Thread: Will I ever get as close?

Folks, I'm admittedly new to straight shaving having only about 10 shaves so far. I can shave my entire face but I always wind up with nicks. I do a WTG pass and ATG (on my cheeks only). Honestly, I feel like there is no way I will be able to get as close with a straight as I can with a DE. Do you guys who use both a straight and a DE feel like you can REALLY get as close with a straight as your DE?

(I know it takes alot of time, practice and patience. I can very VERY smooth with my DE and I just can't see a path to get there.)

This is a pretty common question from some of our newer straight razor shavers.

The simple answer, in my opinion, is yes and the shave from the straight razor surpasses the shave with a DE. Not that there is anything wrong with the shave from a DE.

The biggest problem is the expectation that you will get the best shaves of your life as quickly or as easily as you did with the DE razor. Shaving with a straight razor really does take time to learn and patience. This is why we normally recommend only taking on a portion of the face to learn the straight razor and then take on more a little at a time until your technique and confidence with the razor improves. For some this may only take a few weeks and for others it may take a few months to start really getting proficient.

For most, once you learn to use the straight razor, you will enjoy it to the point of using it exclusively for shaving with the DE as your back up razor. Try not to get frustrated or rush the process.

Best of luck and have fun

Big grins at the moment. 'Wish all new guys could read this. Thank you, Lynn.

I get better shaves with my straights. Remember you control the angle of the blade, not a machined and polished piece of steel...operator error I suppose. You also have nothing between your face and blade, that's why the nuances of straight shaving take so long to get right, where as with a DE the razor pretty much shaves on its own all you really do is provide the movement and direction; the shape of the DE does the rest. However, with that in mind if you don't like the way a DE shaves you are stuck with that, nothing you can do unless you take the chance of modifying and screwing up its geometry.

With a scant 6 months SR shaving under my belt . . . yes, your shaves will improve. Mine improve daily, and I really look forward to the shaving experience. Hang in there, the more you shave, the better you will get.

For me, things keep getting better and better. BUT I am also getting more and more obsessive with my faceturbating.

I know for a fact that I never did this before...and I probably never got very close before either. Do you follow my logic here? I submit that I never got as close as I am now with a SR...but I also never cared or checked how close I was.

Now I will faceturbate UNTIL I find a deficiency in closeness (how crazy is that?...but it leads to constant improvement)

Many report a break-thru at about 25-30 shaves where the shaves really improves, you will sometimes feel your "stuck" and don't move forward at all, just to find your self having another great improvement in a dozen shaves or two.

To me this is one of the fun things about straight shaving, the never ending path, the search for perfection whether it may be the shave it self, lather, the perfect edge and so on.

Be patient, take your time and keep focus and you will get there, and possibly even better shaves than with a DE.

Good luck!

At four months of daily SR8 shaves, I'm getting pretty good and confident as well. Rare nicks -- only had to use a styptic pencil twice. I can see the goal fast approaching. I bought a DE (used to use an electric...sorry!) to have as a back up but have yet to need it for a full shave -- just an occasional touch up. And it's a lot of fun! Enjoy the journey.

Thanks for the comments.

I know that I am on the FAR left of the learning curve here and I certainly do not expect to be as good with the straight as a DE. I also know that my shaves will improve. I'm enjoying the process and I'm not demotivated I have gone solely to a straight 10 shaves ago in order to learn faster but I'm not striving for perfection at this point.

I just can't imagine getting as close a shave as I can with my DE. I look forward to hitting the point where I do this.

So true wat lynn said.
Your time of close shaving will come,stick whit it.
At some time you dont pick your DE anymore