A vast majority of wet shavers started with a cartridge razor. Some used a
Gillette Mach III, others used a different type of cartridge (
Schick Quattro,
BIC,
Gillette Excel,
Trac II, etc). Many shavers also come from the Electric razor world. The quest to find the right razor is unique for each of us. Some are discovering wet
shaving following issues with their skin such as ingrown hairs. Others would try it as they are now tired of the cartridges price. It could be the closeness of the shave or this chore might be more interesting with different tools... Regardless of the razor that one would choose, you are here because you are looking for a better shave. Keep in mind that regardless if you choose a
safety razor or a
straight razor, you will achieve the same result.
There are Pros and Cons of using a
straight razor or a
safety razor. You should pick what sounds interesting to you. When you start using one of those tools, you should only pick one or the other. Your technique will need to be developed and improved. If you keep using the same tools, you will achieve better results quicker. Do not be afraid of the blade being exposed compared to a cartridge razor that would offer more protection.
Safety razors are a bit safer than
straight razors, so it might be easier for you to start with a
safety razor.
Straight Razors are cooler and more "old school".
Straight Razors require a bit more maintenance than a
safety razor. Either tool will require more time at first to shave. Make sure that you will be ready to invest the time and efforts to learn this new way of shaving. Rare are the users that have a good shave on the first try; especially with a
straight razor. The rate of success with a
safety razor is higher. Do not be discouraged from trying a
straight razor because of that.
Many shavers will comment on the sharpness of a
straight razor as not nearly as sharp compared to a
safety razor. You need to keep in mind that a
straight razor sharpness relates to the razor itself, how it was sharpened and your
stropping technique. It is strongly recommended to have a professional
honing your first
straight razor. That way, you will have an idea on what 'Shave Ready' means. The
safety razor on the other hand has disposable blades. Those blades, depending on the brand, can be sharper, duller, rougher, smoother. Each have a preference and finding the right blade can be a tricky exercise. Depending on your razor, a blade can act differently. The same razor and blade could be different from a
user to another. Now, it doesn't necessarily take a lot of money to get a good shave from a
straight razor, but probably more so than the average
DE setup. The big cost is in time. Within a few weeks, you can get incredible shaves with a
DE. With a
straight, it'll take months before you are getting shaves as close as you could/would within a week or two with a
DE.