Is a Straight Razor a recipe for disaster

[Boogley12]

Hi all,

I have been DE shaving for years and want to branch out into straight razors

HOWEVER

With age my skin develops micro sized skin coloured facial warts which are hard to see.

My DE razors either skip over the top or get a bit excited and lop the odd one or two off now and again. I also take blood thinners.

So my rather obvious question if you please gents is , Would a straight razor a recipe for disaster in my particular case, or this their a work around.

These things are truly hard to spot until you nick one. Then you see them right enough.

Many thanks

 

[Luecke2326]

Gosh, that's a tough one. I'd be inclined to say you would feel it before you slice it off, but depending on your edge it may be painlessly removed for you. If you know where they are you can avoid them, but if not I'm afraid they may be gone. Though, I'm sure you won't miss them too much, Right?

 

[FarmerTan]

Yeah, Coumadin is the one BIGGEST excuse I have for not moving forward to straight razor shaving.

Lol, I am not particularly pretty, but I have kind of gotten used to my nose and earlobes where they are!

 

[sanookd]

Hi all,

I have been DE shaving for years and want to branch out into straight razors

HOWEVER

With age my skin develops micro sized skin coloured facial warts which are hard to see.

My DE razors either skip over the top or get a bit excited and lop the odd one or two off now and again. I also take blood thinners.

So my rather obvious question if you please gents is , Would a straight razor a recipe for disaster in my particular case, or this their a work around.

These things are truly hard to spot until you nick one. Then you see them right enough.

Many thanks

You might check out the YouTube channel “ Adventures In Wet Shaving”. The channels owner has moles and other imperfections on his skin. Watch what he does to compensate.
I’m not touching the blood thinner issue.

 

[Boogley12]

You might check out the YouTube channel “ Adventures In Wet Shaving”. The channels owner has moles and other imperfections on his skin. Watch what he does to compensate.
I’m not touching the blood thinner issue.

I’ll check that put thanks. While I wouldn’t mind losing the odd one now and again experience shows it’s not entirely a pain free experience.

It’s not the ones you can easily see that are the problem.

I would so like to move forward with this

 

[sanookd]

I’ll check that put thanks. While I wouldn’t mind losing the odd one now and again experience shows it’s not entirely a pain free experience.

It’s not the ones you can easily see that are the problem.

I would so like to move forward with this

There is the link to his channel.

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC3wTfMTHvFBaJoVePCcTe-g

Just watch one of his straight razor shaves and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

 

[haggis]

I'm not touching blood thinners (or @FarmerTan for that matter — j/k love ya) but I will say that very much to my surprise, while I have indeed nicked myself once or twice (and undoubtedly will again) I have FAR fewer weepers than when I use a DE and when I do they seem less … weepy. I think possibly because of caution I am quick(er) to stop when I sense something isn't right whereas with a DE it's pretty much over before it happened, if you know what I mean.

But I am not on blood thinners and have not asked your doctor about it, either. This is not medical advice. Apply Disclaim-All™ to affected area. Void where prohibited. Conditions apply. Actor portrayal. Winner responsible for taxes.

 

[JoWolf]

Hi all,

I have been DE shaving for years and want to branch out into straight razors

HOWEVER

With age my skin develops micro sized skin coloured facial warts which are hard to see.

My DE razors either skip over the top or get a bit excited and lop the odd one or two off now and again. I also take blood thinners.

So my rather obvious question if you please gents is , Would a straight razor a recipe for disaster in my particular case, or this their a work around.

These things are truly hard to spot until you nick one. Then you see them right enough.

Many thanks

I’m a noob for both DE and recently had my twenty fourth straight razor shave. If you don’t try it you’ll always be wondering. My first SR was not that good, but that’s on me. Straights are as much or more about honing. I do like the honing a lot. I have arthritic hands and arm and shoulder joint pain. I’m in my seventies and I’m glad I tried straights. The only regret is I wish I tried straights fifty years ago. My last straight shave was the best so far. I only do a single WTG face pass using the straights. I still use my DE because I’m a head shaver as well. I also finish a single ATG face pass with the DE. I’m a BBS freak, and will not give them up while learning. They say you need thirty SR shaves to feel comfortable I feel comfortable but not competent at twenty four. They say you feel competent at 100. The same rules apply concerning the apex of the edge. A light touch is required same as DE. Good Luck.

 

[FarmerTan]

I'm not touching blood thinners (or @FarmerTan for that matter — j/k love ya) but I will say that very much to my surprise, while I have indeed nicked myself once or twice (and undoubtedly will again) I have FAR fewer weepers than when I use a DE and when I do they seem less … weepy. I think possibly because of caution I am quick(er) to stop when I sense something isn't right whereas with a DE it's pretty much over before it happened, if you know what I mean.

But I am not on blood thinners and have not asked your doctor about it, either. This is not medical advice. Apply Disclaim-All™ to affected area. Void where prohibited. Conditions apply. Actor portrayal. Winner responsible for taxes.

EXCELLENT post. If you ain't a lawyer you SO should have been!

I had my hand on my wallet, shoved deep in my pocket, all the while you were talkin'!

