Straight vs Safety razors - How to choose

M

mdsmith

Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
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Hey guys. I posted in this area once before when I recieved a Henckles straight razor from my grandfather when he passed. I never actually followed through with getting into this type of shaving though. Well, recently I went to a barber shop and the barber cleaned up the back of my neck with a straight razor. It was awesome. He put a hot towel on my neck, them some warm shaving foam that was dispensed from a machine. After shaving it, he used another hot towel, then followed up with an aftershave who's aroma conjured up images of the days when a barber shop was a social gathering place for men, as opposed to a place where you get a 2 minute haircut by a woman who never says a word to you besides, "how do you want it cut". Anyway, this experience revived my desire to get into this type of shaving. I'm not sure if I want to go the straight or safety razor route though. I have relatively sensitive skin, and facial hair that is pretty soft and thin. I honestly couldn't grow a full beard if my life depended on it. I have a 120.00 credit to Amazon, and if possible, would like to use it to purchase whatever is needed to get started. So, what are the pros and cons of straigh and safety razor shaving? Would my skin and facial hair type determine which is better for me?

On a side not, I HAVE to find out what type of aftershave that barber used on me. I was so classic and masculine smelling. It was exactly what you would picture smelling like leaving a barber shop of yesteryear.
 
Personally I wouldn't shave with a straight razor... knowing me I'd probably slice off one of my ears. :D I would also mention that I sliced a piece of skin from my chin while using one of those old double edged safety razors. Now I stick with a Gillette Sensor and have only 'nicked' myself once. I'm 64 years old. I'm pretty sure my barber uses witch hazel as the standard aftershave.
 
Either way, you need lather. Your barber used a machine. They are expensive and really not intended for once-per-day use. The most common brand, Latherking, specifically discourages "personal" use. Designed for barbershop professional use, these machines cost several hundred dollars.

So, you need a brush, a bowl, and your choice of a soap or cream. Some nice brushes are available in the $50 ranges. Bowls are in the $25 range for purpose-built one, but you can probably find something usable in your kitchen for free. I currently recommend a cake of DR Harris soap for about $15; that seems like a lot for a cake of soap, by it will give upwards of 120 shaves.

Straigt razor shaving harkens back to a day when most men did not shave themselves. A high-class gentleman was shaved by his valet... who also took care of razor maintenance. A working bloke was shaved by his wife -- or maybe by one of his daughters as part of her training to be married off -- who also took care of the razor. And a middle-class man saved his womenfolk this task by dropping a penny at the neighborhood barber where he not only got a shave but also got caught up on all the latest news and gossip (the barbershop was their version of Facebook (pun intended)) where the barber kept the razor. Men who, today, undertake straight razor shaving solo are undertaking something they were never intended to do single-handedly and so it really has to be a sort of labor-of-love, something one does not just for utility but out of a genuine interest and pride.

I have had straight shaves from skilled barbers and it really is a great experience; it's more than a shave.

But, day-to-day, the speed and convenience of a DE safety razor wins out for me.
 
two very different techniques are needed for DE and straight shaving also how much time do you allow yourself to shave and get ready for work everyday? I use a vintage British Gillette Super Speed loaded with Astra SP blades and a quick shave for my tough beard is close to 10 minutes for acceptable results. A straight shave is a minimum of 30+ minutes. I allocate two hours of time for me to get ready for work, because when I rush I just don't feel the same after.

Oh and there is a positive to this whole shave den ritual. When I first started traditional wet shaving my wife would make fun of me for spending more time in the bathroom than her, but one day she walked in as I was shaving and said it was sexy to see me shave with confidence using these tools! Again, another reason I allow so much time....;)


Either way you go, don't settle for the first things you try. Get samples, hit up youtube, and just go for it!


-Xander
 
Since I already have the straight razor, I'll probably just go ahead and get the brush, soap and dish for now. I'll try the straight razor shave for a while, and if it just isn't for me, then I'll consider buying a DE razor.
 
I think Gollnick nailed it. Let us know how it works out, you've got me curious as to that aftershave!
 
mdsmith said:
Since I already have the straight razor, I'll probably just go ahead and get the brush, soap and dish for now. I'll try the straight razor shave for a while, and if it just isn't for me, then I'll consider buying a DE razor.
Click to expand...

Check at Badger and Blade or at StraightRazorPlace for links to some great videos of lather, sharpening and shaving techniques. Straight shaving does take more time each day than DE shaving. It also takes more of a commitment in money and time in maintaining a shave ready razor. At a minimum you will need some type of strop, though this can be user made. In the long run the blade will periodically need to be honed by the user or sent out to be honed by a honemeister for a minimal cost. DE razors surpassed straights primarily due to convenience and though in the long term there is also some regular costs, they can be very inexpensive to use.
 
Mdsmith, do let us know how it goes for you. Major kudos to anyone who can work a straight razor. I had my barber give me a straight shave for my birthday a few years ago. It was incredibly good--I felt and smelled wonderful. But I still have slip-ups with disposable cartridges, so I'm leaving the heavy blade work to my barber.
 
