Thread: Mach 3 death knell

I bought an Edwin Jagger 89 DE from SRD the other day and wow! I've been shaving with a straight for about 7 years now and this DE is like that with an auto tranny on it. Fun part is I have 5 different blades to try and more available in town. I wonder if the transition would have been as easy without the time on a straight razor? So the left over mach 3's will be rehomed to somebody who likes that breed.lol

Anyway thanks to Lynn and Don another home run!

I think you have appoint there. I started shaving when there were no cart razors using a DE. I have to say that since learning to shave with a straight razor my DE/SE shave have improved immensely. Nothing like a straight razor to teach you the importance of finding the right angle and not yo use any pressure.

Bob

Personally, I can't think of anything that'll teach you more about the nuances of shaving than a Straight. Everything comes into play - nothing can be ignored or taken for granted.

After years of using my straight, I gave a Muhle R41 a ride and thought it was love! I wasn't sure if I'd ever use a straight again. But that was premature. It's fun to switch between the two. I can't stop using my straights, but that 41 sure is a fun ride.

IMO, Lyn and Don didnt have much to do with it. You can buy that razor from hundreds of places. And then there are a few hundred places on-line. I agree that it is a nice DE as it was the first one i bought when going from carts to DE. Loved it!
It is nice to ba able to pick up the DE when in a rush for a shave or traveling. Glad you found the EJ DE. It is a little tame for me but a nice DE. And the trainning you get from the straight can make shaving with anything better as the straight will smack you down if you dont learn correctly. After that....

Now, the 41! Thats an agressive DE. Much closer to the straight.

Originally Posted by Gasman

IMO, Lyn and Don didnt have much to do with it. You can buy that razor from hundreds of places. And then there are a few hundred places on-line. I agree that it is a nice DE as it was the first one i bought when going from carts to DE. Loved it!
It is nice to ba able to pick up the DE when in a rush for a shave or traveling. Glad you found the EJ DE. It is a little tame for me but a nice DE. And the trainning you get from the straight can make shaving with anything better as the straight will smack you down if you dont learn correctly. After that....

Now, the 41! Thats an agressive DE. Much closer to the straight.

Yup, I got both and its night & day. I was going to ditch the EJ, but noted that sometimes a less "aggressive" razor with an aggressive blade (EJ/Feather combo) is as desirable as an aggressive razor with a less aggressive blade (R41/Personna blade). Messing with the blade, razor combos can be a lot of fun. And I recommend you retry after a couple of years when your technique is set.

I have a feeling that experienced straight razor users do not find "aggressive" DEs that difficult to use having learned to pay attention to detail by straight razor use. You certainly know they are more aggressive than other DEs but you have the technique to tame that. An "aggressive" DE can give a straight razor a run for it's money in providing a very close and long lasting shave.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

I have a feeling that experienced straight razor users do not find "aggressive" DEs that difficult to use having learned to pay attention to detail by straight razor use. You certainly know they are more aggressive than other DEs but you have the technique to tame that. An "aggressive" DE can give a straight razor a run for it's money in providing a very close and long lasting shave.

Bob

In the aggregate, I probably get "better" shaves with my DE. There is just that one spot on my neck that sees me contorting if I'm going to get it done with a straight. But when I do contort and get a good straight shave, I can go two days without a shave! That's never really the case with any DE. It's the darnedest thing!! Even if after the shave it feels BBS. I can't explain it!!

When I shave with one of my DE’s, I get what feels like a really good shave, maybe even BBS. I can get that weird area on my neck in which the hairs seem to grow in every possible direction and which I can’t seem to get at satisfactorily with a straight razor.

However, 8-12 hours later, I can feel the stubble even when I have used my fairly aggressive Merkur slant or my Rockwell with plate 6 and a new blade. When I shave with a straight, stubble is not there for at least 24 hours. I also find I have much less irritation after using a straight. And, it’s a lot more fun.

Never had a straight razor shave that lasted 24 hours or longer. No matter what I shave with I can go 8 - 10 hours before I feel stubble. Has me wondering if peoples whiskers regrow at different rates.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Never had a straight razor shave that lasted 24 hours or longer. No matter what I shave with I can go 8 - 10 hours before I feel stubble. Has me wondering if peoples whiskers regrow at different rates.

Bob

“Not only do different people have different rates of growth for their hair, but an individual person's hair can grow at different rates at various places on his/her head. The hair follicles actually act independently of one another.” - google

Which explains those rogue eyebrow hairs of mine.