Thread: Finishing with a DE

Originally Posted by sheajohnw

I use one of my DEs to cleanup after each SR shave. I want to get the smoothest longest lasting shave possible since I shave at night and find that I get a smoother longer lasting shave on most of my face by using the SR before the DE rather than the DE alone. The DE allows me to complete my shave as close as possible everywhere on my face.

If I could take almost an hour to shave in the morning before work, the shave that I get from using only the SR would be good enough. I would like my SR shaving, stropping, and honing skills to improve enough some day that I will no longer be able to improve the shave I am getting from my SRs by using a DE for cleanup.

Using the DE for cleanup takes away any concerns about the final quality of the SR shave while learning SR use because the shave end result will always turn out acceptable for work with the backup of the DE.

I can't agree with you more, that is why I use my DE- to get the closest shave possible!

I've gotten to where I can get a pretty darn good shave with just a straight, but there is still that one direction on my neck. If I rub in exactly that one direction I can feel stubble. That's good enough for getting up and going to work most days, but if I've got a date that night, I'll do that one pass on my neck with a DE. (I've been married to the same girl for 28 years and we go out on a date maybe, once a week) Maybe one day I'll figure out some weird combo of stoke and stretch that will allow me to perfect my shave with a straight, but even then I'll keep some DEs and SEs loaded and ready. (Taking a bunch of kids to camp and shaving in a big community shower room is just not a safe place for a straight razor. )

about 95% of the time i use both , i can get closer with my straights WTG then i can with my DE's ( well if i go WTG after a straight i dont see or feel any hair come off ), i started using the DE to "clean-up" around the goatee but now i just use it for ATG as i can be lazy and dont wanna spend the time with the straight ..lol.. not to mention i really enjoy using a DE ...

Everybody is different. I use straights only but shaved 2 days I a row with a de. Good shave but I always got that itchy neck a half hour later. Shaved with the straight today. BBS always lasts longer. And no irritation with the straight. I can get a 2 pass bbs with a little touch up on the chin. Never could get bbs with a de without doing 3 passes and buffing.

I don't mix the two; I shave with a DE 3 to 4 times a week, then a straight the rest of the time. When I decide on the straight, it is when I'm in no hurry & can take all the time I want. Night time shaves mostly whith the straights.