Thread: Closeness of a Straight Razor and a Safety Razor

How does a straight razor cut closer than a safety razor? They both touch the skin, so how could one cut closer than the other?

With a safety razor the blades are enclosed in a housing which prevents that close a contact plus the angle is fixed and you have these tiny coated blades. With a straight the razor is on the skin and you can change the angle as needed and sharpen it as needed. Your exchanging performance for dumbing down so anyone can use it without having to really learn anything and to minimize the chance of cutting yourself.

I think it helps that since a straight is a single edge, I can go against the grain to get really close if I want. I've tried that with a triple bladed safety razor, and my skin just cannot tolerate that many passes.