Do you get a closer shave with a DE razor or a straight razor?

**BigFoot** · 10-25-2011, 05:57 PM

This poll was thrown up in straight razors. I was wondering what the response would be like here.

**BigFoot** · 10-25-2011, 06:00 PM

I voted str8. The closeness seems to last longer.

**brianw** · 10-25-2011, 07:17 PM

straight... but you left out all the SE's !!!!

**kirk 988** · 10-25-2011, 07:41 PM

straights it lasts longer but BBS is BBS

**neo71665** · 10-25-2011, 09:03 PM

Like a DE better but BBS is just thatN don't care if it came from a shard of broken glass

**The Knize** · 10-25-2011, 09:22 PM

Either will do BBS. Might have said str8s in the past. Not sure I have gotten as close a shave with anything as with the Muhle R41 I have beeen using for weeks. Especially when using a Feather blade. Still, the best honed str8s i have ever used were remarkable shaving tools. Very able to produce BBS.

**Blix** · 10-25-2011, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by The Knize

Either will do BBS. Might have said str8s in the past. Not sure I have gotten as close a shave with anything as with the Muhle R41 I have beeen using for weeks. Especially when using a Feather blade. Still, the best honed str8s i have ever used were remarkable shaving tools. Very able to produce BBS.

+1 I've sneaked in a few R41/Feather shaves the last few weeks, remarkable DE. But I still enjoy using straights way more.

**jrp316** · 10-26-2011, 05:20 AM

I voted for DE mainly because of my sharp jaw line; it's rather difficult for me to maneuver a straight around and get a close shave on my neck because of that. My DEs don't have that problem.

**gingerweir** · 05-20-2012, 09:39 AM

DE comb with a Feather !
Only straight I've used so far was the Feather Artist Club with guarded blades.
Both got BBS but my Osma Block certaily showed up more sting on the straight.

**cb91710** · 05-20-2012, 10:46 AM

I'd be tempted to answer BBS is BBS, but I find that I got much, much more irritation when chasing the BBS with the DE than with the straight.

So, comparing time, ease of getting there, and irritation factors, Straight won out for me over DE.

**dreadpirate** · 05-20-2012, 05:11 PM

The only reason my DE is closer is because I suck at using my straight.

**Danricgro** · 05-20-2012, 08:58 PM

Both! Straight on my face, DE/SE on my neck. Got some crazy growth patterns on my lower neck that I can't go ATG with a straight so a DE/SE works better for that but on my face it is no contest, much longer lasting shave with a straight.

**Slash McCoy** · 05-20-2012, 11:10 PM

Straight, but DE is close enough to make the gap insignificant. With the right blade/technique/razor, a DE shave can be just this side of perfect.

**noahpictures** · 05-23-2012, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by The Knize

Either will do BBS. Might have said str8s in the past. Not sure I have gotten as close a shave with anything as with the Muhle R41 I have beeen using for weeks. Especially when using a Feather blade. Still, the best honed str8s i have ever used were remarkable shaving tools. Very able to produce BBS.

+2

I can't imagine getting a closer shave (or longer lasting) than with the Muhle R41...but I enjoy shaving with straights more.

**cb91710** · 05-23-2012, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by noahpictures

+2

I can't imagine getting a closer shave (or longer lasting) than with the Muhle R41...but I enjoy shaving with straights more.

I'm almost with you.
As shipped, even those "professionally honed", 3 of my 6 straights were absolutely in this category.
Seraphim's Gold Dollar, Lynn's Dovo Pearlex stainless, and the Wacker Gadsden were all right up there with the R41 in closeness and "durability", and I've been able to maintain that with my honing on the Pearlex and Gadsden. I haven't honed the Gold Dollar yet, but it'll be in the rotation for the next session.

I shave at night after my shower before bed, and I still feel it's BBS late the next afternoon. The R41 with the 7:00 Yellow (best blade I tried in it) was like that... but no better.

**ladykate** · 05-25-2012, 07:31 AM

I answered BBS is BBS - so, by definition, the shaves are the same. Now if we talk longevity, pleasure, zen, etc - I like the straight better. Getting a BBS in a straight (not a commercial bladed Kai, Feather, or shavette) is a wonderful and lasting experience. Annnndddd... didn't mean to trash the replaceable bladed versions - its just that the total zen isn't there with them (for me). I use them a lot, though. Very quick and very nice so, if I'm in a hurry, out comes my Feather.

Soooooo.... my order of preference in ascending order is: M3 (stuck on a layover with no baggage), DE, Feather AC/Kai, any suitable straight.

I will still use the DE or even the Feather to touch up if I happen to miss something and don't want to bring the straight back out.

**cb91710** · 05-25-2012, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by ladykate

Annnndddd... didn't mean to trash the replaceable bladed versions - its just that the total zen isn't there with them (for me).

I agree... a shavette is not a straight... it's a single-bladed R41 without a guard.

**Alphonse** · 05-25-2012, 04:37 PM

Here's my opinion concerning pitting straights against DE's, or comparing apples to oranges..
Closeness of shave has more to do with technique, such as the angle of the blade and stretch of the skin. You don't have to use a straight to get the closest shave possible, and there is a limit to how close of a shave you can get without scraping too many layers of skin off(technique). Close shaves are multi-part, of course, but you want to cut hair short by stretching skin to reveal the lower part of the hair shaft and not by scraping skin off with a sharper blade. I think this is common knowledge. Put a high end DE with a Feather in the hands of a newb and you'll see what awesome gear gets someone with no technique. A close shave doesn't = BBS with no irritation. I was getting very close shaves with a Feather when I first started, but my face was trashed. And then I learned technique. I know that straights take more time to master because I've used one, and in return those that use them are highly defensive of them because of the time invested. This is my opinion.

**Gordy2** · 05-25-2012, 07:26 PM

I guess my rookie status with a str8 will last forever. I can get an excellent WTG pass with a str8 but admittedly, need to finish up with a DE. I really do enjoy the honing, stropping and using a straight, in fact it's fun but.........