Thread: DE vs. Straight

I've been shaving with a straight for about 3 months and have had a handfull of BBS shaves.

When I shave with my Merkur Futur and a Feather blade I consistently get BBS shaves and less irritation.

Any hints as to how I can get consistency with my straights?

congrats on hitting the 3 month mark.

Part of the charm of straight razor shaving is that is not a short path to the promised land. Light pressure, perfecting the strop and the hone, and blade angle, are the secrets. The DE takes care of 2 of those, no need to strop and the angle is relative set.


Hang in there, do a lot of reading and you will get that shave.

The journey is the joy.


Crom

I also have some shaves after all this time that are not completely BBS. The reason is because of the direction of the grain below my jawline. Sometimes, I attack it from a few angles and get it all and risk a little bit of irritation. Other times I just leave it and stay comfortable. Still other times, I nail it on the first try, with minimal irritation, and it's a beautiful thing.

I've been at it since late March of this year and I still get occasional less-than-perfect shaves, but every perfect one I get makes it worth it, and I think one day soon I'll have it licked.

Here's to the pursuit!

Question:

Originally Posted by BoxerDad

I've been shaving with a straight for about 3 months...
Any hints as to how I can get consistency with my straights?

Answer: 3 more months.


Being about 3 months in now myself, at times I too wish there were a 'quicker' solution to a closer, irritation free straight shave. But, in all honesty, two things will have FAR more impact on the shave you get than any others: time and perseverance.

Reason being, there are far more variables to manually learn - and turn into muscle-memory - with a straight. On a DE the bar/combs, curve of the head, and gap between the blade and bar/combs all automatically handle MANY of the facial variables. Plus, limited-use, mechanically sharpened (e.g. disposable) blades automatically handle/or remove stropping variables.

For some guys all of these straight-shaving variables -- the best angles, pressure, stretch maneuvers, etc. -- are discovered and become consistent, muscle-memory habits quickly. For others it just takes a bit more time and practice.

Originally Posted by BoxerDad

I've been shaving with a straight for about 3 months and have had a handfull of BBS shaves.

When I shave with my Merkur Futur and a Feather blade I consistently get BBS shaves and less irritation.

Any hints as to how I can get consistency with my straights?

I would like to ask you, since you since you use a DE regularly, when you get an equal shave with a straight how does the beard grow back quicker? Does you skin do as well as with a straight?

I have found that with straights everything has to be almost perfect.

1. Your skin can not be to dry and you have to prep well and use really good soaps.
2. Your razor has to be very sharp and polished with no raspy parts to the edge
3. With the sharpness comes the ability to lay the razor down almost to the spine which eliminates almost all the irritation.
4. Time is the most important factor. It took me almost 2 years to get almost perfect shaves every day. Using straights is not easy and takes a lot of technique and understanding how to shave your face.

Take Care,
Richard

Originally Posted by riooso

It took me almost 2 years to get almost perfect shaves every day. Using straights is not easy and takes a lot of technique and understanding how to shave your face.[/LIST]



Take Care,
Richard

Interesting, and during those 2 years you kept shaving just with the straight, or did you have some shaves with a DE ?.

Myself, due tu irritation, haven't been able to keep shaving just with the str8, and keep coming back to the DE, afterwards I feel lazy to start again with the str8.

For the shake of my collection, I've got to become proficient with str8 shaving, but it is taking me a very long time.

thanks

My beard grows back quite quick either way. By the late afternoon I could actually shave again, but do the fact that with the STR8 I seem to get more irritation I don't.

With the DE Futur w/Feather blades I never get irritation. Could shave twice a day with the DE without a problem.

A very nice BBS shave will last me 36 - 48 hours. A DE will last about 18-24 hours.

Since the DE works for you, you know what you should be getting out of straight shave. It will just take a while to build up to it and get real good at it.

Pabster

Its kind of like driving a car with a stick vs auto. The auto pretty much does it all for you and you don't have to think about it and the shifts are pretty smooth. The stick you need to think about and sometimes the shifts might be pretty rough however if you drive with someone who has truly mastered a manual transmission you know you can shift even smoother with the stick and have better control of the car.

A DE is like that Auto Tranny its pretty hard to really mess up a shave while the straight is like the stick. You need to master it and in the end it will be better.

The consistancy you want like the guy with the stick just needs practice.

Originally Posted by isshou

...Interesting, and during those 2 years you kept shaving just with the straight, or did you have some shaves with a DE ?

Wasn't directed toward me, but I'll chime in and say I just put the old razor and electric away. I spent one weekend getting a basic feel (and eliminating the initial trepidation) and after the 2nd weekend, never looked back.

Not that it wasn't without irritation (and scars ) but I figured you learn from doing and I would figure it out.

Necessity is an excellent motivator...