons.
There are a few concepts that apply to all forms of wet-shaving;

grain mapping - you need to know what direction the hair grows in on each part of your face and neck.

building a lather - purchasing the brush and the soap, and learning to use it.

use no pressure - it's amazing how long it takes for some of us to learn this after years of cartridges and electrics; if it's not cutting, it's the shaving angle or a dull blade, don't press harder

beard reduction - it's going to take more than one pass to accomplish a great shave. Learn to relax, take your time, and enjoy it.

When we first start out, there are a hundred things that can conspire to get in our way. Starting with a safety razor allows us to learn the things mentioned above, so that when you start with a straight razor, you know the grain of your beard, you know your lather is good, you've developed a light touch, etc., making the problems easier to pin down.
There are special circumstances where a safety razor is still my weapon of choice. One is when I'm in a hurry. Another is when I go to camp. Sharing a room with a bunch of underprivileged inner-city kids, a straight razor is a temptation I just don't want to leave in front of them.
Another reason is there is a lot of "stuff" involved in straight razor shaving (for some of us, that's half the fun) and starting with a relatively inexpensive safety razor allows you to sort of spread out some of the stuff and collect it a little at a time. Either way, have fun!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Welcome to SRP. I think that is a good way to begin. You can learn the basics of lathering, preperation, skin stretching and begin to understand the principle of multiple no pressure passes, rather than trying to get it in one shot, and suffering razor burn. A DE, puck of soap and brush is how I began. Check out the SRP library here for tutorials that may help.

Jimmy has a few good points here. I think I might have entertained that idea, but the sight of the DE looked way to similar to that disposable cartridge I'd been using.

Now, that being said, there is no reason why you can't do both eventually. Until you find the right technique, etc., though, it would be best to stick with either/or, in my humble opinion.

Last but not least, Welcome to SRP! You're in the right place no matter which you choose.

I don't think using the DE has too much to do with becoming competent with a straight however all the other part of the routine meaning the pre shave and lather building and after shave routine are the same so for those reasons it can be a good idea to begin with the DE. Maybe just learning to ease on the pressure might be helpful.