Thread: Using Time Before you Feel new Stubble as a Measure of the Closeness of a Shave.

Have you ever wondered whether you can use the time before you start to feel fresh beard growth again to compare shaving systems and razors?

It is not uncommon that someone new to traditional wet shaving asks which shaving method produces the closest results.
In their replies some fellow-shavers will suggest straight razors, some will suggest safety razors, and some will suggest that there is no difference between these two systems. Occasionally the latter answer comes with the caveat that a shave with a safety razor is as close as with a straight razor, but does “not seem to last as long”, or something to that effect.
This particular answer has always puzzled me, as to me closeness and the time until you can feel the new beard growth go hand in hand.

In fact, I believe that you can use this time to compare the closeness of a shave between various razor types and even between various razors of the same type.

I did a little experiment a few weeks ago, when - while moving house - I stumbled across a barely used Braun 7 Series electric razor that I had bought in 2012 for short overnight trips where I only wanted to take a carry-on bag along on my flight. I was not overly impressed then, but recently tried again as by now wet-shaving with an electric razor like the Braun 7 Series had become more commonplace.
I found “wet” results were much improved over “dry” results with the same razor and kept using it for a while to gain more impressions.
It quickly became obvious that it was no match for my safety razors, let alone my straight razors, which overall give me the closest shaves of all.

Of course, like many things in shaving, my conclusions are highly subjective and will vary for individuals depending on experience, technique, equipment, preparation (including honing and stropping in case of a straight razor), shaving soaps or creams used, and individual beard growth.

Battery and head of the Braun were replaced and then I finished a representative number of dry and wet shaves with the razor using similar preparation (except for the dry shaves) to my traditional wet shaving prep.

This is how many hours typically elapsed after a shave before I would feel a comparable growth of stubble again:
- A straight shave lasts me around 13 hrs.
- A shave with a safety razor lasts slightly less, around 10 hrs.
- A “wet” shave with an electric razor lasts me around 7 hrs.
- A “dry” shave with an electric razor lasts me around 5 hrs.

Presuming that above times and “closeness” are closely related, I believe that a more meaningful answer to a novice’s question which system shaves closer thus may be saying that 10 hrs after a safety razor shave my beard feels like 13 hrs after a straight razor shave.

I should however add that for results to be valid someone needs to have reached proficiency with the shaving system.
This will take very little time in case of electric and cartridge razors, a few weeks for safety razors, but will take considerably more time with straight razors, where an often mentioned number to become reasonably proficient (and get comparable results to a safety razor) is around 100 shaves, and possibly a few hundred more before one consistently achieves noticeably closer and smoother (not the subject of my discussion here) results.


B.

There's another factor at play: how long since your last shave. Shaving a four day growth will, generally speaking, result in a closer shave than shaving back to back days... particularly if the previous day's was a close, smooth shave.

I've often wondered about that. I think part of what might be at play is the epidermis, which you're scraping away as well after a few days of letting it grow... it's a bit of a mystery to me.

I like your thoughts on this but also think you have too much time on your hands. Lol.

That being said, i agree that my straight will keep the whiskers away longer than the DE. But my SE is about the same as my straight. Ive never sed an electric so i cant answer to that. My guess is about 5 to 6 hours before i can feel the whiskes again. But it could be less. I shave at night and after 6 hours of sleep i can feel the whiskers.

But i do agree that this is one way of learning how close your shave is. Or beyond close. As to me close means cutti g them off right at skin level. Beyond is to cut them lower than skin level. And hat is done with stretching and such. I dont know if you stretch skin when using an electric.

Originally Posted by HungeJ0e

There's another factor at play: how long since your last shave. Shaving a four day growth will, generally speaking, result in a closer shave than shaving back to back days... particularly if the previous day's was a close, smooth shave.

I've often wondered about that. I think part of what might be at play is the epidermis, which you're scraping away as well after a few days of letting it grow... it's a bit of a mystery to me.

^^^This. I always get my closest shaves going at least 3 or more days between shaves. Anything more frequent results in a less smooth shave. So that’s my conundrum — shave more frequently and up the fun or less frequently but have better quality shaves. Such a struggle.

Originally Posted by Speedster

^^^This. I always get my closest shaves going at least 3 or more days between shaves. Anything more frequent results in a less smooth shave. So that’s my conundrum — shave more frequently and up the fun or less frequently but have better quality shaves. Such a struggle.

I think it may be more psychological, the feeing of a smooth face after several days of growth might give the impression of a closer shave. Then again, everyones beard is different, so what do I know.

I shave daily, and I find the closeness identical after two passes when shaving a days growth vs several days.

I’ll throw in another variable.

If I am using a full hollow razor I will get a closer shave than if I’m using a stiffer blade like a wedge or a frameback.

On the other hand, shaving several days of growth is easier with the stiffer grinds.

At the end of the day, these slight differences are quite subtle as the next morning I still need to shave to look presentable, my beard grows very fast.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I like your thoughts on this but also think you have too much time on your hands. Lol.

You got me there.

Not only did I retire (for the second time) at the end of March, we also got stuck in a hotel apartment because of COVID-19 while our household is in storage awaiting shipment, and our planned move from Dubai, where I worked for 34 years, to our new home in Portugal is on hold until embassies, borders, airports and airlines resume normal operations.


Hopefully, we will have left by June 1st...

We live in interesting times.



B.

I have a couple of thoughts.
If I have three days growth, I am not easily getting through it with anything but a straight. A Mach three would be plugged up in no time. I have never had an electric that could go very long without needing new heads, and those heads would need to be fairly new for very much growth. In all fairness, my thought are always in favour of the straight razor. Had I been able to get a very close, comfortable shave any other way I would not likely have stayed with a straight. For me the biggest factor is comfort, it’s just very convenient that it is also a very close shave as well.
PS
DE razors scare the pants off me.

For me, it does not matter whether I shave with a DE/SE or straight razor the shave lasts about the same with the only difference is the level of irritation being slightly more with a DE/SE. I agree that how long a shave last will depends on how fast an individuals whiskers grow. I don't buy that cutting the whiskers "below" the level of the skin buys a longer shave. I always thought that bought you ingrown hairs. OTH I could be wrong on that.

It is hard to compare because there are so many variables involved with each shave even using the same type of razor. Everyone has good and bad days in that regard.

Bob