Technique or Hardware?

[theworldover]

So for most of us, shaving with a straight razor yeilds a closer, more comfortable shave, hence one of the reasons we use them. But I had a thought while driving the other day, and I wanted some opinions/discussion on it. Do we get closer, more comfortable shaves because of the technique, i.e. multiple passes, with, then across the grain, or because a straight razor coupled with traditional lather and brush are superior pieces of hardware and perform better than a can of gel and multi-bladed razor and/or electric razor? Or both?

Thoughts?

[nun2sharp]

Better tool, better technique!

[Ben325e]

I think it's both. Technique and Tool. Michael Schumacher could probably turn better lap times than me if he were in a 3 cylinder geo and me in a BMW M3, but his lap times in an M3 would be far better than my M3 times.

[Kees]

Straights are less sharp than blades by Gilette etc. However the blade of a straight rests on the skin while the cartidge thingies more like hover over skin. That fraction of a millimeter feels like a huge difference.

[theworldover]

Ahhh an interesting point. Are straight razors really less sharp? If that's the case, then wouldn't the absolute closest shave be a double-edge safety razor? Because of the sharpness of the blade and the fact that the cutting edge of the blade lies directly on the skin? Just playing devil's advocate here

[Lt.Arclight]

Ever heard the old adage, about a bad carpenter blaming his tools?...

Do safety razors give close shaves-absolutely. The big companies have spent BILLIONS of dollars.They shave me close-they also cause me to suffer ingrown hairs.

I know I can hone MY razors and get BBS shaves EVERYTIME with no razor burn and no ingrown hairs. Str8 shaving is a skill that must be learned through trial and error. If you have the patience as well as the hand eye coordination,develop muscle memory and master the task-you too can get great shaves.

It doesn't matter if it is a $25 dollar ebay special or a $400 custom-provide the razor is SHAVE READY- you can get a shave that rivals anything you can get out of a "cartridge".