Thread: Sharpness of disposable razors vs straights

Hi everyone,

Just received a disposable straight from ebay to learn with while I'm learning to sharpen/hone my solid razor. I had heard that the disposable blades are supposed to be sharper but less durable than a well honed straight. However, testing the blades that came with this razor (gillette 7 o'clock) I found that they do not pass the hanging hair test, and do not pop an arm hair off.

I shaved both sideburns with the blade, and failed to slice myself up. But there is definitely a stubble remaining, after several passes.

Is this normal for disposable blades? Are some brands better than others?

Cheers,
Joel.

Joel,

To answer your first question, yes, disposable edges tend to be sharper than their hand honed counterparts due to manufacturers tricks like machine sharpening, and teflon coating. For instance, a feather blade, that is considered a formidable beast when it comes to sharpness comparison, is first sharpened via machining, and then coated with teflon such that when it does cut the hair, the hair feels no friction as it gets wiped off your face. As for the gillete series, i am unfirmiliar with those blades, however i can attest that with my Dovo blades in my Shavette, that I can get a remarkable shave going with the grain, two passes across the grain, and one softly against the grain. It is likely that if you are new to straights, that the shaves you get from the get-go will be less than satisfactory. This is due to the increased necessity for beard prep in order to soften the whiskers such that a single blade may cut through them easily. I must ask a few questions for you:

What kind of preparation were you using during this shave? A lather formed from a good quality soap or cream? Did you let the lather sit into your beard for a minute or so to soften the whiskers? Did you shower before the shave? All of these things can play an integral part in the morning ritual the members of this forum subscribe to.

As for your other questions regarding the HHT and the arm hair 'pop', i feel that with my shavette, although it does not pass the HHT or the arm pop test, it shaves my arm without effort, and my face just as easily for 3-5 shaves, at which point it begins to tug more than i'd like. I found that the sweet spot is approximately shave 2 or shave 3 for sharpness.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions,

-Jaxx

Some reason I don't trust guys named Joel... not you personally just experience.... but I will step into the ring on this one. lol.

Having started 4 years ago with DE's I can say this, disposables are not sharper imho at all to a properly honed straight razor. However, Feather blades being coated in Teflon make them feel sharper then they are.

I am lucky to have a few straights that are phenomenal shavers, and blow away any disposable straight blade including Feathers. Infact one I shaved with tonight, nearly blew my mind in smoothness, and that takes a lot when it comes to straights.


So in the end other then Feathers and teflon coating, which isnt too impressive to me, I'd say disposables have nothing on the feel of better steel, and history.

Cheers
David

Originally Posted by Sirshavesalot

Some reason I don't trust guys named Joel... not you personally just experience.... but I will step into the ring on this one. lol.



Cheers
David

Is that a Badger and Blade thing??

Crom

The brand I got was "Sniper" which by all accounts is probably cheap and nasty. It came free with a strop (well the seller was offering a $15 solid blade with the strop, but I had my doubts as to the quality of such a cheap solid blade) The blade seems to be sit well and stay in place.

Just completed by second shave and went the full face. No cuts, but again, even the cheeks feel quite rough. My preparation consisted of showering, putting hair conditioner on the face for a few minutes, washing off, then lathering up with shave soap (Col. Conk. - cheapest I could get with half decent reviews) using a paintbrush since my shaving brush has yet to arrive. Left it for 2 minutes, then commenced. The blade seems to chatter over many areas, and doesn't run as smoothly as I had hoped.

Part of the appeal of learning to shave with a straight for me is the satisfaction of being comfortable handling a sharp blade. I'm 2 years away from graduating from Med schooland I'm interested in pursuing surgery. I think that if I can learn the process of wielding a blade with the intention of NOT cutting flesh, I may be able to get the hang of the next stage when the time comes

salazch: love the sig


JESSICA

(inner voice)
Here is why this Fremen has taken service with me, to ask that one question. Delay is as dangerous as the wrong answer. Shadout is Chakobsa... razor, in Chakobsa is... maker of smooth.

(pardon my geekiness)

I learned to shave with a Dovo Shavette disposable straight. I got the razor and 300 Derby blades for about 35 bucks on amazon. One thing I will say is that the sharpness of disposable blades varies by manufacturer, but they are all truly sharp. It takes a bit to learn how to get the proper technique with your particular blade, so I would recommend sticking with one brand of blades until you are getting a clean and close shave consistently. You'll realize how sharp they are about the time you feel like you've got straight shaving down pat...then you'll cut the **** out of yourself. I know that from experience. The disposable blades aren't as forgiving as a real straight. I figure it's from the machine sharpening that others have stated as well as the blade being ultra thin. I usually find that shaves 2-4 are best with the disposable. The first couple it's usually too sharp, and about the fourth shave they are getting kind of dull and ready to be replaced. Use the lightest touch you can with the razor and keep the blade angle very close to your skin. This will minimize your cuts and really get you a good shave. It just take practice. Good Luck!

Disposables are sharpened a little differently than fixed straights, but are designed to give several shaves without sharpening before being disposed. Their bevel is big and their attack angle of cutting is a little different than fixed straights. I don't think it would be convienent to maintain that type of setup (daily) on a fixed straight razor.

I have sharpened my fixed straights to be sharper than disposable straights, but then they cut a little different because of their bevels and angle of attack. One of my razors has a worn out bevel and although I can sharpen it nicely, the shave is rough and unpleasant.

I also have three different types of disposables straight razors. The cheap one shaves just a good as the more expensive one. It just doesn't look as nice.

Pabster

No offense but if your disposables are sharper than your straight razors then your honing technique is at fault. Straight razors have steeper edges and can be finished to an arbitrarily high polish. Edges have been measured to be around 0.35 microns which seems to be the maximum sharpness of steel. Disposable razors also tend to be on the soft side, like 55-58 rc and don't have the strength that some of the straight razors do.

Originally Posted by MelvinOfTheApes

I learned to shave with a Dovo Shavette disposable straight. I got the razor and 300 Derby blades for about 35 bucks on amazon. One thing I will say is that the sharpness of disposable blades varies by manufacturer, but they are all truly sharp. It takes a bit to learn how to get the proper technique with your particular blade, so I would recommend sticking with one brand of blades until you are getting a clean and close shave consistently. You'll realize how sharp they are about the time you feel like you've got straight shaving down pat...then you'll cut the **** out of yourself. I know that from experience. The disposable blades aren't as forgiving as a real straight. I figure it's from the machine sharpening that others have stated as well as the blade being ultra thin. I usually find that shaves 2-4 are best with the disposable. The first couple it's usually too sharp, and about the fourth shave they are getting kind of dull and ready to be replaced. Use the lightest touch you can with the razor and keep the blade angle very close to your skin. This will minimize your cuts and really get you a good shave. It just take practice. Good Luck!

Good to see a fellow Jarhead on the forum... Semper Fi Melvin

- HMM-165 (Lady Ace / White Knights: 1993-1999)

FWIW: I can do just as good a job with my DE (provided the blade is brand new) as I can with my str8, but the DE gives me razor burn on the ATG pass, and the str8 does not.