I have wet shaved most of my teenage and adult life with DE, Schick SE and GEM SE razors. I have had a few Cartridge shaves and while they were convenient they were definitely sub par.
Growing up as a kid in the 50’s and 60’s I watched my grandfather wield an horrendous piece of metal that he would rub on a bit of leather that as a young kid I came to later understand had a dual purpose.
My grandfather was born in 1883 so as a very young man he would have been presented with the choice of a beard or a straight razor. Can you contemplate that as a 15 or so year old? DE etc. hadn’t even by the turn of the 1900’s arrived mass market. Even until very late in life, his late 80’s he was still shaving with a straight.
When it was my turn I was presented with a Gillette Black Beauty DE and I hated it. Right from day one I really didn’t have a clue and found it to be a vicious nasty little weapon. I could not comprehend how anyone of any age could or would want to put a razor sharp edge straight against their face. A straight razor mystified and terrified me. Not long after as a school kid working after school I purchased a Schick that could replace a blade. I knew nothing about soaps or brushes. Imperial leather was the soap and the brush was rapidly going bald. Despite bath soap and a ratty brush my wet shaving became a pleasure and my love of SE razors began.
Now for the past three years and for 99% of my shaving I have used a straight razor. I often ask “why?”
Why didn’t I start earlier.
The following are just my thoughts on the last 3 years. These are not “laws” so please contribute courteously if you have your own experiences to add.
Choosing a blade: For me the easiest size to shave with has been the 11/16” and the 6/8”. Initially the 5/8” was ok but I found it easier to nick the skin as the smallest movements altered the blade angle with the potential for blood. 11/16” and the 6/8” although not hugely wider blades seemed a bit more forgiving as a beginner. There are many razor grinds as well. I have just about one of each and still prefer a full hollow. This type gives definite face feel and sound experience as well. A wedge or near wedge will give an almost sensory free shave. Great when you have experience but it has the potential to fillet your face because of the lack of feedback if it is your first razor and first shave.
How long until you get a good shave as you learn: Between 50 and 100 shaves. Then it is a rapid improvement.
Lather: We use the words cushion and glide and mostly we refer to them relative to safety razor shaving. With a straight razor glide is really the only one to be concerned with. The only real contact for a straight razor is about .5mm of bevel and from experience you don’t won’t a fluffy cushioning, grippy lather. The better the glide the less you push and the less you are prone to facial reconstruction.
Your normal lather will be fine but make certain you have plenty of product and a fairly wet lather. Initially your lather will dry on your face in areas you haven’t reached with the straight. It can be a slow process to begin with. I used to just water dip the tips of my brush and refresh as I went. Dry lather will cause gripping, scrapping, cuts and irritation because the desire will be to push harder. How do I know
?
How to learn: Start with the flat cheek areas and maybe the neck areas and patiently learn the feel of the blade and the response of the blade in each hand. Finish the shave with your DE or Cart for that pass and finish the shave totally with the DE Etc.. Don’t worry about trying to shave the top lip or the chin for a while with the straight. As you progress each day tackle another area of the face – oh and remember to breathe. Collapsing on the floor with a straight in your hand is not a good move. By about the end of the week, after the first pass finished with your DE use your straight to “explore” the curvier terrain for a second pass. Don’t rush, just allow the weight of the blade to glide over the face. You only want to remove lather, not skin.
If you have an old straight you can make it a training blade by running the edge of the blade along the lip of a smooth lipped drinking glass 5 or 6 times. The edge will be very dull and safe to train with, but a sharp blade will still have a different character. The dull blade will help you learn how to see the blade related to your face while you learn to stretch etc.
The top lip and the chin: Ever noticed why many guys who shave with a straight sport a Goatee ?
Some people have no trouble with these areas, some grow a Goatee, or some use a DE for the “problem” areas. Nothing wrong with any of those solutions. There are some good You tube vids on how to approach those areas. Slow and steady and minimal pressure.
How many passes and which direction?: Initially the quality of your straight shave won’t be up to the DE so you may need more than 1 pass. I would only suggest WTG and/or XTG. Against the grain requires an extremely smooth sharp blade and correct technique. Skin very taught and blade flat on the skin. As you improve over time you will either get an excellent single pass WTG/XTG shave or decide you want to just touch up areas that haven’t fully responded to a single pass.
Blade maintenance: As you begin you will likely dull your blade quite quickly because you are still learning and refining technique. Wrong angle, wrong stropping methods and trying to shave too dry. Dry your blade and inside the scales and then strop on leather about fifty strokes. I’m not big fan of linen as I’ve seen it damage a nice edge in the wrong hands.
If you have been hooked on a straight but don’t hone blades yourself I would suggest 3 blades professionally honed and as one becomes less than optimal send it off for honing move to the second blade and then repeat the procedure. @Substance here on the forum for East coasters would fit that bill.
If you get really hooked get some stones and jump in the rabbit hole. A good 12 - 16k synthetic should be enough to maintain an edge after you have gained good shaving and stropping techniques.
Straight shaving does require more commitment compared to an SE or DE and isn't for everyone but it is a great shaving journey.
