I never wipe or dry my scales. I keep my hands dry and am careful when rinsing. It's not that hard.
Thinking Straights are not for me :
- Thread starter RayC1993
- Start date
Antique Hoosier
“Aircooled”
VERY normal. I remember my first straight shave. It was not unlike yours.....shaky. It is worth it after all said and done.
"I have noticed my fear of straights is not slicing my face off but the fact that is a square point so im trading my king cutter and when I have some cash will be getting a round point!"
Many square points come slightly rounded from the manufacturer and these are almost as forgiving as a round point. If you have a true spike point, it can be muted by the honer to reduce the risk of a slice from the spike. Look at a Friodur 17 (square point) and a 17 1/2 (round point) to see the difference between a round point and a factory slightly rounded square point.
When I first picked up a SR, I felt clumsy like trying to write with my left hand. It now feels like an extension of my right hand four years later.
Do not hesitate to use your DE to clean up while learning to use the SR. If you keep at it, you will eventually get there. The DE will allow you to recover a SR shave that is not yet up to your expectations.
HTH
Many square points come slightly rounded from the manufacturer and these are almost as forgiving as a round point. If you have a true spike point, it can be muted by the honer to reduce the risk of a slice from the spike. Look at a Friodur 17 (square point) and a 17 1/2 (round point) to see the difference between a round point and a factory slightly rounded square point.
When I first picked up a SR, I felt clumsy like trying to write with my left hand. It now feels like an extension of my right hand four years later.
Do not hesitate to use your DE to clean up while learning to use the SR. If you keep at it, you will eventually get there. The DE will allow you to recover a SR shave that is not yet up to your expectations.
HTH
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If it does not say Friodur on the shank, it is a Henckels carbon steel razor.
Carbon steel is not hard to maintain, but is unforgiving of any errors or lapses in care. If any water gets in the pivot, staining and rust can begin overnight. Stainless is much more forgiving, but can corrode if frequently left gunked up wet and stored in a damp location.
There should be no corrosion with Friodur, if simply wiped clean and dry, and stored in a reasonably dry location. Friodur is used by Henckels to make quality rust resistant kitchen knives.
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on the subject of cleaning... a good wipedown with a cloth soaked in surgical spirit (or isopropynol alcohol) and rubbed over with a dry cloth after help maintain most straights. The only condition of that is this; if the razor has a wooden handle that has any form of oil treatment/lacquer/varnish on it AVOID getting any form of pure alcohol on it as it will either act as a solvent for varnish or stripping oils...
I'm just a few weeks into learning how to shave with a straight. Just go as far as you are comfortable with then finish with a DE or your razor of choice. I started with just my cheeks and also was shaking too. I'm now upto 3 of my 4 passes, it's not as close as with a DE, I just accept this will take time to learn.
Don't give up just be patient and it will come.
Don't give up just be patient and it will come.
Don't give up, take your time and don't push yourself. If you can just do 1 cheek in 1 shave thats ok finish the rest whit your DE. Later on you can do 2,cheeks thats good. After some times your be able to do a complete shave whit out using your DE, the main thing is take it slow there's no rush for a good straight shave.
I wish I had had this to read before I started.
I have to be honest, having now got sufficient types of straight razors (GD66, Miraki long bladed shavette, half DE shavette) to experience and understand the difference between these basic types of razor.... I have found in all honesty (and with a slight sense of irony) that the GD66 is the most forgiving of the three. The least tolerant for me is still the half DE shavette...
IMHE, it seems that the length of the blade is directly proportional to how well mannered is in use...
despite it still having the same issues as the DE blade, the Miraki (which is really a long-bladed Dovo disposable blade clone) is notably more tolerant than the half DE shavette. Mainly due to the fact that heeling or toeing the blade is reduced (the main cause for me of cuts and nicks).
IMHE, it seems that the length of the blade is directly proportional to how well mannered is in use...
despite it still having the same issues as the DE blade, the Miraki (which is really a long-bladed Dovo disposable blade clone) is notably more tolerant than the half DE shavette. Mainly due to the fact that heeling or toeing the blade is reduced (the main cause for me of cuts and nicks).
I hope you don't mind my saying so, but what you have there are two very different kinds of razor - a shavette is absolutely not a straight razor and they should not be considered the same thing, and your experience with a shavette is not experience of using a straight razor.
Marquis_De_Wyld, shavettes are indeed the most unforgiving straights I have used. I have had a few pass though my hands over the past few years, but it has only been in the last year or two (I think) that I've been able to get great shaves from them. I generally shave at 5:30am after stumbling out of bed and grabbing a quick shower, so being able to execute a shave while brain-dead pre-coffee is pretty important to me. 
