From DE blades to Straights

[jrowen]

Hi, all. I am very much considering straights, but am currently using a DE. A question kinda popped into my head, just wanted to hear some other thoughts. DE blades can be a very personal thing for people. They find a razor/blade combo that just works nicely for them. I am curious, is there any way to correlate what type of steel and/or polishing/finish on a straight would match a particular DE blade's finish? I.e. how can I make a straight feel like "my brand" (which is an Astra platinum in a Merkur HD right now)? Or is this just a silly concept all together, due to too many other variables with straights, apples and oranges? Does the blade coating (platinum/ceramics/polymers/etc.) on a DE blade make a comparison impossible (considering it might be possible otherwise)? DE blades undoubtedly will have a particular scratch pattern and use a particular type of steel, just wondering if anyone has ever correlated those scratch patterns with different finishing methods, and if they feel the same. Obviously experimentation is the best teacher of what you like and what you don't like (sometimes you find out something you thought you would hate actually agrees with you a lot, and visa versa), but am just curious.

Maybe someone here that also uses a DE every now and then, that has used Astra's sucessfully as "their DE brand", could comment on what finishing/polishing setup really works nicely for them.

I appreciate any commentary on the general question, or my specific case, if there is such a thing.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[mdunn]

it would be very hard to 'astra' an edge - there are so many differences between the blades (coating, angle, etc). You most likely will, in time, find an edge that works really well for you.

 

[jrowen]

Agreed. I figured this was probably the case, but just thought I'd throw it out there. Asking never hurt anyone. (EDIT: At least not around here anyway.) It's not going to take too much to convince me that it's just too hard to know that kind of a thing, down to definitive detailed level.

Perhaps a more productive conversation would be to restate the question a different way. If two people like the same brand of DE blade, is it likely that they might also prefer the same "finish" on a straight?

As kind of a interesting thing just for grinns (maybe there's a trend for some brands), from people who use both a DE and a Straight, maybe some posts along the line of your preferences:

DE: Merkur HD - Astra Platinum
Str8: Dovo Foo Bar 5/8 - Coticule (or whatever you like, EDIT: or even your favorite progression)

 

[Luc]

Agreed. I figured this was probably the case, but just thought I'd throw it out there. Asking never hurt anyone. (EDIT: At least not around here anyway.) It's not going to take too much to convince me that it's just too hard to know that kind of a thing, down to definitive detailed level.

Perhaps a more productive conversation would be to restate the question a different way. If two people like the same brand of DE blade, is it likely that they might also prefer the same "finish" on a straight?

As kind of a interesting thing just for grinns (maybe there's a trend for some brands), from people who use both a DE and a Straight, maybe some posts along the line of your preferences:

DE: Merkur HD - Astra Platinum
Str8: Dovo Foo Bar 5/8 - Coticule (or whatever you like, EDIT: or even your favorite progression)

If I get where you are going with this...

Yes, you will get a brand/size/grind/steel preference at one stage. I think that's why some people were buying a 7 days set so they can shave everyday with the same razor.

I like diversity in my rotation so I have a few different razors. I tried a few brands/size/grind and steel so far and I'm starting to understand what I like.

A few of my razors in my rotation are giving an awesome shave. Others are ok, not special. I try to sell the not special razors when I'm sure they won't be special. In that case, someone might find them special and keep them!

 

[charismata]

IMHO there are just too many variables to take into consideration and it will probably cause frustration if you try to over-think it. A person can have 2 of the exact same blades and one of them will feel more comfortable than the other (I do own 2 blades like that).

I think you will naturally narrow it down over time. Maybe watch for real good deals on a few different grinds (wedge, half-hollow, quarter-hollow, etc). Try them all and see what feels most comfortable for you. If you pick them up at a good price, you should be able to sell the ones you don't really care for at a profit. Next you could try out a few different blade shapes and just continue like that until you start to gravitate toward two or three razors in your collection that just feel right to you.

Every person has their own preferences and every blade is different.

 

[Scissors]

Agreed. I figured this was probably the case, but just thought I'd throw it out there. Asking never hurt anyone. (EDIT: At least not around here anyway.) It's not going to take too much to convince me that it's just too hard to know that kind of a thing, down to definitive detailed level.

Perhaps a more productive conversation would be to restate the question a different way. If two people like the same brand of DE blade, is it likely that they might also prefer the same "finish" on a straight?

As kind of a interesting thing just for grinns (maybe there's a trend for some brands), from people who use both a DE and a Straight, maybe some posts along the line of your preferences:

DE: Merkur HD - Astra Platinum
Str8: Dovo Foo Bar 5/8 - Coticule (or whatever you like, EDIT: or even your favorite progression)

For a data point, here's a DE to straight progression:
DE: Merkur Futur w/ Feather
Straight: Robert Williams 8/8 Half-Hollow

I have a bunch of other straights that I like just as much and maybe more on certain days, but that DE and straight seems most like a logical progression. They're both quite sharp, larger and heavier than most other razors in their class, yet quite maneuverable.

That said, I want to suggest that if you could find a straight whose edge characteristics were most like your favorite DE blade, it might not be a straight you like because so much else about the straight is different—size, weight, feel, degree of control, etc.