Straight razor newbie and not convinced

Greybeard

Greybeard

Joined
Wednesday July 6, 2016
Location
NW England
OK...I have been a wet shaver for years and a few years ago I tried a straight razor for the first time...not great results. It was pretty aggressive...but my main problem was being able to angle my head to see where I was shaving in the mirror...there just seemed to be to many angles that didn't let me see what the hell was going on! I'm not ambidextrous...so what's the secret?
 
True what Thackerey said. It is a matter practice. Do you shave with one or two hands? After a while you develop a sense for the angle and the grip. You doesn´t need to see all the spots that the blade is running over.
In my case it must be a hell of a show, for an outsider, to watch my shaving. Turning the head up and down from left to right, stretching here and stretching there.Throwing my arms over the head to reach the other side. Pulling and frogging and so on. Not to mention the glasses going from near the eyes to the nose tip and back so many times.
I have been shaving with a straight for about ten years now and I still nick myself now and then.
Just keep on practising and you will get the feeling for it.
 
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sorry my original post wasn't too helpful, i shave with either hand so i guess i have it a bit easier!, but the only advice i can offer is practice, don't worry if your method looks unorthodox, if it works for you, it's right.
like Bjoern, i've been shaving straight for a number of years and i still nick myself occasionally, it's just one of those things.
 
Well thanks for all the comments - I actually had another go with a straight this morning - wasn't really comfortable with it and decided that I just don't have the patience to try and get comfortable with something that at a very basic level I don't like as much as a DE or SE safety razor...I guess if I had grown up with a Dad who used a straight then I might have a different view about it, but he was a DE man through and through...I think I am too!
 
Is your straight definitely shave ready? If you just shaved your cheeks with it would it feel smooth or tug like a bitch?

My dad uses disposable gillettes and always has as long as I can remember lol
 
Daniel said:
Is your straight definitely shave ready? If you just shaved your cheeks with it would it feel smooth or tug like a bitch?

My dad uses disposable gillettes and always has as long as I can remember lol
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Definitely shave-ready...I am pretty experienced at using whet stones and strops for various blades.
 
An SR can Be Shave Ready & a Person May Still Not Get a Shave Out of it because of Lack of Experience..Is a Bit Like a Learner Driver for the 1st Time Jumping into a Perfectly Good Car & Not Being Able to Drive it..Nor Would One Expect them Too Either..;)

Like Driving a Car You Wont Learn in One or Two Lessons..The Knowledge is All in the Practice..o_O

There are No Secrets..:D

Billy
 
Fergiebilly said:
An SR can Be Shave Ready & a Person May Still Not Get a Shave Out of it because of Lack of Experience..Is a Bit Like a Learner Driver for the 1st Time Jumping into a Perfectly Good Car & Not Being Able to Drive it..Nor Would One Expect them Too Either..;)

Like Driving a Car You Wont Learn in One or Two Lessons..The Knowledge is All in the Practice..o_O

There are No Secrets..:D

Billy
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yes, I completely get the need to practice to develop the right technique...I just don't like to practice with a sharp blade on my face:eek:
 
Do you think you'd find a kamisori style razor easier to handle? If so (broken record here)...think about trying a non folding feather artist club with a proguard blade. The Proguards offer pretty decent protection from cuts actually and they're still a seriously sharp blade. Not as sharp and smooth as the pro and pro super, infact the Proguard offers a shave similar to a straight in my experience, with the added bonus of training wheels

Just something to think about maybe
 
Daniel said:
Do you think you'd find a kamisori style razor easier to handle? If so (broken record here)...think about trying a non folding feather artist club with a proguard blade. The Proguards offer pretty decent protection from cuts actually and they're still a seriously sharp blade. Not as sharp and smooth as the pro and pro super, infact the Proguard offers a shave similar to a straight in my experience, with the added bonus of training wheels

Just something to think about maybe
Click to expand...

Thanks Daniel, but I've pretty much decided that I'm going to stick with DE and occasional SE safety razors...it's clear that from everyone's posts the benefits from any type of straight razor only come from practice and developing technique. I'm sure that many feel it's really worth the effort, and I salute their commitment and skill, but I've decided it's not for me...I also reckon I'd end up spending a fortune on razors!
 
You might want to try one more thing before you give up. The Feather St8 (or one of its clones) with a ProGuard blade. A safer was to learn without all the Hassle of maintenance. I find that with this setup WTG shaving is all you need to do.


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