Thread: Does anybody else do a Hybrid Shave?

What's my definition of a Hybrid Shave? I do most of my face with a straight razor, but do a few spots with double edge safety razor. This is my daily routine on most work days. If I'm in a time crunch I will do a DE only shave. On weekends when I have time I'll do a full face 100% straight razor shave. My hybrid shave goes like this: cheeks WTG, XTG straight, chin WTG, XTG straight, uppper lip WTG, XTG straight, neck WTG, ATG straight, neck XTG DE, cheeks ATG straight, chin ATG DE, upper lip ATG DE. I find I get excellent results and save time depending on the day, razor and soap/lather and my mental alertness. I currently have 24 straight razors in my rotation using a different one each day. I mostly use Edwin Jagger DE, but on occasion use vintage Gillette Fat Boy or some other vintage DE. With my hybrid method, my DE blades last 1-2 months on average. Not sure where to post, but put it here as it's "mostly" shaving with a straight razor and only partially shaving with DE. Is this considered cheating? I don't know but it works for me. I have only been able to get totally BBS on my neck area a few times with a straight int the past 4 years with great effort because of crazy direction of hairs on my neck. Usually to get BBS on neck with str8, I end up with razor rash to some degree. I keep trying but usually touch up with DE even on weekends.

When I want all the glory and glam I shave two passes with a straight and finish with a Rolls Razor. This morning, in fact.

Upside - No rough spots, no irritation.
Downside - Two razors to clean, dry and strop.

I used to touch up with a DE, then I found a good honer

I did a hybrid this morning but only because my straight started pulling and I didn't want to ruin my neck and chin with it. Finish with a DE and all was good.

Originally Posted by kiwichris

I did a hybrid this morning but only because my straight started pulling and I didn't want to ruin my neck and chin with it. Finish with a DE and all was good.

that's why some of us have 16 straight razors...at least one should shave!

No, once i fully transitioned to SR I quickly lost my "DE chops" and give myself a bit of irritation when if i go "backwards". SR only, all the time, ever, at all, anymore.

Facially speaking that is.

This topic comes up fairly often and if you look back you'll find that many use two types of razors to achieve great results - Though you might find later on in your straight razor "career" that it's no longer necessary to use 2 razors during one shave.

Now, you'll hear from purists and the such that using a SR only is more manly or meaningful or that you're somehow cheating if you use something else. That's rubbish IMO. At the end of the day it's your shave and do whatever you feel is necessary to get the results that YOU want.

I have a very hard beard. When I was in Chicago in 2012 I got a barber shave at the Truefitt & Hill shop there. My barber was a Russian with 30 years experience and he told me I had the toughest beard he's ever shaved.

I've been using a straight since 2010 and I can get a smooth shave everywhere except my chin and upper lip. I can certainly get my chin and upper lip to look clean shaven, but not smooth against the grain. However, with a DE I can get both those areas smooth. When I first started using a straight I would always finish with a DE on my chin and upper lip. As my technique improved I stopped using the DE and just accepted that my upper lip and chin would not be as smooth as with a DE.

I was in the same boat until my friend honed my razors. damn he is good

I hybrid all the stinking time. Wish I didn't need to.
Sometimes it's because I'm scraping the skin, sometimes I cut myself 5 times in a minute & spit the dummy, sometimes if I'm in a hurry, sometimes I'm afraid to hack into the mo, sideburns, goatee (depending what I have at the time).
I also never use a SR on my scalp. That's DE all the time.
But I do admit I like DE shaving almost as much a SR.

Just did that about an hour ago. I've mostly been using DE's this last year, for lack of time. I've been ridiculously busy. Anyway, did a nice shave with a straight that I just received today from SRD. I was able to get an acceptable shave despite not having used a SR in a while. I cleaned it up with a beautiful Fat Handle Tech that was replated at Above the Tie. Results were outstanding. I've gotten very good at using a DE this last year. Now, I need to start working on getting my SR abilities back.

Lesson: use whatever you need to get the results you want.