Smith, Straight razor shaving takes time to learn. Plus, sharpening of the blade takes time developing honing skills. Perhaps one year but not insurmountable. One or two good fine honing stones and a strop or two. A steady hand and the right creme for you. Just keep at it and have some BIC razors on hand while learning. Shave w/ them for a few days after you get a nick. Enjoy the journey. I've not gotten any closer shave. DM
 
I have found that the most common aftershave used in barber shops in my area is Pinaud Clubman. I think some Wal-Greens and CVS stores carry it. May give that a sniff and see if that was what he used.
 
I use a Dovo Shavette: used the long Dovo blades for years, but now I use shorter DE Feathers. Best of both worlds. Straight razor-style shaving without the stropping and upkeep!
 
mdsmith, Have you had a chance to shave with you Grandfathers straight razor yet? On Amazon you can find a Spyderco ceramic stone and latigo strop with a canvas backing this should be enough to keep the razor tuned. As mentioned it does take 30-40min. to shave but I only need to shave 3 times a week as its a real close shave. DM
 
Using a straight or a safety razor(I prefer my single edge Everready 1912 to DEs) takes the same amount of time for me. I can get a good presentable shave in 10 minutes or less with each, or I can go for the weekend pampering myself super close 20 minute shave.
 
id suggest to try both. If you dont wanna spend too much money on a straight, just buy a gold dollar #66 off ebay for like 4 bucks and sharpen it up and try it out. there are some out there which offer sharpening services and some people even mod these blades as they are so cheap with new handles and rework the blades to be true works of arts. They can be sharpened easily to take a sharp enough edge to shave with and work well (takes me about 5 mins to get it shaving sharp ready out of the box). sure, its not the nicest out there but it will allow you to see if you even like shaving with a straight razor. Don't even attempt to use it stock though cuz it will just fustrate the hell out of you, make sure it will pass the HHT-4 or even HHT-5 before shaving. remember, you shouldnt need to use very much pressure at all to shave if the edge is sharp enough.
 
Gollnick said:
Either way, you need lather. Your barber used a machine. They are expensive and really not intended for once-per-day use. The most common brand, Latherking, specifically discourages "personal" use. Designed for barbershop professional use, these machines cost several hundred dollars.

So, you need a brush, a bowl, and your choice of a soap or cream. Some nice brushes are available in the $50 ranges. Bowls are in the $25 range for purpose-built one, but you can probably find something usable in your kitchen for free. I currently recommend a cake of DR Harris soap for about $15; that seems like a lot for a cake of soap, by it will give upwards of 120 shaves.

Straigt razor shaving harkens back to a day when most men did not shave themselves. A high-class gentleman was shaved by his valet... who also took care of razor maintenance. A working bloke was shaved by his wife -- or maybe by one of his daughters as part of her training to be married off -- who also took care of the razor. And a middle-class man saved his womenfolk this task by dropping a penny at the neighborhood barber where he not only got a shave but also got caught up on all the latest news and gossip (the barbershop was their version of Facebook (pun intended)) where the barber kept the razor. Men who, today, undertake straight razor shaving solo are undertaking something they were never intended to do single-handedly and so it really has to be a sort of labor-of-love, something one does not just for utility but out of a genuine interest and pride.

I have had straight shaves from skilled barbers and it really is a great experience; it's more than a shave.

But, day-to-day, the speed and convenience of a DE safety razor wins out for me.
Click to expand...

jayinhk said:
I use a Dovo Shavette: used the long Dovo blades for years, but now I use shorter DE Feathers. Best of both worlds. Straight razor-style shaving without the stropping and upkeep!
Click to expand...

I usually use my DE to shave then my Dovo Shavette (with Derbys) to trim crisp lines with my 'chops. But I bust out the proper straight razors when I want to treat myself.
 
Why choose? I have great success doing one pass WTG with a straight and another pass XTG with a DE.
 
I made the switch to wet shaving about 5-6 months ago. From what I understand, wet shaving is beneficial to any type of face/beard, regardless of ethnicity and regardless of whether your beard is course and thick or thin and sparse. But men with sensitive skin, wiry beards, and African-American men especially benefit from the wonders of wet shaving, as wet shaving is less likely to cause irritation and ingrown hairs (i.e., bumps).

I use a safety razor, and I personally have no interest in using a straight razor, mostly because I don't want to maintain the blade with honing and stropping... and I don't want to slip in my morning stupor and slice my face open. If you wanted any advice, I'd say go with the best stuff you can realistically afford. The biggest regret most new wet shavers seem to make (besides the classic mistake of buying too many different products and not sticking to one product at the beginning) is to buy el-cheapo stuff, only to throw it out soon afterward.

My current setup, with which I am very happy:

razor: Merkur Futur
brush: Vulfix 2234
bowl: Dirty Bird 1.5 scuttle with web pattern
cream: TOBS (Taylor of Old Bond Street) Avocado (I've also used the Lavender, which is also excellent)
post-shave: Thayer's Original Witch Hazel (contains a small amount of alcohol), followed by Nivea Post-Shave Balm (sensitive skin version)

Cheers,

Mag
 
I've been shaving with straights for almost a year now, and maintaining my own for nearly that long. For me, there's no more enjoyable shave to be had, and although stropping and honing is sometimes a pain, the great shaves are totally worth it. Look into Whippeddog.com for either a shave ready blade (to start with), or to get your blade honed up for you. If you enjoy maintaining the edge on your knives (hence bladeforums!), then there's nothing quite like having something literally razor sharp.

-Matt-
 
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