I am wondering how many dedicated str8 users began with a DE razor, then wandered into the str8 realm? Also, now that you are an avid str8 shaver, do you ever dabble in the DE shaving and why? Is the str8 shave, in your opinion a closer and more comfortable shave? Is it because of possibly being more economic, i.e. not having to spend money for replacement blades? Or is it just a simpler (once you have perfected the technique) way to shave? Does it give a higher level of nirvana while shaving, just using a very sharp piece of honed steel to accomplish a single goal? What's your story? I have used a st8 several times including beginning with a shavette and was very pleased with the process, mostly with a sense of accomplishment. The biggest reason I stopped and went back to a DE was the simple fact of not being able to hone even a pocket knife, much less a fine piece of steel to shave with. I will eventually try again, but am curious about others input.
Fusion/Norelco/Like items = cars, trucks, normal ground based transportation DE/SE = Cessna single engine puddle jumpers maybe a Piper Cub Str8s = Fighter Jets As with each of the above, there is a bit of skill to forgiveness ratio involved. Let go of the steering wheel in a car and you crash but you got a much better chance of getting out ok. Come falling out of the sky in a Cessna because you failed to pay attention and hit a tree or building, you could mess yourself up really good. Hit something during a high speed maneuver in a fighter plane and you are dust. Maybe not great analogies, and I am taking nothing away from either method by their analogy, but you can kinda get the gist. Although I'm not a devoted str8 shaver, I would be if I had the time. I don't look at it as an economy thing since it is not that way for me nor is it easier, but it is a much more gratifying shave having mastered the steel. At least for me it is I haven't honed anything yet even, but the time is soon approaching and I will; it is a skill that can be learned with practice.
I started here with the DE. Something about the straights just pulled me into them, but I cannot quite place it. Perhaps I feel a bit more macho when using the straight. I still use DE, SE, and Injectors. I may go a week with nothing but straights, but then hit a wall like I did yesterday and ended up with a hybrid shave. I can't hone. I should learn I suppose. I have a Swaty that I can use to some degree to perk up a razor, but the Dubl Duck I have is beyond the Swaty. Yet at the same time, I have read that people used nothing but a Swaty forever. I guess it is just a matter of learning how to use the tool properly. Most likely, I will be one of those shavers that send my razor out for honing. There is no shame in doing so as far as I am concerned. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there used to be street vendors that went around the neighborhood sharpening stuff. If those people were around my area right now, I surely would have some money to give them.
Gillette Trac II at 16 tried a electric at about 18-21 then grew a beard at 22 and was introduced to a Straight Razor by my Barber at that time (1982), I used a straight razor exclusively for the next 20 years until I finally dropped my second blade back in 2002 I was without a SR until 2006 when I decided I could not take the pain of a Disposable any longer and looked into Straights again and found all these Forums
Cartridge Du Jour age 14-48 DE/SE for 6 mos Now DE/SE during week, Str8's weekends. I'm still getting smoother shaves with the DE/SE's but my STR8 shaving is improving rapidly. I have a Belgian Coticle which I have not put the necessary time into mastering-I think I've had a few decent touch up sessions but still prefer the guy from the post above me (Mr. Sixgun) and send him my razors to hone-he does a great job, better than I'll ever be able to do. He has 4 of my razors at the moment-hey Glen would you try first Wolfius or the Wade and Butcher Chopper? I'm dying to try both of them. You seemed more excited by the Wolfius, but something about Choppers.....
