Thread: Shave to Straight Razor

Another thing to watch out for is the lather. Proraso tends to be a little thirsty and needs a fair amount of water to get just right. Dry lather can definitely cause razor burn.

Originally Posted by coryschmidt

Another thing to watch out for is the lather. Proraso tends to be a little thirsty and needs a fair amount of water to get just right. Dry lather can definitely cause razor burn.

Thanks for this note. I shaved again and had a better experience--not acceptable, but definitely better. I noticed two things: the pre-shave oil is good for a DE or disposable razor, but with my shavette it produces to much drag and actually causes the blade to catch my hairs. Secondly, I needed to use MUCH less pressure. I didn't realize how easy it was to apply pressure---even when you didn't think you were! Finally, STRETCH the skin! This made a HUGE difference for me. I stretched a lot more and noticed that I got a closer shave with WTG & XTG passes alone. I still got bad burn and irritation, but it wasn't as terrible as before. I just want to know that if I invest in a real straight razor, my shaves will be better than they currently are--as it's a nice investment.

Get a straight shave from a place like Tomy Gunns if u like the shave do the straight razor.

I'm glad you made some progress. No pressure really means NO PRESSURE! The lightest touch possible. I still think a straight blade will be more forgiving than a shavette and that you'll have more success. There are a few good buys in the classifieds right now. You'll have to buy a strop so there is a little more overhead but if you don't like the razor you can always resell it. The market is pretty good right now. :-)

I just need to know that the straight razor shave would be different than the shavers shave, which has been poor to mediocre at best. I imagine the straight razor to be sharper and to be less forgiving based on videos I've seen, but if my shave the used broken DE blades, does that mean that a straight razor is more forgiving than a DE as well?

Originally Posted by coryschmidt

I'm glad you made some progress. No pressure really means NO PRESSURE! The lightest touch possible. I still think a straight blade will be more forgiving than a shavette and that you'll have more success. There are a few good buys in the classifieds right now. You'll have to buy a strop so there is a little more overhead but if you don't like the razor you can always resell it. The market is pretty good right now. :-)

I have shaved with a DE (the same blades that are used in a shavette) and for me a straight razor is more forgiving. I have less irritation after a straight razor shave than I do after a DE shave. But that's just my experience.

So many variables......... I finally tried cold water shaving and what a difference it makes. I use a DE primarily and it really changes the irritation level. I can get extra passes and any thoughts I had, (negative), were unfounded. My face definitely appreciated the change. Another thing I started doing was rinsing and re-wetting my face between passes. This solved the issue I was having with water loving soaps. I also started making my lather a bit "wetter" which works better for me. Good luck finding the right combination, it is a journey but the adventure is always the trip between point A and point B. G

A traditional straight will be a bit more forgiving. I think the main issue here is that you are just starting out and this is a skill that takes time and repetition to develope. I have a couple shavettes and I can get a close comfortable shave with both of them. Angle is also very important when it comes to irritation. Play with different angles until you find that sweet spot. Most people start off with an overly aggressive angle and need to flaten the blade a bit for a milder angle. While you're starting out you shouldn't focus on getting a really really close shave. Instead try for an acceptable shave and focus on comfort.