Thread: No time to shave with the Straight Razor?

I recently started a new job, which requires me to get up a little earlier than I'm used to. Today (Sunday) was the first day I shaved with one of my straights this week.

I've been relying on my double-edge most days. It does a great job, but after learning how to shave with the straight, using anything else feels like I'm cheating.

I imagine Native people would feel a similar way if they bought venison from a grocery store instead of stalking and hunting it themselves, like they used to. Or maybe not.

Anyone else in the same boat?

I often try to shave the night before. My beard doesn't grow super-fast, and I can take my time and enjoy it more. It's either that, or get up a little earlier.

I shave with a straight every morning, and find a straight shave to be about as fast as a DE shave. I only do two passes, and some of the time I lose stropping I gain by not having a wider blade and not having to rinse the blade very often (especially with those big 7/8 and 8/8 razors).

Because I shave at 6am, I've learned to prefer a less-than-perfectly sharp razor during the week. It's not that I nick myself so much as I'm not quite as careful placing it against my face, so I tend to get one or two little red lines where it touches down on my cheek.

Yeah, I don't budget my time too well in the morning, so I usually end up pressing the snooze button a couple of times and end up having to skip breakfast and a proper straight razor shave.

This morning I used a 7/8 and it wasn't super sharp, either. I stropped it well and it it got the job done just fine, but I sensed that it needed a little more push than usual. I may take it to the hone and see what I can do with it.

The main thing is not to rush the shave. Shaving the night before is your best bet. A fresh electric shave is comparable to not having shaved with a straight for a day. Therefore, nobody'll notice.

FWIW, I find that 90% of my shave time with the str8 is spent dealing with the "tough" spots... in my case, that's my chin line. So, when I'm pressed for time, I just do that area w/DE. Actually, 90% of my "total" shave time is spent dealing with prep, lather, cleanup etc., but that's going to be true no matter what razor you use. ... Of course, you could always use that aerosol shave cream and no brush, but the one time I tried that was the worst str8 shave I ever had.

My suggestion...get a John Crowley or Lynn honed 8/8. The extra weight and size will actually be more forgiving if you dont have time to apply as much lather as usual, and you will save time by not having to wipe the blade as much as usual.

I can get a good shave (one pass only with grain, except on my ching where I do against the grain as well) in around 7 minutes including soap and stropping

• quickly put a thick lather on...if you cant do this you need a cream or better soap I can do this with a boar or badger brush...so its not your brush if you cant...at worst it would be your water.
  
• Strop as the lather is setting in on your face.
  
• take that huge 8/8 and mow down your face...
  
• then a quick application of a soothing aftershave incase you gave yourself any razorburn by rushing

works wonders for me anyway....

If I'm in a real hurry I'll grab the brushless cremo-cream: it softens the beard in a hurry and is as slippery as a soap and cushiony as a cream, reducing the likelihood of nicks -- I'm not a big fan of the scent but it does deliver the goods when the blade hits the face. Grab the 8/8 Friodur (big, sharp, and stainless), strop while marinating, and go across the grain where necessary and against the grain where possible, and I'm acceptable in one pass with no significant prep or cleanup and only about 5 minutes elapsed. It's not much fun, but it works. The normal 15-20 minute routine is much more enjoyable and worth blocking out time for.

Originally Posted by mparker762

If I'm in a real hurry I'll grab the brushless cremo-cream

Good tip! I've tried several other "brushless" products over the years and didn't like them... I'll have to give cremo a try!

[QUOTE=mparker762]Grab the 8/8 Friodur (big, sharp, and stainless), strop while marinating, \QUOTE]


Strop while marinating lmao!!!

couldnt agree more about the 8/8 friodurs, I love em, especially for this type of work. I enjoy my wedges most, but there is too much room for error when rushing a shave with them....besides its insulting to the razor. However a nice 8/8 INOX round point (less chance of cutting yourself while rushing) is just a work horse, and still a good looker!