Thread: Straight vs double edge, does the straight take longer

From reading posts here I get the sense that shaving with a straight takes a bit longer then shaving with a double edge does. Now my straight is away getting sharpened by Lynn Abrams at the moment, so I am not able to verify the statmenets myself. It will generally take me approximatly five minutes to get a proper double edge shave, but again I have been doing the double edge for years and have that one down to a sicence.

In the beginning, it takes much longer because you're learning the razor, angles, facial yoga, and other skills. As your skill level improves, time required goes down. I usually do a two-pass shave in under 10 minutes, so you should be in the same ballpark.

My results, after shaving for two years with a DE, and only three weeks with a straight:

Two-pass DE shave: 8 mins
Three-pass straight shave: 13 mins

The straight requires an across-the-grain pass that the DE does not, but that pass tends to be pretty quick. If I had to guess, I would say the first pass takes about 5 mins and takes off most of the stubble, and the second pass takes about 3 mins and just reduces the remaining stubble enough so that the final pass against the grain is comfortable. The final pass takes about 5 mins because that includes the "touch and cut"...feeling my face and neck for any traces of stubble and then obliterating it.

For me, a DE two pass shave takes 10minutes (did it yesterday as a matter of fact).

A two pass straight shave takes me ~30 minutes.

I thoroughly enjoy the extra 20 minutes!

Originally Posted by DaveF

My results, after shaving for two years with a DE, and only three weeks with a straight:

Two-pass DE shave: 8 mins
Three-pass straight shave: 13 mins

Wow, it takes me 15 minutes just to shower, lather, and strop my blade
From the time I actually start moving the blade across my face to the end of my first pass is a little less than 5 minutes, but the next pass takes me about 10 minutes. I've had about 80 shaves so far, and probably half of them have been only single-pass shaves.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Wow, it takes me 15 minutes just to shower, lather, and strop my blade
From the time I actually start moving the blade across my face to the end of my first pass is a little less than 5 minutes, but the next pass takes me about 10 minutes. I've had about 80 shaves so far, and probably half of them have been only single-pass shaves.

I'm sorry, I should have clarified that I meant actual shaving time...from the time I start scraping steel across skin to the time I put the razor down for good and start splashing water on my face. My full routine including showering, lathering, and cleaning up afterwards is about 35 minutes, but I was trying to isolate just the difference between the straight and the DE.

Stropping is a good point though...I generally strop at night while the kids are in the tub, but I do spend a minute or two in the morning doing a few light passes while I wait for the lather on my face to soften my beard a bit.

Originally Posted by DaveF

I'm sorry, I should have clarified that I meant actual shaving time...from the time I start scraping steel across skin to the time I put the razor down for good and start splashing water on my face. My full routine including showering, lathering, and cleaning up afterwards is about 35 minutes, but I was trying to isolate just the difference between the straight and the DE.

Stropping is a good point though...I generally strop at night while the kids are in the tub, but I do spend a minute or two in the morning doing a few light passes while I wait for the lather on my face to soften my beard a bit.

Does the DE require as much prep as the straight? I didn't need to shower or lather up back when I shaved with disposable cartridges

[Edit] I didn't need to shower in order to shave, is what I meant to say!

Hehe, I know what you meant, but that was funny.

In my experience, yes, the DE required more extensive prep than the cartridge razors. When I was Mach 3'ing it, I used to shave right out of the shower with just water...not even shaving cream. However, when I started shaving with a DE, I started learning about proper beard prep...brush, cream, the whole bit. I have just kept the same routine for straight shaving...the only difference in prep between DE and straight shaving for me is that I generally to load my brush with a little more soap so that I have enough lather for three full passes instead of the two I was doing with the DE.

I guess I havent honed in on my perfect DE shaves yet. They still take me up to 25 minutes. Straight shaves take me about the same time depending on if I am doing a 3 pass or 2 pass shave that day. I get good shaves with both though.

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