Thread: Safety Razor is Aggressive - Straight Razor is Smooth

Originally Posted by Slur

I am glad to hear I am not the only one

+1. I too am more likely to get weepers and even a nick with a safety razor and I began shaving with DEs in the early 1960s. Not that I cut myself every time I shave with one, but I have to be more careful than when shaving with a straight. For the past four or five years I'll only shave with a DE if I am running late. Usually a Merkur slant/Feather or one of a small variety of vintage GIllettes. Sometimes an old Barbasol if I'm in the mood for that beast. Mostly the smooth silky feel of the straight though.

I drew a lot of blood at first with DEs. The issue is, I think, the blade bends super easily, and so you really have to use a progressive technique, because if you feed your DE blade too much hair, it easily comes to dive down toward your skin and bite it. With a straight, you can just compensate with a shallower angle.

I like my 37c because the torsion on the blade gives it increased rigidity, and I think, along with mapping my growth carefully and taking my time when shaving, this has improved my DE results a great deal!

+1 from me, too

I used a DE razor for 2 years, one open comb (Muhle R41) and one Merkur close comb. I bought one week ago one straight razor and I already feel the difference. With the straight, the skin is soo smooth, it's a pleasure. With DE my skin is not the same. Because my technique will improve, I'm pretty sure I will never use a DE, or maybe in vacations.

Whether I use a DE or straight I get a BBS either way. As a matter of fact in some places I don't get BBS with a straight however it's still closer than with a DE. Unless we're talking the R41 I find using a DE to be far simpler and faster with much less chance of nicks as compared to a straight.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Whether I use a DE or straight I get a BBS either way. As a matter of fact in some places I don't get BBS with a straight however it's still closer than with a DE. Unless we're talking the R41 I find using a DE to be far simpler and faster with much less chance of nicks as compared to a straight.

Yes, I know “thebigspendur”.

When I raise the subject in a discussion with a classic shaver they always tell me something like what you said above.

That’s why I posted this thread. To see if there is anybody like me, with a total different experience than most classic shavers regarding DEs and straights.

In my case, a DE blade is much more likely to dig into my skin than a straight razor blade.
Straight razor is much smoother.


Since a safety razor gives me a less deep shave, I thought at the beginning that maybe it’s me that trying to get a deep shave I become more aggressive. But I notice that even when I go with caution, the DE blade will nick me at some point. It is something that I feel I cannot control 100% as I do with my straight.

If you are in a hurry, place the razor on the floor and take ten steps backwards. If you are in that big a hurry, use a multiblade (I know that is heresy.) but dammit you will cut yourself otherwise.

I can get a great shave with a safety razor. I keep a rather shallow angle and let the weight of the razor do most of the work. Sometimes I'm amazed at how well a fresh derby blade just glides through my beard.

You may have trouble with a de, but I don't think it's a permanent situation. With practice and good technique you will be fine.

Michael

I can get a complete BBS shave from either method. I can do it faster with a DE. But with a SR, it'll be around 8PM when I'm just starting to feel a few small areas where my beard is starting to poke its head back above the skin's surface...just a few spots here and there. With a DE shave, I'll start to feel that around noon. I can still skip the next day shave with either but I'll look more presentable if I used the SR. With the SR, after the second pass there are often spots on my face where the razor is gliding over pure skin, catching nothing in the way of stubble. With a DE, I've never had that sensation. It always seems to find something to grab on to right up to the end.

I do believe you. I am SR shaver for about 4 months now and I had only 2 little cuts on my first 4 shaves or so. Before that I always shaved with a DE razor and I never got the shave as closer and smooth as the SR shave. With a DE razor I always need to perform 3 passes and most of the time I finish with razor burn. I just have 1 DE razor, the Muhle r89 which is beautiful razor but thats it, I use it only if Im on a rush. SR shaving is the best, I always get a perfect shave with 2 passes.... But if somebody ask me to choose betweem a DE razor or a disposable.. I choose the DE of course.. i guess some people are just customed to the DE shaving

ive been getting over confident with my DE's , ive been moving fast with them and getting great shaves .. if i remember right the only time i have cut or nicked myself with a DE is when i took my slim to high and cut off half a tiny beuty mark ...lol but now that i know what setting and DE blade i like i havent had any issues .. i bet almost half my shaves are using both DE & SR i chea t by using the DE ATG after the SR WTG or just to clean up around the goatee , or one half my face with one and the other half with the other .... i dont really notice any difference in shaves unless my DE blade is about on its last shave ...