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Has anyone ever gone from straight razor shaving to safety razor shaving???

Usually when one graduates to shaving with a straight, I would assume that is where you stay.

I personally have been shaving with a straight for 2.5 months now, so for me that is about 12 shaves, give or take.
I feel quite manly and accomplished when I shave with my straight, not to mention I don't have to buy any blades.

But now I am starting to want to ditch the straight...why? well for one, maintenance. I don't mind stropping at all, it's a quick process, but I don't really know if I want to invest in a hone just yet...Shaving with a straight takes longer (I am 22, juggling school and job) and a lot of times I have to skip planned shaves because I know I won't have enough time to do it without butchering my face...I have trouble using my left hand to shave, and because of this I find it hard to get certain angles, especially shaving with all the crazy grains on my neck, which in turn leaves me with constant razor burn...I have larger than average arms, and when I try to get certain spots on my neck my arms can't bend any further :w00t: haha

So I ask my classic shave style brethren

have any of you confronted this dilemma? did any of you end up permanently switching back to using safety razors?
 
Usually when one graduates to shaving with a straight, I would assume that is where you stay.

I personally have been shaving with a straight for 2.5 months now, so for me that is about 12 shaves, give or take.
I feel quite manly and accomplished when I shave with my straight, not to mention I don't have to buy any blades.

But now I am starting to want to ditch the straight...why? well for one, maintenance. I don't mind stropping at all, it's a quick process, but I don't really know if I want to invest in a hone just yet...Shaving with a straight takes longer (I am 22, juggling school and job) and a lot of times I have to skip planned shaves because I know I won't have enough time to do it without butchering my face...I have trouble using my left hand to shave, and because of this I find it hard to get certain angles, especially shaving with all the crazy grains on my neck, which in turn leaves me with constant razor burn...I have larger than average arms, and when I try to get certain spots on my neck my arms can't bend any further :w00t: haha

So I ask my classic shave style brethren

have any of you confronted this dilemma? did any of you end up permanently switching back to using safety razors?
Are those numbers right?

I shaved with a straight - went back to a DE for a while, and am now back to straights. There are no absolutes unless you sell off your straight and refuse to re-buy. You might find that you miss the maintenance - you might not. I don't limit myself to one or th other though.

Oh and I only use my right hand to shave lol.
 
I've been using a straight since I started wet shaving about a month ago, however after I get out of boot camp I'm planning on buying a de.
 
Someone else just posted about of days ago about their switch from straight to DE. It does happen. Most folks start with DE because straights are intimidating. But some jump right in and then later switch to DE. You shave with whatever makes you happy.

So you only shave once a week?

I've been using a straight since I started wet shaving about a month ago, however after I get out of boot camp I'm planning on buying a de.
Now that is backwards. How do you have enough time to shave with a straight razor at boot camp?
 
yes I only shave once to twice a week mainly because of the razor burn on my neck.

I would like to stick with one so that I can master the technique that comes along with it. DE shaving is a breeze for me. I did it for almost a year before I bought my straight.
 
Do you get burn from your DE as well? If you do... man that bites! I had burn issues for some time, but got it solved. If I mess around though, it'll bite me bad. Here's a thread I started on burn. Believe it or not, the baby rash stuff works really well if the burn is "bad." http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...Burn-–-What-are-the-best-products-Ideas

don't get any ingrowns or burn with my DE because I am able to angle it on my crazy neck hair growth pattern properly. Because the straight I find harder to manuever I have trouble going with the grain (in all the different WTG shapes) on my neck. Therefore I get ingrowns..
 
Someone else just posted about of days ago about their switch from straight to DE. It does happen. Most folks start with DE because straights are intimidating. But some jump right in and then later switch to DE. You shave with whatever makes you happy.

So you only shave once a week?


Now that is backwards. How do you have enough time to shave with a straight razor at boot camp?
I'm not in boot camp yet lol. It would probably be interesting showing up with one though.
 
don't get any ingrowns or burn with my DE because I am able to angle it on my crazy neck hair growth pattern properly. Because the straight I find harder to manuever I have trouble going with the grain (in all the different WTG shapes) on my neck. Therefore I get ingrowns..

I love shaving with a straight, but if after 2.5 months I was still getting bad burn... no way I would go back! Ah but then you only have had 12 shaves! Arg. Not to be silly but did you buy a new str8? What i was wondering was who honed your str8?
 
i will bet your razor burn comes from improperly honed razors.....

if you get NO burn from a DE then either your straight is not properly "shave sharp" or your using crazy pressure *(which would transfer to the DE and cause burn there also...)...

your razor ain't sharp enuff....
 
I love shaving with a straight, but if after 2.5 months I was still getting bad burn... no way I would go back! Ah but then you only have had 12 shaves! Arg. Not to be silly but did you buy a new str8? What i was wondering was who honed your str8?

i will bet your razor burn comes from improperly honed razors.....

if you get NO burn from a DE then either your straight is not properly "shave sharp" or your using crazy pressure *(which would transfer to the DE and cause burn there also...)...

your razor ain't sharp enuff....

