Why do people choose a DE when a straight shaves better?

D

Doc Dan

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2023
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Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Why do people choose a DE safety razor? I have quite a few and I use and like them, but not as much as I did before I got my first straight razor. I constantly hear or read about people cutting themselves, getting weepers, getting irritation, struggling to find the right efficiency, and etc. While it is fun to buy and try new razors in the hunt for the perfect one, it is also costly.

However, I learned something. I thought all straight razor users were crazy and I heard all of the horror stories about chopped and cut faces. I now think those stories belong in the same box with big foot and the skunk ape. Since I started shaving with a straight razor, I found that I have zero irritation and I get a very efficient shave. I don't get weepers or cuts. The shave takes me a little longer because of stropping and oiling before putting my razor away. However, I have a more satisfying experience. All of the money used on searching for the right DE razor could have gone to buy several good straight razors.

Do any of you have this experience?
 
I think wet shavers are outliers and in that small group you will find the few who prefer a straight razor. In that group the subset of kamisori users. Partly it is the extra maintenance, strops, hones etc. and then there is the extra time. The worry about using an actually blade is also Im sure front of mind. Personally I tend to use a straight about 90% of the time and yes I have cut myself a few times, but Ive certainly experience more problems on that front with a DE. When pressed I will use a vintage DE and when traveling I will usually default to a DE just because of travel restrictions. As for saving money, I almost fell off my chair laughing. Straight razor shaving can be really cheap. I picked up a mint Bengall for $1 and a cheap strop along with a diamond or CrOx balsa would see most people right. The rabbit hole is however deep, for some its strops, others stones and then there are the razors themselves.
 
Why do people choose a DE safety razor when they could choose a SE? ;)

I used to use a straight before I started shaving my head. Since I'm an all-or-nothing kind of guy, and had no interest in dancing a tarantella with mirror in one hand and razor in the other, I went back to using a safety razor. A straight does not shave better, that's just something that users of straights like to tell themselves, and often others, at great length.
 
Gargravarr said:
Why do people choose a DE safety razor when they could choose a SE? ;)

I used to use a straight before I started shaving my head. Since I'm an all-or-nothing kind of guy, and had no interest in dancing a tarantella with mirror in one hand and razor in the other, I went back to using a safety razor. A straight does not shave better, that's just something that users of straights like to tell themselves, and often others, at great length.
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Hear hear. While I shave with a straight razor 90% of the time, I find this kind of statements highly debatable. I would find it difficult to imagine a better shave, a closer shave, a smoother face than my last shave with that over the top Karl Becker razor. However, I have had equally close and smooth shaves with my beloved Red Tip, so I, personally, try to stay away from these kind of absolute truths.
 
Mastropiero said:
Hear hear. While I shave with a straight razor 90% of the time, I find this kind of statements highly debatable. I would find it difficult to imagine a better shave, a closer shave, a smoother face than my last shave with that over the top Karl Becker razor. However, I have had equally close and smooth shaves with my beloved Red Tip, so I, personally, try to stay away from these kind of absolute truths.
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And there's no faulting the Red Tip. That was one of my earliest razors when I first started shaving. Not the first, that was one of the beautiful, dainty little ladies' Gillette razors, then one of the black handle adjustable Gillettes.
 
People choose DEs because it is a recognisable form factor. Straights are something from much earlier generations, a technology that has long been superseded, and therefore must be inferior.

Straight shavers are like Quakers, riding around in horse buggies while everyone else zooms past in sports cars...
 
horses for courses.
spend enough time with any razor type and you will get great results, straight takes longer in terms of auxiliary tasks, sometimes I care for that and other times I don’t.
 
There are five main reasons (but many more) why the modem man does not embrace straight razor (SR) shaving.

The first main reason why men don't shave with SRs is safety. During the 18th and 19th centuries, when SRs were all in vogue, the average life expectancy was about 40 to 50 years. During the 20th century, as DE razors took over, average life expectancy rapidly increased to over 70 years. The "safety" aspect was obvious. All those early deaths must have been caused by SRs! For me, as a SR shaver, I expect to be dead within 20 or less years.

Next is the time factor. reasonably accurate clocks did not come into common use until the 20th century. Then man could organise his activities down to the second. SR shaving took an extra 5 minutes or more. This left less time for the enjoyment of mowing the lawn and painting the house, much loved by all men.

More recently other factors have crept in to turn men away from SR shaving. Men who returned to SR shaving discovered that it is addictive. The more you SR shaved, the more one wants to SR shave. I'm addicted.

Environmentally, SR shaving should be banned. Think of all the energy uses in manufacturing the steel blade. Then there is the fine steel particles released into the environment due to producing and maintaining a blade's edge with stropping/honing.

When a man returns to SR shaving, he finds that almost none of his friends or associates partake of the art. They consider him an outcast. He is soon ostracized from society. I lead a lonely solitary life.
 
I can't imagine getting a closer shave than with my Wolfman or blackbird, it's BBS every direction I rub and it's hassle free and would imagine relatively quick compared to a straight..

A straight would take longer and have much more upkeep in having the blade sharp, I don't care for either

One last point (dunno if I'm right) but can you go ATG with a straight? If not there is no way it will be a closer shave than I can get with a DE
 
StratMan said:
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One last point (dunno if I'm right) but can you go ATG with a straight? If not there is no way it will be a closer shave than I can get with a DE
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ATG? Most definitely. I also include a Coupé de Maître (aka fool's pass or ATG on the upper lip) in every daily shave. This I find is the best test of a blade's edge quality.

As my SR shaving technique developed, I found that my BBS result (including an ATG pass) was just too good. Twenty-four hours later I had nothing to shave again. I then dropped the ATG (except for the CdM) and replaced it with a second XTG in the opposite direction. This still have me a BBS style finish but not so much that I didn't have something to shave 24 hours later.

