From Straight to safety.

**kd7skx** · 12-14-2010, 01:09 AM

Hi all,

Well I took the plunge a month ago and got a straight and have been getting some good results. But some times I just dont have enough time in the morning. Are DE's any faster when im in more of a hurry.

Thanks

Brian

**LarryAndro** · 12-14-2010, 02:54 AM

You can get a presentable straight razor shave fairly rapidly. It won't be as BBS as you might like. But, it is church or work worthy. That being said, it will probably always take longer than other shaving methods.

Some guys make straight razor shaving a weekend activity. That is fine! Like a good dessert, better to take your time and make it an occasion that to wolf it down.

**nessmuck** · 12-14-2010, 03:43 AM

Hurry and Shaving = t-r-o-u-b-l-e

**Ryan82** · 12-14-2010, 03:57 AM

Originally Posted by nessmuck

Hurry and Shaving = t-r-o-u-b-l-e

That pretty much spells it out.

Yes, a DE may save a few minutes compared to using a SR, but rushing with a DE will still result in cuts, irritation and (of course) a shoddy shave.

**PhatMan** · 12-14-2010, 07:38 AM

Brian,

+1 on the above !

With a safety razor, you save some time by not having to strop the razor, clean it after the shave, final strop etc.

Do not rush any shave; if you need to save a bit of time, do two (2) passes instead of three, or even one (1) WTG pass.

It should be possible, after a little practice, to get a comfortable, safe, two (2) pass safety razor shave in ca ten (10) minutes from start to finish.

Mantic59 has a 'ten minute shave' video on YouTube :

YouTube - The Ten Minute Traditional Wet Shave

**thebigspendur** · 12-14-2010, 05:02 PM

That's exactly the instances where I use a DE instead of a straight.

As far as time goes the savings isn't really as much as you might think. To me it's more a psychological thing where if I can't pay full attention to what I'm doing I'll skip the straight that day.

**kd7skx** · 12-18-2010, 02:02 PM

Cool thanks guys,

Ya the shaving time I am not worried about, its all the prep and clean up after with using a straight that I sometimes dont have time for. I just took the plunge and ordered a Edwin Jagger DE89L with some Derby blades to start out with.

We will see.

Thanks

Brian

**Pabster** · 12-19-2010, 03:35 AM

The shave isn't any faster for me. Just the stropping and cleaning bit that takes the extra time for a straight razor. I enjoy keeping my tools in top shape, so it doesn't bother me. I got a DE out of curiosity, but sold it and bought another straight razor.

The thing I truly enjoy about straight razors is that I can constantly keep them sharp enough to give a great shave, but offer enough forgiveness so they do not create weepers. Occassionally, some small ones come out of nowhere, but a cold water rinse closes them up quickly.

Pabster

**markevens** · 12-19-2010, 07:29 AM

You can get pretty quick with a straight. Nothing that would rival how fast you can go with a mach3, but faster than you may realize. The trick is to get the shave time down without actually rushing, because as has been said before, rushing + straigh = trouble.

Here is how I do my quick shave.

1) Use shower time as beard prep time. Wash beard first thing to water has an easier time soaking into the hair for the duration of the shower.

2) Build the lather on your face. This saves a lot of time. Instead of 2 minutes building the lather, then another 3-4 minutes applying it, just build it on your face and you've cut your time in half.

3) 2 passes, WTG with the lather, and XTG with water only. The water makes touching up areas quick and easy.

4) The passes themselves, try to use fewer, longer strokes. This is the real time saver. See how few strokes you can get away with shaving your face. While I always need to use small, buffing strokes on my chin, I can do the rest of my face in less than 10 strokes a side.

I can easily shave in under 10 minutes without rushing it. The trick is to find ways to cut down your time without moving the razor any faster.

**Firefighter2** · 12-19-2010, 04:17 PM

Try shaving at night if possible. I only shave in the morning on weekends when I'm not working.

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