Thread: How much time for a straight razor shave?

I keep finding out that less is more. I usually do 2 passes with added attention to the chin area but find the same two passes there also gives just about the same result as additional passes. So in answer to your question for a two pass shave from start to finish about 20 minutes.

Originally Posted by mparker762

...I find the biggest factor in the length of my shave is the sharpness of the razor.

Agreed. I'm starting to learn that subtle difference between sharp-enough-to-mostly shave and wipe-the-whiskers-off sharp...which is pointing me back to more focused stropping. That feeling is addictive.

- Dale

I've been gravitating towards 1 pass.

Total time including stropping and building lather approximately 4 minutes.

Get 'r done!

Including shower about 40 minutes or so if I take my time.

Same as Alex. If I hurry, including a shower, 25 minutes. I take longer showers when I'm going to shave.

I shave at night, it's my relaxation time so I usually take a while and enjoy it as much as I can. Sometimes, depending on growth and razor, actual shaving can be less than 2 min / pass. Other times it may take several times that. Almost always, however, the overall time (shower, prep, shave, clean up) is over 30 min

Cheers
Ivo

My times probably aren't comparable because I have a moustache and goatee but... Including prep, stropping and clean up I'd say an average of 15 minutes for the face (2 pass). A single pass on the head takes about 10 minutes on average.

James.

My time is about 15 min from leaving shower to cleaning up.

Same as Ivo.
I only shave at night when my daughter is in bed. I hit the shower, prep, strop and shave WTG, and then ATG or XTG depending on the location on my face.
Alcohol based after shave and cleaning up of the tools.

Usually the whole routine incl shaving takes up 40 minutes.
But I am in no hurry either.
I only shave every 2 days max, and my shaving time is my only 'alone' time during which I can unwind from everything I encountered during the day.

I am definitely not trying to decrease shaving time. It takes what it takes, and that's that.

After getting out of the shower: pre-shave prep; 2 passes (1st is a combination WTG/XTG; 2nd is ATG) plus a water-only touch-up (not a full pass); post-shave cleanup and putting away the gear when I'm done: approximately 25 minutes.