Thread: Straight and DE clean up; a crutch? Or acceptable?

I've only been straight razor shaving since May. I forced myself to be very disciplined until this week. No cartridges and just work on the straight edge. About 50 shaves into the straight razor adventure, I had some serious break through and the shaves since then have varied between great and excellent. It just all came together.

My biggest challenges are a dimpled chin and a sideways neck whiskers. I really took 50 shaves just to figure out the sideways neck whiskers and chin. This amounted to some clever blade grips and skin stretching. Low blade angle and some buffing solved the chin.

But the fact is I am not very fast with the straight razor, and I wanted something to get me a DFS with little time for those rushed morning meetings or when traveling. So I always planned on a DE Razor, and a few days ago I got one. I'm setting up my travel kit and then goodbye Fusion forever. I'll shave DE on the road (losing a Merkur DE would hurt much less than a straight).

Okay, a lot of question set up I know. So the DE lives in my shave den now, and it is about six strokes on my lowest sideways neck hair and near my dimple, this makes a straight edge shave rather quicker. These are the places where I am the slowest.

So what is the common opinion, should I stick to straight only and hope eventually the problem areas will become quicker? I can get a BBS shave there with the straight, it just goes slooooooowly.

A couple of swipes with the DE and I'm done. I'm worried this is a crutch and will slow down my learning. I am still taking the first and second attempt on these trouble spots with the straight, but if two tries don't get it? Zip! The DE razor knocks them out in a swipe each.

I don't know if I would have got this good with the straight if I kept using the cartridge; and I didn't use it I just stuck to the straight.

But what is the group opinion on a straight razor shave and some DE cleanup? I am getting fabulous shaves. The cartridges are gone forever. So the largest goals have been met: no more cartridges and BBS capable with the straight razor.

But? Is the DE a crutch I should avoid for a while longer?

Best,

Ed

I actually use a Feather SS for cleaning up if the straight doesn't do it. I use the DE for when I'm really in a hurry.

I just checked the SRP rules and it didn't say you cannot use a DE, cartridge or whatever, to clean up the loose ends.

Kidding aside, I used to use a DE on the knob of the chin, and a couple areas on my neck, until I became proficient enough to get by without it. Nowadays I enjoy using a good DE on days when I'm in too much of a hurry to give a straight razor the attention it deserves, or ..... if I just want to shave with a DE that day, because I like some of 'em.

I have been mostly SR shaving for over three years. Using a DE after the SR for clean up kept me in the game because I could be sure that the final result would be OK regardless of how well I did with the SR on any given day. As my shaving and stropping got better, the number and size of the area needing DE help got smaller. I kept on with the SR because the areas that I could shave well were smoother and more comfortable than what I could achieve with a DE alone. Today, I usually use only the SR unless I am in a rush, but may hit a very small patch or two with my Merkur slant if I am being picky and feel any very short stubble after applying Thayer's Witch Hazel. I think that using the DE slowed my progress, but kept things fun and let me stay in the game when I was not yet able to shave well enough and maintain a sharp enough edge.

HTH

When I started doing my whole face with a straight, I cleaned up with a DE afterwards. These days I can get a BBS shave with a straight - on most days. On the days when for whatever reason that I just can't get it together, I still use a DE to cleanup - usually my chin, sides of adams apple, and upper lip. I don't really consider it a crutch, I consider it a way to get a close, comfortable, enjoyable shave; and that is what I'm after. Use a DE if you want to, do whatever it takes to get an enjoyable shave.

Your dedication is impressive. The beauty of it is you can choose your own pace. If you're not in any rush to attain perfection with the SR, you can always clean up with the DE. Like they say at Outback Steakhouse... No rules, just right... I think a couple tries with the SR before the cleanup is plenty to get to where you want to be with it.

I like the way a couple of you put it (no rules, your pace, etc.). I aspire to be consistently as good as some of the shave videos I've seen by guys who have been straight razor shaving for years.

And I know it is definitely in me, because there are many shaves in the last couple of months which have been stellar straight razor BBS shaves. Three passes and a little clean up and I have eel slick skin. I mean no beard at all.

