Does straight shaving hurt less on 4-5 days growth than cartridge shaving?

Wid said:

I prefer shaving with 3 or 4 days growth. Seem to get exceptional shaves when I skip a few days.

Click to expand...

McScruff said:

Hi there. I am not yet among your ranks but keep daydreaming about it.

Ever since I started working from home, I've been skipping shaving frequently.

When I shave (cartridge) every day, there's no pain and it goes fine. If I skip a day it's still fine. And if I skip two days it starts to get tougher to get through and I wind up not getting everything like under the chin.

But when I skip more than three day shaving, I can barely get the razor through it and it hurts. And I miss parts. And sometimes I get a nick.

In my straight razor fantasy, it glides right through that four day growth as I issue a hearty, "ha ha-HAA!"

Is this true? Tell me my fantasy is true. I've read a number of noob posts here that talk about what a long and bloody learning curve it is, but let's say I was past that and let's say my beard was average - would the straight razor handle these longer whiskers better than a cartridge razor? As in less painful and catch-y?

Click to expand...

Go West Young Man said:

Not a fair question - you've fudged the question so that only the right answer will come out.

"Assuming I've gone through the learning curve successfully" means you'll have learned proper prep, lathering with a quality product, good multi-pass "reduction" shave techniques and post shave skin care. On that basis, the answer is "well duh you'll get better shaves", but by doing so you'll get better shaves no matter what tool you use - cart, DE, SE, straight.

Click to expand...

McScruff said:

I haven't forced a particular answer. I already know how to shave properly with a cartridge razor, but there comes a point where, for me, it hurts because the hairs are too long. A different kind of blade in the same situation might have the very same issues or it might do better or worse. Not wanting to substitute my shaving fantasies for actual experience, I asked those who have used one in that situation. To avoid the inevitable references to beginner's guides and beginner's horror stories, I factored out the learning curve, during which I fully expect to take a good while to settle into effective technique. It could be that once I do have good technique, I will find that shaving a 4-day growth with a straight is easier and less painful than with a cartridge. The answers here so far seem to point to yes. That was the question. As I decide whether to take the plunge and pay for a straight and all the gear, this is the kind of info I wanted. People could have said, "well no, it's still going to hurt the same and be just as difficult to get through - that's just physics and you shouldn't let it grow long - but you'll wind up liking the shave you get with a straight better." But so far it sounds like they're saying that a straight in the same situation, in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing, will hurt less and get through the hair more easily.

Click to expand...