Do you regret buying your first straight razor?

[yellafella321]

I converted to DE razors about 5 weeks ago, and I feel like I'm ready to buy a straight razor. But, with regular stropping, honing, and the additional time required/the risk of seriously hurting myself, I'm not sure I'll stick with it.

Has anyone purchased a straight razor only to stay with DE?

Thanks!

 

[smalltank]

well..mine was a 7/8 Sheffield...but it got me started to collecting..using..selling...continuing to enjoy...anything with a "blade" is a risk..but in the properly "trained" hands its next to minimal...

 

[cleanshaved]

I only regret I have is I did not start using a straight years ago.

 

[Wid]

I only regret I have is I did not start using a straight years ago.

Same here.

 

[Drybonz]

Has anyone purchased a straight razor only to stay with DE?

Sure... there are guys that try it and then end up selling their straight on the BST. Happens all the time.

For me, personally, I wish I would have discovered straight razor shaving about 15 years ago. I have been doing it over two years now and love it.

 

[Wullie]

Do you regret buying your first straight razor?

Nope, nor any of the hundred or so that followed it either.

 

[Kailand09]

Not at all, I just did my hand at fixing one up. It NEVER hurts to try and learn a new skill, even if you fail you have learned. Same applies to trying to shave with a honed razor that was ready to go.

So far, wish I started straight shaving from the start...

 

[mycarver]

My only "regret" ,, is that I can't stop! But I'm not complaining in the least. At one time I was all over DEs ( 150 +) and then I discovered the true path. That path leads down hill for me. I'm hopelessly in love with them. Polishing them. Honing them. Cleaning them. Using them. Just plain looking at them. I'm a crack addict hooked on straights. A so-so shave with a straight is a BBS with a DE. Haven't looked at a DE since. And I have some beauties. They are endlessly fascinating.
Yeah, I sorta' like 'em. No regrets. Now my wife on the other hand........

 

[tomjr]

^ what he said and more!

 

[Member357]

I got some straights, but I still use DEs and SEs as much as I use straights.

 

[gooser]

i do regret buying my first , second , & third , everything after no !... but only cause i bought them new and could have bought 10 nice vintage blades for what i paid for the new ones ...lol

i think the maintenance of honing , stropping , ect is just another part i enjoy !! my first thoughts were id buy 1 and a strop , then i figured ok ill buy 2 so i have one if i send another one out to be honed ...then after about 10+ razors showed up i thought " ill never be able to pay to have all these honed " so i bought hones , now my only thoughts are " does this ever stop " ...lol.. yep it is like another hobby now

 

[Tierdaen]

This is the straight razor forum, I think, and so it will clearly be biased in one direction.

I've come close to regretting going the straight path a few times, and have waffled over whether I should stick with a DE.

I think if you bought into the straight thing because of some environmental/cost/shave quality argument, you may be disillusioned quickly and abandon it.

If you're attracted to straights for other reasons that you may not feel are too justifiable (machismo, nostalgia, minimalism, zombie apocalypse readiness, &c.), you might take some time to get into it, but you'll almost assuredly find a way to deal with the problems/chores for the occasional shave.

Honing is not a big deal really; you can keep a straight going for quite a long time with periodic pasted stropping, and seek out a professional for those jobs where bevels need to be set and small chips removed. You might even learn to treat honing as a separate interest, as many here do.

Stropping is a relatively simple matter but some dislike it because there are lots of novice warnings about nicking strops and screwing up good edges; and luxury strops can be quite expensive for what seems like a sideshow to the razor and stone. You can find inexpensive ways to strop that work excellently (not just passably, IMO), if you don't want to throw too much money around, and it's not too hard a skill to learn.

Risk of hurting yourself is low unless you have serious motor problems.

All in all, there may be hurdles involved in straight shaving; hurdles that you might not find worthwhile to overcome when an excellent shave can be within reach with a DE (or disposable straight or cartridge or whatever). If you think you MUST use a straight because it's the perfect shave, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. The closest, smoothest shave I can remember is from a Feather with a DE touchup.

I bought the Feather because I didn't want to accumulate strops and hones and other accessories, then spend the time trying to maintain and protect my razors...but the aesthetics of a straight were appealing. When I decided to go for a regular straight, it was as a "backup" that I could use rarely with the vague assurance that I'd have something when the zombie apocalypse came and I ran out of Feather and DE blades. Stupid reason, I know. I liked the fact it was non-disposable...not really a financial justification, nor some environmentalist desire to eliminate waste. Anyway, I got a cheapo strop for it and decided to leave honing to professionals. I'm not going to use it often enough to need to hone it anyway....

Then it all started to grow on me. I'm not going to be buying an expensive cordovan strop anytime soon, and I'm not going to have a huge selection of stones, but I get a surprising amount of enjoyment from stropping and watching a finished blade terrorize arm hair, and there's something appealing about honing your own edge as well...enough to give one a sense of pride in the stone(s) they use.

If I stop myself and say "wait, this is all to remove hair from my face?" I have to admit it's a bit ridiculous...but I stopped thinking about it that way. I haven't sold my Feather or DE. I won't always want to shave with a straight. If I survive the next ten years and shave every three days (both are conservative, I hope), I have well over a thousand shaves left. I consider myself rather monogamistic and devote myself to one razor at a time, but I can switch it up once in a while. I think that if you are attracted to straight razors, you can find a way to bring them in without feeling bogged down with maintenance chores.

 

[gash]

People often mention the potential for serious injury, but I think it's not very dangerous at all. I think that it's less dangerous than learning to ride a bike, and people do that all the time. When learning to ride a bike, you can expect to fall a bit and scrape your knee or your hand, and you may even bump your head very hard or sprain your wrist. When learning to use a straight, you can expect to get some nicks and cuts, but I think that's about it. Certainly, you should use care, but don't worry about it.

 

[Legion]

I think you are asking the wrong people.

 

[paco664]

my only regret is not starting with one ~30 years or so ago........

 

[rockviper]

I sold my kit from my first try with straights after about 4 months with it, only to regret it about a month later. Got back into straights in September last year and haven't even thought about looking back. My Slim does get used now and then, but very rarely now.

But to answer your question.... I bought my first straight razor TWICE!

Hunted down the gentleman who purchased it from me via the BST and he agreed to sell it back to me. I'm super happy, even it is is "just a Wapi."

 

[Nxspam]

I may regret a little that I bought a quite expensive Dovo before I found this site. I'm learning everything, and I do mean everything! Shaving, stropping, honing, restoring and customising!

I also bought vintage blades that I regret a little. IMHO, I should have gone for a $4 GD tuned up by a B&B member or WhippedDog kit. I love the restoration process and learning to hone. I rarely touch my Dovo because I'm afraid of damaging it (at this stage), but I can thrash a GD all day without a care in the world!

I hope someday to enter the GD competition.

 

[Gamma]

I regretted my first straight for a while after I bought it - but now I'm glad I took the plunge and worked though the trials/tribulations.
I've bought several razors that turned out to be extremely problematic after that - but I learned more from them than I did from any problem-free shave-ready blade; so I don't have remorse for purchasing the duds either.

 

[global_dev]

There is no harm in trying and unless you overpay for what you buy you should be able to sell it okay as long as its not a ***.

I have friends who didn't get it and I understand. Not for everyone... but if it fits, it's a pleasure. Even honing is quite a nice change of pace from a normally hectic life.

 

[Seraphim]

I regret every straight that I have sold.

I wish that I could have kept every single one of them.