Questions about st8 razor shaving...

So I just bought a feather ac rg model non sharpen razor. I'm hoping I like it a lot. Up until recently I dabbled in DE razors and haven't really enjoyed the experience, in my opinion with de shaving there is just to much variables in terms of enjoyment and in other words too much ymmv scenarios ( such as the only blade I liked and that agreed with my face was the astray blades). To be quite honest though I never shaved with it for more than a week because I found it so irritating with the constant trying of different blades although I've had my merkur bc for a few months now and I have used it many times just never over a week. So now I'm making the transition to exclusive AC shaving when it arrives on Friday. I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy it and am probably going to want to try a real st8. Couple question though. I understand the tools needed and such but is it possible to just buy a nice razor and accidently ruin it? Like if you hone it incorrectly and such and then it being ruined? One of my biggest concerns is dropping 150 on an awesome razor and then having it be worthless due to being a noob and ruining the blade lol. Another question I have is eventually honing and stropping easy? Thanks and great site by the way :)

The Feather Artist Club series is a different animal than a straight razor. Whereever you got the idea that they are some how similar should be spammed, rejected, or otherwise censured for lying.

Honing and stropping become so easy, with a little practice, as to become very boring and mundane. It's like a never ending ice cream cone that you only discover years later, you really don't even like anymore. Luckily it always makes more sense than going out on the Internet and buying new blades or going to Walmart and spending the cost of a good night out on blades.

Its possible to do a little damage to an edge and have to hone a blade, but it is pretty rare that someone ruins a straight razor. Not impossible, if you drop it and the blade cracks that is important and can't be overlooked, but ruining it is difficult. Most people own two, for just such a problem.

I think it is more likely that you get tired of the concentration that it takes to shave with a straight razor over 10 years or so, before you drop it and "ruin" it. But, you'll always be glad you have one around, even if you somehow decide that you don't want to "be a straight razor shaver", that attitude only works for so long, then you miss how close it shaves or you get tired of paying shipping costs on your cool DE blades, or you go to Walmart and they no longer carry cartridges for 5 bladed razors and now they only carry 6 bladed razors and you say "ENOUGH".

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Most people own two, for just such a problem.

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Excellent write up as usual Alan, except for one thing: anyone here who owns only two razors please raise your hand..... :roflmao

For the OP, I would say for around the same cost of the Feather you can get a starter kit from SRD that includes a shave ready real straight, strop and brush. If in the end you decide that it isn't your thing you can recoup your losses fairly easily in the SRP classifieds. Just another option.

Ryan, as usual you have clarified the issue and added reality. I think I should have said "at least" two.

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 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.

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.