Back to the Mach 3....

I've been 'off the grid' for nearly a year now and the SWMBO and I were doing some spring cleaning this week and low-and-behond I came across a new disposable Mach 3 razor....so tonight I said, what the heck.

Now a year ago, I would have shaved in the shower since I was growing tired to buying canned foams so I usually just jumped into a hot shower for a few minutes and went to work and never really had a problem.

Today, I figured that the shave would be even better considering I was lathering up with a premium soap and brush. And so it started. After two passes, I checked my results and found them unsatisfactory. Did a third pass and found it unsatisfactory...fourth and fifth passes only added irritation so I cleaned up and applied my aftershave. Thirty minutes later, the faceturbation began, but I have....STUBBLE :rant:

So here I sit, ten months of straight shaving. I went cold turkey and threw my other razor away and went full-bore. For those struggling to get your technique down or fighting to get a reasonable shave during your first couple months. First, go cold-turkey and rely only on your straight and it will accelerate your learning curve. Secondly, straight shaving is by far the best and cleanest shave you will ever get in this lifetime...

Hello, red96ta:

A story well told. Thank you, sir.

Regards,
Obie

Sometimes you do not realize your progress until you look back. Your straight razor shaving technique must be getting pretty good. I still have some trouble with the under the nose area,especially with a 6/8, also the 90 degree angle of the chin area too. Thanks for sharing that.

I had the same experience a few weeks ago. We recently went to the Corpus Christi area and tent camped on the beach. I took a stainless straight, but also took a couple of the same razors you did. Same results. Thank goodness I took a "real" razor with me too...

Great post...thanks for sharing Red :)

I know how that feels. I shave the back of my neck (once in awhile) to get rid of some of that extra growth and I use a Gillette Fusion 3...I was too lazy to break out my DE and I won't dare do it with my str8 (angle of view is too strange).

I did it today and my neck is irritated :rant:...The DE is definitely coming out next time for this.

Thats the good ol' Mock 3 for you. If I can't shave with a straight, for whatever reason, I'll go to my DE's. But I pretty much draw the line there.

From there the next best alternative to a DE is no shave at all.

Can some one give me a list of all these ABBREVIATIONS the only one i know is WTF and LOL thanks what the hell is SWMBO

SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed

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Originally Posted by nessmuck

Can some one give me a list of all these ABBREVIATIONS the only one i know is WTF and LOL thanks what the hell is SWMBO

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Here's a whole bunch more:
Acronyms and Abbreviations - Straight Razor Place Wiki

:)

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Originally Posted by Muguser

Sometimes you do not realize your progress until you look back. Your straight razor shaving technique must be getting pretty good. I still have some trouble with the under the nose area,especially with a 6/8, also the 90 degree angle of the chin area too. Thanks for sharing that.

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I have the same issue with the chin, but for under the nose I make a scooping gesture with the blade. So lay the blade flat against the underside of your nose then turn the blade up as you reach your upper lip in the motion of scooping the hairs with the razor. There is a video on youtube I saw it on and for the life of me I can't find it right now. Maybe one of the other guys will have better luck.

_Will

Your story couldn't have said it any better. I think anyone who made the switch to a straight has a similar story. Going from a straight back a mach3, is like going from a Rolls-Royce to a pinto, no comparison.

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Originally Posted by BladeRunner001

Great post...thanks for sharing Red :)

I know how that feels. I shave the back of my neck (once in awhile) to get rid of some of that extra growth and I use a Gillette Fusion 3...I was too lazy to break out my DE and I won't dare do it with my str8 (angle of view is too strange).

I did it today and my neck is irritated :rant:...The DE is definitely coming out next time for this.

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I'm a recent convert, and had been worried about getting my neck for some time. Finally it just got too fuzzy to stand, and I asked on the forums about it. Some people use a mirror, others don't, but most said it wasn't as hard as I was imagining it.

So I dove in and did a neck shave and it really was a lot easier than I thought. The skin on the back of the neck is tougher, so its less easily irritated. It is also quite flat and easy to stretch out just by tilting the head forward. The angle is easier to keep than you think, and a light touch isn't a problem at all.

So I'd advise giving it a shot. You may surprise yourself.

I'm like Ryan...I stopped using a multi-blade razor nearly a year ago. If I can't shave with my straight razor, I'll go to my trusty Merkur DE.

Hey Mark,

Hmmm. In fact, this is probably impetus for me to do just that next time :)


stay tuned

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Originally Posted by markevens

I'm a recent convert, and had been worried about getting my neck for some time. Finally it just got too fuzzy to stand, and I asked on the forums about it. Some people use a mirror, others don't, but most said it wasn't as hard as I was imagining it.

So I dove in and did a neck shave and it really was a lot easier than I thought. The skin on the back of the neck is tougher, so its less easily irritated. It is also quite flat and easy to stretch out just by tilting the head forward. The angle is easier to keep than you think, and a light touch isn't a problem at all.

So I'd advise giving it a shot. You may surprise yourself.

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Well I guess I'll never try that :) on year 4 and can't see ever going back :)

As far as DE's... those buggers still give me the wiggins... I have a few (got from "lot buys") and haven't gotten around to getting rid of them..

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Originally Posted by commiecat

Here's a whole bunch more:
Acronyms and Abbreviations - Straight Razor Place Wiki

:)

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Good Grief! (GG) :dropjaw:


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Funny this story came up. Two days ago, in response to a ~week's worth of skin irritation, I went back to a 5-6 (or whatever they're up to these days) blade razor just to see if there was any difference on the skin. Turns out there was no effect, but to be honest, I was impressed how [blasphemy] high tech that thing felt. Ultra-smooth. The straight definately gives a better (1.5 day) shave and has the aesthetic/retro properties that I like, but I have to say that the engineers that designed these high-tech jobbies do get the smooth factor....[/blasphemy]. Experiment over.

BTW - I just have sensitive skin, no matter what I shave with...

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Originally Posted by red96ta

...rely only on your straight and it will accelerate your learning curve. Secondly, straight shaving is by far the best and cleanest shave you will ever get in this lifetime...

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Thank you Yoda! :roflmao Seriously though, you´re 100 percent right. I head shave aswell and I try to shave the face _every_ day and it gives results. Thanks to my head shaves I some days shave twice :)

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Originally Posted by red96ta

First, go cold-turkey and rely only on your straight and it will accelerate your learning curve. Secondly, straight shaving is by far the best and cleanest shave you will ever get in this lifetime...

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And that's the bottom line.

The learning curve is steep, but once you're up there you'll see a whole new world...

Done some personal research keeping shave conditions constant ie soap, routine, pressure etc.
A summary of my findings

Cartridge: crap, not at all close unless extra pressure used which equals irritation.
DE/Shavette: Close shave, harsh edge, cuts take longest to heal.
Straight properly honed and whett: Close and most comfortable.

Well it appears all the statements made on these forums about these methods is about right IMHO. YMMV.

I, too, went cold turkey about 3 weeks ago, and the shaves just keep getting better. I think I made a lot of progress quickly. Very close to BBS the last 2 days on 2 passes each (WTG and XTG on the cheeks, chin and jaw; WTG and ATG on the neck). The only exception is when I have to fly somewhere on business. I'm not too keen on putting my straights in the hands of the airline baggage system, and something tells me the security folks might be a wee bit miffed with me if I tried to take 'em in my carry-on, so it looks like I'll have to still use the twin-balde for those trips. But that way I'll have my straights to look forward to when I get back home!