Thread: Straight Razor Shaving Reality

Originally Posted by TreeBrand

This video is 16+ minutes long. Who would want to spend 16 minutes straight razor shaving when Fusion takes about two minutes?

You kiddin' me? The woman with the hot towels and face massage alone is worth about a $30 tip!

But seriously, time seems to be your main concern. Straight razor shaving probably isn't going to be something you'll stick with. Btw, that video continued for another 13 minutes or so, so that shave took him at least half an hour. Collecting paraphernalia, on the other hand, is anyone's game so have at 'er!

I've only been doing this for 3-4 years so I don't really qualify as an expert or anything, but shaving with a straight is the only way I'll do it now. My routine takes me about 40 minutes: shower, strop, 2 passes and clean up. Granted, I don't shave daily. If I did I'd consolidate that to suit. But understand, me shaving in my bathroom is far from what was on the video. I would tend to think that that level of luxury isn't for everyday enjoyment, I wish though.

Have fun and be careful, .02.

16 mins? I could quite happily spend that just stropping everyday!

I've never timed it but I'll bet that I spend less than ten minutes stropping, lathering, and shaving.

At one time a straight was the only way to do it and most men despised it. Then Gillette came along and set men free and most never looked back. It was good riddance to that cursed instrument.

We here do it for the nostalgia and the overall pampering experience and of course the close shave is icing on the cake.

This isn't for everyone. It ain't for most. If you ain't chomping at the bit to start consider your options.

If I don't do a multi pass shave it usually takes less than 10 mins including stropping and prep. Use a DE during the week and a straight on the weekends if you are short on time

Is straight razor shaving worth the effort? Hell No.
Would I do it all again? Hell Yes.

Time to quit all this talking and researching, just shave! Tc

You stated that you like to research the hell out of anything before you do it. I think you might have missed that, straight shaving is not a race but in fact a way to pamper yourself with the ways of days gone by. I would say that if you even questioned yourself a bit on if this is right for you, you spent a lot of money on just a display of new razors and such. That is up to you and each their own. The 30 or 40 min I spend enjoying prep and stropping and the "me time " is why I do it and as stated above the close shave I get is just a benefit. Most of us simply enjoy the learning process, the form of this. From learning to shave on into restoration and honing or even creating your own razor. IMO you bought a Ferrari for the garage

I'm fairly new to straights and have started wet shaving only a couple of years ago.

The reason I started looking into wet shaving is that the Mach 3, the cartridge I learned how to shave on, was always slow to get a BBS shave and left my skin irritated and with lots of ingrown hairs.

But why was it slow? To start, if I wanted a very close shave, I'd have to do a lot of touch-ups, in several different spots. This friction would irritate my skin a lot, and if I had ingrowns from last shave they would most likely leave a little bump for the razor to cut off. So I had to wait 5 to 7 days for the skin to heal before the next shave.

Problem is that after 5 days worth of growth, the beard would be too long and dense, and the cartridge ended up clogging frequently, I had to clean it every few strokes and do many passes, which further irritated my skin.

By the end of the shave, the new Mach 3 cartridge I started with would be too dull for a new shave.

So I read how a DE performed well for longer beards, specially the open comb razors, and decided to give it a try. My first DE was a Parker 24C. Very nice and inexpensive razor. Got a bunch of blades and started experimenting.

The first shave was incredible. Had a 2 months beard, the razor chopped it off without clogging or anything. My fist DE shave was very comfortable, close and irritation free. I was hooked :-) and started buying different soaps and aftershaves, new brushes and two more razors.

Also, since I had almost no irritation and not a single ingrown hair, I lowered the interval between shaving sessions. I found out that I could shave comfortably every 2 days.

While I was researching the DE, I saw several people sharing experience with straights and I though they were mad. Who would want a "cut throat" near the throat? Well after having so many wonderful shaves with my DE razors, I was ready to try.

Got a Dovo Bismarck (gifted) and a 2" strop. The first shave was not very nice, but interesting enough to get me going. Living in Brazil it's hard to buy anything pertaining to wet shaving, but I decided that I would buy two shave ready, beaten up, cheap razors and a few hones when a relative went to the US.

The shave ready razors were unmatched in performance and comfort. Very, very, very close shave, smooth like I'd never experienced before, no irritation. And I now I can shave everyday and feel no discomfort.

Like sloanwinters I'm a night shaver, and I take my time to relax after a nice shower. Sometimes I even put on some relaxing music while I shave.

A smooth shave, without "chasing every hair" takes about 15-20 minutes. If I really wanna go overboard and live absolutely no stub behind, it can take from 30 to 50 minutes, depending on my mood.

I got started because razors have always let me down. When I found one I liked, along would come Gillette or Schick or Wilkinson with something better...and I'd buy it. If I still had them all I could sell them on eBay or the classifieds here and make some real cash.

Anyway, my theory became that I was getting screwed by Gillette and the others. They were up-selling me, and maybe even degrading their former line when the new one came out. Blue Blade, injector, trak 2, and 3, Mach whatever. The shaves never got better, just more expensive. Same with electrics, Norelco, Remington, etc. in today's dollars, I spent a fortune, got a worse shave and irritation.

You'd have to try to screw me to understand how much I hate it. So I took charge, and went SR. Unsuccessfully, because their was no internet, and I had no local mentor to turn to.

Fast forward to a few years ago, I I found SRP. Now, I am in it for money way beyond what you're talking about, but I enjoy it! I'm in charge! A DE one day because I'm in a rush, a different SR every day which I strop to refine, a soap and brush I enjoy, and then maybe a day with a SE, because I want a change. After 3 years, I pick a different path almost every day I'm home, I enjoy every one. Sometimes I do the whole hot towel thing, some days I do a cold water shave, some I bowl lather, other times I face lather.

The point is, it's my choice and I'm screwing Gillette (which like lots of things you consume) is now owned by Procter and Gamble). I see a $14 pack of their latest cartridges and laugh. That's fun.

The pay off for me isn't time, it's FUN!