I've done well over 100 straight shaves and..

[steveclarkus]

I've shaved with safety razors for 8years and It's been 9months since I first dipped my toe into straight razors. This year, I almost exclusively shaved with straight razors and I think I've shaved with SR over 100 times. but it doesn't feel as smooth and comfortalbe as my safety razors. I'm not saying it is awful. Rather, it is qute good and shaves as close but I get more irritations from straight razor shaving.

I know it will take some time to fully master the straight shaving skill. I'm just wondering how long it took for your straight shaving to match your previous favorite shaving methods in terms of comfort and smoothness.

It takes more than 100 in my opinion to reach that particular goal. When you stop getting irritation, you will have made major progress. You may be using too wide an angle and scraping your face causing the irritation. Keep your angle 30 degree or less and don’t use so much pressure.

 

[MurderousCrow]

Agree with the above comments, particularly Steve's just preceding. 100 shaves is just beginning, so be patient... I'm about 600 shaves in, and reliably got irritation-free shaves after maybe 5-6 months or 150 odd shaves. As @Keystone says, a good edge is important, IMO it's critical. My advice would be to try using an AC SR for a bit. Feather, Kai etc. Change the blade every 5-6 shaves. This way you will know for certain whether the problem lies in your shaving technique, or your honing & stropping.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I know it will take some time to fully master the straight shaving skill. I'm just wondering how long it took for your straight shaving to match your previous favorite shaving methods in terms of comfort and smoothness.

It didn't. I gave up. Kind of.

It was rewarding to know I can shave with a straight if I choose to, but safety razor shaves are quicker, closer, safer, and much more enjoyable for me. The straight format razors are now occasional "novelty" shaves for me. I don't care how close they are, and accept there may be the occasional irritated area sometimes, but this way I enjoy the occasional straight shave without directly comparing it to my superior double edge shaves.

 

[haggis]

Agree with the agree'ers I'm at, uh, 228 straight shaves and while my lather-making skills are still abominable and my skin-stretching is half-assed and my angles and approaches and handedness are all rudimentary, even I somehow managed to stumble into a place where I have near-zero irritation and fewer weepers than I got using DEs, SEs, and AC shavettes. I'm honestly a bit surprised.

 

[steveclarkus]

Agree with the agree'ers I'm at, uh, 228 straight shaves and while my lather-making skills are still abominable and my skin-stretching is half-assed and my angles and approaches and handedness are all rudimentary, even I somehow managed to stumble into a place where I have near-zero irritation and fewer weepers than I got using DEs, SEs, and AC shavettes. I'm honestly a bit surprised.

Just keep at it. I agree with the nick part. I used to get nicks from DE’s but never with a straight razor. I’m well over a thousand shaves by now and never go over five minutes for a two pass shave. It is just a normal way to shave for me now - very pleasant.

 

[rbscebu]

I've shaved with safety razors for 8years and It's been 9months since I first dipped my toe into straight razors. This year, I almost exclusively shaved with straight razors and I think I've shaved with SR over 100 times. but it doesn't feel as smooth and comfortalbe as my safety razors. I'm not saying it is awful. Rather, it is qute good and shaves as close but I get more irritations from straight razor shaving.

I know it will take some time to fully master the straight shaving skill. I'm just wondering how long it took for your straight shaving to match your previous favorite shaving methods in terms of comfort and smoothness.

After rereading @pelicanachic's OP, I just realised that he is only SR shaving on average about every third day. This could help explain why he is still experiencing the problems he is having at about 100 SR shaves.

A lot of your SR shave leaning is done in the subconscious. This needs to be reinforced through regular repartition. I feel that @pelicanachic is not fully gaining from this subconscious learning by not SR shaving daily.

This of course is just one factor. There are sure to be many other factors coming into play.

 

[dangerousrazor]

After rereading @pelicanachic's OP, I just realised that he is only SR shaving on average about every third day. This could help explain why he is still experiencing the problems he is having at about 100 SR shaves.

A lot of your SR shave leaning is done in the subconscious. This needs to be reinforced through regular repartition. I feel that @pelicanachic is not fully gaining from this subconscious learning by not SR shaving daily.

This of course is just one factor. There are sure to be many other factors coming into play.

I dindt say 100 times. I said over 100 times, which means the number could be 150 or 200.

As I said on the posting, I've exclusively shaved with straight razor this year. Actually, the number of shaving with SR this year alone can be over 150.

