Time to throw in the towel?

[Stapelfeld]

The vultures are circling! - just kidding Sean.

You know it hahaha

 

[Tanuki]

Hey HeavyD,

I consider myself a good SR shaver, also good at edge creation, maintenance and restoration honing of vintage store finds. And yeah, taking the whole process into account, I spend three times as long per shave as I do for luxurious DE and SE shaves.

I would never have had time to deploy these skills (or develop them for that matter) if I wasn't retired. Even retired, I just set the SRs aside when life gets busy.

I admire that you pursued that as long as you did. Setting it all aside, even for years rather than weeks or months, shouldn't be an issue.

If you are completely done with it, you will know. And you won't be posting about your frustrations or regrets. Meanwhile, a good coating of oil or grease will preserve SRs and most other gear will store in just a medium sized box.

 

[HeavyD]

E

Hey HeavyD,

I consider myself a good SR shaver, also good at edge creation, maintenance and restoration honing of vintage store finds. And yeah, taking the whole process into account, I spend three times as long per shave as I do for luxurious DE and SE shaves.

I would never have had time to deploy these skills (or develop them for that matter) if I wasn't retired. Even retired, I just set the SRs aside when life gets busy.

I admire that you pursued that as long as you did. Setting it all aside, even for years rather than weeks or months, shouldn't be an issue.

If you are completely done with it, you will know. And you won't be posting about your frustrations or regrets. Meanwhile, a good coating of oil or grease will preserve SRs and most other gear will store in just a medium sized box.

excellent advice! The cost is a sunk cost and I’m not going hungry right now, so it’ll all get a nice coating of RIG and put away. I’ll leave one out to tinker with on occasion.

 

[Steve56]

If you want, send me your razor and I’ll hone it for you. Then you’ll know if the edge was the problem.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Yup, shaved with a straight for decades in a gym bathroom, hanging an Illinois strop on the inside of my locker door and with a 6-inch translucent and tub of Cella.

For me, it has never been about the luxury shave, to this day it is 15 minutes from start to finish.

You do need a properly honed razor to learn to shave and proper stropping can take some time to perfect, and you DO want to perfect your stropping, (where you are improving the edge with each lap).

It’s not for everyone. But I also shaved next to guys shaving literally with rusty Bic razors, yea, that’s not me either.

It really is not as complex or “Kit required” as many of us make it. Folks shave for centuries with a razor, single small stone and strop in a saddle bag.

Send a razor to Steve, what do you have to lose?

 

[HeavyD]

If you want, send me your razor and I’ll hone it for you. Then you’ll know if the edge was the problem.

Thanks! I appreciate the kind offer! I will Definitely keep that in mind. i Also know of someone locally that hones Razors. I may hit him up before I impose on your kindness. At any rate it’ll be a week or so before work calms down enough for me to do much of anything.

thanks again!

 

[HeavyD]

Yup, shaved with a straight for decades in a gym bathroom, hanging an Illinois strop on the inside of my locker door and with a 6-inch translucent and tub of Cella.

For me, it has never been about the luxury shave, to this day it is 15 minutes from start to finish.

You do need a properly honed razor to learn to shave and proper stropping can take some time to perfect, and you DO want to perfect your stropping, (where you are improving the edge with each lap).

It’s not for everyone. But I also shaved next to guys shaving literally with rusty Bic razors, yea, that’s not me either.

It really is not as complex or “Kit required” as many of us make it. Folks shave for centuries with a razor, single small stone and strop in a saddle bag.

Send a razor to Steve, what do you have to lose?

You make excellent points. I appreciate everyone that replied. I don’t think a short break will hurt anything while I make sure the honing isn’t the issue.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

is far less comfortable, and I get a crappy shave

I get a very poor quality shave that’s not very comfortable with a straight.

2. Quality of shave. My quality of shave with a straight is slightly better than what I guess a cave man achieved with a piece of flint minus cuts.

To me, this sounds like the razor is simply not sharp, like not even close. Or maybe the shaving skill with a straight razor isn't up there yet. Learning to hone and strop takes time and repeated effort, which is why most people trying this have a hard time in the beginning. I know for sure I went through the same struggles at some point. I cannot count how many times I nearly gave up. Eventually, I got there, to the point where my shaves were on the same level with DEs. And once I got the feeling of it, it was not too long until I could surpass a DE shave.

I heard of the extremely comfortable and close shave of a straight razor and had to give it a try. Nope. Never experienced it

If the razor is properly honed and stropped, you will finish shaving and feel no stubble left on your face. Your skin should feel like it was not even touched by a razor. Sort of like the hairs melted before they were touched by the razor.

I just need to scrape the hair off my face and look presentable for work

I, for one, could do that with a DE. But I want more, I want those great, comfortable and blood free shaves. I want that BBS. I want my face to feel like the skin of my 7 months old son. This is why I use straight razors.

i also suspect unrealistic expectations to be a problem of mine

I don't think so. If you have expectations from a shave, I don't think you should lower the bar if you don't get them in the beginning. Keep learning, figure out where the problems are and what is keeping you away from your target. After all, each shaving tool has a learning curve and nobody can get it right easily and quickly.

