Thread: Comparing DE blades to str8's

Originally Posted by OldFashioned

I actually never stretch my skin. I just make facial expressions. I usually have all this lather on my face and I hold a mirror in the shower with the other hand and its always been fine. I dont have a beard as thick/coarse like some people do.

You'll most likely have to modify your shave prep routine with the straight razors for the two following reasons I can think of:

1) Unless you shave with stainless steel straight razors scaled in completely waterproof material, your carbon steel straight razors would rust big time if anything else, at least at the pivot pin area of the tang.

2) Some guys have said they shave "commando" in front of the mirror as you would in the shower. Sorry, wet soapy fingers pinching a small tang of metal attached to a 3" or so wicked sharp open blade while naked ain't gonna happen with me.

Chris L

Thanks alot. I will definitely do the stretching by not relathering the area i just shaved. I usually do that because I feel that relathering with cream right away will seal any nicks or cuts or razor burn and feels better than not having it on. There is a such a huge difference between a pansy cartridge and a real straight razor. Like the difference between driving a car and flying a plane...but I like that. I just dont like the DE.

Originally Posted by OldFashioned

Thanks alot. I will definitely do the stretching by not relathering the area i just shaved. I usually do that because I feel that relathering with cream right away will seal any nicks or cuts or razor burn and feels better than not having it on.

I am afraid I don't understand this. Why won't you relather for the next pass (if I read correctly)?

I might have mentioned it differently. I meant that as soon as I do a pass, I usually relather right away, which would hinder stretching because all the cream is covering my face. I see alot of people stretching with the other hand on their face around the stache and chin and cheeks but I will NOT re-lather THAT AREA right away in order to be able to stretch OTHER AREAS, thats what I meant. I will always have lather for every single pass. Sorry if i confused you.

Ive been watching people on youtbue shave and I just cant believe how smooth it glides on their skin on XTG and ATG passes. Im hoping the str8 does this for me because the DE just doesnt do it unless I want to tear off my face. I dont know why, I think the str8 is more forgiving and not as sharp but even if it is as sharp, it somehow must be smoother due to the steel rather than some DE blade thats been machine sharpened.

Lol Ive been doing it for years and a razor has never dropped, yet again it wouldnt do much if it did. I never have soapy fingers when shaving, thats a given. I will definitely have to modify something if I want to shave with a str8 but shaving outside the shower is just painful for me. All that cold air is so uncomfortable. I dont know how people do it. Even my lather was cold and I had soaked it in hot water but due to the lack of hot steam, it just cooled down. I really wonder how people do this. And not to mention that I dont even have thick stubble or a 5 oclock shadow ever. Yet it is sensitive.

Originally Posted by Chrisl

You'll most likely have to modify your shave prep routine with the straight razors for the two following reasons I can think of:

1) Unless you shave with stainless steel straight razors scaled in completely waterproof material, your carbon steel straight razors would rust big time if anything else, at least at the pivot pin area of the tang.

2) Some guys have said they shave "commando" in front of the mirror as you would in the shower. Sorry, wet soapy fingers pinching a small tang of metal attached to a 3" or so wicked sharp open blade while naked ain't gonna happen with me.

Chris L

"I hate the DE blade. Ive tried to shave like 3 times and at the slightest angle, it just cuts (ATG passes). No gliding or softness here. Just tugs and almost gets "caught" on every stroke."

You shouldn't even try going ATG after only shaving with a DE 3 times. More likely then not your angles are all off and you aren't getting rid of enough stubble on your earlier passes because of that. So when you then try to go ATG you are snagging and pulling because you have too much stubble remaining.

Learning how to use a DE (or a straight) takes time. You have to get the feel for how you use the tool and also for what does and doesn't work with your face/beard. Spend a week or two shaving skipping the ATG passes totally... if you are too scruffy after the shave it is feedback that you did a bad job on your earlier passes. Work on that. After you can get consistently good shaves without the ATG pass is when you add in the ATG to shoot for BBS.

Whatever you routine with the M3 is very likely going to be wrong for the DE and the straight is another animal all together. You go in trying for ATG with the straight on your first shave and you will be sorry.

Shawn

Mind the angle of the blade. Mach 3 and the like pivot and have multiblades and are basically made for people who shave wrong.
The optimal angle is very different than a Mach 3. A Mach 3 is best 'dragged' handle first, where the handle angles close you your skin, whereas a DE razor is typically best in an angle where the handle is further from the skin, closer to perpendicular to the surface.

As for straights, IMO, they're harder to learn, but if you have a good touch, they're less likely to cut than DE. Try and get the whole edges and angles thing down first, with the DE.

Ok will try to remove more stubble in the WTG pass as that is my problem. But the truth is, a DE will cut you more than a str8 and not be as comfortable, right?

Originally Posted by shawn

"I hate the DE blade. Ive tried to shave like 3 times and at the slightest angle, it just cuts (ATG passes). No gliding or softness here. Just tugs and almost gets "caught" on every stroke."

You shouldn't even try going ATG after only shaving with a DE 3 times. More likely then not your angles are all off and you aren't getting rid of enough stubble on your earlier passes because of that. So when you then try to go ATG you are snagging and pulling because you have too much stubble remaining.

Learning how to use a DE (or a straight) takes time. You have to get the feel for how you use the tool and also for what does and doesn't work with your face/beard. Spend a week or two shaving skipping the ATG passes totally... if you are too scruffy after the shave it is feedback that you did a bad job on your earlier passes. Work on that. After you can get consistently good shaves without the ATG pass is when you add in the ATG to shoot for BBS.

Whatever you routine with the M3 is very likely going to be wrong for the DE and the straight is another animal all together. You go in trying for ATG with the straight on your first shave and you will be sorry.

Shawn

The problem with the DE could be as simple as picking the wrong blade for you. I had the same problem when I used DE's and eventually settled with Treet blue's for a great one or two shaves per blade and the best I found were Astra Superior Platinum for 3 or 4 great shaves. Also at that time I could get the Astra's for 11 cents per blade. I have used the three blades you mentioned and couldn't get a good shave from them. I also didn't like the famous feather blade. That is all behind me now because of the switch to a Straight.

bj

I wouldn't expect the best shaves for a time too. Educate yourself as much as you can, hang out here and ask questions, like you're doing. Think of this in stages. The ATG pass should not be in stage 1!