SR vs DE

I tried my first DE shave tonight after letting the beard grow for around 36 hrs or so so it had some short, sharp stubble. DE was an Edwin Jager 89, Astra Platinum blade, RazoRock Brain Freeze. Very nice first shave, didn't really even feel the blade cutting at all! I was shocked at how smooth it was, none of my SR's feel this smooth ever! I tend to 'feel' the SR working and cutting more, but the DE just slide through everything; I could hear it cutting, but didn't feel the blade against the skin. Near BBS everywhere except the upper lip, chin and neck under the chin, but the shave was MUCH better than when I tried those areas with the SR! Now that I have the DE, I gotta ask. Will a SR shave be as smooth if my razors are up to the task? I seem to feel the SR more, while cutting and doesn't seem to glide across the skin like the DE did. I was going to send 2 out of my 5 SR's out for honing, but now I may send them all out if the SR shaves can be this smooth!

It will be smoother IF the SR razor is really shave ready (by a pro), well maintained by you, stropped correctly, and you have the right technique. I use both...my DE when I'm in a hurry or traveling, and my SR whenever I can (5-6 days/week). the SR is much superior closeness wise, when the lather is good and the edge is sharp and smooth. It takes more practice, but when the razor and technique are right, you should hear, not feel the whiskers being cut.

Ok, looks like I am going to be sending some razors out for Honing then! I did these myself, but I don't think they are as good as they can be!

The surface area of a SR is far more than any DE,so yes you will have more feedback.
I can get a better shave with a SR,but a DE is close to a SR shave for me.
Far to many Variables to answere your Question.

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Originally Posted by taz575

Ok, looks like I am going to be sending some razors out for Honing then! I did these myself, but I don't think they are as good as they can be!

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That's what I would recommend. Try Lynn or gssixgun or one of the many other members here who hone. That way, you'll have a benchmark to compare everything else against.

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Originally Posted by taz575

Ok, looks like I am going to be sending some razors out for Honing then! I did these myself, but I don't think they are as good as they can be!

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Yea. you just my find a big difference when you get them back. Ter are other variabls to possily consider too like Pixie said. OTH an aggressive DE like a Muhle R41 with a feather blade will give my straights a run for their money in closeness and longevity.

Bob

Yeah, I know it will take practice with the SR's, good skills, stropping technique, etc, but I wasn't sure how they compared in theory. I will send the SR's out and have them tuned up and go from there! The DE didn't feel aggressive at all, I may look for a more aggressive one down the road or an adjustable. I know it's MUCH less expensive and a nicer shave than my Fusion proGlides!

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Originally Posted by Haroldg48

... It takes more practice, but when the razor and technique are right, you should hear, not feel the whiskers being cut.

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And this is also a function of the hollowness/width of the blade. My 15/16 Rattler (hollow) sounds like SR's sound in the movies, whereas the 4/8 (also hollow) is as silent as a 6/8 wedge.

DE is pretty easy to get a great shave from. SR takes some diligence and patience and a properly sharp (can't feel it) edge. I know my DE/SR overlap was at least 3 months, if not more. MOF at 1-year I took a DE on weekend trip instead of SR, but now i travel with SR.

I've thought about using a DE on my face again, but then...naaaaaaaaaaaah!

If you have several razors. You could hold on to one to work on your honing. When you think you are close to done, strop and shave. If that is not as close as your DE, start back at the 4k and go through honing again. Each time you will/should get closer all while learning what it should feel like to get the great edge.

Are you checking your honing steps with magnification? Tests? Marker?

I've been using a 20x eye loupe to check the edges.

I had a DE in the fifties and felt that it was clumsy and I could not feel the blade. Very difficult in tight places.
It was replaced by an injector razor which corrected all those short comings.
This is why I'm mystified by DE followers and their praise of that type razor.

Good morning,
I'm new to SR and I've never tried DE, so I'm curious about the comparison...

For those who say you have done both and find the SR to be closer and smoother, is this based on equal number of passes? Or do you need 2-3 passes with the SR to achieve what the DE will do in a single pass?

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Originally Posted by shallard

Good morning,
I'm new to SR and I've never tried DE, so I'm curious about the comparison...

For those who say you have done both and find the SR to be closer and smoother, is this based on equal number of passes? Or do you need 2-3 passes with the SR to achieve what the DE will do in a single pass?

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Personally, there are too many variables to really say which will give a smoother closer shave. If you SR blade is freshly honed by a pro, your stropping is spot on as well as you lather and shaving technique then the edge would go to the SR. OTH An aggressive DE with a very sharp blade like a Feather with the same good lather and shave technique would give the SR a run for it's money. I usually do 4 passes with either a straight or DE. If you try to remove most of your whiskers on the first pass you are asking for trouble with razor burn because that would require a fair amount of pressure not normally used. The goal is gradual whisker reduction through multiple passes with either.

Bob

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Originally Posted by taz575

I tried my first DE shave tonight....
Very nice first shave, didn't really even feel the blade cutting at all! I was shocked at how smooth it was, none of my SR's feel this smooth ever! I tend to 'feel' the SR working and cutting more, but the DE just slide through everything; I could hear it cutting, but didn't feel the blade against the skin.

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Interesting, more shavers tend to progress from DE to SR, but you went the opposite way.
But your experience does prove one of my beliefs, which is that compared to a straight you can get an almost effortless BBS shave with a good DE razor combined with a good DE blade. I consider this the main reason that after WWI the DE rapidly replaced the straight razor as predominant shaving instrument.


For straight razors there are many variables, honing is only one of them, technique a major other.

Before switching to straights I used Mühle open comb designs with Feather or Derby blades and these 3-pass shaves were near effortless, smooth - and quick.

By comparison, the straight took longer and did not last quite as long - at least not in the beginning.

But you will probably find that over time straight shaves will equal, possibly even exceed the smoothness of a DE shave.

Rather than sending all your razors off to have them honed, I would stick to your original plan and send only two straights off for expert honing.
This would give you two straight razors that you could use for "control shaves" to compare the results between you other straights and the expertly honed ones.
Remember, honing is only one aspect, technique the other.
If there is hardly any differences between the "control razors" and others, then it is not the honing that makes the difference.

As far as DE razors go, they may be quick and smooth, but these shaves don't give quite the same satisfaction as straights, do they?
If it were just for the convenience, I might not have moved to straights, but I do like the morning routine that a straight shave gives me to prepare for the day - even if it is at 4:45 am.