As some of you may know, I decided to make the dive into straight shaving recently. I am on my 5th or 6th straight shave and I feel that I've been doing fairly well. Only very minor irritation on my neck and chin so far as I'm trying to get the angle and technique correct for those more hard to master regions. My questions is, how long did it take you guys until you were comfortable with a straight? I.e. no irritation, similar closeness as a DE shave, etc?
How Long?
- Thread starter TFrankMac2140
- Start date
general 'rule of thumb' seems to be about 100 shaves.
I never counted but have always been comfortable round sharp objects and was pretty happy after 3 months.
It's been over a year now and the shaves just keep getting better
I never counted but have always been comfortable round sharp objects and was pretty happy after 3 months.
It's been over a year now and the shaves just keep getting better
I'm getting pretty comfortable now at almost 2 months in, i shave most days so probably 40-45 shaves. Most shaves are DFS, occasionally i get a few weepers but that's usually if i rush my prep. My measure of comfortable with shave is that the shave goes well but also i can now deal with disctractions such as my wife in the bathroom at the same time as i shave.
~~~took me a real long time...months and months and months, but I shaved with carts for 35 + years so the motor skills to go to a DE...totally similar, there was no transition time yet with the straight razor...although I could get fair shaves with the straight early on...it took me a long time before I felt somewhat in control as far as feeling like I knew what I was doing. Everyone is different. I read here occasionally where some guys say they were getting on with a straight razor well right away...but how much of that is braggadochio? I picked up my first straight just about two years ago, been shaving with them daily for around a year and ahalf anyways, and still feel like I can get better at it
~~~~this could probably be answered several ways. I'll say this...what keeps me shaving using a straight razor, is the endless possibilities of what you can do with the edge to get a customized shave, unlike how you're reginmented with a DE blade you buy. with the DE blade, you're locked in to that edge, the only way you can change up the shave is to use that blade in a different razor, or swap blades in the same razor. With straight razors you can vary your shaving experience by keeping different grinds, different width blades, different steel, different makers then change each blade using a variety of finish hones, techniques
Another way to answer your question...whcih can you get a better shave with? Again, what are you looking for?...you just want to get the job done, or do you want to shave with a tool that will feel better than anything you have ever experienced before?
Do you have problems shaving ATG w/your DE razor? (I know you didn't ask this, I'm just throwing it out here for other n00bs looking at this thread). Try an open blade (straight razor). It's quite easy to change it up to shave anywhere you want with the degree of closeness you're after
As far as irritation goes...if you're getting irritation with your DE set up, try using a better approach to prep, like pre shave cream, more hydration in front of the blade. I use a barber towel, steamed, with pre shave cream and a face lather built using 2-3 minutes before the towel goes on. I was doing that with my DE/SE safety razor shaves and lost the irritation and ingrown hair issues I always seemed to have while shaving with carts, but that said, I might have had better success using carts if I prepped better. Same goes with your straight razor...if you're getting irritation...same techniques apply
Changing soaps, creams can help with irritation, how much moisture you put into your lather, how much you leave out. I think some of these guys beat their lather to death whipping it, and why I like to face lather soap...I build the lather on my face while exfoliating. I never could see the benefit of building a lather in a bowl unkles you just want to paint it on your face and shave. I want the benefit of exfoliation and how that helps soften the whiskar making it easier to cut
Best,
Jake
Reddick Fla.
While my first straight shaving sessions were probably a tad more primitive than yours, I'd say four to six months is a decent baseline from which to gauge a straight shave.
Within that time, you will probably learn more about proper stropping technique and beard preparation than actual shaving....but, it should all gel together and begin to make sense during that period.
Within that time, you will probably learn more about proper stropping technique and beard preparation than actual shaving....but, it should all gel together and begin to make sense during that period.
- Thread starter
- #6
Thanks for your input guys. I really appreciate it. I haven't had irritation with DE shaving in years so I feel that my prep and technique with that is spot on. As a result, I believe most of that has transferred over fairly well to straight shaving. Just have to keep practicing 
are you using pre shave cream? if not, that will help w/the irritation on your neck, by providing better glide for the edge, & it'll also tone your skin, helping to keep irritation at bay
sometimes irritation w/a new straight razor user may be burn (razor) from using too great of a blade angle, so try using shallower angles on your neck, along with pre shave cream if you aren't already using it (what would it hurt to try?)
also, practicing is one thing, but if you are doing something wrong, doing it more times isn't going to improve irritation. here, take a look at this instructional shave video... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6502106680110094707&ei=qZFMSc2YFoS4-QGs7ZW-Cg&q#
the slice/sliding scything stroke is the shizzle yo
something else you may be doing, w/o realizing it, where you are getting irritation...you may be using pressure w/o realizing it, so go w/the zen approach and think butterfly while shaving the neck area (fly like a butterfly)
Best,
Jake
Reddick Fla.
sometimes irritation w/a new straight razor user may be burn (razor) from using too great of a blade angle, so try using shallower angles on your neck, along with pre shave cream if you aren't already using it (what would it hurt to try?)
also, practicing is one thing, but if you are doing something wrong, doing it more times isn't going to improve irritation. here, take a look at this instructional shave video... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6502106680110094707&ei=qZFMSc2YFoS4-QGs7ZW-Cg&q#
the slice/sliding scything stroke is the shizzle yo
something else you may be doing, w/o realizing it, where you are getting irritation...you may be using pressure w/o realizing it, so go w/the zen approach and think butterfly while shaving the neck area (fly like a butterfly)
Best,
Jake
Reddick Fla.
I used a shavette for 6 years then de for 1 now straights only since october. The last 2 weeks have been breakthroughs,no irritation, bbs all over and very few weepers. Repeating what shakin jake said, it took almost a month before I could hone to hht. Now I get it every time. I have lapping film to .1 micron. I have used it but find for me it is a waste of time. crox on blasa is more than sharp enough. My routine is shave jawline up 3 passes xtg xtg atg, I use hair conditioner as preshave on the neck while Im doing the upper face. Then I have a dry upper face to do the strech up to raise the stubble and this am i got the neck bbs with 1 xtg and 1 atg. Experimenting , inthe beginning I used to stretch the wrong way pulling the stubble down because it seemed convenient to stretch in a certain spot. I use my right hand only. I tried the scything technique but ended up with some minor cuts. And the left hand is useless! Anyway keep going! I think its all a matter of how bad you want it. pre 1900 there was no other way. Good luck.And many thanks to the experienced posters here who are generous with giving good advice.
I'd say around 50 the shaves were pretty good. At around 100 or so they are great.
