Thread: Safety Razor versus Straight Razor: Compare and Contrast.

Originally Posted by Hart

I'm still a beginner but I see the SR costing a more even against the ongoing cost of blades for a DE. How many blades can you buy for the cost of honing and shipping and a strop etc? You're more likely to form an attachment for your SE than the DE, so do you want to hand your baby over to an essentially indifferent third party to have it shipped to an apparently trustworthy honing service whom you've never met? If not, then factor in all the hones and lapping equipment and effort to learn to use them. You will want a second SR while one is off being honed of course and the RAD will set in not only for the SR itself but every other item associated with SR shaving, honing, and storage. I've only been SR shaving about two months but I believe I've spent more in those two months on SRs etc than in the over 20 year of DE shaving.
Don't misunderstand me, I'm all for SR shaving but it can quickly become a hobby of sorts that goes beyond the simple need to remove your facial hair. The DE is much less likely.

You're absolutely right about this. SR shaving is not for everyone. In the rare cases that I actually discuss any of this with people outside of this forum, I usually suggest DE shaving to them if they have any interest at all. There is a lot more "hassle" involved with SR shaving. That "hassle" is our hobby but for many people its a nuisance. And DE shaving is cheaper too. When I was DE shaving, I had two razors and only bought the second one because it was more visually appealing than the first one. I ended up only using one of them. The blades were dirt cheap. With SR shaving, you don't have to get into all of the intricacies of honing or owning multiple razors. But then again, thats where the hobby part of this kicks in. Sure you can get by with a minimalist set up for SR. But how many of us are actually doing that here? Once I found the right blade, I was able to get BBS shaves every time with a DE. So satisfied with my shaves, my conversion to SR was contingent on my ability to get the same results with a SR as I was getting with a DE. In the end I've found SR to be more forgiving in spite of how ominous they appear. If you're a little off your game with a DE you end up with razor burn that will have you smarting for a day or two. You can give yourself some nice burn with a SR too but I've not experienced the level of severity that say a Feather blade and a poor night of sleep can deliver. If hair removal is your only motivation, stick to DE. Honing, stropping, and the learning curve may simply not be worth it if you are just interested in hair removal. You can still enjoy the pleasures of wet shaving and not have to worry about maintaining your razor.

In the time that I've been at it, I worked out (about seven months ago) that what I would have spent on cartridges in the time I've been using a cut-throat, would have exceeded my expenditure on all the gear I have acquired, razors (CT and DE), hones, strops, brushes, soaps/creams and DE blades by about $160 AUS. I imagine you could add about another $90 to that figure now. Money in my pocket.


Mick

Originally Posted by AndrewJM

To be honest, I wouldnt even know where to start re what id be looking for. Im going to start with straight razor, but safety razor would be handy when flying with carryon luggage only. I guess something that shaves nice, not too hard to master, wouldnt have to give perfect shave, just a nice shave.

You wouldn't be able to pack D/E blades as carry on, so you either need to buy blades locally, pack a hold bag, or take disposables/cartridges.

Originally Posted by MickR

In the time that I've been at it, I worked out (about seven months ago) that what I would have spent on cartridges in the time I've been using a cut-throat, would have exceeded my expenditure on all the gear I have acquired, razors (CT and DE), hones, strops, brushes, soaps/creams and DE blades by about $160 AUS. I imagine you could add about another $90 to that figure now. Money in my pocket.


Mick

I keep forgetting about cartridges, the printer ink of the shaving world. I see them in stores but they are always in locked cabinets.

Originally Posted by TomBrooklyn

How does a safety razor compare to a straight razor in...

Quality of shave: Straight razor hands down leaves my face feeling smooth, close, & well taken care of.

Likelyhood of cutting oneself: Yes, you are more likely to cut ones self with a straight. This is why I still keep a DE around, you rush a straight razor shave and you are asking for trouble.

Other: I've tried dozens of DE blades over the years & have found many that are as sharp as a properly honed straight, but I have yet to find one that will leave my face as smooth. Key here is that I have been honing straights for years and have customized my edges to what I like.

Discuss: If you are willing to invest the time (it takes about 30 shaves for everything to come together with learning to use a straight) & lets be honest, the money, into learning to shave with a straight you will most likely come to the straight side. If shaving is just a chore for you, most likely you will stay with the DE razors. If you feel like a shave is your "me" time or "zen" time, then you should entertain the idea of learning to shave with a straight. If you do decide to learn to shave with a straight, I highly recommend visiting with a veteran straight razor guy for a cup of coffee.

Jump in, the water is fine...