Shawn's comments pretty much sum up my thoughts, but cost is also an issue. A good straight costs a decent chunk of change. Then you need a strop. Don't forget honing. And if you drop it or aren't careful, then you have to send it off to get the edge restored, unless you can do it yourself, and assuming it is salvageable. If not, buy another one. Now, I agree that much of these costs would average out to less than the total expenses for a safety razor over the same period of time. But it is a large outlay up front.
I'm not arguing that it happened, just wondering how it did? Can't see getting cut that badly unless not paying attention (not focused?) to what you were doing that morning. I know while I'm shaving with my DE I constantly repeat the mantra "NO PRESSURE" to myself. I agree!! I'm gonna go watch "Sweeny Todd" again. (I would probably grow a beard.) - I also feel the same way about going back to cartridges now that I've been using a DE for a while! Oh, btw, my vote is for using a DE not a straight.
Not to belabor the obvious but the fact is that before the safety razor, full beards and sideburns and moustaches covering most of the face were fairly common place for the men of the world. Totally clean shaven men were a fairly uncommon sight. Not a gouge on straight razors but, I'm just saying
jbcohen, why won't you answer my questions? The 40's SS is probably one of the better razors for avoiding cuts and I use mine often with no ill effects. However, if you did something that you could tell us about so that we, especially newbies, could avoid it, that would be most helpful. Posting statements like you did about the cut on your neck with no follow-up isn't very helpful at all.
It's funny actually. I shave with a straight, but I never chose it over a safety razor. I didn't even know safety razor was a real choice when I started using the straight. And once I tried a DE, I knew it would be the easiest and cheapest way to shave, but I was already doing well with the straight at that point. Knowing I never have to buy more blades in order to keep shaving the rest of my life is also a small comfort (when I used cartridges, I hated feeling my blades going dull, but did not want to fight the crowds and prices of the supermarket to go get new blades). But mostly the straight by design allows for more control and variability from the shaver. After a lot of practice, I've discovered I prefer having that over not having it. If I had known how easy the DE is before embarking on the straight razor course, I would never have used a straight. It's too late for me :sad023
I didn't switch to DE for financial reasons, although I dig it now. I did it to do it. I like doing things differently. I am a nostalgia buff. It's a shame they didn't have the internet in the 20's. I use fountain pens. I do it because I have the greatest penmanship around. People love my penmanship, I'm not a snob about it. Writing is relaxing. It is one of my escapes from reality. I write in journals. I don't write stories. I write about what has happened during the day, I write my worries and I write my ideas. I realize now how much cheaper it is because I still have the initial inks I bought a couple of years ago. I would have spent a small fortune on cartridges had I not gone to bottled ink. I was fascinated by straight razors and used one for a couple of months in 1991. Now in January of this year I bought a Merkur 33c and 100 Merkur blades. They aren't the best blades but I do like them. I have since bought a sample pack of blades and I know that I am not skilled enough or my skin is too sensitive to use Feather's blades. I am experimenting with Gillette 7'oClocks right now. I like them. I love the mystique of the DE. I bought a Merkur 1904 because it was my dream razor. I love it and it is my go to razor. I was looking at my 33c and I realized it is also a beautiful yet simplistic design. As a matter of fact I think I am going to rotate my razors out at the next blade change and use the 33c. I realize now that I would have spent a ton of money on cartidges(there's that word again) or had some bad shaves with irritation and pain because I didn't have a cartridge or the money to buy some. I love how my face feels after I shave although I have much work to do to get my neck as nice. I actually discovered DE shaving as a result of looking for information on straight razors. I found this forum and read many of the posts and decided to give it a try. I bought a VDH boar brush and soap to go at it a try with my Gillette Fusion. I liked the shave, so I ordered my Merkur. I read and watched videos. I tried different techniques and then I started to get better at it. I hacked the daylights out of myself to the point that most people would have given up but I was determined to get this down. I am getting to that point. Shaving is now a daily thing that I must do and I enjoy it. I wish I would have discovered this twenty something years ago. That would have been twenty years more of enjoying daily things. When I am stressed out I can go shave and everyone leaves me alone. I can think things through while concentrating on the task at hand. I guess it clears my head some. I wonder what I can do next. I am always up for more knowledge and experience. I need to put on aftershave but I wanted to write this before I lost the train of thought. Thank you and now back to your regularly schedule reading.
I chose DE because I'm too lazy to learn how to use a straight. I've got 3 of them sitting in a drawer. I had a local barber try to get one shave ready, and , well, let's just say there was a lot of pain and blood. Since then, I have had no real desire to learn. Maybe someday.... Aaron
I don't think straight razors were used by many men on a daily basis.They were more often than not used by trained barbers to whip off a week or a month's growth.I'm sure most guys that owned a straight didn't pursue a BBS shave every morning of the week.Thus the safety razor dominated sales when released.
Good point. Shaving every day, except for wealthy businessmen and some city folk, probably wasn't a priority. They did frequent the trained barber more then than later.
I chose a safety because I have been shaving in the shower for over 25 years and didn't want to drop a straight on my foot. I thought about shaving after the shower but it would be hard to switch after so much time.
As gentlemanly as possible I would like to ask you to.....please elaborate on the answer/answers that you are trying to obtain and why. Are you searching for a relevant answer or endless cycle of members true and honest answers and opinions? This is really what you got and all of them were perfectly in line and honest. Maybe an explanation of why the straight is your ultimate shaving nirvana tool or why you choose to get members input without proper feedback from your OP? This is as gentlemanly and professional as I can put this post also. In no way is this post meant to be derogatory/mean/inflammatory in any way at all.