 

[luv2shave]

Less than 50 SR shaves on self honed vintage razors - fortunately no irritation apart from the first shave. I strive for a DFS shave and get a DFS plus shave. The only sandpaper feeling I get are under my left jawline which is an odd ATG angle Which I've to learn an attack angle yet and the challenge of going ear to chin on my right side with left hand, the non-dominant handle muscles need training and refinement for this stroke. However I am making incremental progress and certainly get a fantastic shave. But I certainly don't get any irritation at all. I take between 30 to 40 minutes per SR shave.

 

[steveclarkus]

Less than 50 SR shaves on self honed vintage razors - fortunately no irritation apart from the first shave. I strive for a DFS shave and get a DFS plus shave. The only sandpaper feeling I get are under my left jawline which is an odd ATG angle Which I've to learn an attack angle yet and the challenge of going ear to chin on my right side with left hand, the non-dominant handle muscles need training and refinement for this stroke. However I am making incremental progress and certainly get a fantastic shave. But I certainly don't get any irritation at all. I take between 30 to 40 minutes per SR shave.

The odd hand does take time and in my experience, is never quite as good as the dominate but will eventually get very close.

 

[icemanjs4]

As has already been mentioned straight razor shaving .demands a good creamy slick soap like ARKO, MWF....etc for optimum comfort

Are y’all suggesting that modern artisan soaps (Stirling, A&E, etc) aren’t good for straight razors?

 

[Frank Shaves]

Are y’all suggesting that modern artisan soaps (Stirling, A&E, etc) aren’t good for straight razors?

Nope. Stirling works great with straights.

 

[dabrock]

Are y’all suggesting that modern artisan soaps (Stirling, A&E, etc) aren’t good for straight razors?

Certainly not! I've used several that work very well with my straights. The only real requirement I find is that they be able to handle the demands of extra water and don't dry too quickly. Off the top of my head, I can name a few artisan soaps that I find work well: RR, Sterling, WK, DG, T&S, Fine hard pucks, Henri et Victoria, MdC, Nuavia, and there are several others as well.

 

[McBlade]

After rereading @pelicanachic's OP, I just realised that he is only SR shaving on average about every third day. This could help explain why he is still experiencing the problems he is having at about 100 SR shaves.

Yep. Daily repetition should help a lot.

 

[dabrock]

Yep. Daily repetition should help a lot.

Especially with your off-hand.

 

[icemanjs4]

Certainly not! I've used several that work very well with my straights. The only real requirement I find is that they be able to handle the demands of extra water and don't dry too quickly. Off the top of my head, I can name a few artisan soaps that I find work well: RR, Sterling, WK, DG, T&S, Fine hard pucks, Henri et Victoria, MdC, Nuavia, and there are several others as well.

Great advice on the extra water. I can definitely see the soap drying out in longer shaves with a straight.
I assume a thinner painting of foam is fine as well since it’s slick?

 

[dabrock]

Great advice on the extra water. I can definitely see the soap drying out in longer shaves with a straight.
I assume a thinner painting of foam is fine as well since it’s slick?

The thickness of the lather depends on the soap and the pass for me. For the first pass, it's going to be pretty thick, but not as thick as I would use for a typical DE/SE shave.

 

[Green manalishi]

I shave everyday.(most of the time).
So In a period of about 7 months total (straight-razor shaves)I have accumulated a lot of shaves relative to the time spent.At around 90 to 100 shaves I had everything on my face equal compared to DE razors results.However my upper lip was the final frontier.We all are different but it took me another month before I finally had my edge(honing skills)and my technique down to where I had my upper lip equally smooth as the rest of my face..So to answer the question for me around 6 months.
Shaving with a straight razor really is a skill.
No one is guaranteed a great shave from it..
However the lack of irritation tells me it definitely for my face is the preferred method.That reminds me…

I don’t think that I wouldn’t have learned nearly as fast without “the method”.
If someone is new to honing It can’t be beat for the quality of edge you can get..
I didn’t get on this forum till I was at least a few months in my straight shaving…But I owe a lot to this forum.I learned more in the first couple of weeks reading through the forum than the first couple of months before.
If you are getting more irritation try a shallow angle and if not already I would make sure to start honing your own edge through the method.A rough edge can ruin the whole experience.Sorry for the novel But I have seen this kinda thread before so I try to add my two cents.