There are many more points to consider so if you shave with a straight please contribute.
Steve
Growing up as a kid in the 50’s and 60’s I watched my grandfather wield an horrendous piece of metal that he would rub on a bit of leather that as a young kid I came to later understand had a dual purpose.
My grandfather was born in 1883 so as a very young man he would have been presented with the choice of a beard or a straight razor. Can you contemplate that as a 15 or so year old? DE etc. hadn’t even by the turn of the 1900’s arrived mass market. Even until very late in life, his late 80’s he was still shaving with a straight.
When it was my turn I was presented with a Gillette Black Beauty DE and I hated it. Right from day one I really didn’t have a clue and found it to be a vicious nasty little weapon. I could not comprehend how anyone of any age could or would want to put a razor sharp edge straight against their face. A straight razor mystified and terrified me. Not long after as a school kid working after school I purchased a Schick that could replace a blade. I knew nothing about soaps or brushes. Imperial leather was the soap and the brush was rapidly going bald. Despite bath soap and a ratty brush my wet shaving became a pleasure and my love of SE razors began.
Now for the past three years and for 99% of my shaving I have used a straight razor. I often ask “why?”
Why didn’t I start earlier.
The following are just my thoughts on the last 3 years. These are not “laws” so please contribute courteously if you have your own experiences to add.
Choosing a blade: For me the easiest size to shave with has been the 11/16” and the 6/8”. Initially the 5/8” was ok but I found it easier to nick the skin as the smallest movements altered the blade angle with the potential for blood. 11/16” and the 6/8” although not hugely wider blades seemed a bit more forgiving as a beginner. There are many razor grinds as well. I have just about one of each and still prefer a full hollow. This type gives definite face feel and sound experience as well. A wedge or near wedge will give an almost sensory free shave. Great when you have experience but it has the potential to fillet your face because of the lack of feedback if it is your first razor and first shave.
How long until you get a good shave as you learn: Between 50 and 100 shaves. Then it is a rapid improvement.
Lather: We use the words cushion and glide and mostly we refer to them relative to safety razor shaving. With a straight razor glide is really the only one to be concerned with. The only real contact for a straight razor is about .5mm of bevel and from experience you don’t won’t a fluffy cushioning, grippy lather. The better the glide the less you push and the less you are prone to facial reconstruction.
Your normal lather will be fine but make certain you have plenty of product and a fairly wet lather. Initially your lather will dry on your face in areas you haven’t reached with the straight. It can be a slow process to begin with. I used to just water dip the tips of my brush and refresh as I went. Dry lather will cause gripping, scrapping, cuts and irritation because the desire will be to push harder. How do I know
?How to learn: Start with the flat cheek areas and maybe the neck areas and patiently learn the feel of the blade and the response of the blade in each hand. Finish the shave with your DE or Cart for that pass and finish the shave totally with the DE Etc.. Don’t worry about trying to shave the top lip or the chin for a while with the straight. As you progress each day tackle another area of the face – oh and remember to breathe. Collapsing on the floor with a straight in your hand is not a good move. By about the end of the week, after the first pass finished with your DE use your straight to “explore” the curvier terrain for a second pass. Don’t rush, just allow the weight of the blade to glide over the face. You only want to remove lather, not skin.
If you have an old straight you can make it a training blade by running the edge of the blade along the lip of a smooth lipped drinking glass 5 or 6 times. The edge will be very dull and safe to train with, but a sharp blade will still have a different character. The dull blade will help you learn how to see the blade related to your face while you learn to stretch etc.
The top lip and the chin: Ever noticed why many guys who shave with a straight sport a Goatee
?Some people have no trouble with these areas, some grow a Goatee, or some use a DE for the “problem” areas. Nothing wrong with any of those solutions. There are some good You tube vids on how to approach those areas. Slow and steady and minimal pressure.
How many passes and which direction?: Initially the quality of your straight shave won’t be up to the DE so you may need more than 1 pass. I would only suggest WTG and/or XTG. Against the grain requires an extremely smooth sharp blade and correct technique. Skin very taught and blade flat on the skin. As you improve over time you will either get an excellent single pass WTG/XTG shave or decide you want to just touch up areas that haven’t fully responded to a single pass.
Blade maintenance: As you begin you will likely dull your blade quite quickly because you are still learning and refining technique. Wrong angle, wrong stropping methods and trying to shave too dry. Dry your blade and inside the scales and then strop on leather about fifty strokes. I’m not big fan of linen as I’ve seen it damage a nice edge in the wrong hands.
If you have been hooked on a straight but don’t hone blades yourself I would suggest 3 blades professionally honed and as one becomes less than optimal send it off for honing move to the second blade and then repeat the procedure. @Substance here on the forum for East coasters would fit that bill.
If you get really hooked get some stones and jump in the rabbit hole. A good 12 - 16k synthetic should be enough to maintain an edge after you have gained good shaving and stropping techniques.
Straight shaving does require more commitment compared to an SE or DE and isn't for everyone but it is a great shaving journey.
There are many more points to consider so if you shave with a straight please contribute.
Steve
