Thread: Still not as good as a mach 3

Hey Y'all,
I've been using my straight every morning for a few weeks. I can get through a shave without blood, gnashing of teeth, screams, etc, and generally the results are pretty positive. However, while traveling, I used a Mach 3 and I can honestly say that I'm not getting as good a shave with the straight, especially under the chin.

Do you suppose this is just a matter of technique that I haven't perfected yet? Any pointers?

-P

compare to rest of the starters you are in great shape.
It will take time to get close shave as your mach3.
it will include preparation,tech,sharpness of blade etc.
You need to have a little more patience .I am sure you will get there.
Try scything motion and see what happens. remember stretching skin is important.
gl

Hi Thepaulson,
I'm afraid the D/E is much easier to use in this area than the straight-the hairs under your chin need special attention.

In my case I do a guillotine pass from the tip of my chin down to the adams apple on both sides,then finish with the ATG stroke which cuts all remaining hairs,this includes a scything stroke.

I have to say that after approx 130 shaves my WTG pass is becoming so adept that there are precious few hairs left anyway.(improved angles.)

In conclusion if you just carry on with your normal WTG and XTG passes your skill will improve naturally.Try to develop the ATG pass so that with all combinations your chin hairs are no longer a problem.

I can honestly say that my straight shaves better than my D/E (but I can remember when it felt the other way round.)
Just be patient with yourself.
Regards

Noggs

Seeing I am relatively new to straights I can sympathize with you on the chin area. That is my bane still and I am still looking for the best way for my face. Luckily I do not mind a little stubble currently so I do not do any touch ups with a disposable. Hopefully in another 2 or 3 months I will be successful in a completely clean shave. The rest of my face is normally BBS and I only need to shave every 2 or 3 days in those areas.

I took me a good long while to get a shave as good as a Mach 3, I almost gave up a couple of times but pride and sheer stubborness stopped me quitting
I'm afraid technique and a sharp razor is everything. The rest is commentary.
Keep at it, I get a great shave in about 15 minutes now.

I'm loving the experience, even if the shaves are not quite as close sometimes. The soaps, creams, brushes...I'm having a ball. Wish I would have done this sooner.

Hey P,

The Mach 3 gives a pretty darn good shave- just like Campbell’s makes some pretty darn good soup. In both cases, you can do better but it takes time to assemble the ingredients and to learn to use them to their fullest potential.

I’ve been messing with straights for over twenty years and using them exclusively for five years. Every shave teaches me something new but I don’t always learn it.

There are advantages to using a straight razor but you’re not going to see them for awhile. In the meantime, strive for the perfect shaving experience rather than the perfect shave.

Semper circa,
LG Roy

I like LG's analogy of Campbell's soup. It takes a lot more preparation and work to make home made soup and there is a learning curve but the results are worth it. I shaved with one utensil or another for 40+ years before I ever learned how to do it properly. The results were acceptable but not optimum and it was a chore that had to be done and quickly.

Learning prep and lathering with the DE, no pressure and multiple passes, along with gradual stubble removal, rather than trying to get it all with one pass helped also. With the straight razor I had the additional learning curve of blade angle, direction of attack, the scything stroke and skin stretching. It took time but all of it eventually came together to give me the best shaves I've had in my 61 years. A lot of ingredients in the soup.

Originally Posted by colacowboy

I'm loving the experience, even if the shaves are not quite as close sometimes. The soaps, creams, brushes...I'm having a ball. Wish I would have done this sooner.

my thoughts exactly...

I went from the Mach 3 to a straight razor and your are progressing well with the technique. Keeping the razor constantly sharp, using different shaving soaps/creams, shaving angles/techniques were all part of my learning curve after I achieved my first BBS shave. From this point on, it was all about becoming more proficent in getting a BBS shave.

When starting to shave, I used my Mach 3 to finish off the shave and somewhere along the learning curve, the Mach 3 started collecting dust. Because my straight razor was doing the bulk of shaving, the demand on the Mach 3 was very little and one cartridge lasted a long time. Soon, my technique improved and the Mach 3 couldn't match the performance of the straight shave.

All this before I got my hands on some outstanding straight razors.

Hopefully, this give you some confidence going forward.

Pabster