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Safety razor vs straight razor

So I became bummed when I tracked the shipment of my first wet shave kit and saw that it was delayed! [emoji17] . Soooooo what did I do? What any self respecting gentleman would do....I went down to the local barber and got a straight razor shave![emoji3] .

As I laid back in the chair and watched the man work a super sharp razor across my face, I wondered...is it easier to straight razor than safety razor? I was curious if any of you fine gentleman had an opinion. Have you tried both? Why did you choose safety razor over straight razor? Is straight razor for the more experienced? Or the beginner? So many questions! Lol. Thanks for all the warm welcomes and help choosing my first kit too.
 
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i do both. Mostly use the straight for linework. Takes more skill to use a straight and more maintenance unless your using a shavette. DE razors are called saftey razors for a reason. lol

Gave my buddy a shape up last week n he decided he wanted to lineup his beard himself. Grabbed a a straight n proceded. With the blade near his throat he turned his head to the side to talk to his girl. Didnt even realize he sliced himself. I saw n put a clean towel on it immedietly. He had no idea what happened til he saw the blood. XD
 
I've tried both, and use both. I wouldn't say one is necessarily harder than the other but the techniques are very different. The learning curve on a straight is a lot steeper, and there's opportunity to cause a lot more damage. When I was learning to DE shave, my biggest problem was weepers. When I started straight shaving, well, let's just say I have a permanent scar on my chin. Even though I've been using the straight for a while (I have 2 now), I've learned enough to know I can't ever rush the shave or lose my concentration.
 
i do both. Mostly use the straight for linework. Takes more skill to use a straight and more maintenance unless your using a shavette. DE razors are called saftey razors for a reason. lol

Gave my buddy a shape up last week n he decided he wanted to lineup his beard himself. Grabbed a a straight n proceded. With the blade near his throat he turned his head to the side to talk to his girl. Didnt even realize he sliced himself. I saw n put a clean towel on it immedietly. He had no idea what happened til he saw the blood. XD
Wow! Glad he was all right. Thanks for the quick reply. So is the actual act of shaving any more difficult to learn, or just alt more dangerous? Do the same concepts apply?
 
For me the biggest reason I have not tried straight razors is the maintenance involved seems like more than I care to get into. With a safety razor all you have to do is clean it every now and then and change the blade.
 
I shaved with a straight for a year or so around 1977. It is entirely different than shaving with a safety razor, but probably not a lot harder--just different. I never really caused myself any harm, but I really didn't enjoy it because of the tediousness required. I finally gave it up because I didn't want to be bothered with all the maintenance required to keep the razor shave-worthy.
 

Alacrity59

Wanting for wisdom
Before there were safety razors everybody who shaved used a straight razor. It does take a bit more skill but it is far from insurmountable. You start where you start. The choice is up to you. In the short term going with a DE safety razor is probably a lessor investment.
 
Wow! Glad he was all right. Thanks for the quick reply. So is the actual act of shaving any more difficult to learn, or just alt more dangerous? Do the same concepts apply?
yeah he was fine. girl girl freaked out quite a bit tho. Luckily it wasnt deep.

Honestly its not a very difficult skill to learn. Alotta people see the bare blade and are scared to try. Just treat it like any other sharp blade and you'll be fine. I just recommend while learning keep the bathroom door shut n try to keep distractions to a minimum.

The only real issue I can see with straights is the car and maintenece involved with keeping it shave ready. Its just not for some people. Even then, shavettes are an option.
 
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For me the biggest reason I have not tried straight razors is the maintenance involved seems like more than I care to get into. With a safety razor all you have to do is clean it every now and then and change the blade.

Sounds more like my type of maintenance plan. Lol
 
Before there were safety razors everybody who shaved used a straight razor. It does take a bit more skill but it is far from insurmountable. You start where you start. The choice is up to you. In the short term going with a DE safety razor is probably a lessor investment.

Yeah. I guess I'll get good with my DE first before I venture into straight razor world. Baby steps.
 
Its no different then learning to use a DE realy. Its a new skill that needs to be learned. It just requires a bit more focus/concentration on what you are doing.

New skills are learned with time and practice. :)
 
I use old hand tools and go through quite a process to hone the blades, such as the ones on my planes. The thought of maintaining a straight razor would cause me to skip. Shaving too often. The DE is simple all the way around.
 
I shave with any one out of my collection of 4x 3-Piece, 3x Adjustable, 2x TTO and 1x Travel DE razors, but.............
About 20 years ago I used to shave with a Remington straight razor, and soon picked up the knack (after a few cuts and weepers) and used it exclusively for a few months - until I dropped it and dented the edge badly
I tried using a shavette early last year, but got nicks, weepers and irritation every time - all 3 shavettes are on clear plastic self adhesive hooks stuck to the top left hand corner of the bathroom mirror as decorations for my shaving den - maybe I'll try again one day, but I'm happy with my DE razors, especially my vintage Adjustables, so not any time soon
 
Welcome! I used a straight for a few years but went to DE to save a bit of time. IME both are fun and produce great shaves.
 
I tried straights a while back but found it took too much time to shave and for maintenance. Had B&B been around back then, I would have had a better knowledge base and I am sure I did not have a properly honed razor. However, I have a substantial investment in DE and SE razors and I like them just fine so I stick with them.
 
For me it's DE on work days and SR on weekends when I have no time pressure to get out the door. I learned the hard way not to rush a SR shave. My SR shaves are much closer than my DE shaves. By closer I mean that the BBS or glass smoothness last much longer into the day.
 
Oh boy, talk about a can of worms! Dan has been great about sending me tips and offers of support - I've only owned a safety razor for 6 weeks, but I couldn't resist buying a straight & a strop & doing the research. I've used the straight once, and while I passed up the quiet Saturday opportunity to give it a second try, I realize I can't just sell or PIF it either. I do not desire or aspire to use a straight daily . . . everyone reading my stuff here knows I am over-the-moon in love with my SE (cough **Mongoose** cough) . . . but I am a history guy (see posts above) and I am a movie guy (see Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia) and I can't really let it go til I can at least do it creditably.

Having said aid all that, King Gilette and his contemporaries were geniuses on the level of Henry Ford. I can now see why a good stiff blade in a well-designed safety razor was a revolution. (And for me, is still a revolution today . . . just going in the other direction.)

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Spike
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Straight razor shaving is a vocation and a commitment, especially on the sharpening part. It takes a lot of time to master properly.

DE razor shaving is the "quick and easy" way to get a quality wet shave, without investing too much time and money.

Which one is for you? Only YOU know the answer.
 
I mix up my shaves during the week. I generally prefer to shave with a straight razor (SR), but I'll grab a DE if I'm in a rush. I try to use an single edge safety razor (SE) on Sundays for SE Sunday. Soon, I'll be trying out a few injectors, another kind of SE, to see how I like them.

My best advice is to just start somewhere, and start a journal. There are many things to learn about technique such as lathering & stretching that apply regardless of the razor. Focus on getting good at that, the right blade for you in a DE or SE, and having great shaves and using no pressure.

Once you have a handle on things, you'll probably have enough posts and time here to join a razor pass around. This can be a great way to try out a few different things to see if you'd like to buy something. You could also just buy a second razor of any type and get used to it.
 
DE safety razor is much easier to manage than a straight. That's why they supplanted straights in the early years of the 20th century.
 
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