Thread: Review of the Fine SS New LC Homage DE Safety Razor

Just as a general reference here, this site contains the experiences equaling thousands of years of straight razor shaving and I've been here from before day one and I don't think I have ever seen a single person say a DE equals a straight until I said it about the Janus.

Maybe your razor gets you to that place and that is great if it does but if you routinely get shaves with DEs equaling a straight I'm afraid your abilities with a straight aren't there yet and you can take that to the bank.

Hey, I sincerely hope you're right, but until I experience it personally, I'll stick with my existing experience. Believe me, I'm not here to put down anyone's experience. I'm here because I hope I can improve my existing straight razor skills which compared to most here are neonatal. I truly appreciate everyone's perspective. Just because I don't agree yet, doesn't mean I won't eventually. I thank all of you for your willingness to share your many years of straight razor shaving experience. Thank you!

As i have been reading this i'm thinking " not sure that i can say that i get a better shave from a straight than a DE. The DE is definitly faster but I'd say they give about the same shave." What should i do to improve my shaves with a straight? (i use a straight the majority of the time because i enjoy it more)

I haven't shaved with a DE since I was in basic training( Armoured Corp, British Army) when I was 17 years old. We were made to shave everyday so that our razors could be inspected, I didn't even need to shave when I was 17.

I can't say I enjoyed shaving with the DE but that was probably because someone told me I had to use one and didn't give any sort of guidance as to how.

I shave exclusively with a straight and until recently shaved every day (BBS after a shave).

I have now got the hang of honing my own razors thanks to the help and advice I was given from the experienced guys here and can only shave every 2 days because 24 hours later I still have nothing to shave.

I wouldn't say that 24 hours after my shave I am still BBS because my bristles do still grow as I am sure everyone else's do, but I am too smooth to shave.

Actually, I am conflicted because I am pleased that I can't shave daily now but sad because I enjoyed shaving daily.

I don't shave with a straight because it's closer than a DE because I really can't comment on that.

I use a straight because it's just so much fun, I can shave and then meditate over my strop, I can spend a morning on my hones. Once a person gets the neccessary skills and equipment, he will never actually need to spend another penny.

A final thought, I have seen a DE for $20 in Shopper Drug Mart and Walmart, I am sure that the quality would be laughed at by you experienced DE shavers but I can get one for that if I just felt like trying one. I have never seen a brand new straight for anything like $20 unless you consider a shavette to be a straight.

No disrespect meant to anyone, just my thoughts based on no DE experience to speak of.

Keep in mind most folks on this site use a straight and it has become a hobby for many. So, you see all the discussions of hones and strops and how to get the ultimate shave from the instrument. Keep in mind many years ago when straight shaving was the only way folks didn't fret about all these associated things and the average joe probably owned one strop and one hone and one or two razors and shaving was not something to be looked forward to.

My dad used to say he never even considered a straight because he remembered when he was a kid his dad used a straight and every morning all he heard was cursing coming from the bathroom as he was shaving. My guess is many if not most didn't get all that great a shave from their straights which is why they looked forward to a shave at the barber. Many wealthy folks visited a barber every morning for a shave.

So, with all the modern DEs and superior blades available many who use both will say a DE comes close, very close but the straight is still king. Of course you have your own experiences with both. The superior results with a DE are dependent on the equipment more than your skill while the superior results with a straight are more dependent on your skill. It's not just the shave but the strop and the honing abilities.

I’m a strong believer in the adage “technique trumps tools.” One of the things I’ve noticed since I began straight shaving is that my safety razor shaves have improved immensely with a greater awareness of both skin stretching and shave angle. Believe it or not every safety razor has its own unique sweet spot. Learning this is part of what I mean when I say safety razor shaving technique. At this point, my safety razor technique is far superior to my straight razor technique. I’m hoping as time passes, and my skills improve with straight razors, that I may experience many of the benefits extolled by the many veteran straight shavers on the site. Given my experience, and my career as a scientist. I am a strong believer in empirical (i.e. sensory) fact. I’m trained as a skeptic, and as a result, will believe the benefits of a good straight shave when I experience them, and not based on any affirmation by someone else. This is not to say that I don’t give credence to these affirmations. Science proceeds through disconfirmation. If I am able to disconfirm my safety razor experience, I will do so gladly, but at this point in my journey, I have no reason to do so.

Very beautiful background. As if I went to the resort.) Razor also looking nice. Stay cool! Thanks for your review.