Thread: Questions about st8 razor shaving...

Cmon the feather ac isn't THAT different right? It Looks like a straight and is used like a straight as far as I can tell just is supposively scary Sharp. I haven't tried it yet though so what do I know. Thankyou for the info you gave me BTW. Are you sure I won't gain any skill using an artist club that will transition to a real a real str8?

FWIW (since I haven't used a Feather AC) --

If you didn't like DE shaving because you got a case of razor burn --

. . . you're in for a worse experience with the Feather AC.

My guess is that razor burn is usually caused by using too much pressure on the blade. Cartridge razors are fairly forgiving of that sin. DE razors, less so. And the Feather AC (if it's as sharp as other Feather blades) wiil not be forgiving _at all_.

So, when it arrives, use it _very gently_ on your face -- "no pressure" is the standard advice. Just try to wipe off the lather, gently. The beard will come off with it.

And yes, the skills will transfer to a straight.

Charles

PS -- there's a lot of material in the Wiki for beginners. All the stuff about face preparation, and most of the stuff about shaving technique, will apply to the Feather AC. You can ignore the honing and stropping sections.

It wasn't that DE shaving was irritating, what was irritating was using blades that my face did not like such as Israeli persona blades and Derby blades. I was fine with the feather and astra blades and even got pretty smooth shaved from time to time. I dropped about $140 on the artist club and the blades so I'm really going to dedicate myself to liking it or being unhappy and using it lol. It is really good to hear that other than dropping a Sr8 or doing something stupid like banging it, there is no way ill irreversibly damage it and it can be fixed. Now I'm not so afraid of delving into it in the future. I know a few people who have told me that all their time with DE's was really irritating but once they made the switch to a str8, bbs shaved came in a month compared to a few months with de's, I hope that's my experience. I'm leaving for the Air Force on Oct 18 so buying all that stuff will be more practical once im settled in and have a bit of money, you know what I mean? I really hope I like the artist club I've heard really good things about it.

My general thinking is that a DE prepares you well for a straight razor. They both need a bit of skill to use, and neither are forgiving to too much pressure. But I find a DE to be a tad bit more forgiving overall. In the end, I use both a DE and straight during the week.

As others have stated, the everyday use of a straight razor can cause little lasting damage to a blade. You can "roll the edge" on a strop, or improperly hone a razor, sure, but that can be fixed.

My final thought is this: if you enjoy Astra blades, why not keep the DE for a little while with some extra Astras? A pack is pretty cheap, and you find that they work. If you know anyone else that use safety razors, perhaps you can give away the extra blades that you don't much like.

Well I think that shaving with a artist club or str8 would be more effective and just plain cool. The only reason I opted for a DE over a str8 was because I was simply afraid of getting badly cut, I no longer care, I just want the shave. Something new to try too... I'm not totally giving up on DE's though just to clarify. Im just not going to return to it if I find a str8 shaving method more enjoyable. For now though I'm going to attempt to master the artist club, and clean up with a trac II if need be. I won't be returning to the HD for months to come though.

It works the same, but bypasses all the important skills. You'll get the mistaken idea that straight blades are designed to cause pain, nicks, and thinning skin.

I think they sell a blade with a guard. I would suggest you try that maybe. Others will chime in, with more experience. I shaved with mine twice and threw it away, but I knew what a straight was really like already.

I do like the Parker disposables myself. Scary sharp is a bad phrase. It's more like "so sharp it removes 4 layers of skin and prevents you from shaving again for a week" sharp. The word scary isn't representative. It's like saying getting shot in the face is scary. Well, no, not really, but damn unpleasant.