Sharp Enough Razor?

It's been a while since I used a straight razor. I used the one that has changeable blades and I used Derby razor blades. You know how everyone says "let the razor do the work" when I use the razor I have to give it some force in order to cut the hair. I use Proraso shaving cream and a Badger hair brush, but when I shave the razor doesn't run as smoothly as I see on all these videos on YouTube. It looks so effortless, but when I do it, you can see i'm using some effort. The blades I use are new. Is a regular straight razor sharper than a changeable blade razor?

The first question I would ask is what are you doing before the shave to soften your beard. The best time to shave with any razor is right after a hot shower while the beard remains soft from the hot water. Next are you getting good coverage from your lather and is it thick (not too watery). As to straight razors being sharper then blades, no their about the same but some razors are better for very tough beards. The Le Grelot 1/4 hollow comes to mind and the Filarmonica Barbas Duras. Before you invest in a new razor I think you should investigate why your not getting a good shave from the one your using,and I would try getting the beard softened up before the shave. Oh,one other option is pre shave oils these not only soften the hairs but lubricate the skin(a good lather from a good soap also lubricates the skin and you are using a good soap). I'm sure you'll be getting a lot more advice as you've come to the right place, this is just my $.02.

Those disposables are mighty sharp. If your having issues with a need to add pressure I would say its a user issue. You need to play with the angle, keep it low at way less than 30 degrees to start. Those blades are machine made and coated so they are probably sharper than typical straights but disposables are way less forgiving of bad technique. If your prep is good it just leaves one possibility.

I wet my face with hot water from the sink. I use my hands and apply it to my face. I use a good amount of water.

First of all, a razor that uses changeable DE half-blades is NOT the same thing as a straight razor. It just looks a little like one.

Secondly, Derby blades have a reputation for being none too sharp (with apologies to nun2sharp).

A DE blade has a triple bevel at the edge, a straight only one bevel. Most DE blades are coated on the edge, straights are not. We could go on and on... Surprisingly, many people get great shaves from a straight razor that is not nearly as sharp as a lot of new DE blades. It's just a completely different animal; so I'm afraid you have never used a straight razor at all, really.

Fritz is right on here! There are also other variable as others have pointed out, such as grind and technique. I would suggest buying a Wapi ( for cost) or a Le Grelot 1/4 hollow, and both for their shave ability with tougher beards. I would normally suggest a wedge to a regular straight shaver, but considering you have only used a disposable, I wouldn't reccomend this to you, for honing stroping reasons.

Needless to say I think once you get a pre-honed quality razor such as the ones I have mentioned you will find with little or no pressure the hair will fall right off.

I would suggest a good hot shower though, or at the very least a hot towel for 4 or 5 min, I don't think a little splashing of warm water will be sufficient for a tough beard. Also, it couldn't hurt to apply a little pre-shave oil to your beard after the shower, from my knowledge Poraso has menthol in it, I don't think that will really soften your beard the way a pre-shave oil can.

Then get yourself a sensitive shave cream with extra moisturizers to help lubricate and soften the beard even further. TOBS or such has that type of cream u need and seek.

Straight razor shaving is an art and combination of many traditions and hand made items, good brush,good shave cream/soap, and technique for building lather, and getting your beard prepped.

This is not like shaving as we've learned from Gilette. It requires a lot more prepping and time.

Ok good luck.

Cheers
D

I've noticed that most of the time when I think a razor isn't sharp enough, it's actually my hand letting the razor drift to too high of an angle.

If you are interested in seeing the difference, pm me and I will send you a real razor you can try. Keep it for a week or so, and when you are done with it you can disinfect it and send it back to me.

Ray

Just to add to Fritz's excellent post, Derbys have a rep of being "forgiving". If you were to get hold of a Feather you'd see what a sharp DE blade was. In addition the lack of thickness and body in the DE blade compared to the straight makes quite a difference. I loved shaving with a DE once I learned how to do it correctly with proper preparation.

Once I discovered the wonderful shaves I get from a true straight razor I never again picked up a DE. Take Rayman up on his generous offer and my guess is you'll never look back either.