Straight razor newbie and not convinced

Grey
Tall_Paul said:
It's much more difficult shaving with a straight than with any other razor but that's part of the joy of it!

I tend to shave with a straight at the weekend when I have more time.

As everyone has said though, it's just practice, practice, practice and making sure you're starting with a straight that has been honed by someone who knows how to do it (so you have a good reference point as to what a shave ready straight should feel like).
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Greybeard says he sharpens blades, so hopefully he has a loupe and has seen his own work close up. He did say this in a previous post

His word :- Definitely shave-ready...I am pretty experienced at using whet stones and strops for various blades.
 
It took me four weeks and 35 straight shaves (shaved twice a couple of days, three times one day), focusing on right side of face only, leaving left to a DE, before I was really happy with the experience. I would compare the achievement to a green card in golf: Now it is time to start for real:)
 
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Greybeard said:
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?
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I am left handed & just That hand to do the complete shave.Sure I can also shave with the right hand but I don't see why.Like the other guys are saying,if it works for you then stick with it.There is no golden rule.What feels natural for one person might not feel natural for another.It just takes time & patience & most importantly developing your own way of doing it.Once you find a method that works,then stick with it because that's your own unique way.
 
Jack Sales said:
I am left handed & just That hand to do the complete shave.Sure I can also shave with the right hand but I don't see why.Like the other guys are saying,if it works for you then stick with it.There is no golden rule.What feels natural for one person might not feel natural for another.It just takes time & patience & most importantly developing your own way of doing it.Once you find a method that works,then stick with it because that's your own unique way.
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While since I posted this Jack, but I agree with you 100%. (Notice how i didn't say 110% or 200% like those idiots who think there's better than 100%? ;):):D)
 
Blademonkey said:
Don't you just hate that when a boss or anybody says I want 110% out of you?!! How can you take them seriously after that?
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You're gonna hate this BM, but I've got to say it...
Given my training in economics ; yup, go figure (that's the bit you'll hate)...it always pisses me off when people say that "I'll give you 110%"...it just makes me think: so your 100% is actually like most people's 80%? 70%, 10%, wtf is your maximum?:D:D:D
 
Greybeard said:
You're gonna hate this BM, but I've got to say it...
Given my training in economics ; yup, go figure (that's the bit you'll hate)...it always pisses me off when people say that "I'll give you 110%"...it just makes me think: so your 100% is actually like most people's 80%? 70%, 10%, wtf is your maximum?:D:D:D
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Ha, yea I know what you mean, as soon as it's said ,WTF? Ps over it now:)
 
Greybeard said:
Definitely shave-ready...I am pretty experienced at using whet stones and strops for various blades.
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Sharpening a straight is very different to sharpening a knife, if that's the comparison. I progressed from DE to straight simply because I wanted to eliminate the need to lob a blade once used, just seems a waste. It took me at least two weeks to get reasonable results, and a month before I felt I had become proficient. I would also question how shave ready your razor is, and I would just comment that it wasn't until I'd bought a razor from a collector that I truly understood what shave ready on a straight was.
 
TomP30 said:
Sharpening a straight is very different to sharpening a knife, if that's the comparison. I progressed from DE to straight simply because I wanted to eliminate the need to lob a blade once used, just seems a waste. It took me at least two weeks to get reasonable results, and a month before I felt I had become proficient. I would also question how shave ready your razor is, and I would just comment that it wasn't until I'd bought a razor from a collector that I truly understood what shave ready on a straight was.
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Hi Tom...thanks for your comment...I'd actually forgotten about this thread. If you read the thread through, you'll note that my problem with straights isn't how shave-ready my blade is...it's the whole technique I dislike. The other thing I dislike is blade maintenance. I actually like having pre-sharpened blades that I can buy by the 100 for a few quid and throw away. Mostly though I simply prefer shaving with a DE safety. Also, as a collector at heart, I know that if I used straights I would be spending a fortune buying them! Being a straight razor collector does not mean one has expertise in sharpening blades...I would suggest it depends more on a knowledge of the composition of the steel (and other metals) used in a particular blade and the appropriate abrasive and polishing surfaces needed to give the steel an edge. Personally I use a set of Japanese combination water stones that I keep soaking in a simple plastic tub. For my razor (which I have sharpened more times than I've shaved with) I followed the honing with a combination leather/canvass strop, with various stropping compounds. My razor was definitely shave-ready...just can't be arsed to keep it that way!
I'd just add one more point...one person could be used to sharpening a straight razor to suit their own face, but another person might find it doesn't suit them. Isn't that why people on forums like this one talk about which razors and blades they like/dislike? Shave-ready for one person isn't necessarily shave ready for another. Hey...I guess that means my straight razor might not have been shave-ready for me!! Good point, Tom:):D (I bet it would be shave ready for many razor collectors though ;))
 
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As always YMMV! I loved my EJ DE89 when I first bought it, it shaved beautifully and gave me results as good as anything out there. But conversely I love the simplicity of straights, a minute of stropping in the morning and it's good to go, nothing to load or lob, no messy packaging to discard or recycle. But you are correct, we all have a different take on things and that is what makes these forums useful. Happy shaving with whatever!
 
TomP30 said:
As always YMMV! I loved my EJ DE89 when I first bought it, it shaved beautifully and gave me results as good as anything out there. But conversely I love the simplicity of straights, a minute of stropping in the morning and it's good to go, nothing to load or lob, no messy packaging to discard or recycle. But you are correct, we all have a different take on things and that is what makes these forums useful. Happy shaving with whatever!
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Thanks Tom...no matter what I say about straight razors, I refuse to let mine go, just on the off chance that I'll try it again one day! I have to admit, I also sometimes envy the straight razor users on the forum...that's how i know I would never be happy with just the one:confused:;)
 
Greybeard said:
Thanks Tom...no matter what I say about straight razors, I refuse to let mine go, just on the off chance that I'll try it again one day! I have to admit, I also sometimes envy the straight razor users on the forum...that's how i know I would never be happy with just the one:confused:;)
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Totally understand where you are there, I love browsing and have enjoyed my journey as a buyer thus far (albeit with some disappointments thrown in). I think what works for me is limiting myself to two, and not acquiring anything new unless I have made room, that way I also avoid any impulse buys!
 
TomP30 said:
Totally understand where you are there, I love browsing and have enjoyed my journey as a buyer thus far (albeit with some disappointments thrown in). I think what works for me is limiting myself to two, and not acquiring anything new unless I have made room, that way I also avoid any impulse buys!
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I envy your self discipline:)
 
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