Thread: Why did I ever use a safety razor?

Congratulations on an excellent website. I've used your resources so thought I'd repay you all with a little monologue

I am in the UK and can't really pinpoint the exact date I knew I should be using a straight razor, but there was no doubt that I should. I read pages on the internet and followed links to some very helpful Quicktime clips. Then ebay came into it's own.
I bought a new strop with paste, a badger hair brush and made the decision to buy an old razor. I figured that if I couldn't restore an old razor and make it work I should grow a beard.
I won a very old eye witness razor for £4 (about $6) including postage, sorted out (flattenned) an old sharpening stone with the sheet of glass & wet&dry sandpaper and then set to work grinding the blade.
After a few hours careful honing (and inspecting with a 30x achromatic lens) I felt happy enough to proceed to the stropping. I must admit I've wrecked my strop learning how to use it but I'm much better now. I created a very very scarily sharp blade. Anyway to cut a long story short, SUCCESS!!!
I've never been so terrified in a long time as I was during the first shave but now I've got through the first few shaves and my technique is improving. I'm very happy with my decision. Confidence is the key early on I think. To be perfectly honest I think I bled more when I was learning to use a safety razor (however that was probably because of acne so there's no real comparison).
However I really have three points to make
1) you don't have to follow the shaving diagrams. Everybody has a different face and anomalies with hair direction. Use the diagrams as a loose guide and do what shaves you best
2) you don't need to spend much money
3) never, ever shave naked (no I didn't and no I did not drop the razor either)

Finally I can't shave every day yet because my facial skin needs to get used to this new onslaught. Can anyone let me know how long I should wait before doing it on a daily basis? Or should I be braving it now?

I used to shave with a M3, not a DE. I went straight from the M3 to the straight. It took my face about 7/10 days of everyday shaving to adjust. To make my intial facial "breakin" period worse, I was using a less than shave sharp blade and used an unnecessary amount of pressure. Just make sure your razor is nicely honed and use very little pressure and you'll be fine. Let the blade do all the work.

Out with the old and in with the new!!!

Jeff

I can only relate my personal experience. When I gave up an electric, I went to a Gilette M3 for about two weeks as I was getting all of the straight paraphanalia gathered. For about a week, I shaved one pass with the straight (every day) and finished with the M3. I then moved to straight only, two passes and a bit of touch-up. After a few days, my face really needed a break so I used the M3 only and very lightly (one pass) for two days. Since then, I've only used a straight.

My advise to keeping razor burn to a minimum: use a very very sharp razor and an extremely light touch (a good quality lather is also essential).
Ed

never, ever shave naked (no I didn't and no I did not drop the razor either)

Well never, ever drop the razor.

As for shaving naked, I started straight-edging a couple of months ago, have shaved naked maybe 3 or 4 times, and every single one of those times, somebody rang the doorbell while I was shaving. I like to think that my nude self with half-lathered face and bearing a cutthroat would make an impressive display, but the effect might equally well be tragic or, worse, comic.

I went from a DE to the straight and as I recall shaved a few days in a row with the straight and then went back to the DE for a couple of days and then back to the straight after that two or three day break. I think it took about two weeks of on and off and then I used the Straight exclusively.

As has been said the important thing when you begin is have a sharp blade, use a light touch and don't do too many passes that is what really irritates your skin in the beginning. If need be start with the straight and touch up with a DE or safety razor.

I came off of a Track II onto the straight. Shaved every other day for about a week, then moved up to shaving my kneck and sideburns every day. I only sometimes shave daily anyhow so I don't know if my experience counts.

Thanks for chiming in, Pete. Good to know you.

I started off as a long time M3 (and predecessor) user, with the usual problems like skin irritation and also at times those nice 3-line nicks that never stop bleeding

Well, anyhow, curiosity and a link somewhere in the usenet pointed me to the german equivalent to this site, where my curiosity was raised. This led to my change to a DE which I happily used for about 1.5 years - never looking back to that M3.

But as things are, the perfect is the enemy of the good - so pursueing the forums a bit more I also wanted to try out the straight razor stuff. After quite a few starting problems I am now a happy convert and shave daily using my straights - but owing to my still lacking skills still use the DE for final cleanup, as my chin and neck really give me a hard time getting that baby-bottom-smooth feeling I crave so much.

The biggest change in all was the attitude towards shaving. From a rather tedious chore to one of the highlights each day.

Jumping out of bed early in the morning looking forward to the shave - life can be that easy

-Axel-

Originally Posted by aschaab

The biggest change in all was the attitude towards shaving. From a rather tedious chore to one of the highlights each day.

Jumping out of bed early in the morning looking forward to the shave - life can be that easy

-Axel-

Axel,
I think you've touched on the primary reason for the return of the straight. It is an experience, not a chore. My shave has also become on of the highlights of the day. In any other forum than this, I'd probably be embarassed to admit it, but I find myself planning my next shave at times throughout the day. What shaving cream am I going to use, which razor, what aftershave balm/skin food, what cologne am I going to try? Life is good--it has just become better since I started straight razor shaving .
Ed

I think you've touched on the primary reason for the return of the straight. It is an experience, not a chore. My shave has also become on of the highlights of the day.


I think your words could have been spoken by virtually everyone out here. I don't think anybody who frequents this site considers shaving a chore...myself included.

I used to be one of those guys who shaved Monday through Friday due to the "office" environment and never shaved on the weekend unless scheduled activities required a shave. Now, I shave everyday...Sunday through Saturday, without fail.

I look forward to taking my razors to my face every morning!

It's a beautiful thing...

Jeff

I went from a M3 to a str8 a little over a year ago. Once I got the hang of it, I've used nothing but a str8 since. My daily shave has become such a morning ritual for me, that if I don't shave it throws my whole day off and I feel as if I've forgotten to do something vitally important.



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