Some shaves it all just comes together: preparation, blade grips, strokes, angles, skin stretching, and a perfect multiple pass beard reduction. But some days that doesn't happen, oh I am getting a much better shave than with a consumer razor system, but it isn't an alpha shave. I am working it too hard. Those stubborn patches go to nearly BBS but not quite perfect. This is when I am tempted to just jump to BBS and wield the DE for cleanup.

I rather like a BBS shave, and often the difference from DFS to BBS for me is only a couple of small patches on my neck and chin. Now I know my shaves can all be BBS smooth if I do some DE cleanup. I'm curious on opinions if this will impact my straight razor learning. I suppose it might take a bit longer to get to more perfect Str8 shaves consistently.

I appreciate the collective wisdom of the forum. Thank you for your replies!

Best,

Ed

Originally Posted by EdHutton

I've only been straight razor shaving since May. I forced myself to be very disciplined until this week. No cartridges and just work on the straight edge. About 50 shaves into the straight razor adventure, I had some serious break through and the shaves since then have varied between great and excellent. It just all came together.

My biggest challenges are a dimpled chin and a sideways neck whiskers. I really took 50 shaves just to figure out the sideways neck whiskers and chin. This amounted to some clever blade grips and skin stretching. Low blade angle and some buffing solved the chin.

But the fact is I am not very fast with the straight razor, and I wanted something to get me a DFS with little time for those rushed morning meetings or when traveling. So I always planned on a DE Razor, and a few days ago I got one. I'm setting up my travel kit and then goodbye Fusion forever. I'll shave DE on the road (losing a Merkur DE would hurt much less than a straight).

Okay, a lot of question set up I know. So the DE lives in my shave den now, and it is about six strokes on my lowest sideways neck hair and near my dimple, this makes a straight edge shave rather quicker. These are the places where I am the slowest.

So what is the common opinion, should I stick to straight only and hope eventually the problem areas will become quicker? I can get a BBS shave there with the straight, it just goes slooooooowly.

A couple of swipes with the DE and I'm done. I'm worried this is a crutch and will slow down my learning. I am still taking the first and second attempt on these trouble spots with the straight, but if two tries don't get it? Zip! The DE razor knocks them out in a swipe each.

I don't know if I would have got this good with the straight if I kept using the cartridge; and I didn't use it I just stuck to the straight.

But what is the group opinion on a straight razor shave and some DE cleanup? I am getting fabulous shaves. The cartridges are gone forever. So the largest goals have been met: no more cartridges and BBS capable with the straight razor.

But? Is the DE a crutch I should avoid for a while longer?

Best,

Ed

I have the same twisted hairs on my neck and at first I would resort to the DE but at about 100 shaves I decided to go SR all the way. I have learned how to get er done now with some extensive skin stretching and I pull out a smaller SR to finish that area. Now at 250 shaves it is pretty easy. Very soon I plan to have someone cut down a small round point razor and make me a shorty. Stick with it

Originally Posted by cubancigar2000

I have the same twisted hairs on my neck and at first I would resort to the DE but at about 100 shaves I decided to go SR all the way. I have learned how to get er done now with some extensive skin stretching and I pull out a smaller SR to finish that area. Now at 250 shaves it is pretty easy. Very soon I plan to have someone cut down a small round point razor and make me a shorty. Stick with it

Tell me about the smaller SR you are using please? That would make the shave much easier. As you know it really is just a clearance problem, I can get the top 2/3rds or so of my neck sideways with no problem. The bottom is just a lot of light touch and finesse with the toe of the blade. Sometimes is works perfectly and sometimes not.

Best,

Ed

Does someone make a shorty?

I use a shorter than normal T noonan 9/16 and I use a wiper blade type motion. It gives me the clearance I need but the blade is a square point and it is too nice to mute the point. It is mint and I want to keep it that way so I am looking through my stash for a razor that is a good shaver but not cosmetically perfect. I will have Glen or someone cut it down shorter and scale it and I feel that will be much more maneuverable in that area