Norelco from age 16-19. Hated it. Gillette Sensor from 19-34. Loved it, until Gillette carts for it seemed to drop in quality. Mach 3 from 34-38. Hated it. FUsion from 38-39. Cart is too wide for top lip. Carts cost too much and only give me 3 good shaves. Got my worst irritation and cuts from Mach 3 and FUsion. Knew there had to be a better way. Found out that DE blades/razors are still being made. Bought a few DEs and blades and started using them. Caught RAD. Bought SEs and Injectors. Got a free 1984 Atra with a lot of DE/SE/Injectors I bought. Bought 40 ASR Atra carts on clearance at Rite Aid. Bought an old German str8 about 3 years ago. I collect knives and liked the look of the str8. Tried str8 shaving last weekend. Liked it. Ordered a Dovo 6/8 from SRD. Won a Gustav Felix on da bay. Won a V. Brazda Praha for 9.99 on da bay yesterday, along with a lot of 4 old str8s and a hone. The Gustav Felix arrived Friday. The Dovo came in yesterday. Shaved with the Dovo last night. Got an uber-BBS shave at the expense of some cuts/nicks. Not complaining since it is only my 3rd str8 shave. My technique is to blame. Not the razor. It's scary sharp. I'll never give up my safety razors. I'll be a weekend str8 shaver. I love it, but I can't get in a hurry with it. I can get a quick working shave with my Merkur slant. The str8s are more for when I want to slow down and really enjoy my shave. Also bought the needed hones. I'll practice honing on some Chicom Master str8s. Great for patch knives, not so great for shaving. My Dovo will be honed by SRD when it needs it again, since they were kind enough to send a coupon for a free hone. Good folks to deal with. Not sure who'll hone my other str8s. Probably gssixgun. I'll have 7 to get honed, once the 5 arrive from da bay. I ordered 7 F Herder str8 blade blanks that will have to be sanded/polished/honed. I'm planning on making scales for them. Don't know if I'll sell any of them or keep them all. I'll probably get gssixgun to hone them, too. He's highly respected. If they come out well enough, I may sell some of them. I ordered 4 of the round point, and 3 of the square point. Should have ordered 8 of each. That way, I can make a 7 day set of each, with one spare each to sell. My interest in str8s is similar to my interest in old knives, cars, and black powder guns. I like the old stuff.
Used DE when I started, moved to electric, then to Trac II, then to str8s. Electrics never gave a good long lasting shave, found DE to be unsatisfying, and the Trac II just expensive. The str8 has been a longer lasting shave, the most satisfying in terms of shave quality, and not as expensive as I initially thought. I do find that there are many areas to explore in str8 shaving that these forums have opened my eyes to. I found that once you've acquired the skills necessary to accomplish not only the shave, but honing and sharpening, doing these ordinary everyday tasks become routine. Shaving with a str8 gives me the best shave, a small amount of skill is needed, but is something that you can find very satisfying at the end of the day when the wife notices you're still fit to go out with.
After half a lifetime of shaving with a disposable and a can of goop when it couldn't be avoided I realized that, having reached the age of forty, I needed to shave daily in order not to look like a bum. I dug out the old Wilkinson brush my father taught me to use, bought a puck of William's and an old straight which I had no idea how to use or take care of. I actually got a couple of shaves out of it before I broke it on a ceramic rod I got at IKEA. After that I bought a Fromm Hairshaper shavette, and used it quite happily for a couple of years. Then one Sunday afternoon at the St Lawrence antique market, I found a couple of straights for $10 each and took them to my barber. He sharpened them for me, and showed me how to use a strop. I became a bone deep straight razor purist and for a couple of years I had a lot of fun acquiring stones, strops and razors and learning to use them I first got the notion of using a DE from B&B; it had quite simply never occured to me before. Now I use one about half the time and find the only real difference is that the straight shave lasts longer. I enjoy the process of straight shaving more, but that's purely personal and subjective. What I've learned on the forums is that what's really important for a good shave is good prep and good lather. With a decent brush, good soap and a basin of hot water you can get a good shave out of almost anything from a cartridge to a 7/8ths wedge. The important thing really is the fun you get out of it - life is too short to miss any civilized pleasure and a good shave is one of the greatest pleasures a person can have. Best Regards goshawk
Thank you Gents, for sharing your experiences. I'm getting an overall understanding that a Str8 shave is more pleasurable with longer lasting results. Economics doesn't seem to have much of a bearing in the decisions to go to a Str8. It seems to me that using a Str8 makes one more in touch with the process, more so than with other types of shaving, even though all types have a certain knowledge and skill level. Electric and Mach3 and higher blade count shaves seem a bit more "fool proof" as far as the chore of shaving, compared to a higher skill level and technique for a DE and Str8 razor shave. And the DE and Str8 are more of an enjoyment than a chore. Are the Str8 razors like the DE razors as far as each type or brand of razors having a personality of their own? I think the DE is a bit more involved in regards to each type of razor and blade combo. I believe I saw another thread about an aggressive razor working better with a more aggressive blade and not so well with a more forgiving blade. Str8's are basically simpler than DE's?
