Thread: 'Comfortable' shave?

Hi All,
I recently realized there may be more differences between a DE and straight than I thought. No, it's not the closeness of the shave I'm talking about, but rather how comfortable using a straight should normally be.
I'd be curious to hear from experienced members about what goes on when they run that blade over their faces. Is there any sorta pulling? Any sort of unpleasant or distracting resistance felt when whisker whacking? Is there some blade chatter to overcome at times going over especially rough patches? Please keep in mind I've never had a straight shave, but instead am a stinkin DE user.
I guess what I'm asking is.......do you sometimes wish you felt the blade less? Or, do you not feel it cutting at all? Would you like less feedback when shaving, such as with handle or blade vibration? Or, does the straight somehow dampen those effects (if any).
Would you change something basic if you could, or is the straight your perfect razor in every way?
Reason I ask, I know what kind of comfortable shaves I get with a DE, and would be interested in the 'darker side' of straight shaving (if any).
Thanks in advance for any response,
Martin

Oh.......this is figuring on using the right prep, lather, correctly sharpened blade, and excellent technique of course. Plus, the questions refer to ATG passes as well as the others.

I recently experienced what I think straight razor shaving is all about. I went through the routine of prepping my blade and began a normal shave. The lather was good and after several strokes without pull, sound, or scrape, I thought something was wrong with my blade; HOWEVER, The lather by then was chocked full of whiskers! My skin was slick in the razor's path. I had finally achieved the best blade shave from that old razor that I had ebayed. It was an ornery thing to master. Now it is my pet shaver. I was a DE, injector, and finally a Mach Man. Mess with straight razors: In addition to shaving they are the greatest thing for eye/hand coordination. I was an electrical maintenace HVAC tech. We sometimes had to change parts while machinery was energized. One slip of the hand doing that and something bad happened! Using a straight razor is the next best thing for that kind of adventure. Not only eye/hand skill, but absolute attention to task is the rule. No thinking about anyting but cutting what you want to cut. Nothing more. Nothing less. Give it a try and do not give up until you get that no-feel shave. I am having a very good time doing and talking about this.

Darker side of straight shaving? There isn't any. If you don't like the noise a razor makes then you need to switch from full hollow grinds which make noise in spades to part hollows or wedges which are virtually silent.

A properly honed razor no matter the size, grind or your beard type should never pull or irritate or be unpleasant in the least. If it does you either have to touch up your blade or your shave technique. As far as vibration in the scales I have never experienced that with any razor and I have about 100.

I prefer my heavier blades to the full hollow blades. The quarter hollow to full wedge just seem to give me a smoother shave that I enjoy much more. I have a number of full hollow blades but do not enjoy them nearly as much. All of my blades shave equally well; it is just a matter of preference for the feel of the blade. I do find that I get a bit closer with my 1/4 hollow blades than I do with my DE blades. This is not a matter of sharpness since I use feather blades in my slant DE razors.

One can't directly compare the shaves from a DE to a straight, they truly are
different in too many ways.

Many here find that the stiff blade of a straight cuts the hairs close to the
skin, but not below the surface as to cause in-grown hairs and irritation. A
straight shave seems to last longer throughout the day, and stubble grows
back a bit less prickly.

On the other hand, modern DEs are coated with different materials such
as PTFE (Teflon) or platinum to make the shave as smooth feeling as poss-
ible. DEs are quite simple to pick up and learn, while the straight continually
rewards you with your ever-improving technique over time.

I encourage you to try it out and see for yourself, just remember to learn
as much as possible and have a lot of patience

- Scott

Hi All,
First, I want to thank the members who responded to my questions. Hehe, for a little while there (from the time any other posts were made), I thought maybe this was an 'uncomfortable' subject. Unfortunately, I have no reference point for what a good straight shave should feel like, and imagination can only go so far. Yeah, I was hoping the straight shaving experience would be different from my barber shaving my neck and sideburns with the shavette, along with the Lather King stuff and no prep. Yeah.....not all that great.
So, I much appreciate the feedback from experienced members, and you've actually reassured me a good bit. If the shave wasn't as comfortable as my DE provides me, I was gonna have a harder time justifying the possible switch to straights. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case, so thank y'all for the insight. This was exactly what I was looking for when posting the thread.
Nice of you guys to take the time here,
Martin

A newbie perspective here. For me there are several items to consider in comfort of shave:

1. Using dominant hand versus non-dominant hand
2. Pressure and angle
3. Sharp blade and shave prep

For me my trouble spots are on the neck left and right of the adams apple, hair grows almost side ways. Trying to many passes to get BBS provide irritation until my technique is better. Another area that I sometimes experience pulling with is ATG on upper lip. I am sure that this is a technique issue that I need to practice.

