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A friend of ours, a woman in her middle 50's has asked about leg shaving with a straight. She would like to buy a razor from me but I'm not absolutely sure on how to advise her on what size and point style. Do any ladies associated with SRP use a str8 to shave their legs? My wife uses a DE and AOS women's cream and brush and loves it. Ok guys, this is a legit question. :nono:
IANAW (I am not a woman) but leg hair is softer than face hair. Cause it's her first straight, I'd say go a round point, possibly something a bit bigger than normally recommended for newbies (say 7/8 or 13/16) so that she has more "bulk" behind the razor.
Aside from that.. no other ideas..
Quote:
Originally Posted by keljian
Was thinking of probably a dwarf as it would be less intimidating. I the round point is for sure. I was also thinking 4/8 as it might make turning the corners a bit easier.
Any ideas folks?
Smaller razors are good, but a bit of heft makes each pass easier. :D Long strokes are necessary for leg shaving too. not so much turning corners, it is not as if you're shaving a face or anything :PQuote:
Originally Posted by Kenrup
YesSheDoes! mentioned that she was shaving her legs a while back... you might try contacting her.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenrup
round point wedge or 1/2 hollow in 3/8 to 5/8 would likely serve best for legs.
I would absolutely not recommend a spike.
A shorter razor might be good as well, think of what you might use for detail work around your nose and ears. If you have a razor that isn't a spike and works great in those tight areas, it would probably serve for legs, pits, and those other sensitive areas women like to shave.
I asked the very same question a few months back, but because I have three daughters!
The general consensus was positive, but the biggest concern was general safety. Since most ladies shave their legs in the shower or tub, the scales would get slippery. If they would be willing to adjust their routine to shave just after (vice during) their shower/bath then all should be fine.
I have an old Morley I am going to re-scale and hone up for my oldest since she has expressed an interest in learning and giving it a try. Since I have no boys, that's the closest I'll ever get (until a grand-son I guess)!
v/r
Allen
I remember the thread but I didn't remember the out come. The safety issue is one thing I mentioned. This all got started when her daughter and she visited the Art of Shaving here in San Antonio. The women's shave cream jumped up and grab her. Consequently I believe she will be keeping the razor dry. I set my wife up with the AOS cream,brush and a long handled DE from Tryphon. She loves it so she takes her time with her legs. Anyway, I've snagged a Dovo round point 9/16 that looks great. I think it will do her very well.Quote:
Originally Posted by RMC_SS_LDO
Whilst having no experience with this whatsoever, I would still be an advocate of recommending a smaller blade 3/8 or 4/8 as it will be easier to manouvre.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenrup
Prob go with a 3/8 if you have one/source one.
Given that there are no noses or ears in the neighborhood, I don't really see any benefit to the leg shaver being a round point. I think a spike is perfectly adequate for the job.
I heard a loosely related radio piece years ago about a trained barber who flunked out of university and decided to open a shop just outside the campus. As a publicity stunt he offered to give straight razor shaves to the local sorority members. He said it worked out great for him because it made the papers and he was a leg man.
I heard the piece a few years before I got into straight razor shaving and can say that I have taken the opportunity to shave the legs of a few girlfriends since becoming proficient. I've never been much leg man but when it comes time to do the back of the legs you won't hear me complain.
I think that a woman could use whatever blade she likes with no advantage or disadvantage. For the most part, the contact area with the leg will be a fair bit less than the length of the blade, and there is nothing to navigate around. These two points suggest to me that the type of tip will not matter.
As for blade thickness and grind, those are mostly about personal preference no matter what you are shaving, unless the hair is so coarse you cannot use a full hollow.
I shaved my girlfriend's legs with a full hollow, 5/16, square poind Torrey. I even pulled out some Rose scented Pirates Cove soap (got it in a lot, never used it myself, so hold the jokes). After one pass WTG the said her legs were smoother than she'd ever had them.