I'm tired of spending all the money for blades and still feeling like I have a less than adequate shave. I'm seriously tempted to switch to a straight razor. I am also worried that I will slice myself to pieces if I do. Any advice from anybody who has made the switch? What straight razor did you get? Did you just teach yourself the technique? How many times did you almost slit your throat while you were learning?
i'm not too familiar with straight blades, but i would say it's technology of the past. going back to that would be like buying a musket for home protection.
ever considered an electric razor? they aren't very expensive and last a long time. just my 2 cents
Who cares?
Not to be rude but if you are not too familiar with something then you probably shouldn't pass judgement on it. In my opinion, a proper straight shave is a great feeling and by far better than using a regular razor blade.
Festizio wrote:
going back to that would be like buying a musket for home protection.
But a straight razor can double for home protection! Didn't think of that, did you Festizio? Every tried killing someone with a Schick III Dual Blade Super Smooth? Pain in the ass I tell ya!
I have nothing productive to add, except this stellar animation from Monty Python, which really cuts to the heart of the issue.
Not done it, but thought about it. I've discussed this on forums before. The consensus was that it's certainly doable, but you do have to learn the proper care of the blade. Remember, a sharp blade is safer than a dull one, for razors too.
Actually, I did shave with a straight razor before (I had forgotten), and it was OK. It wasn't a good razor or blade, however, so I didn't do it but a few times. I just wanted to see if it was something I'd be willing to pursue. I could go either way. If I found a good blade and thought it was reasonable, I'd get it and keep at it until I learned or killed myself.
What I did do to save money, however, was to buy a double edged safety razor. The blades, here in Japan anyway, can be gotten for a much more reasonable price, and they will shave you much better than those other overpriced crappy contraptions that they push on us. Even those, however, need to be used with caution. Don't go digging in to your face like you pretty much have to with the other razors out there. That would be a big mistake. The other thing is that good shaving cream can make a huge difference in the quality of shave. I don't have many options locally, so I've gotten used to just using soap for a lather.
Smooth wishes.
ever brought a knife to a gun fight? no self respecting criminal would break into a house with a knife that could be challenged by one used to shave faces
and i totally agree with the youtube video
So your problem is the high cost of a good, clean shave right?
The solution isn't to buy $100 or more blade which requires intensive care. Even if you did learn to shave with it and learned to take care of it, you probably wouldn't shave with it or take care of it because it is time consuming.
Just buy the disposable twin blade bics. You can get 20 for 2-3 bucks at walmart. Use each razor 3-5 times and toss it. The cleanest, closest shave at the lowest cost and effort.
You can buy and play with a straight razor as a hobby but no one I know uses it to shave daily.
Festizio wrote:
i'm not too familiar with straight blades, but i would say it's technology of the past. going back to that would be like buying a musket for home protection.
ever considered an electric razor? they aren't very expensive and last a long time. just my 2 cents
Oh My Gawd you are such a puppet. You are exactly the type of person the Marketing companies want to create.
To the OP, the best thing to do would be to purchase a safety blade razor - like this:
http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522941/5416107.htm- and that way you can use safety razors, which are mere pennies.
If you buy a straight razor, you will be spending a lot of time keeping the thing sharp/true/clean/etc.
By the Way Festizio, a straight razor shave is BY FAR the best shave a man can get. People like you piss me off for some reason, even though I should pity you.
Your blades dull because of rust, not friction against your chin. Keep a little vat of rubbing alcohol in the bathroom and dunk your razor in that after every shave - it will last weeks, if not longer. Mine last months.
Here, try this too:
FOUR BLADES ARE BETTER THAN ONE!!
there is a reason nobody except grandpas shave like this anymore. if the OP is looking into this as a hobby than that's cool, i guess
and i'm not a puppet, i'm a robot
Festizio wrote:
FOUR BLADES ARE BETTER THAN ONE!!
there is a reason nobody except grandpas shave like this anymore. if the OP is looking into this as a hobby than that's cool, i guess
and i'm not a puppet, i'm a robot
Go to a barber shop and get a straight razor shave, then report back to us you lemming.
My main issue is that I do not feel like the blades I use give me a close enough shave. I alternate between the Fusion and the Mach 3, depending on which blades are for sale. I love the feeling of a really close, clean shave.
I have tried electric razos. They are much worse. I have tried disposables--they are about the same in quality as the regular blades but much less comfortable.
I'm not worried about the investment in the straight razor. A good razor would last a long time, I think, and would pay for itself over time. I'm also not worried about the time.
I just want to know what sort of blade I should look for and tips on technique. I've been shaved with a straight razor several times at the barber shop. It is incredibly close.
Next time you are at the barber shop, ask the barber if he woild sell you one of his used straight razors. You might get a deal!
Festizio wrote:
FOUR BLADES ARE BETTER THAN ONE!!
Care to prove that? If any of the first three blades were doing their job, why the heck do you need a fourth? Or, if the first did it's job, why the need for two, three, and four? Oh, yeah! Some blades "lift" (money out of your wallet) while others cut. If you believe that you are worse off than a robot.
Anyway, my safety razor, with just one blade, gives me a much, much closer shave than any other razor I've ever used. My barber has done better with his straight razor, but not the same difference between that and my safety razor as between the safety razor and these multi-bladed, wallet-raping things in the supermarkets. It's not even close.
Kicker Guard wrote:
To the OP, the best thing to do would be to purchase a safety blade razor - like this:
http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522941/5416107.htm- and that way you can use safety razors, which are mere pennies.
If you buy a straight razor, you will be spending a lot of time keeping the thing sharp/true/clean/etc.
This. I went from a mach 3 to this and have been really happy. Make sure you get a badger fur brush too.
i've been a Marine for 3 years now and i go to the barber shop once every week to get my haircut and do you know how many people i've seen get a straight razor shave? ZERO. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain my self to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom i provide AND THEN QUESTIONS THE MANNER in which i shave my face.
so i'm a lemming for shaving like a normal person? to answer the original question of "who uses a straight razor?" NOBODY (except a couple D-bags that can actually get mad over a letsrun thread)
Wow, you're an even bigger lemming than I thought.
A Marine?