Guys, after a year and a half of shaving with DE and SE razors, I have purchased my first straight razor and expect to receive it (and a strop) this week. I read Christopher Moss' short book on straight razor shaving this weekend, a lot of old threads here, and have watched a whole bunch of videos. Just wondering, for those of you who started with a DE and then took up a straight, what tips and best practices would you pass on? (I'm not giving up on my DEs and SEs, but am going to try to focus on the SR for a while to try to climb the learning curve.)
For me it was a gradual transition from DE to SRs. I started with one SR pass and finish the rest with the DE razor. Eventually I was confident and capable to do multiple passes and only use the DE for clean up spots. After several weeks of daily SR shaves, I reached the point where the DE wasn't necessary anymore.
I just tried my first full SR shave this weekend. I did 2 passes WTG, no way I was going to attempt an XTG pass! Only had 1 very minor nick, barely even bled! I practiced (sort of) by first dialing my adjustable up as higher and higher until I was comfortable as high as it would go. Take your time, just like with DE it'll get better with practice.
It's all about angles.....For me the WTG pass was easy except for a couple proplem areas like my bottom lip area...so I suggest...If as you are shaving you notice an area where you don't feel comfortable, then leave that for a clean up pass with the DE... Don't be in a rush....The WTG pass on your cheeks, and most areas will probably be easy...Then just finish your shave with your DE....Do this for weeks...eventually it will be a breeze.....I was amazed at how easy the transition was.... I do think using right hand hold for right cheek and left hand hold for left cheek made everything easier than I expected...actually my left hand hold areas turned out to be some of my best...Don't be afraid to try this...I wasn't going to try it but a youtube video convinced me...and it worked....
I broke the rules and made three complete passes my very first str8 shave. Sure, a weeper or two, but nothing serious. Take your time, pay attention, you'll get it. And if you can't use both hands, don't sweat it. I keep the str8 in my right hand for the entire shave, still get darn good results.
Chuck Thank you for posting this. Where can I get that book. My Uncle Ralph taught me or tried to teach me to use one years ago. I have his old Straight Edge razors, but they need to be repaired or honed among other things.
Patrick, here is the ebook I mentioned: The Art of the Straight Razor Shave. That is a direct link to the PDF download, it is free.
First piece of advice would probably be to 'forget' everything about the DE, and just 'think' straight (e.g. stretch skin rather than don't stretch skin, no J-hook maneuvers, no 'buffing', etc.) Straights really aren't difficult to use and don't take very long to get accustomed to if you just keep in mind you have a simple old knife edge in your hand. Man has been shaving with simple straight edges for thousands of years whereas safety razors have only been around for the past 120 or so...
I've been shaving with SRs and shavettes for over 35 years. You'll find there is a huge learning curve to using SRs. They only work well when they are stropped, honed and taken care of religiously. Your strop also requires care and feeding. Don't expect a really good shave for quite a while. Stropping is an art that takes a good deal of time and practice to master. I actually prefer my shavettes over the SRs. You get the same quality (or maybe even a little better) shave with them, without the hassle of stropping, maintenance, etc... I highly recommend the Parker shavette. I've been using mine for over a decade, with Feather blades, and it is the best shave ever. Pro-Quality evertime. I still use my Dovo and Genco SRs sometimes, but mostly just for nostalgic purposes. They belonged to my grandfather and are over 100 years old.
