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Hey all,
Today has been my first straight razor shave. I bought a Ustura shavette with disposable Derby single blades. As a beginner, I felt more comfortable with a disposable system that was lower in maintenance. I've cut myself quite a bit, but it's only day 1 so I'm not too discouraged. (I'm still used to a Mach 3 / Quattro razor and the pressure involved).
With the Derby disposables, should 1 blade be sufficient for a morning shave, or is it wise to replace the blade halfway through?
welcome reddog to SRP,
I think it really depends on your beard , beard prep and how you shave (angle pressure).. I usualy get about three shaves from half a DE blade.. but I have a light beard...
You should really go easy on the pressure just barely touching the skin should be good enough to scare those whiskers away.. Also make sure you use a very shallow angle.
good luck and have fun...
Maarten
I haven't used the disposable straight blades, but have plenty of experience with DE blades. The disposable straight blades are essentially just longer versions of the DE right (with only one side I know)? You should get more than half a shave out of one blade. I typically get 5-6 smooth shaves from a DE blade (so about 3 for one edge). Since the blades on the straight are longer than the DE, each section should theoretically see less hair, i.e. less wear. I would suspect you could easily go several mornings using the same blade and still get a smooth shave, granted you use it correctly. :D
:OT
Has anyone ever used the Filarmonica Shavettes?
Ran across one the other day and had never seen one.
Thank you all for the help. It definitely clears up a lot!
Day 2 was a fantastic improvement. I didn't aim for a very close shave, but mainly wanted to train on pressure. I actually straight shaved the whole face (although I had to touch up under the chin and jawline w/ a cartridge). Nowhere close to perfect...but I know my troublesome areas. Aiming to get some more practice before I go ATG Plus, I bought a styptic pencil...Stings, but wow is it helpful in blood control :)
- My stretching technique is almost nonexistant...I find it rather hard to find a decent spot to pull from, especially with the lather everywhere! I'm hoping this will come over time.
- Still working on getting a better lather, although today was an improvement. I've got a pretty wide coffee mug, but am aiming to get a bowl this weekend.
- Razorburn on the upper lip..plus I instantly cut myself at the top, right before the nostrils...I have a feeling this isn't the last time it'll happen either..but practice makes perfect.
- My chin stubble is pretty rough. I tried to stay light on the pressue and I can feel the razor start to pull and get stuck often, so I hesitated quite a bit. After a WTG cut I didn't plan on going deeper today. This and my jawline by the chin seem to require better lather and technique.
- The neck seems quite tough to get the right technique going. Before starting, I practiced with my shavette w/o the derby blade in it...Found it hard to get it really flat to go sideways (WTG), so I ended up going XTG first...I have some irriration, but the up-down motions seemed a bit easier to control.
- Angle...my angle definitely sucks...but i'm getting better...Yesterday I had quite a few deep cuts and "cat slices", but none today..just little tiny spots here and there that I touched up quick with the styptic pencil. My hot water ran out in hte house too after the shower, so my lather wasn't very warm. I'm hoping tomorrow will be even better!
- I bought some Brut antibacterial balm for the post-shave...and some basic vaseline body lotion afterwards. Razor burn didn't bother me much after an hour or so.
In order to get a good stretch, I keep my stretching finger dry. My face usually dries quickly after the razors passes, removing whiskers and lather, so I shave a patch so that I can stretch the skin. My neck tends to stay wet and slippery, so I dry a patch with a dry towel. After my hot towel, I place that towel on the counter as a moist towel for wiping the lather from my fingers and razor. I also keep a dry towel handy for drying my fingers and patches on my face / neck for stretching.Quote:
Originally Posted by reddog093
Also, try contorting your face to stretch areas. Funny faces really work!
:gl:
I started out the same way and I think its the best way personally. Focus on the shave before worrying about stropping and honing. Just keep with, it took me about 15 shaves till I got one without cuts and was smooth. I had the same problems with closeness when I started. For me, going across the grain around my chin is what makes the difference, try either direction and see which gives better results. For me, its from in to out around the chin.
And for blades, I use each half of a blade for 2 shaves with Derby blades. I have a relatively course and fast growing beard though. Good luck!!
Thanks again for all the help guys. I'm pretty optimistic about future shaves. I'm still waiting for my badger brush and Taylor of Old Bond St. Shaving Cream to come in the mail. I've been anxious to start shaving so I grabbed a cheap set of boar hair / organiz shave soap from the supermarkert to start. I'm sure things will be much better when the better tools arrive. I also went to get a haircut today and had a little chat w/ my barber. While doing some touch-up, he took it slow with the razor so I could watch. His stretching and buffing technique were pretty solid..(No way am I trying that for a while). Hoping the new shave cream/brush arrive soon!
I have been experimenting with both straight edge and DE shaving for the past three weeks. I got a great Gong razor from Glen, so I know it's sharp as can be - and I have a strop from Tony - so best of class there. My cream are a range of Castle Forbes and Gentlemen's Quarters - and my badger silver tip is from Bob's Razor. I have four DE's three Merkurs and an old Gilette Fat Boy.
Equipment and shaving cream wise - I'm as well off as I could be.
With the DE's I can get a shave that is so close that there is virtually NO feeling of chin hair from any direction. I'm no where near that smooth with the Straight Edge. What I'm doing is starting each shave with the straight - so that I get nice practice on both my right and left cheeks. The right is going better - the left is coming along. I only nicked myself on the first try - all others are wound free.
But - I don't get that baby's butt smooth with the straights. Will I ever? Is it even possible? As I say, I don't think it's the razor. I believe Glen got is as sharp as is humanly possible - and I think my stroppng is doing well too.
I was thinking about picking up a DE to fully phase out my cartidge that I'm using for touch-ups at the moments.. At the moment though, I kind of want to force myself to use and learn the straight shave the hard way without having a DE to fall back on. I''ve never tried DE, so it's definitely in the future out of pure curiosity,
Give it time. The best advice I got here was to go slowly, use no pressure, and shave for comfort. Aim for a comfortable shave and the BBS will follow. Learn how to handle your razor. As you gain confidence, the shave will get better and the BBS areas of your face will grow. If Glen honed your str8, it is ready. The most important thing is to have fun. :gl:Quote:
Originally Posted by wfr308
There's no shame in finishing with a DE or cart. There are many new skills to learn with a str8, so you're already shaving the hard way. No need to compound the difficulties. If you feel ready for a complete str8 shave, go for it. It's just nice to have that backup when you need it. And remember the most important point to str8 shaving - have fun!Quote:
Originally Posted by reddog093