Max

Originally Posted by Adventurer627

A newbie perspective here. For me there are several items to consider in comfort of shave:

1. Using dominant hand versus non-dominant hand
2. Pressure and angle
3. Sharp blade and shave prep

For me my trouble spots are on the neck left and right of the adams apple, hair grows almost side ways. Trying to many passes to get BBS provide irritation until my technique is better. Another area that I sometimes experience pulling with is ATG on upper lip. I am sure that this is a technique issue that I need to practice.

Max

Hi there Max,
Thanks for mentioning some things I'll need to perfect when and if I switch to a straight. I'm sure it's gonna take many months to reach the point I'm at now with my DE as far as comfort goes.........sigh. Hehe, I hate having to just blow all that off, and learn something new. That's why I asked the earlier questions about how the perfect straight shave should feel. I did get some reassuring answers from a number of experienced members. I just wanted to make sure the time I'd be investing would offer the return I wanted.
You know, my neck has a crop circle like pattern in spots, and I know just what you mean about those trouble areas. I'm able to use a technique (J hook) with my DE to help with the 'mopping up' there, but don't know if that would work well with a straight. I'm glad to hear you think that pulling above your lip is due mostly to technique and not something that happens even when things are all lined up perfectly. After reading how the blade feels on some members faces, it turns out there's no pulling or anything like that as it cuts. That kinda......no, DID surprise me. Hehe, it seems like the AGT upper lip thing would be tricky though..........whew.
I'm just trying to get a better handle on this other type of shaving, and I appreciate the input. I believe my first impression, which wasn't based on a reference point, was off a bit.........to my relief.
Thanks for the thoughts,
Martin

You have to remember WHY safety razors were created in the first place. Straight razors do indeed require skill to use. Some men had it, others relied on a professional barber to get a clean shave. Having learned to use the Str8 over 20 years ago and then taking a hiatus-the return was easy. The skills came back quickly,like riding a bicycle I guess.

Patience is something that I never had. As I have gotten older, I've learned that things worth doing are worth doing well. Reading posts 24 hours a day can give you a knowledge base,but nothing can substitute time spent putting the steel to your face.

As far as looking to immediately get the comfort you do from a DE or Fusion etc.-its simply not realistic.But IF you take the time, as you learn to handle the razor well you'll experience some pleasant surprises-especially when everything comes together and the razor is cutting effortlessly-you rinse your face and realize you have faced down the danger!

It is what it is.Instant gratification and Str8 razors aren't mentioned in the same sentence. Just give it a chance. Effort is rewarded with a "comfortable shave".IMO, there is no DARKER side. Granted, any razor can give you a nick from time to time. Str8's require 100% attention. If you are a person that is always late,impatient,and can't stop daydreaming-that's a different story. Its not the RAZOR'S dark side though.

Originally Posted by Lt.Arclight

As far as looking to immediately get the comfort you do from a DE or Fusion etc.-its simply not realistic.But IF you take the time, as you learn to handle the razor well you'll experience some pleasant surprises-especially when everything comes together and the razor is cutting effortlessly-you rinse your face and realize you have faced down the danger!

It is what it is.Instant gratification and Str8 razors aren't mentioned in the same sentence. Just give it a chance. Effort is rewarded with a "comfortable shave".IMO, there is no DARKER side. Granted, any razor can give you a nick from time to time. Str8's require 100% attention. If you are a person that is always late,impatient,and can't stop daydreaming-that's a different story. Its not the RAZOR'S dark side though.

Hi there,
Through trial and error, I've learned how to get an excellent DE shave, and I know the learning curve for a straight is much steeper. Yeah, I'm willing to pay my dues once again if I have to, but I still can't see the 'why' of using a straight. To me, the effort and commitment needed is just not there. We all progress as our comfort level dictates.
Thanks again for reassuring me about how the razor feels when everything's right.......that's something i"d been concerned about before yours and other member's responses. I mainly wanted to know that the comfort of using a straight would equal the DE I'm using now. Yeah, sounds like the payoff is worth it.
Thanks for the thoughts,
Martin