 

[rbscebu]

@FarmerTan I sometimes wonder if you are too set in your ways to learn the gentlemanly art.

 

[Kyle89]

The only way to find out is to give it a go!

 

[Tomo]

I say give it a try. I’d be very surprised if you don’t find it to be an improvement on your current set up. Once you get the hang of it, SR shaving is very gentle on the skin. I a lot less nicks with a SR than I do with a DE. I am probably more cautious with it. Get a styptic pencil and you will be fine. My worst injury was a small paper cut and that’s when I was already quite advanced. Looks scarier than it is.

 

[Steve56]

I tend to agree with @haggis - remember DE users have an entire vocabulary for frequent wounds from properly functioning and correctly used razors, weeper, razor burn, sealing (a cut), and so on, while SR users generally don’t. Over the years I’ve also noted that menthol is favored more by DE users, a decent SR shave doesn’t leave you ‘hot’.

SR share one commonality with DE razors though, some shave milder than others. You have to find the right SR that suits your face, though any properly honed SR should be fine for almost all people.

When you‘re learning, it isn’t unusual to get a small nick or so. Keep the blade nearly flat to your face (the spine should be one spine width iff your face), get a good skin stretch, keep the pressure light, and the strokes short and you should be fine.

PM me a mailing address and I’ll send you a shave-ready SR when and if you decide to give it a whirl.

 

[stone and strop]

I tend to agree with @haggis - remember DE users have an entire vocabulary for frequent wounds from properly functioning and correctly used razors, weeper, razor burn, sealing (a cut), and so on, while SR users generally don’t. Over the years I’ve also noted that menthol is favored more by DE users, a decent SR shave doesn’t leave you ‘hot’.

SR share one commonality with DE razors though, some shave milder than others. You have to find the right SR that suits your face, though any properly honed SR should be fine for almost all people.

When you‘re learning, it isn’t unusual to get a small nick or so. Keep the blade nearly flat to your face (the spine should be one spine width iff your face), get a good skin stretch, keep the pressure light, and the strokes short and you should be fine.

PM me a mailing address and I’ll send you a shave-ready SR when and if you decide to give it a whirl.

Nice gesture Steve

 

[sexy beast]

How thick is your beard?

 

[Slash McCoy]

I guess you will just have to try it and see. Go WTG only. One pass the first few shaves, then try two WTG passes which should give you a nice shave if you don't bleed out. And keep a styptic pencil handy.

You may have to try an electric. The best one I ever tried was a $9.99 cheapie from Walgreens. You can get one that shaves really crappy for $10 or for $200. You can get one that shaves okay for $200 or for $10. The expensive big brand name top shelf model will last longer, look nicer, have replacement parts available longer, but will not necessarily shave better out of the box. YMMV.

 

[Frank Shaves]

As I have aged, I have developed a few noticeable moles on my face. It took me several months to learn to how to shave over and around the moles with a DE. And the same process is repeating itself with a straight. A few suggestions:

1. The only way you will know is to try
2. Be patient
3. Use the lightest touch possible over and around any growths
4. Try to only remove the soap from your skin and you will be amazed at how much hair is removed
5. Try shaving with your straight and then use your DE for touch up
6. And totally counterintuitive (at least to me), try a first pass with your DE and then a clean-up pass with your straight

 

[Boogley12]

I tend to agree with @haggis - remember DE users have an entire vocabulary for frequent wounds from properly functioning and correctly used razors, weeper, razor burn, sealing (a cut), and so on, while SR users generally don’t. Over the years I’ve also noted that menthol is favored more by DE users, a decent SR shave doesn’t leave you ‘hot’.

SR share one commonality with DE razors though, some shave milder than others. You have to find the right SR that suits your face, though any properly honed SR should be fine for almost all people.

When you‘re learning, it isn’t unusual to get a small nick or so. Keep the blade nearly flat to your face (the spine should be one spine width iff your face), get a good skin stretch, keep the pressure light, and the strokes short and you should be fine.

PM me a mailing address and I’ll send you a shave-ready SR when and if you decide to give it a whirl.

Thank you, that’s a very generous offer which I shall keep in mind.

I’m not so much concerned about the odd nick or two and my warfarin medication. This happens with my DE shaves from time to time.

I’m still mulling over the question of whether or not a straight razor is more or less likely to amputate the micro sized warts í seam to be cultivating with abandon.

I am however most grateful for your offer

Cliff

 

[Boogley12]

How thick is your beard?

I’m 66, so I’d say it’s moderately thick nowadays but insanely tough especially round the goatee area and parts of my neck. The face, not so much

 

[sexy beast]

I know this sounds a little contrary to what some may suggest. But you may want to start off just for investment purposes a Shavette. Just To see if you can maneuver around the geographics of your skin. A Shavette will cut through some thick beard and give you some feedback on how you would may want to invest in a straight razor and the things that go with it. Just my two cents. I know a straight razor may be a little bit more forgiving than a shavette But, it will give you a pretty good idea if a straight is for you. Without a larger investment a straight razor an item that you will need to keep it going.