Thread: Straight razor shave not as close as DE

I actually think a contest between say an open comb Gilllett with a feather blade,or a Hoffritz slant VS an SR,would be interesting.
To say an SR will trump a D.E is a pretty broad assumption.JMO

Yes, I have a slant with a feather and the shave is awesome! Can't get that yet with a straight!

Originally Posted by Bamicus

Yes, I have a slant with a feather and the shave is awesome! Can't get that yet with a straight!

Relax and take your time, it'll come. I shave with a straight most days -for the past decade- and with one of my DE's equipped with a Feather blade when time is short. Personally I think that in terms of smoothness of the shave (ease and speed of the movement) then no, a straight cannot trump a quality DE. But all other things being equal, my straight will give me a closer shave any time. The main issue with straight shaving is that the learning curve is long and certainly in the beginning, brutal. That's why so many people give up after a couple of weeks/months. Just hang in there, make sure your razr's properly honed and stropped, take your time on problem areas such as the chin and you'll get the hang of it.

2 1/2 years with a straight & I get great shaves,,,,but I have yet to beat the shaves that I get with my vintage Gillette, loaded with a Feather.

At least I am not the only one who can still get a better shave with my old short comb Gillette GE and Astra blades than with straights. It is a close race though with the chin being the losing spot for the SR for lack of being able to go ATG there with much success. Still enjoy using a straight more despite that.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

At least I am not the only one who can still get a better shave with my old short comb Gillette GE and Astra blades than with straights. It is a close race though with the chin being the losing spot for the SR for lack of being able to go ATG there with much success. Still enjoy using a straight more despite that.

Bob

you can shave atg with a straight, its just a bit tricky

Originally Posted by shanky887614

you can shave atg with a straight, its just a bit tricky

You misunderstood, I do shave ATG with a straight and have for over a year. The only part of my SR shave that is possibly sub par at times to my DE is going ATG on the chin knob and today was not one of them. The rest of the face is good to go. After over 40 years of shaving with mostly DEs I did not come to SR shaving looking for an improved shave just a challenge and change of pace. Found both and as a bonus enjoy using an SR more.

Bob

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

I actually think a contest between say an open comb Gilllett with a feather blade,or a Hoffritz slant VS an SR,would be interesting.
To say an SR will trump a D.E is a pretty broad assumption.JMO

It has been my experience that shaving with a SR gives a closer shave more comfortably than a DE. I always get ingrown hairs after a close shave with a DE and small cuts where the DE doesn't slide over a bump or scar. I can avoid trouble with a straight because it is so precise! I still would tell people hesitant to use a SR to switch to a DE but for best comfort and longest lasting BBS shave I say SR is still tops!

Geez, I was just reading above and maybe I have to give feathers another try. I swapped out for the personna labs which I really like but you guys are selling me on giving feathers another try.

Will Whisker eat crow? I have before and I probably will again!

Like most everyone who posted I had to be at it for months, maybe a year before I started consistently equaling my DE shaves. Usually with a Merkur slant or vintage Gillette. For sure I prefer straight razor shaving to DE even when, early on, it wasn't as good consistently. There is something about the simplicity of a naked blade mowing down the whiskers instead of a mechanical contraption , no matter how much I may like that contraption. Of course I must say that for me many straight razors are an object of art.

If you think about all of the skills involved in shaving with a straight it is not surprising that it takes time to get really proficient. Stropping, skin stretching, mapping the face to know which direction the strokes will be most effective. Angle of attack, and maintaining blade angle relative to the skin, that angle changing from one place to another as we go under the jawline, around the knob of the chin. Learning advanced strokes like the guillotine and coupe de maitre.

Then there is the razor and how it was honed and maintained. Honing like shaving is an art and craft that takes time and practice to acquire the skill set to become proficient. If the individual has the time and the inclination to devote to it, that annoying burden of shaving becomes a labor of love IME.

Hang in there.. I had the same quest as you, using a DE shave as a barometer.

You'll get there.

Took me about 100 shaves to figure out how to replicate my DE shaves closeness. Now I get a killer BBS and far less irritation.

Most important points I've learned are angle of the blade differs whether you're going WTG, XTG or ATG. Be mindful. Take short strategic strokes rather than long sweepers. And most important is stretching. Used in tandem with the short strokes makes a huge improvement.. So stretch and stroke, move a little, stretch and stroke. And, if a spot is proving hard to get to, stretch to a different place on face and shave it there. For instance, I have one spot on my neck, just below my jawline and in front of my ear. Impossible to get that spot cleared. Plus the whiskers grow scatter-shot. I learned to stretch that spot up onto my cheek/jaw and BAM! it's perfect every time!!

Haven't touched one of my many DE's in ages.