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Thread: Shave Advice

  1. #1
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    Default Shave Advice

    I switched to using a straight about 4 months ago and have been loving it. I used to get a skin condition (like a rash) when I shaved with the multiblade disposables but it has been gone since I started using straights. I recently bought a DE to use when I'm in a rush and used it today. Wow, so much better than my straights, not sure why but it just cut right through my 5 day beard while my Dovo didn't handle it as well. I have gotten some good shaves from the straights but was very impressed by the DE (Merkel Platinum blade in it). Can I ever get my straights to give that good of a shave? I plan to break out the waterstones this weekend and do a honing but even when it was new I got more tug and pull while shaving. Any advice would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Nic by name not by nature Jeltz's Avatar
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    It may well be blade angle, even over a year into straight shaving I'm refining the angles. Certainly it pulled really badly when I started and the angles were way off. Also stropping improved dramatically for me about months 4-6.

    I can get as good a shave on most of my face with a straight but there is and awkward bit on my neck that I can't do an ATG pass with a straight (the blade just won't fit) so that bit isn't as good. What I do find is that I get no irritation and its fun!
    Regards
    Nic

  3. #3
    The Hurdy Gurdy Man thebigspendur's Avatar
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    It's because of your technique with a straight. A straight should shave every bit as good as a DE and actually better. The DE makes the process easier but in return the shave is really not as close as with straight.
    No matter how many men you kill you can't kill your successor-Emperor Nero

  4. #4
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    A few hours after shaving I do notice that the DE is not as close as the straight, but it sure was alot easier. The only area I have trouble with the straight is my chin and around my nose/mouth but I do a little better with each shave. haven't honed my Dovo since I bought it from SRD in August so it's probably due. I'll stick with the straight because it does cause less irritation and go to the DE if I'm in a rush. I'm going to start working on a few restorations tomorrow, a half ground and a wedge my wife's grandfather gave me in Romania this summer and maybe I can start working those into my rotation soon. Thanks for the tips.

  5. #5
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    Another update, I honed my razors this weekend and the shave is great again. Better than with the DE, I guess more time had passed between honings than I had realized.
    Havachat45 likes this.

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