1. Comfort level. If we assume a DE is a 5 on a ten scale of comfort, where does a straight fall in your opinion? I’d say 2.5 to 3. Assume 0 is ripping them out with a machine and 10 is “I looked in the mirror and all the whiskeys were gone.

Depends on the condition of the edge. If the edge is good, I'd rank it higher than a DE shave with a fresh blade. If the edge is meh, then in my view, it is on par with a DE.

I can spend less than half the time

Right now, it takes me about the same time to shave with a DE or a straight razor. But when I started, I think it was normal to take 30-40 minutes. After you practice a lot and get confident and learn the limits, straight razor shaving takes less time.

I believe almost anyone can shave with a straight razor, if they are well determined to spend the effort and time. But that's not something which many want to get invested in due to nowadays lifestyle and priorities, which is why most give up at some point. In the end, I wish you success and I hope your can find a way forward which makes you happy, regardless if it's shaving with a straight razor or not.

Oh, and definitely take up on Steve's offer. You might or might not like his 'edge flavor', maybe your current straight razor shaving skill level isn't there yet to make that edge shine, but let's be honest, there is nothing to loose if you give it a try. Maybe a faint light will start to shine.

 

[Jud]

Few thing to try if you haven’t thrown in the towel just yet.

Time - make sure you have time to shave without any time restriction or distractions. This way you are not rushing and can focus on pressure and angle.

Razor - make sure it is shave ready. If it isn’t hone it or send it out. Strop prior to shaving. Might want to try a different edge, like a natural stone finish.

Shaving - try a different cream. You should just be trying to remove the cream. Light pressure. To steep or to much pressure isn’t comfortable.

If I have a run day I shave after my workout and a shower. If I know I won’t have time after my run to shave I do it the night before after a shower.

My shaves are much better since going to SR’s. It is more relaxing & enjoyable. But my equipment has greatly increased. And still is increasing. Plus traveling is funny, I can’t say anything about what my wife packs anymore.

 

[Goblin]

You make excellent points. I appreciate everyone that replied. I don’t think a short break will hurt anything while I make sure the honing isn’t the issue.

I am exactly in the same camp as @gpjoe on this issue.

My suggestion: get yourself a cheap AC razor from Aliexpress and sample of AC blades from Razor Blades Club (or some other blade sampling place). It will probably cost you $20 all in. See if you can get a better shave with these than with the straights you have been using.

If you can, you know the issue is the sharpness of the straight razor and not your ability to wield it. After 15 months I would guess you should have your technique and routine pretty much worked out, although stepping up to something that is properly sharp might mean you have to adjusting to do for the first few shaves.

Come to the SABRE thread and we can advise on a cheapo Chinese AC razor.

 

[HeavyD]

To me, this sounds like the razor is simply not sharp, like not even close. Or maybe the shaving skill with a straight razor isn't up there yet. Learning to hone and strop takes time and repeated effort, which is why most people trying this have a hard time in the beginning. I know for sure I went through the same struggles at some point. I cannot count how many times I nearly gave up. Eventually, I got there, to the point where my shaves were on the same level with DEs. And once I got the feeling of it, it was not too long until I could surpass a DE shave.


If the razor is properly honed and stropped, you will finish shaving and feel no stubble left on your face. Your skin should feel like it was not even touched by a razor. Sort of like the hairs melted before they were touched by the razor.


I, for one, could do that with a DE. But I want more, I want those great, comfortable and blood free shaves. I want that BBS. I want my face to feel like the skin of my 7 months old son. This is why I use straight razors.


I don't think so. If you have expectations from a shave, I don't think you should lower the bar if you don't get them in the beginning. Keep learning, figure out where the problems are and what is keeping you away from your target. After all, each shaving tool has a learning curve and nobody can get it right easily and quickly.


Depends on the condition of the edge. If the edge is good, I'd rank it higher than a DE shave with a fresh blade. If the edge is meh, then in my view, it is on par with a DE.


Right now, it takes me about the same time to shave with a DE or a straight razor. But when I started, I think it was normal to take 30-40 minutes. After you practice a lot and get confident and learn the limits, straight razor shaving takes less time.

I believe almost anyone can shave with a straight razor, if they are well determined to spend the effort and time. But that's not something which many want to get invested in due to nowadays lifestyle and priorities, which is why most give up at some point. In the end, I wish you success and I hope your can find a way forward which makes you happy, regardless if it's shaving with a straight razor or not.

Oh, and definitely take up on Steve's offer. You might or might not like his 'edge flavor', maybe your current straight razor shaving skill level isn't there yet to make that edge shine, but let's be honest, there is nothing to loose if you give it a try. Maybe a faint light will start to shine.

Thank you for the well thought out response!

 

[HeavyD]

Few thing to try if you haven’t thrown in the towel just yet.

Time - make sure you have time to shave without any time restriction or distractions. This way you are not rushing and can focus on pressure and angle.

Razor - make sure it is shave ready. If it isn’t hone it or send it out. Strop prior to shaving. Might want to try a different edge, like a natural stone finish.

Shaving - try a different cream. You should just be trying to remove the cream. Light pressure. To steep or to much pressure isn’t comfortable.

