Thread: Straight razor shave not as close as DE

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.