How come no razor burn with straight?

Can anyone explain why you have less/no razor burn with a straight vs any other tool?

As I'm a newb, I'm scraping like a mad one over certain spots of my face (old habits die hard) and still I do not have a single spot of razor burn. My neck used to get chili pepper red when I shaved with a mach3 for example (with quattro it was just nightmare). With a DE I also get almost no razor burn. My question is simply, why? How come? I don't get it, the way I'm shaving with the straight, I' pretty sure my face should be on fire, I mean I'm craping a knife over my face:chop:

Better edge, better hydration, and it doesn't pull at the whiskers.

Probably more conscious of technique than with other razors. You are more aware of what you are doing with a very sharp, exposed blade. Lack of focus can have pretty painful consequences.

Congrats on your successes so far.

There is very little doubt that a straight razor gives more control. This could certainly explain part of what you see. Also, since I restarted shaving with a straight, I see myself working on my skin, prepping my beard, etc.., more than before and improving other aspects of shaving. This could certainly have an effect as well. Remember that shaving is more that merely removing hair from your face.

Al raz.

I've had alot of razor burn, but that's just cause I'm starting out on the straight. The areas that I have shaved more so far are fine now. It's like a break-in period for your skin.

I find with shaving with a straight (with proper beard-prep), you have control over EVERY variable. I.e. Blade angle, blade pressure, skin tightening, thickness of lather, and even how sharp and well stropped your blade is, etc... That's why straight shavers get the best shave results, because they've tweaked all of these little variables that most "regular" shavers have very little control over.

Dave

You might consider also that the machX has X number of razorblades attached to the handle. One pass with such a device will be X times as hard on your skin as a straight or a double edged razor would be, all else being equal

Those mass produced blades are simply crap, manufactured for quick disposability and customer dependance and sold as convenient. You have discovered a better way. Kudos!

X

... because you are using less pressure with the straight. occasionally i still get razor burn with the straight when i go for the super-close BBS shaves, a lot closer of a shave than I can possibly get with the Mach3. but i use a good aftershave lotion so it is not bad at all.

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Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

I find with shaving with a straight (with proper beard-prep), you have control over EVERY variable. I.e. Blade angle, blade pressure, skin tightening, thickness of lather, and even how sharp and well stropped your blade is, etc... That's why straight shavers get the best shave results, because they've tweaked all of these little variables that most "regular" shavers have very little control over.

Dave

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Can't put it better, "control over every variable". The only time I got any burn was at the start when my only razor was not shave ready and my technique was lacking.

I understand the above posts and agree completely, however I do not have a great control over the blade yet, and I still scrape far too much (I'm sure of that) because I do not have the most 'comfortable' shave. It's far more comfortable to shave with a DE (that's what I'm comparing to now, to see how I'm progressing in the comfort zone :)). When I have a patch of hair, I still scrape over it a couple of times, at least as many times as I would with a mach. Yet still I do not have razor burn. For example, if I shave using a disposable (which shaves just fine for me, only I have terrible razor burn in the neck area) you can simply not touch my chin or neck in an 'ATG' motion with something as soft as your hand for example. Yet now, after all the abuse I'm giving to my face, I can comfortable rub and scratch there. And I'm pretty sure it's not due to great technique, because I'm pretty sure I still have a lousy technique. I used the same beard prep using a disposable, fyi.

Hey if you want razor burn I guess you'll just have to try harder.

fewer passes with the blade means less irratated skin. wait till gillette puts out the m10 blade.
and icedog..."try harder"? that's just mean

I found that quite funny :)

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Originally Posted by xman

Those mass produced blades are simply crap, manufactured for quick disposability and customer dependance and sold as convenient. You have discovered a better way. Kudos!

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+1! Very true!

I never liked those cartridge razors with suspended edges. They always tug at my whiskers, no matter what I do.

I get terrible razor burn from my straights....so, you got me!

I used to have horrible razor burn with my twin blade disposable. The burn went away once I started using a str8. In fact, when I was still using a dsiposable to finish my neck and chin, I noticed how hard I scraped with it. Once I let the disposable do its job without pressure, I didn't even get a burn with the disposable. True, I had to replace the disposable every 2 or 3 shaves, but it did give a better, more comfortable shave after I started with the str8 and paid more attention.