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According to the Art Of Manliness website, I should start off using a safety razor then move on to a straight razor. I honestly don't feel like spending an additional 50 bucks for a safety razor unless I really have to. Do I have to use a safety razor first? Or can I just start with a straight razor?
Hi Lozoman. Welcome to SRP.
The answer to your question is entirely up to you. You don't have to spend a huge amount on a safety razor you can buy them for a lot less than fifty bucks.
If you start with a safety this means you can concentrate on face prep and building a good lather without worrying about straight razor maintenance.
Me personally id buy a straight right from the go, look in the classified section; loads of shave ready razors to be had for a great price.
The best advice I can give for someone just starting is read everything in the SRP library. This tells you everything you will ever need to know about using and caring for a straight razor.
Good luck
Lozoman,
A double edge safety razor (DE) is a very useful thing to have. A lot of straight razors use them while learning the straight - say do a cheek with the straight, and finish off with the DE, until their skills have built up.
You can pick up a vintage DE razor for a quite reasonable price : certainly much less than 50 USD.
The DEs are also very handy for when you need a speedy shave, or when travelling.
Have fun :)
Best regards
Russ
Hi and welcome. I would also skip the safety razor. Most of us start by going right into shaving with a straight from using cartridges. As said check out the library and beginner's section and do plenty of reading. The search is also very useful for finding info. Good luck and any questions don't hesitate to ask.
I started off with a micro touch DE and a vanderhagen starter set with soap, bowl, and shaving brush. I think it was about 30 bucks for everything. I learned how to lather and skin stretch while using the DE. Later I started incorporating the SR a little at a time using it more and more until I was able to use it exclusively through the entire shave.
I still use a DE about 40% of my shaves depending on how much time I have to shave that morning.
You can start with whatever you wish. If the straight is calling make sure it's shave ready. The straight led me to DE, not the other way around. I shave with a straight almost everyday but on occasion it is quite nostalgic to pull out a fatboy or an aristocrat from bygone days of Gillette and get a very impressive shave.
If you have been wet shaving with a disposable or cartridge then you don't need the safety. If not, then the safety is the best way to get a feeling for it without having to worry about the big nasty bare blade on your face. The directions your facial hair grows and the best angles to shave at is the most important thing to learn. Again, easier to learn that without having to learn how to handle the straight at the same time. You may find you're happy with and stick to the safety razor. I still use mine occasionally and have even bought a couple more after I started using straights.
If you're that worried about the cost of a Safety Razor, you can send me a PM. I have a Merkur DE and some blades I could ship you.
Careful, you might want to keep that to PM,s, tc
I usually tell people if they want to step up their shave to start with a brush and some good soap. Once they have moved that far they can choose a safety or a straight. Personally I find DE razors to be very scary things. I for for the straight right off the bat. Most of the people that I have converted to wet shaving have gone DE and never looked back. It is all about where your comforts lie. If you want a straight go for it, and skip what some feel is an un needed step.
If you were learning to drive would you rather learn on an auto tranny or a manual?
If you have never wet shaved before that regime will give you experience on lather building and brush use and shave prep and using an appliance with little pressure on your face. As far as actually using a straight you will only learn by using a straight. it's about that simple.
I didn't! I just jumped and went for it. I shaved in the evening when I could spend more time learning. Once I got it down I switched to mornings.
Straight razor shave everyday before work.
I do have DE's to play with and because I have fond memories of my Dad using them. And having the stuff around the house as a kid.
I started with a DE, mostly because I was new to wet shaving and didn't want to bother with the maintenance. Now slowly working a straight into my routine. I think the principles learned about wet shaving in general (lather building, brush, shave prep) were valuable, though I don't see why you couldn't jump right to a straight. I still love my DE because I can use it when I'm tired in the morning and be pretty certain I won't cut myself. Three inches of steel if I don't have the time to pay attention sounds like a bad idea. Best of luck whichever route you choose :)
I went from full beard to straights only. I did get a fatboy and cut the hell out of myself with a bit of burn, besides that it's been a straight pepper diet since December. I too shaved at night to avoid being or feeling rushed. If your daily life permits I would just jump in with a shave ready straight and take my time. One other thing, try to stick with a wtg pass for at least a couple weeks, You can get quite a close shave and it allows your skin to recover more quickly if you tend to be a little more heavy handed or your angle isn't quite right. It made a big difference for me and accelerated my learning curve.
This is exactly what I would say. I also started with a DE mostly due to the lower initial startup cost. I'll just add that while the mechanics of shaving are not the same, many things to carry over between the two methods; like building good lather, mapping your beard growth and knowing your face, using no pressure (which can be tough to learn coming from cartridges!) and good face prep. DEs have are simpler to use, so I think it's easier to focus on building those other skills. I just started with a straight last week, and I definitely think having those fundamentals down before picking up a straight razor has made it easier for me to focus on the technique of shaving rather than trying to learn everything all at once. Of course this is just my personal experience and doesn't mean you can't jump right in.Quote:
Originally Posted by molimo140
What I would recommend though is to start using a brush and soap for a month or two with your current shaving method to dial in a good lather, as well as taking the time to figure out what direction(s) your beard grows. Those two things I think help immensely when trying to figure out the straight. This is just humble advice from one straight razor newbie to another, so good luck on your journey!