Thread: Shaving with a Mach 3 lately

I've been shaving with the Mach 3 while my three straights were off to be honed. Unfortunately it's been great. Blaspheme!

In many ways I still prefer to shave with the straights but the disposable blades are so sharp I can shave 8 ways on my face with no irritation.

Can straights be honed to near Mach 3 edges? Would an edge like that require a lot of up keep? I haven't tried my hand at honing but I cold see myself becoming frustrated trying to achieve an edge like that.

To each his own.

For me, I can't shave ``8 ways'' no matter what blade I
use, and the typical cartridges seem to perform worse for
my usual 2 pass shave.

If a Mach-3 is working for you, stick with it and don't look
back.


- Scott

I still actually look forward to shaving with the straight. Unfortunately shaving with the cartrige it's just another part of the mundane morning routine. I think learning to shave with the straight did improve my technique with the cartridge though.

Are cartrige blades "technically" sharper than most straight edges or am I trying to compare apples and oranges?

Scott- When you hone your own blades do they get sharp like a cartrige?

Here is the deal...

For the first 6 months, even with three shave ready razors, you are still going to have problems. You are going to have irritation, you may have in grown hairs, you WILL cut yourself and you are going to cry everytime you splash on that old fashioned aftershave you bought for nostalgia. For that matter, the after water rinse is going to hurt from time to time. Having a good sharp razor is only 1/4 of the adventure of straight razor shaving. Technique, prep and patience are going to make up the other 3/4 of the fun. Did I mention Technique and patience? The first time you have a truly GREAT str8 shave, the ones where it doesnt really feel like you're shaving at all and the after shave just feels nice and cool and your face is smooth for nearly 2 full days, you are going to be glad you stuck with it and you will never EVER look at a cartridge razor the same. (Until the very next shave when you end up getting stiches because you got cocky and forgot that whole techique and patience thing...) Then you are going to start honing your own blades and it starts all over again.

But is all worth while...

Arrrgggg... make him walk the gangplank! Arrrgggg!

Originally Posted by Shaun

Here is the deal...

For the first 6 months, even with three shave ready razors, you are still going to have problems. You are going to have irritation, you may have in grown hairs, you WILL cut yourself and you are going to cry everytime you splash on that old fashioned aftershave you bought for nostalgia. For that matter, the after water rinse is going to hurt from time to time. Having a good sharp razor is only 1/4 of the adventure of straight razor shaving. Technique, prep and patience are going to make up the other 3/4 of the fun. Did I mention Technique and patience? The first time you have a truly GREAT str8 shave, the ones where it doesnt really feel like you're shaving at all and the after shave just feels nice and cool and your face is smooth for nearly 2 full days, you are going to be glad you stuck with it and you will never EVER look at a cartridge razor the same. (Until the very next shave when you end up getting stiches because you got cocky and forgot that whole techique and patience thing...) Then you are going to start honing your own blades and it starts all over again.

But is all worth while...

What he said!!

Originally Posted by SlamMan

Can straights be honed to near Mach 3 edges?

No, but they can be honed and stropped to that level.

I probably should have explained that I have been straight shaving for about 4 months so my technique, while not entirely consistent, is getting there.

Originally Posted by majurey

Arrrgggg... make him walk the gangplank! Arrrgggg!

LOL, I probably deserve that.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

No, but they can be honed and stropped to that level.

That's what I want to hear. It's something to work towards.

"Not that there is any wrong with that" - shaving with an M3 that is - to each his own. There are several things I did not like about it which is why I went str8

1. It was a CHORE - to shave that is.

2. The tugging and pulling caused - from the M3 that is - created a disaster zone on my neck. The disaster area has been fixed completely only after going str8 (even a DE gave me bumps)

Like some guys have already pointed out a 2 day BBS is might nice. There is no way that could happen with a DE or a M3.

Hi, I've only been straight shaving for about a month, and on my first shave with a straight, it was easily twice as close as my shick quattro. The next morning when I got up I still had a closer shave than my quattro would give me.

Perhaps a hanging hair test would assist your sharpening self evaluation.