I wouldn't call straight razors simpler. There are differences in steel from one maker to another. One razor might hold its edge longer while another might give a smoother shave. Also, the best way to hone one razor might not work well with another razor.
I'm getting a DFS from straights. I still have a hard time getting BBS though. I Love honing and stropping. I'm sure I'll eventually get there though. Str8's are independence, an art to master. Taking an edge and making it razor sharp, that's the bomb. I still use d/e when I want BBS, but the self reliant str8 edge is King.
If anything there are more differences in straights, and more ways to attain them.... Keep in mind a shave is just a shave... _BUT_ Straight Razor enthusiasts tend to take things a bit more to the extreme more eclectic side of things... In general "just a shave" is not good enough, we strive for either the closest or the most comfortable shave or even both.. So we want to match the razors, and the honing, and the stropping, to our Hollywood faces... Yes we probably are certifiable
Okay, I'm beginning to understand this realm a bit better. Another question, and I know this could be considered generic or a YMMV query, but on average, how many passes does it usually take to get a BBS or close to that? With a DE, I can only get close to or at best achieve a BBS shave doing at LEAST 3 passes, most times 4. But, being how I truly enjoy my shaves, 4 passes is NOT a problem, even though I stop at that so as not to cause any accidental blood letting. Like Kenny Rogers says, "You gotta know when to fold em".
Damn Rooty, Fresh and Frooty! This is a great way to characterize the difference between one straight shave and another. Thank You!
Started as most with the DE's. But for nearly the past month I've been using a srt8 daily.At least 6 days out of 7. And every day it's generally been a different razor as I've assembled a bit of a collection. Each one shaves differently. Some are magical. Some,, well maybe they need more work. Like DEs they aren't all created equal. I can get an amazing shave in three passes. In the beginning it took some time to get the feel of them. Now , I can complete a shave in about the same time as my DE shaves took. Or just a tad longer. But the shave is so much closer. I almost don't have to shave the next day. A DE,, I'd have a 5 o'clock shadow. Now my shadow shows up the next day. But now when I have used a DE,, it seems ridiculously easy. Almost boring. I enjoy the challenge of the str8's. Something about them and the process seems so elemental. Just you and a blade. Takes some skill sets , motor and muscle memory. And I'm working and getting pretty good at using both strong and weak hands to shave with. You have to be focused and aware of many things at once. I like that. I also like the process of honing, stropping etc. that puts me in a different connection with the razor. I am controlling or at least having a direct impact on my shaving experience. It's been expanded to include so much more than just popping in a blade. I make my brushes, I break down the razors, polish them , make new scales, hone them strop them and then get to use them. All these are an extension now of myself. Besides learning the quirks of each of my blades. I'm stunned at the differences between them. You'd think a sharp edge is a sharp edge. It's not. I make a living with sharp tools and this is a natural extension for me. I love it. And they're right. I tend to think that prep is paramount with a str8. DEs you can get away with a lot. Not so with a srt8 in my opinion. The quality and consistency of the lather, it's ability to lubricate your skin etc. goes a long way with these shaves. No pun intended, but some soaps just don't seem to cut it.
My first razor was a Gillette DE that my Dad gave to me in the sixties. After that, Tract II's and so on until 1973 when I bought my first straight after getting a shave from a Barber. The biggest problem for me over the years was not believing I had the time to shave and thus it was a daily chore. Since learning to hone my razors and using one every day, I have found that the ritual involved in the art has made shaving something pleasurable that I really look forward to every day. It is my time for me and I love it. As far as BBS, It is normally two passes and a clean up of two problem areas which are the hollows between the jaw and chin on the jawline. Have fun, Lynn
Lynn, Yeah, how about it. Why is it always the jaw and chin? That's my "third pass" just to clean up areas. And the end of the jawbone right next to your earlobe. So many tricky curves. I too was given a Gillette 1908 from my Dad that he used for as long as I can remember. Turns out it was his Dad's as well. I like the lineage. It's missing the ball end and has the typical split in the tube. Probably why the end got lost. But I can't bring myself to restore it to new which would be easy enough to do. Thanks, Mark
