Does SR shaving ever get as comfortable as a cartridge razor?

[PintoPlain]

Congratulations on your first SR shave. As Tomo said staying out of ER is priority one at this point and I would suggest priority two is keeping blood on the inside of your skin.

As everyone has said, using a straight will be as good if not better than a cart, and practice is the key. There is a learning curve with SR shaving that probably puts a lot of people off as patience is required and your first dozen or so shaves won't be as good.

When starting you will probably notice that improvement in your technique occurs quite fast then seems to plateau for a while. This is normal and you are consolidating what works for you. I found this happened at least three times, but then another bout of improvement happened only to plateau again.

Keep at it.

 

[Matt O]

I was a bloody mess the first time I tried shaving with a straight razor…it looked like I tried shaving my face with a lawn mower.

I tried an against the grain pass, and I was going in at a ridiculously wrong angle, and I cut parallel lines into the side of my cheek. I am glad that I continued on, and didn’t quit!

It gets much much better!

Vr

Matt

 

[Darren J 67]

For me it's the post shave feeling that a straight gives over cartridge razors . I got somuch irritation from cartridge shaving I hated shaving until I tried de razor then straight razor shaving.

 

[Sisyphos]

I don't know. Never tried a cartridge.

 

[MurderousCrow]

Does SR shaving ever get to the comfort level of a cartridge razor or does that irritation factor always remain to a certain extent?

As others have said - yes, definitely. For me, carts were nearly always a bit irritating & often resulted in ingrown hairs. The vast majority of my shaves nowadays are completely irritation-free.

Bear with it. Shave at a shallow angle, light touch, slick lather.

I'll give my now-standard advice to purchase a Feather AC razor or cheaper clone, and use this occasionally with a new or nearly-new blade (cork it first as I've recently learned).

This will let you know if it's your edge or your shaving / lathering technique that's causing the irritation.

 

[SilverGeezer]

I never found cartridges to be comfortable at all.

 

[alla2465]

Are you kidding? I could NEVER get a comfortable shave from a cart, ever.
they pull and tug, leaves my skin red, ingrown hairs, rashes etc.
SR (and DE) solved all those issues for me a week after I switched some 10 years ago when I was 14-15 years old.
That's just me though, I have really sensitive skin, so YMMV

 

[quijas23]

I used to get ingrown hairs like crazy with the cartridge razors as others have stated. Straight razor shaving gives me a much better shave and none of the irritation that I used to get.
One Qualifier: I got a really rough beard, wife says its like brillow pad crossed with steel wool so I needed all the help I could get when it came to shaving. I have friends with very light, thin beards: if you have this, I think its more forgiveable.

 

[Wid]

I cut myself far more with the cheap carts the wife used to buy than I ever did with a straight razor. Not to say I never cut myself, of course I did. It's been a very long time since my last cut. Being on blood thinners it can get a bit messy LOL

 

[catchacoolbreeze]

anything is more comfortable than a cart...

 

[ladykate]

A cart is fine if it is sharp. A straight is fine if it is prepped well. I can get closer shaves with a straight. If new at straight razor shaving, take your time, get a 100 shaves in, then evaluate. Even start with a quick shave with a cart… it makes the initial experience much smoother. You can’t beat experience. I have rarely cut myself, even when new at it, with the straight (Kamisori is another story). Just take your time, observe the angles, don’t worry about getting aggressively close. That will come.

 

[serikloo]

Aloha,

I started with an electric, moved to a cart, then a DE, and finally 2 years ago settled on a SR. Yes, it does get better the longer you work with a SR. I had a really bad start with SR and it took patience and perseverance but now I find a SR to be the mildest shave I have ever gotten.

Don't give up. Good luck to you on your journey.

Mahalo,

 

[Frank Shaves]

When I replied to this thread in September 2021, I had used a straight every two days for 12 months and was experiencing some of the best shaves of my life, but not consistently. Now, three months later, I am using a straight daily and the best shaves of life are pretty darn consistent.

Little to no learning curve with carts. You get what you pay for. You can get a good shave with a good cart (like a MACH3), but it's not the experience I am looking for.

DEs come with a real learning curve and, yes, you can get a great shave with a DE and blade that likes your face.

Learning to use and maintain/hone a straight comes with a steep learning curve and, for me, the shaves are the best that I have ever experienced. Be patient, prepared to lick your wounds and you will be rewarded. I should also note that for many of us the steeper learning curve comes a higher cost, but you can always sell the gear you end up not using on the BST. And what doesn't work for you may work for someone else.

 

[cugel]

Maybe not as fast but more comfortable definitely for my mug.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Straight razors are ok but cartridge razors are better because five blades and a pivoting bit or something. It said so on TV so that’s proof.

 

[ObsceneJester]

Yes

 

[Mitzie]

With coarse tough whiskers, and sensitive skin, and shaving every day I find my Wilkinson sword Protector 3 gives a close guaranteed nick free and no irritation shave. However if I let my beard grow for few days the longer whiskers hydrate and hold a lot more water which makes them easier to cut and gives a comfortable satisfying shave, but 3efficiency still not as good as the Protector 3 -one of the greatest cartridge razors ever made IMHO.

I shave in the evening and when I've used an SR I have to take precautions when I go to bed, to avoid blood on the pillow cases and sheets caused by the disturbance of weepers or minor nicks on my face beginning to alum heal. -The wife doesn't like it!

 

[aussie]

Shaving with a good SR is infinitely more comfortable than shaving with a cartridge razor. There's quite a learning curve and much more work involved. I'll happily do the extra work to get a comfortable shave.

 

[Mitzie]

SR shaving just not as close as shaving with a cartridge razor for me.

 

[rbscebu]

SR shaving just not as close as shaving with a cartridge razor for me.

I'm glad that I don't have your problem.

From SR shaving three passes daily for over 2½ years, I get closer results than I ever got in my decades of cart shaving and with no irritation or skin damage. On top of that, I now actually enjoy SR shaving. I never enjoyed cart shaving.