Thread: Howdy gentlemen! A question about sharpness...

A well honed straight and a DE blade are about the same sharpness but there is a difference in feel.

A DE blade is coated in teflon to reduce glide which is why they get that "oversharp" feeling which some people like and others really dont. Some people actually prefer DE blades after a couple of shaves once the teflon is wearing away and the blade calms down a bit.

A straight razor blade doesnt have the teflon coating, but it is made of much higher quality steel and the blade is stiffer because the steel is thicker. I personally find that a well honed straight gives a better shave than a DE and takes a smoother edge.

You are right though, technique plays a big part. If you look back in the Beginners forum you'll see umpteen threads where peolple have got a new straight razor and the thread usually goes "I got this new razor shave ready, but the shave is nowhere near as good as my DE/Mach 3/Quattro. Is the blade not shave ready?"

The answer is always the same: "No, the blade is shave ready, its just your technique isnt so good as you're new to shaving this way. With practice things will improve." And then a few months later these guys are replying to new guys saying that they remember going through exactly the same experience. Its just the nature of the learning curve.

You'll find with practice that your straight razor shaves improve and you start getting better shaves with the straight than you do with your DE or shavette.

Good luck and keep us posted!