Thread: Safety Razor is Aggressive - Straight Razor is Smooth

This is my truth.

I use a straight razor most of the times and a safety razor once or twice a month.
That being said, it is obvious that I don’t have much experience with safety razors.

I only own two of them, a Merkur 38c barber’s pole and a Merkur 25c. I use many different blades because this is the only thing I really like in a safety razors. Some of these blades are completely unacceptable, most of them, and some others are smoother, the persona for example.

However, every time I use a safety razor I finish with smaller or bigger cuts.

This does not happen with my straights. With the straight razor the shave is much deeper and most important much smoother that it is when using a DE.


Every time I discuss this thing with a classic shaver that mostly uses a DE he does not believe me.
However, this is what happens with me.


Does anybody believe me here??

I believe you!

I prefer the shaves off of my straights as they are smoother and the shave lasts longer. The only cuts or nicks I get are my own damn fault and usually from not paying close enough attention to what I’m doing.

My DE’s are all vintage Gillette’s and all three were gracious gifts including an heirloom that was my friend and co worker’s fathers.

I’ve never cut or nicked myself with a DE, perhaps because they are what I started shaving with about 45 years ago.

As I said at the start my shaves with two passes with a straight last about 24-28 hours and by ‘lasts’ I mean that my shave will pass my companies personal appearance requirements.

The shaves with a DE only last about 20 hours max!

Well there’s my two cents worth! I hope this helps with what you were wondering!

I have used DE's a lot more than straights. I have used a DE most days straights 2 times a month. " Safety razor is aggressive- Straight razor is smooth" sounds exactly right to me.

Same for me, sr is smoother and no bleeding.

I am glad to hear I am not the only one

Slur, when I'm in a hurry and I shave with a DE, I tend to use a scything or guillotine stroke, as I do when I shave with my straights. That results in fewer nicks and cuts. I didn't do that when I first got back into DE shaving. The nicks, cuts and razor burn were pretty much the same as when I first started to shave with a straight, before I incorporated guillotine and scything strokes. YMMV.
Morty

Originally Posted by Morty

Slur, when I'm in a hurry and I shave with a DE, I tend to use a scything or guillotine stroke, as I do when I shave with my straights. That results in fewer nicks and cuts. I didn't do that when I first got back into DE shaving. The nicks, cuts and razor burn were pretty much the same as when I first started to shave with a straight, before I incorporated guillotine and scything strokes. YMMV.
Morty

Thank you Morty for your answer, but I cannot understand what do you mean by "guillotine and scything strokes".
Do you mean small and repeated strokes?

Straights demand and receive more care in shaving, resulting in fewer cuts.

Originally Posted by Slur

what do you mean by "guillotine and scything strokes"?

There is a clear explanation of both techniques in the SRP wiki HERE.

Straight shaving is a bitch to learn, but it's the best shave out there once you pay your dues.