I shave with the mildest DE imaginable (the Feather Popular) and am usually in a huge rush in the morning. Yet I find myself fantasizing about starting to use a straight. (It's just so f-ing cool.) Am I just descending into madness? Is all hope lost?
What the heck is wrong with me?
- Thread starter Obsessed
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Honestly, if you have good hand-eye coordination the straight will probably be milder on your face than your DE, so while it seems scary putting the blade to your face or throat, it's actually quite nice!
"It can only be attributable to human error."
The straight, wielded properly, is actually milder than a DE. The old barber manuals recommended using only water after the first pass, for example, and you really can do this without any problems. Some of this is because the hand-honed and -polished blades are smoother than the machine honed DE blades, and some of it can be attributed to the lower blade angles achievable, especially when going across and against the grain.
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- #5
I used to view shaving with a straight razor pretty much the same way I viewed training for a marathon: fun to think about doing when I see others doing it, but not something I'd ultimately ever do. Now I'm not so sure with regards to the striaght. It's funny how this hobby creeps up on you. (The marathon is most likely still a no-go!)
Wow... Is straight razor shaving creapy? Really? Is that what people think?
For me it was a natural change, from Crap3->DE->Straight Razor.
What most people don't know is that the straight razor is SMOOTHER than a DE or a Crap3.
- Thread starter
- #7
No, no, not creepy at all - I meant that it's something I didn't think I'd really have the guts or be willing to commit the time to do.
and the best part about a straight is that instead of having to pick the DE blade that works best for you, you can completely taylor the edge to be perfect for your face.
whats wrong with you?
...you still dont have a straight!
whats wrong with you?
...you still dont have a straight!
- Thread starter
- #9
Obsessed, I'm with you on this. I've been a DE user for about three years and I'm really quite happy, and yet....
How nice would a Dovo with tortoiseshell scales be in the den - or maybe a DublDuck? There are no prettier razors than straights and some rise to real exemplars of craft.
Still, I am anxious about putting straight to face and about honing and maintennce. I'd probably screw up both.
How nice would a Dovo with tortoiseshell scales be in the den - or maybe a DublDuck? There are no prettier razors than straights and some rise to real exemplars of craft.
Still, I am anxious about putting straight to face and about honing and maintennce. I'd probably screw up both.
"Go toward the light! Go toward the light!" That is your destiny that is calling you! It is inevitable. You might as well bend to its will.
I am not going to lie to you, it is the coolest thing! And if you think you fantasize about shaving with a straight razor now, wait until you actually start shaving with one. You will think about it all the time.
And you do not have to shave with a straight every day, if you do not want to and feel like it takes additional time that you do not have.
As far as putting a razor sharp piece of steel to your face, I do not know whether I ever had that fear but in my experience it is hugely common among guys out and around it the world. From what I can tell, it is a very visceral kind of unease, too. Maybe it is part of the appeal, too. But soon enough you transition from being afraid of that sharp piece of steel to feeling that the sharper it is the more it is your friend; the better it will feel, the more command you will have. (Every junkie I ever met went on about how afraid of needles they were until they started shooting junk. Maybe it is is like that!) Anyway, I think very soon you get over that actual fear. Does not mean you aren't still careful, of course. But being careful is pretty much automatic.
Anyway, I would not worry about the honing. Get into that later if you like. Just make sure your razor is shave ready when you get it. For $15 to $20 you are really buying pieces of mind. You will need to be able to strop it, but the chances of you screwing the razor up stropping are pretty minimal, I think. Might be harder on the strop. Anyway, you should be able to go a long time before worrying about re-honing.
You are already wet shaving, so you have a brush and creams/soaps, ***, balms, towels, whatever already, I assume. So you are way ahead of the game. Its not cheap exactly, but ***? Did you really think you were going go to your grave without trying shaving with a straight? Might as well get rolling on it now. Why punish yourself by making yourself wait? <g>
So, what will you get out of it? It has been a long time since I have shaved with a DE, but I am told and I believe that a straight really is smoother than a DE. The control you have with a straight is ultimate. Eventually down to its edge, which will be as fine you want to make it. If you stick with it, you will learn your face and you will learn your razors and shaving lathers. You will have the satisfaction of mastering the shaving process. Or perhaps that is false. There is always the possibility of refinement. Always something to try out or learn.
Anyway, you probably should not listen too much to all of my self-involvement. All I am really saying is that if you feel drawn to shaving with a straight, if it seems interesting, and a little exciting. If you sense that learning to shave with a a straight razor could be a lot of fun. I think all of that is perfectly natural and, to me at least, absolutely correct!
Go for it. We are all here to help you along.
No, resistance is pretty much futile. If you're in a huge rush in the morning shave before you go to bed! I started doing this about a year ago and prefer it to that morning rush. I'm lucky in that I only really have to shave every other day. I could shave everyday but when I get a good one in it lasts me two.
When I switched to a straight, I began going to bed and getting up earlier just so I'd be sure to have time in the morning. Now I actually get more sleep than before, and I can say that I haven't been the slightest bit late to work in over a year. All because of straight shaving.
I went from using a cartridge to a straight. I find it quite easy and gentle, as long as the edge is good and sharp. I now occasionally use a DE when I am in a hurry but I find the straight much less irritating and much nicer to use. T
Do it! It's work, but what worthwhile goal isn't? It doesn't feel like work for long either btw
.This thread is turning into the peer pressure thread
.
Gooble Gobble
Gooble Gobble
We accept you.
One of us.
Gooble Gobble
We accept you.
One of us.
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Yeah. Sorry for any peer pressure! And for any excessive posting length or enthusiasm!
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