If I have a run day I shave after my workout and a shower. If I know I won’t have time after my run to shave I do it the night before after a shower.

My shaves are much better since going to SR’s. It is more relaxing & enjoyable. But my equipment has greatly increased. And still is increasing. Plus traveling is funny, I can’t say anything about what my wife packs anymore.

Thanks! I haven’t thrown in the towel just yet.

 

[HeavyD]

I am exactly in the same camp as @gpjoe on this issue.

My suggestion: get yourself a cheap AC razor from Aliexpress and sample of AC blades from Razor Blades Club (or some other blade sampling place). It will probably cost you $20 all in. See if you can get a better shave with these than with the straights you have been using.

If you can, you know the issue is the sharpness of the straight razor and not your ability to wield it. After 15 months I would guess you should have your technique and routine pretty much worked out, although stepping up to something that is properly sharp might mean you have to adjusting to do for the first few shaves.

Come to the SABRE thread and we can advise on a cheapo Chinese AC razor.

You have shown me something new! I never heard of an AC razor before.

 

[Goblin]

You have shown me something new! I never heard of an AC razor before.

Nowadays if you Google "AC razor" it brings up just regular handled razors that take AC blades. What I am talking about are the original AC razors that the blades were created for by the likes Feather and Kai, i.e. "Artist Club" razors.

FEATHER Safety Razor Co., Ltd.MADE IN JAPAN

Feather carries out thoroughgoing management of all of the products at the factories in Japan without relying on overseas production, and Feather will continue to pursue the quality that can only be made in Japan and that can only be created at Feather as ever.

www.feather.co.jp

 

[ChriWilson]

Excellent points from everyone. Perhaps I’ve over reacted out of frustration. I was expecting comfortable and at least passable shaves for work after 15 months. It is very rare that I get a nick or even a weeper with the straight which I cannot say about the DE. They seem to magically appear for no reason every now and again with the DE.

time wise, the shave itself isn’t much longer, I agree. Where my frustration came in is that with tons of care, beard prep, using expensive soaps and creams, and carefully building the most incredible lather on my face with a good brush, I get a very poor quality shave that’s not very comfortable with a straight. If I just wash, squirt Walmart foam in a can on my face and whip out the DE, it’s a decent and comfortable shave. No prep, no fancy soaps/creams, no brush, and a great shave results. I think another part of the frustration is finally admitting that I’ve been deluding myself.

@silverlifter had an excellent point on sharpness. I’ll pull out the stones and run some experiments today. I do have a cheap shavette somewhere I could also play with.

Thank goodness I’m not the only one! I also have a pile of straight razors. I was wondering about different grinds, etc. none of that made a difference.

The kind folks here have convinced me to try a bit longer on the weekends.

i also suspect unrealistic expectations to be a problem of mine, so I’ll toss a question to the pros.

1. Comfort level. If we assume a DE is a 5 on a ten scale of comfort, where does a straight fall in your opinion? I’d say 2.5 to 3. Assume 0 is ripping them out with a machine and 10 is “I looked in the mirror and all the whiskeys were gone.

2. Quality of shave. My quality of shave with a straight is slightly better than what I guess a cave man achieved with a piece of flint minus cuts.

I'm typically complete with shaving in general in under 15mins irrespective of my hardware. That's not fast, just a comfortable clip for me. Comfort and quality can be unparalleled given technique and proper maintenance. By my standards, I can normally skip tomorrow's shave with a solid 2-Pass using my straight

Hey HeavyD,

I consider myself a good SR shaver, also good at edge creation, maintenance and restoration honing of vintage store finds. And yeah, taking the whole process into account, I spend three times as long per shave as I do for luxurious DE and SE shaves.

I would never have had time to deploy these skills (or develop them for that matter) if I wasn't retired. Even retired, I just set the SRs aside when life gets busy.

I admire that you pursued that as long as you did. Setting it all aside, even for years rather than weeks or months, shouldn't be an issue.

If you are completely done with it, you will know. And you won't be posting about your frustrations or regrets. Meanwhile, a good coating of oil or grease will preserve SRs and most other gear will store in just a medium sized box.

I am quite happy with my journey into SR shaving, I would say I am very good - Not Mastery level.
I barely have the time to use a SR at least 1x during the week so Saturdays it is, for me.
Given that, I have historically sent out my gear with fantastic results using our resident HoneMeisters

If you want, send me your razor and I’ll hone it for you. Then you’ll know if the edge was the problem.

I suggest this as well if you have multiples. That way you can eradicate a proper edge from the equation.

 

[PintoPlain]

@HeavyD I have to agree with other posters in that it sounds like the edge you're using is not where it needs to be.

I also agree that anyone can learn to get great shaves from a straight. However, upon saying that, not everyone wants to put in the hours of practice to do so. Some are fortunate that it just clicks for them, but others try for a long time and it doesn't seem to click. Only you can decide if you want to keep at it or not.

If you do decide that SR shaving is not for you, there is nothing wrong with that, but as @Tanuki said above, perhaps taking a break might be worthwhile. You can always try again when time and circumstance permit.

Good luck.