Thread: straigh razors are rubbish

i hope you can improve your technique so str8 shaving is enjoyable i have never shaved with a shaveete but i heard they can be very unforgiving my first shave was fantastic and have been hooked ever since but there are some people that just cant shave with a straight if after a fair amount of trial you still cant get the str8 to work for you it may be time to put it down and maybe think about picking up a vintage gillette fatboy either path you choose i wish you luck and remember that the most difficult roads lead to the greatest rewards

the most difficult roads lead to the greatest rewards

words to remember ink:

ive used both i agree disposables for me tend to be faster and smoother, but i enjoy the straight shave and can get just as nice a shave as i can with a disposable so i figure ill use the one i enjoy

I would like to publicly admit that for that last 9 months the only reason I have been using a straight is because I think it makes me manly. I soon plan on moving up to a highly sharpened ax because then I would be at the apex of manly/bada*s shaving.

Originally Posted by JCitron

I would like to publicly admit that for that last 9 months the only reason I have been using a straight is because I think it makes me manly. I soon plan on moving up to a highly sharpened ax because then I would be at the apex of manly/bada*s shaving.

lol plus you should always shave in public restrooms so more people can see you and see how manly and badass you are!

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Jesus, this is still going on?!?

Nice to see BeBerlin back though!

I enjoy straight razors.

+1 on that... Looks like "The bold and the beautiful" for straight razor shavers...
*wave to BeBerlin*

Garp!

A lot of great replies in this thread. Sometimes the simplest things are not new and shiny. It comes from deep inside yourself. Some are more Traditional then others so the old ways are better, Some ppl just haven't been there or gotten to a point of inner peace. Shaving is like walking in the woods or on the beach, It is what makes them feel they are the only one.

If you like mach3 razors thats fine, Don't rag on others that don't. Life is short and some need to try different things to find what works for them. As you can see in most threads on here most ppl collect razors as well as use them. I look for the peace of the old times. Back when things where so simple. I don't need all the bells & whistles with 17,000 blades and the can that has the most chemicals in the cream that will make me feel wonderful. The simplest things are/have always been better.

Take a ride back in time and just use a str8 razor for your only razor. Give it time and You time to do a great job. Now I'm not saying You will love it, but give it a chance.

Hey sorry i havent written anything for a few days.
The main reason im still trying to get an answer i guess is that once people start shaving with a straight there are few that go back. So i dont see how you can compare a shave with a straight razor to 3 shaves and the same method with a disposable one if you've never tried it. I dont really think its fair to compare 3 goes with a straight to one go with a disposable, the whole point of it having 3 is so u dont have to do it so mines times id of thought, so you should compare it 3 and 3.
A few people have said they find disposable better but prefer using a straight which i do too. Ill give you that ive youve got a bit of a beard it doesnt clog up as much and would be better to get the main weight of it down.

Basically im just trying to say i you prefer using a striaght then yeah go for it, im not trying to say your an idiot for using a worse method (if it is worse) or try to stop you. My orginial question was just asking wether you think they are actually better even if you use the same method of soap, brush, warm water, going over it 3 times etc with a disposeable!?

Thanks everyone

Adamround, are you still talking about a disposable "straight"? If so, then you're really talking about a DE, and asking if DEs have a concrete advantage over cartridge razors.

A true straight razor manually honed (by someone who knows what they're doing) will be a little less keen than a feather disposable, but also smoother and more forgiving.

The bottom line here is this: the closest, most comfortable, good-for-your-skin shave is to be had with a proper straight razor. The concrete advantage is not enormous, though. A Mach 3 with proper prep (brush, quality soap, etc.) will deliver a very good shave. In my experience the concrete advantage of a straight (not disposable straight, a proper straight) amounts merely to fewer ingrowns and less irritation.

And these small advantages can only be had once you've spent many, many hours learning to hone, asking questions on this site, finding out what materials (what razor grinds, what combination of hones & pastes, etc.) work for you, finding an affordable way to get your hands on them, etc. And you'll have to suffer through many bad shaves, frustrating honing sessions, mockery at the hands of your wife/girlfriend/roommates along the way. And even when you get through all that, you'll still be spending 15-25 minutes a shave instead of 5-10.

Measured purely in terms of concrete costs & benefits, do the small concrete advantages I've named justify all the blood, sweat, tears and time? I think the answer is no. The advantages are marginal; the investments considerable.

It is worth it, however, if you count not only the "concrete" benefits but also the more intangible ones. For some guys, it's reviving a lost art; for others, it's resisting in a small way the culture of disposability; for others, it's the pleasure of turning a daily chore into a act of skill and meditative focus; for still others, it's nostalgia, connecting oneself to a beloved father or grandfather, etc. etc. There are also the pleasures of restoration. And then there's the badass factor, but as I said before I think that's not such a big thing around here.

For my part, I simply think mach 3s are ugly & wasteful, and to be constantly purchasing & discarding something ugly & wasteful is unpleasant. Buying a pack of them is to me like buying a week's worth of TV dinners.

Almost everything associated with straight razors – the stones, the strop leather, the coffin boxes, the razors themselves – is beautiful. These are things that were made to last, made with intelligence, and requiring skill to use. That's what people mean by 'tradition'.

If you have no interest in these things, and do not have a chronic case of ingrown hairs, then straight-shaving is almost certainly not for you. A $10 puck of tabac, a decent badger brush and a Mach3 disposable will do the trick, as you've discovered.

Adam,

I just started using a str8 razor, Now it's not a good one but still a str8. Even with My tomahawk razor I find the shave to be better. Yes I have to go over it 3 or more times in some places. I still get a better shaving feeling. I seem to follow the old ways at time, Simpler things for a simple person I guess you can say it that way.

My mach3 gets a ruff work out and after 2 shaves it's about done. So with that being said The str8 will save me money. One of the main reasons I am switching to str8 razors. I know I'll be paying more one at first for things. But in the long run I'll be saving money. Now I know I have no weight in what I say behind me, since I'm new to str8. But sometimes hearing things from a newbie can be helpful.


Good luck with Your Str8 and happy Shaving.