Fifteen-minute straight razor challenge

[Sukeroku]

I enjoy a nice leisurely shave as much as the next guy. I also appreciate the beard
reduction philosophy/techniques shared by many if not most in the wet shaving community.
However, sometimes life throws you a curveball. What if you had only fifteen minutes for prep,
shave and post-shave/cleanup? What if your only razor is a well-honed and stropped straight razor?
How well would you manage? Could you get SAS or DFS with one pass and a quick touch-up?
Do you have the shaving skills set on display in a Chimensch, Karl Langner or Willipeter99 video?
I am NOT encouraging any irresponsible behavior here but I am curious.

One final caveat: no post-shave blood or razor burn.

 

[MO1]

15 minutes is enough for me. Lather, 2 passes and some clean up is what I usually do. Takes me about 15 mins give or take a minute.
However I don't want to be pressed by time. Even if 15 minutes is enough, if I'm feeling pressed, a 15 minute time constraint will cause some slip ups.

 

[ajduplessis]

a Single pass, does not matter direction should not take longer 140 seconds. So yes 15min is enough time for 1-2 pass easily. I have achieved BSS doing 2 passes, but not setting out how quick I can do it.

 

[Straight up]

I have around 10 mins on workday morning to shave. After I shower (brush comes into the shower while the soap soaks) I do two passes & strop in that time. Today I'm BBS

 

[rbscebu]

Without trouble, I can get to DFS with my SR in two passes, WTG & XTG within 15 minutes. That is from walking into my CR to putting all my shaving gear away. My preference though is to take my time and do the same in about 30 minutes.

 

[johnmrson]

I can get a DFS from a well honed straight in about 5 mins. A single pass with ATG in a couple of spots and a buff of the chin will do. No prep but good lather and a splash of aftershave and I'm out the door.

 

[rbscebu]

Just be careful of what you say in this thread. It may go against what many non-SR shavers believe about SR shaving .

 

[Sinnbad11]

15 minutes for everything? I would shower, soak a brush at the same time, hop out and face lather. While the lather is on my face I'd strop and if I was pressed for time, 1 pass xtg would get me to a dfs.

 

[camoloc]

I could but wouldnt want to.

20-25 for 2 1/2 passes and drinking coffee!!!!

camo

 

[David]

My shaves usually take about 10 minutes. That’s a one pass shave and a little buffing in a few problem areas. Not BBS but a DFS. That’s clean up and everything.

 

[Basil]

Strop, two pass shave and clean up usually takes me about 10 minutes.

 

[PintoPlain]

I'd probably be the same as Basil timewise. WTG and XTG and touch up of the usual trouble spots. 15 minutes would be longer than I usually take, but thinking about a time restraint would add stress and likely lead to a suboptimal shave.

 

[Biltong & Boerewors]

Every time I have tried a quick SR shave, it ended badly. Blood or patches of stubble that annoyed me the whole day.

Takes me 25min - stropping, two passes and razor after-care.

If I don't have 25min, I reach for the DE.

I can probably do 15min with a shavette, no stropping and just a rinse after use.

 

[karacha]

5 minutes for two passes easily. Shavette or traditional straight razor, does not matter. That does not include stropping or any activity other than shaving, of course.

Same thing with canned foam and cartridge or injector = 60 to 90 seconds.

 

[Hachet]

a Single pass, does not matter direction should not take longer 140 seconds. So yes 15min is enough time for 1-2 pass easily. I have achieved BSS doing 2 passes, but not setting out how quick I can do it.

Agreed. I use an Artist Club, so I would imagine that qualifies as a well honed, well stropped, ready to rock razor. A few minutes is adequate for a nice close shave.

 

[Ice-Man]

A woman can shave a man in under 5 mins, with a straight razor and that is a fact. lol and that was 5 men, not one...

 

[LJS]

What if you had only fifteen minutes for prep,
shave and post-shave/cleanup? What if your only razor is a well-honed and stropped straight razor?
How well would you manage?

How long does it take YOU? 15 min give or take is my average for leisurely 3pass + some touch up with straight including stropping, lathering, AS, clean up. That is not rushing or anything.

 

[EspressoAndAftershave]

I could but wouldnt want to.

20-25 for 2 1/2 passes and drinking coffee!!!!

camo

This ^^^° guy gets it.

 

[5whiskey]

Ive only been shaving with a straight since about March, but I get a DFS in about 10 minutes. That’s not stropping. I’m deployed and have to strop before I go to the shower. But from getting out of the shower to finished with one WTG pass and a XTG/cleanup pass it’s 10 minutes or so. I’m currently using canned goop so no ATG and BBS for me right now.

 

[Sukeroku]

How long does it take YOU? 15 min give or take is my average for leisurely 3pass + some touch up with straight including stropping, lathering, AS, clean up. That is not rushing or anything.

It takes me about 25-30 minutes from start to finish including stropping. I have less than 100 SR shaves under my belt, so I guess that makes me a novice. On another thread, people who did not use SR's cited the extra time involved as well as the learning curve and the time devoted to maintaining an edge for honing. I also have been looking at the videos from Chimensch, Karl Langner and WilliPeter99. I consider these three as Master level shavers. They are able to get great shaves in about fifteen minutes (the Chimensch and Karl Langner's videos are ten minutes but those videos appear to be edited). In any case, I am inspired by all the responses to continue my SR journey. Thank you for all the feedback.