Curiosity has me thinking about a straight....

[Snurgblat]

I enjoy my straights and find them to provide a great shave. They also work great on the guinea pigs.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Well, I don’t know about perfect correlation, but do you enjoy another interest that requires high dexterity, such as scale model building?


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Not particularly, and I don't consider myself very dextrous, or skilled with my hands, but I do enjoy tinkering with stuff occasionally. My career consisted more of me fixing stuff with my brain than with my fingers.

I've stripped down and rebuilt Swiss knives and multitools in non-standard configurations, and am restoring a few old razors, but they're not particularly skilled or high dexterity activities. I'm low on artistic talent (such as sketching or painting, or even handwriting), and I'm all thumbs with fiddly jobs.

I think being prepared to practice, and having the patience and perseverance to learn things which take a while to get the hang of, might be a link between musicians and straight shavers.

 

[RayClem]

Sometimes I wonder if there’s a correlation between straight razor shavers and musicians. I think we just enjoy things that require manual dexterity.


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I think the main reasons musicians adapt well to straight razors is that they have some degree of coordination in both hands. Between manipulating the razor and stretching the skin, both hand come into play. If you can alternate hands, some of the positions required to shave multiple passes can be more easily accomplished. in the past, I have played piano and organ, saxophone, guitar, and drums. Each of those instruments requires that both hands work together.

As to whether straight razors or safety razors are better, the best answer is "maybe". If a straight razor is well honed and well stropped and you have the skills to use it, then the straight can give a closer, more comfortable shave, especially if your beard is tough and your skin is sensitive. However, I must admit that I have a jawline and chin that are quite difficult to shave. Thus, my practice is to shave two passes with the straight razor and then perform a cleanup pass with a DE razor. That combination gives me the closest, most comfortable shaves.

I do agree that the OP's contention about safety bars removing too much lather has some validity. If you are using a top tier shave soap that has excellent residual slickness, then it might not make much difference. However, with a lesser soap, it might be significant. For my clean-up pass, I prefer using an open comb razor that allows a portion of the lather to slip between the teeth of the razor, providing suitable lubrication to the blade.

 

[ScottChapin]

I enjoy my straights and find them to provide a great shave. They also work great on the guinea pigs.

View attachment 902789

Yikes!


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[ScottChapin]

I think the main reasons musicians adapt well to straight razors is that they have some degree of coordination in both hands. Between manipulating the razor and stretching the skin, both hand come into play. If you can alternate hands, some of the positions required to shave multiple passes can be more easily accomplished. in the past, I have played piano and organ, saxophone, guitar, and drums. Each of those instruments requires that both hands work together.

As to whether straight razors or safety razors are better, the best answer is "maybe". If a straight razor is well honed and well stropped and you have the skills to use it, then the straight can give a closer, more comfortable shave, especially if your beard is tough and your skin is sensitive. However, I must admit that I have a jawline and chin that are quite difficult to shave. Thus, my practice is to shave two passes with the straight razor and then perform a cleanup pass with a DE razor. That combination gives me the closest, most comfortable shaves.

I do agree that the OP's contention about safety bars removing too much lather has some validity. If you are using a top tier shave soap that has excellent residual slickness, then it might not make much difference. However, with a lesser soap, it might be significant. For my clean-up pass, I prefer using an open comb razor that allows a portion of the lather to slip between the teeth of the razor, providing suitable lubrication to the blade.

I’m campfire good with a fiddle and accordion. As a kid, I built scale models and learned to airbrush, though I couldn’t draw a stick figure, if I tried.


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[ScottChapin]

Not particularly, and I don't consider myself very dextrous, or skilled with my hands, but I do enjoy tinkering with stuff occasionally. My career consisted more of me fixing stuff with my brain than with my fingers.

I've stripped down and rebuilt Swiss knives and multitools in non-standard configurations, and am restoring a few old razors, but they're not particularly skilled or high dexterity activities. I'm low on artistic talent (such as sketching or painting, or even handwriting), and I'm all thumbs with fiddly jobs.

I think being prepared to practice, and having the patience and perseverance to learn things which take a while to get the hang of, might be a link between musicians and straight shavers.

Tenacity and patience is definitely required. I fix problems at work with my brain as well.


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[Seveneighth]

Straights are just plain badass. There is a lot of elitism involved. When you routinely shave with a straight you are a man among men, head and shoulders above the thundering bleating herd. Yes I think a single pass with a straight is a better shave than a single pass with a DE. But a lot of that depends on how sharp the straight is, and mastery of the straight takes a little more time and effort than a DE. Also there is more ancilliary gear to buy and maintain. But all in all I think it is a superior experience.

Back when I was 17 and shaving with a straight razor the girls did indeed think it was badass. Now I am 47 and shaving with a straight razor my daughter just thinks its old - fashioned and sadass.

It's all a matter of perspective.

 

[GearNoir]

Back when I was 17 and shaving with a straight razor the girls did indeed think it was badass. Now I am 47 and shaving with a straight razor my daughter just thinks its old - fashioned and sadass.

It's all a matter of perspective.

Lol! It’s OK, we all know the truth about the coolness factor!

 

[steveclarkus]

Sometimes I wonder if there’s a correlation between straight razor shavers and musicians. I think we just enjoy things that require manual dexterity.


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I play guitar but more importantly to ambidexterity is left handedness. It is a right handed world and lefties are always having to adapt.

 

[ScottChapin]

I play guitar but more importantly to ambidexterity is left handedness. It is a right handed world and lefties are always having to adapt.

My son is a southpaw, so I know. I am quasi ambidextrous. When I was a kid, I would always use my left hand for screwdrivers and most tools, but I can only write with my right.

I shave my right face and left neck with my right hand and visa versa when using a straight.