I don't shave just for the finished result. Being a SR shaver, I shave for the pure enjoyment of the shave. Like most enjoyable things in life, I don't want it to end any time soon. I have worked out a routine to where I can extend my shaving time to well over 30 minutes.

Blade maintenance is also an enjoyable part of SR shaving for me. This adds about 3 or 4 minutes to my shave routine. There is a great feeling of satisfaction in shaving with a edge that you prepared and maintain yourself.

All that being said, SR shaving is not for everyone. It takes time, commitment and concentration to become proficient. Some just don't have one or more of those attributes to succeed.

Which ever way you choose to shave, be it carts, electric, DE/SE razors of SRs, the main thing is to enjoy your shaving.
 
Doc Dan said:
Why do people choose a DE safety razor? I have quite a few and I use and like them, but not as much as I did before I got my first straight razor. I constantly hear or read about people cutting themselves, getting weepers, getting irritation, struggling to find the right efficiency, and etc. While it is fun to buy and try new razors in the hunt for the perfect one, it is also costly.

However, I learned something. I thought all straight razor users were crazy and I heard all of the horror stories about chopped and cut faces. I now think those stories belong in the same box with big foot and the skunk ape. Since I started shaving with a straight razor, I found that I have zero irritation and I get a very efficient shave. I don't get weepers or cuts. The shave takes me a little longer because of stropping and oiling before putting my razor away. However, I have a more satisfying experience. All of the money used on searching for the right DE razor could have gone to buy several good straight razors.

Do any of you have this experience?
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I got into traditional wet shaving due to cost and having seen my father using a DE from his days of shaving in the army. Many purchases later I have developed a modest collection and dappled in SE AC style razors but the thought of using a real straight never crossed my mind as it takes patience and skill that I lack, plus I have mild tremors in my left hand so shaving with a DE gets the best of me sometimes. Glad I made the change as the shaving routine is much better for my skin, wallet and the environment!

I admire the artistry, skill and esthetics of a well made, sharpened/honed straight and I'm confident I'd get the best results using one to shave my Mediterranean growth but for now I'll stick to DE/SE AC shaving and enjoy the SOTD posts from those brave souls who enjoy the 'scary looking' straight razors. (y)
 
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rbscebu said:
Unfortunately I cannot compare "safety" razors against SRs. I still just don't have the courage to shave with a single-blade razor where I can't see the edge against my skin.

"Safety" razor shavers are real men 😬.
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Straight razor shavers are real men, because, they’re super fearless.

Safety razor shavers men just want a simple and easy stress free shave.
 
StratMan said:
One last point (dunno if I'm right) but can you go ATG with a straight? If not there is no way it will be a closer shave than I can get with a DE
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Yes, absolutely. It takes a tad of practice, confidence in your hands and confidence in your edge, but there is absolutely no good reason not to go ATG with a straight. Upper lip is delicate, I find my hardest whiskers are there, but you end up developing methods to deal with that.

A small problem that can affect negatively ATG is hair growth direction. I have a spot on my neck where it grows in such way that going ATG is an ergonomic challenge, particularly with longer straights. I end up adopting quite a funny position just for that bloody square cm.

But yes, you most definitely can go ATG. My later SOTD, I could glide my finger from my Joey's apple to the chin and feel absolutely no stubs, nothing, just pure, well hidrated skin.
 
Razor Burn said:
I got into traditional wet shaving due to cost and having seen my father using a DE from his days of shaving in the army. Many purchases later I have developed a modest collection and dappled in SE AC style razors but the thought of using a real straight never crossed my mind as it takes patience and skill that I lack, plus I have mild tremors in my left hand so shaving with a DE gets the best of me sometimes. Glad I made the change as the shaving routine is much better for my skin, wallet and the environment!

I admire the artistry, skill and esthetics of a well made, sharpened/honed straight and I'm confident I'd get the best results using one to shave my Mediterranean growth but for now I'll stick to DE/SE AC shaving and enjoy the SOTD posts from those brave souls who enjoy the 'scary looking' straight razors. (y)
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I only use my right hand for shaving with my straight razor. Many use both hands, but a hit and run accident when a car whacked me while I was riding my motorcycle left me with a bit of mobility issues in my left shoulder. I can use it, but it isn't comfortable. My point being, if your right hand has no tremors, then you are good to go. @rbscebu lives in AUS, and maybe he, or others, can help you learn. I learned simply by watching two videos and found it was easy and intuitive (I've skinned a lot of small animals :LOL:).
 
Doc Dan said:
I only use my right hand for shaving with my straight razor. Many use both hands, but a hit and run accident when a car whacked me while I was riding my motorcycle left me with a bit of mobility issues in my left shoulder.
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It is so odd how human body works. I have perfectly with a SR using both hands, yet get a DE in my left hand and wife better get the emergency number on speed dial.

Three years ago I broke my right shoulder, ski accident. I had to shave for weeks using my left hand with a DE and it was a nigjtmare.
 
SpeedyPC said:
Straight razor shavers are real men, because, they’re super fearless.

Safety razor shavers men just want a simple and easy stress free shave.
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Exactly mate as these days I'm happy to do a quick 2 pass DFS and don't have the time/patience focussing on my technique and hoping I don't cut myself too bad that I end up looking like Freddy Krueger!
 
Razor Burn said:
Exactly mate as these days I'm happy to do a quick 2 pass DFS and don't have the time/patience focussing on my technique and hoping I don't cut myself too bad that I end up looking like Freddy Krueger!
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Careful @Razor Burn, Freddy can hear you and he might slice up your face during your sleep.

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