Traditional straights (I view shavettes and such as real straights, but use the term "traditional" to mean, well, "traditional" straights
) are generally much more forgiving and easier to use than shavettes. I think it's mainly due to the thickness of the blade creating a more solid edge. But hey, I've been wrong more than once before, especially when it comes to honing.
The good news is that if you keep your shavettes in your rotation (or focus on them for a few weeks at a time), then your shaves with a traditional straight will be so much easier.
Traditional straights (I view shavettes and such as real straights, but use the term "traditional" to mean, well, "traditional" straights
) are generally much more forgiving and easier to use than shavettes. I think it's mainly due to the thickness of the blade creating a more solid edge. But hey, I've been wrong more than once before, especially when it comes to honing. The good news is that if you keep your shavettes in your rotation (or focus on them for a few weeks at a time), then your shaves with a traditional straight will be so much easier.
Indeed they are very different beasts, that observation got lost in my warbling I'm afraid....
weight, balance, grip, angle are all considerations that vary massively between straights and shavettes.
However, IMHE... The two things shavettes teach you with avengence is the attention you need to pay to angle and pressure.
there's a whole light year's distance between pressure needed to cut hair you want to cut and the pressure you think you need cut hair.
I think some shavettes loaded with a hair shaper blade can defy this rule. Case in point is an old Hoffritz shavette that I sometimes use with Personna hair shaper blades. They have quite a bit longer of a cutting edge than DE, and they're stupidly sharp - I mean, zero forgiveness!
They're also quite a bit more rigid than a DE blade. The reward is a really close shave if you manage your attention, but not necessarily as smooth.My mantra as of late is that if it ain't honed by human hands, it ain't gonna be as smooth!
I think some shavettes loaded with a hair shaper blade can defy this rule. Case in point is an old Hoffritz shavette that I sometimes use with Personna hair shaper blades. They have quite a bit longer of a cutting edge than DE, and they're stupidly sharp - I mean, zero forgiveness!
My mantra as of late is that if it ain't honed by human hands, it ain't gonna be as smooth!
Hmm, have toyed with the idea of getting some of the personna blades... Sadly will need to get the holder to fit the Miraki, which considering it is a very thin bit of green plastic seems to be a lot of money for what it is.
I suppose I could fabricate a holder for the blades (I have the materials and the know how, it's the time that's the issue)... feels like a lot of mucking around, especially when I could just get a shavette that takes Personna blades from the get go.
Oddly, I still find the Miraki (a Dovo clone by any other name) has a good balance between closeness and tolerance of little deviations or attention lapses. The longer blade & rigidity makes for quite a nice shaving experience for me.
Of course, smoothness of shave is a very subjective thing - I have had some awful shaves with every type of razor I currently own (the ones I no longer use the less said the better, frankly).
The GD 66 has created a surface around my awkward neck area like gravel when I first honed it to what I thought was shave ready.
It's also caused a few patches of irritation (again, the awkward neck area) whilst going for the 100% BBS prior to really understanding the razor. The awful messes I've made with shavettes when learning their nuances have been quite the wake up call to treating a blade with respect.
Overall, all the razors I use I enjoy for different reasons (sure that when I acquire more to fit into my rotation, that enjoyment will be added to)... plus with the shavettes, there's many variations of blades available... Which can make for a very different shaving experience...
To sum up so far; Dorco good for a forgiving quick shave - not the smoothest but comfortable & easy, Sharks good for a closer shave but bite quickly if you don't keep really focused, Feathers are a two pass wonder but can be pretty intolerant, Derby are a good go to for a nice balance between comfortable & smooth shaves.
I use DE razors when I'm not home and I find my tastes have changed for blades quite a bit since using straights, which is about all the time at home. I've tended to gravitate to smooth vs. sharp in that arena, even if more passes are needed to get the same closeness. I like the Dorco blades quite a bit, actually, and stocked up for cheap. The odd one goes bad quickly but no worries.
I think Weck (sp/) shavettes hold the hairshaper blades as well, but I'm not sure. My Hoffritz shavette is an heirloom (basically NOS - Father-in-law never used it from what I see), but I would have opted for a Feather AC had I sought one out on my own. More options for the longer blades!
Yeah, Dorco the first blade I used in over 22 years (cartridge monkey before then - and I don't mean the vintage ones) that didn't plough into my skin and make a rash of it...
Don't get me wrong, would love to stumble across a vintage straight in an antiques market (we have quite e number round here) but they seem to be more rare than rocking horse poop. Did stumble across a vintage Gillette safety razor travel set once, but it was over-priced and had much of the set missing/replaced.
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