Thread: Straight vs Double Edge

Greetings,


I don't use either one yet, but I'm planning to switch when I get back to the States in a few months. So I'm wondering, what's the difference between straight razors and double edge razors?


Does one provide a better shave?


Is one more maintanance free?


Is one less expensive over the long run?


How many shaves can you get with a DE?


Do you strop/hone a DE?


Any other random or relevant thoughts? Am I even asking the right questions?


Thanks all!

What do you use now?

The answer to your questions is subjective so I would suggest you use the search function to find out how others feel but you will need to put razor to skin to develop our own opinion. The easy ones are;
- double edge requires less maintenance than a straight
- DE do not generally get stropped and certainly not honed

My opinion;
Better shave? I prefer a SR but I can get a very close shave with a DE.
Expense is a function of your ability to control aquisition disorders.
Durability of DE dependent on your beard and your routine.

Welcome to the forum and good luck in your quest.

Thanks john3126. I think my acquisition disorder will be well controlled by the lack of access/shipping expenses to where I live.

Welcome to SRP!

I get a better shave with a straight, but I get a really good shave with a DE as well.
I can get about 7 shaves out of a DE before needing a new blade.
You don't hone or strop a DE blade unless you are really, really cheap or desperate. The replaceable blades are a dollar (USD) or less.
For maintenance, well you have to change the blades in a DE but you have to strop a straight and occasionally have a straight honed, both have to be oiled from time to time. I guess the DE has less maintenance overall.
In the long run a straight may be cheaper, but only if you can keep the desire to buy more stuff under control.

I get much more feedback & control w/ a straight as well as more comfort. With practice, a straight allows you to go right up to the limit of closeness, but not exceed it.

I might add the learning curve is longer with a straight. But like anything else sometimes the wait is worth it. You may be able to find a functional DE near you. All our Badger knots come from there and leather is leather for beginning. I would however, avoid a straight made there.
I have both , never use the DE.

well i live close to you (southern china) and i can say that if you want to get into it now, DE is pretty cheap. The blades (Gillette or Flying Eagles) should be on sale at any of the supermarkets. They have cheap DE razors in the same section but I bought the stainless steel stuff from the US. You can get good razors from shaving.ie with decent shipping rates (cheaper than US websites). Getting straights is actually pretty expensive for shipping as only a few places actually have stock. I would wait until you get back to the US.

I suggest to use both. DE for quick shaves and straights for leisure shaves.

to answer your questions:
1.both provide equal quality shaves.
2. DE is more maintenance free (just change blades).
3. both are equally expensive because of RAD. if you don't have RAD, then both can be equally cheap as you either buy new blades every year or rehone every year.
4. it depends on your hair type. i change with each shave but that is for child safety issues.
5. i think you can 'strop' a DE the same way you can 'strop' a disposable but i don't see the point in it. just change the blade.

i got a 0.15 USD (1 RMB) brush in china. I have no idea if it is boar or synthetic. it is one of my best brushes. never had any problems creating lather with it and has great backbone.

Not to push the cliché, but you really are comparing apples to oranges. I mean sure, both provide you a shave, both are vastly superior to a cartridge razor (in my opinion), and both lend themselves to wet shaving... but the experiences are vastly different. The learning curves are vastly different. Hence the commitment needed is night and day different. For me, even the pleasure derived is different.

Both are awesome tools. I found because of the amount of skill needed to manage a straight was so much higher than a DE, I became more enamored with my straights than I did about my DE's. But that's not to say I didn't love my DE's too.

I think it would be great were you to while in China, began using a DE. That'll allow you to learn how to create great lathers with your brush, and probably see you mapping your face (noting which way your beard grows) so you become accustomed to the reduction method (doing more than one pass when shaving) starting with a "with the grain pass."

That will give you a great foundation before starting with a straight when you get back stateside. That of course assumes you will want to try a straight after using the DE. There is allot to be said about shaving with a DE, and you might find that you don't wish to move on to a straight - but I hope you do .

Good luck!

Maybe the SR makes the skin smoother than the DE? I never used a DE in my life, but 10 days ago I bought my first one, it was an Edwin Jagger with Astra blades. The shaving was comfortable and the DE razor makes things easier, but not more accurate than a SR, maybe they have the same accuracy, but just a different way to reach the target. Also my skin after the DE shaving is a bit rough because the blades although sharper than a SR, are a result of an industrial and serial process (-> more aggressive). On the other side every SR has a different character and the edge is honed by hand, this makes the blade sweeter and "customized" to your face. Shaving ATG with a SR is harder than using a DE, for this reason you have to learn how to use the SR in the right way. If you want a BBS, you can get it with a SR and a DE, it's depending by you and your hand. The straight razor is more expensive because you have to buy at least 2 good SRs, 1 good strop, at least 2 stones. On the other side you can buy 100 Astra Blades and a very good DE with about $40 or $50 and you are ready to go. BUT... what a difference comparing how they are made! A DE razor is commonly made of "zamak", almost all the DE razors in the price range from $20 to $90 are made using the "zama", a poor and cheaper zinc alloy chrome or nickel plated that last or broke in few years or months. If you want a superior DE made with inox steel or other superior materials like aluminum you have to spend much more money. The only DE razors accurately made that can be compared to the SRs, are Feather, Standard, Ikon, Weber, ATT and so on, or vintage ones, thery are very durable but they are largely overpriced in my opinion. If you look at a medium quality SR like my Tennis by Fritz Bracht: I bought it about 35 years ago for about $30, it was new and the blade was so shiny and accurately machined, but the scales were made in low quality plastic and in the recent time I made new ones using ebony wood, it is largely better than any DE razor.