It was honed by the fellow I bought it off of. His name on here is Harvitz81. He owns a straight restoration service.
I have felt that. I feel like the straight isn't sharp enough. I find that one side of the blade cuts cleaner than the other and that even with proper technique I get a bit of a drag. Also, the edge is not rounded and one side of that edge seems to be "bite" almost like an open tuna can lid will do to you at the wrong angle..

not a jab at the fellow at all. This is my first straight and for all I know I could be a complete fool!

Maybe I should give it more time than 12 shaves?
 
It was honed by the fellow I bought it off of. His name on here is Harvitz81. He owns a straight restoration service.
I have felt that. I feel like the straight isn't sharp enough. I find that one side of the blade cuts cleaner than the other and that even with proper technique I get a bit of a drag. Also, the edge is not rounded and one side of that edge seems to be "bite" almost like an open tuna can lid will do to you at the wrong angle..

not a jab at the fellow at all. This is my first straight and for all I know I could be a complete fool!

Maybe I should give it more time than 12 shaves?
Anyone who's used a straight knows you can look at a straight funny and poof! Dull. I jest, but who knows what it's seen in 2.5 months. I read here about a guy who saw his buddy using his straight to cut the tip off his cigar lol. Had he not seen him, can you imagin what he would have been thinking his next shave lol.

Yeah - to be fair, you should try and have it honed. But like you say - if you are not into the maintanence ... DE's are great too!
 
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If you can go to Juggling School *and* hold down a job, you can switch from straight to DE if you want, says I.
 
If you can go to Juggling School *and* hold down a job, you can switch from straight to DE if you want, says I.

lol. School and a job is nothing out of the ordinary.
Its just for me, I go to school, come home, then go to work. I finish work by 8pm. On a friday night my friends are all heading out by 8:30-9, and it doesn't leave much time to shave with a straight. Not to mention I share the bathroom with my twin brother who has the same friends as me, and has to shower in that timeframe too. He's worse than a woman even though he buzzes his face with a stubble trimmer, he is in that shower wasting water like a little goddess!
 
I'd say 2 months is a good amount of time to get used to using a straight, get comfortable using it in both hands, and figure out all the correct angles, IF you were shaving with it every day. 12 shaves is not enough time, and by having that much down time in between uses, your learning curve is going to be much longer.
 
I shave with a straight and use cartridge blades when I don't have time for the straight so I'll buying a de soon to replace to cartridge razor once my refills run out. I feel all girly when I have to use the cartridge razor so I'll be getting rid of it soon. Once I get the de it will be my go to clean up razor for the spots I can't get as well with my straight like my chin.
 
I started wet shaving with a straight, after a couple of months, I started browsing and lurking here in B&B, than I purchased a Muhle R41 about a week ago, and I felt in love with DE, I won't be ditching straight for sure, I'm planning to do straight on weekends and safety on daily base.
 
After a dozen shaves , I'd just begun to feel comfortable with a straight, and I shaved about as often as you do. If you refine your technique and make sure the razor's shave-ready, you'll probably be able to slash (ha!) your shaving time.

After going from DE to straight, I was very disappointed when I had to use my DE for some shaves while traveling. Even if you decide to use a DE (and it sounds like you have every reason to do so), hang on to the straight. There's nothing like a straight shave.
 
Get a Gem 1912 SE. It's the closest you can get without (and maybe with) a straight. I switched to the 1912 about a year ago, and every time I try my old DEs I am so disappointed. I think most 1912 users will tell you that it's a very different experience from any DE.

Scott
 
It was honed by the fellow I bought it off of. His name on here is Harvitz81. He owns a straight restoration service.
I have felt that. I feel like the straight isn't sharp enough. I find that one side of the blade cuts cleaner than the other and that even with proper technique I get a bit of a drag. Also, the edge is not rounded and one side of that edge seems to be "bite" almost like an open tuna can lid will do to you at the wrong angle..

not a jab at the fellow at all. This is my first straight and for all I know I could be a complete fool!

Maybe I should give it more time than 12 shaves?
there was no jab at the original honer nor should there be....

as my esteemed colleague senor earcutter says... you can look at a straight crooked and mess up the edge......

my bets on the loss of sharpness would be beginner stropping... *(not a jab at you... just a observation from someone who has assed up a lot of straight edges... lol.. )

get it re-honed... there are plenty of guys here who hone.... if you want PM me and i will give you my address and you ship it to me... cover the postage both ways and i will send you it back shave sharp... pre-stropped... and ready to shave straight from the mailbox *(you see what i did there?? straight from the mailbox :w00t:)...

i will do that for free as a kinda sorta PIF for a new guy....
 
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