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[steveclarkus]

My son is a southpaw, so I know. I am quasi ambidextrous. When I was a kid, I would always use my left hand for screwdrivers and most tools, but I can only write with my right.

I shave my right face and left neck with my right hand and visa versa when using a straight.


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I have tried and tried but I can’t write even a little bit with my right hand. Fortunately shaving is no problem.

 

[Slash McCoy]

The only musical instruments I play really well are the jukebox and the pool stick guitar.

 

[ScottChapin]

The only musical instruments I play really well are the jukebox and the pool stick guitar.

LOL.



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[Pottertons]

Imagine a pool noodle half buried in some mud patch, being approached by a giant razor. The part of the noodle that is deepest in the mud has a little bit of a flare to it.

As the bar of the giant razor pushes gently but firmly over the noodle and begins to lay the noodle out horizontally, the noodle will stretch out a bit but it will also begin to try and break free from the mud patch a bit, raising out a little of what was stuck in the mud. The blade of the giant razor passes by, cutting the noodle right where it extends up out of the mud. The suction of the mud pulls what’s left of the noodle back into it original place, perfectly level with the mud surface or, more likely, a bit under the level of the mud’s surface.

Another example. If you have long hairs on your arm or leg, firmly run your finger over and past them. Note that at a certain point the follicle begins to raise under the skin, toward the base of the hair. Moisturized skin is very elastic allowing for some movement of the hair. This is how you get various levels of BBS or BBS’ that can last longer than others. Moisturized skin pushes the hair out, exposing some of the shaft that was withdrawn into the skin. The bar of the razor extends this just a tad more if the stubble is long enough, or cutting you if you apply too much pressure. Then when the skin normalizes, the hair is withdrawn back to its regular place.

I see the potential for ingrown hairs with this explanation; which I am very prone to...unfortunately.

 

[seattleshaver]

I think when you become proficient, the shaves are about the same. The main difference is just the additional satisfaction of using a straight.

 

[GearNoir]

I see the potential for ingrown hairs with this explanation; which I am very prone to...unfortunately.

It’s not a perfect analogy, but it’s basically the process. Exactly how close the cut is is up to the shaver of course.

 

[mglindo]

Straights are just plain badass. There is a lot of elitism involved. When you routinely shave with a straight you are a man among men, head and shoulders above the thundering bleating herd. Yes I think a single pass with a straight is a better shave than a single pass with a DE. But a lot of that depends on how sharp the straight is, and mastery of the straight takes a little more time and effort than a DE. Also there is more ancilliary gear to buy and maintain. But all in all I think it is a superior experience.

How could I say it any better than you did? I can't! Does a straight shave better than a safety razor? Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. Depends on the straight razor and how well it is honed. Near wedge, quarter hollow, half hollow, full hollow. Like I said, it depends. Maybe I'm just anachronistic but I think a straight razor is just the coolest way to shave. I'm an oldster, 68, and maybe I'm just hankering for the old days. I know, the old days was harder but I think much simpler. One didn't really care what was going on in New York or San Francisco because, who cares, whatever was happening there didn't matter because what happened there didn't put food on the table or pretty much anything that mattered in your life at the time. Whatever. Yeah, it takes longer to shave with a straight razor. So what! Is it so bad to take a little bit of time in this age where everyone is running around like a chicken with it's head cut off speeding off to just sit in traffic?


Mike

 

[ScottChapin]

@mglindo

That sort of nails it.


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[steveclarkus]

How could I say it any better than you did? I can't! Does a straight shave better than a safety razor? Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. Depends on the straight razor and how well it is honed. Near wedge, quarter hollow, half hollow, full hollow. Like I said, it depends. Maybe I'm just anachronistic but I think a straight razor is just the coolest way to shave. I'm an oldster, 68, and maybe I'm just hankering for the old days. I know, the old days was harder but I think much simpler. One didn't really care what was going on in New York or San Francisco because, who cares, whatever was happening there didn't matter because what happened there didn't put food on the table or pretty much anything that mattered in your life at the time. Whatever. Yeah, it takes longer to shave with a straight razor. So what! Is it so bad to take a little bit of time in this age where everyone is running around like a chicken with it's head cut off speeding off to just sit in traffic?


Mike

I’m 69. You may call me Grandfather.

 

[Seveneighth]

How could I say it any better than you did? I can't! Does a straight shave better than a safety razor? Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. Depends on the straight razor and how well it is honed. Near wedge, quarter hollow, half hollow, full hollow. Like I said, it depends. Maybe I'm just anachronistic but I think a straight razor is just the coolest way to shave. I'm an oldster, 68, and maybe I'm just hankering for the old days. I know, the old days was harder but I think much simpler. One didn't really care what was going on in New York or San Francisco because, who cares, whatever was happening there didn't matter because what happened there didn't put food on the table or pretty much anything that mattered in your life at the time. Whatever. Yeah, it takes longer to shave with a straight razor. So what! Is it so bad to take a little bit of time in this age where everyone is running around like a chicken with it's head cut off speeding off to just sit in traffic?


Mike

Regarding speed of shave, I'm not convinced it needs to be slower.

When I was younger I'd shave with a safety razor week days and a straight at weekends. These DAYS, now that I can afford more razors, it's reversed. For me it's quicker to shave with a straight than a safety, especially with a stainless steel one.

With a 6/8 + blade I lift the blade much less from my face - fewer strokes = faster shave.

Lather is slicker than on a safety so you don't get so much build up.

If you can afford 5 stainless razors for the week, you can maintain them at the weekend and just grab, shave, dry and go.

With a good sharp blade I personally find I get close to BBS in two passes. With a safety it's invariably 3.

If I shave in the morning, I tend to make a single pass only.

Putting this all together works out to be a much more efficient faster way of shaving than a safety razor for me. YMMV