Chasing the Closest...

I have to agree with the OP about the lasting nature of a straight razor shave.

I'm a bit of a newbie with the straight, having started the journey in earnest last October-I'm about 150 shaves in.

There IS a learning curve, there are more 'moving parts'-stropping, care of the blade, close attention to the angle, etc., etc. Whether it's worth it or not is a personal decision.

I've come to the tentative conclusion that the straight is a better 'cutter' of whiskers. I find the first pass with a straight is usually more comfortable than with a DE razor-especially with a couple of days of growth. After the second pass, the whiskers are basically gone.

Achieving a BBS and beyond with a straight is something I'm working on, and my other tentative conclusion is that the DE is a better tool for the latter part of the shave when there are fewer whiskers to be shaved. It's also much more nimble (at least with my current level of skill) than the straight for touchups.

When I have the time and I'm in 'training' mode, I'll force myself to do a full 3 pass shave and touch up with the straight. But if I have to look good and want a super close shave, again with my level of skill, it's 2 passes with a straight, and a 3rd pass/touchup with a DE loaded with a Feather Platinum.

I've noticed a distinct difference on how my face feels after a straight razor shave-it's smooth, yes, but somehow a bit tacky, thick, if you will. Not necessarily better, but surely different for me. As I've shaved with a DE for over 40 years, I'm familiar with what a great DE shave feels like. In fact, the straight has given me a new appreciation of the DE razor and the remarkable revolution King Gillette started in the early 1900s.

Per BPman 's post above, I might have to try one of these newer synthetic brushes.  I tried them several years ago and didn't think they performed as well as badgers so I've stayed away.  I keep seeing people going on about them so maybe there's something to this  Nah, badgers are better.

Buy a Tuxedo style and don't look back. It's simply a better brush. Here are three super cheap buys:


https://www.westcoastshaving.com/collect...3327726605

https://www.maggardrazors.com/product/ma...ck-handle/

https://www.italianbarber.com/collection...hetic-knot

Per BPman 's post above, I might have to try one of these newer synthetic brushes.  I tried them several years ago and didn't think they performed as well as badgers so I've stayed away.  I keep seeing people going on about them so maybe there's something to this  Nah, badgers are better.

Buy a Tuxedo style and don't look back. It's simply a better brush. Here are three super cheap buys:


https://www.westcoastshaving.com/collect...3327726605

https://www.maggardrazors.com/product/ma...ck-handle/

https://www.italianbarber.com/collection...hetic-knot

Those are crazy cheap (inexpensive) brushes. How can I not buy one!? Thanks.

BTW, has anyone else bought some of the new Italian Barber brush stands? Great deal. They don't fit all brushes but many (alas, not Thaters)

When I went from modern razors to straights I noticed a night and day difference, less irritation and ingrown hairs, but I did notice when I picked up my first safety razor that the shave was not as close, but it makes complete sense, there is a guard so the skin is somewhat protected from the blade. I do enjoy safety razor shaving at 0530 pre coffee less to focus on half asleep, straights are still enjoyable just mostly a weekend thing after a cup of coffee. That's what makes this fun was taking a chore and turning it into an experience

When I went from modern razors to straights I noticed a night and day difference, less irritation and ingrown hairs, but I did notice when I picked up my first safety razor that the shave was not as close, but it makes complete sense, there is a guard so the skin is somewhat protected from the blade. I do enjoy safety razor shaving at 0530 pre coffee less to focus on half asleep, straights are still enjoyable just mostly a weekend thing after a cup of coffee. That's what makes this fun was taking a chore and turning it into an experience

I used to shave exclusively with a straight. 5:30, pre coffee - no worries. Ten minutes before I had to be in the car - no problem. I got pretty good with the things. There was/is one area though... on my neck left and right of my Addams apple, the darn hair grows sideways. It's really hard to go across the grain with a straight in that area. Really hard. That's where a DE really shines. But aside from that, I can shave as quickly with a straight as I can a DE or a cart. It's just not fun.

Like I said, the soaps are a big part of my shaving experience now, so the great thing about the DE is that I get to shave every day. But there is nothing like a slow straight shave with coffee and music on hand .



I so have to try those artificial brushes. My badgers are finally starting to lose hair. Looks like I'll need to replace them soon.

The way my face is, going for the baby butt always winds up with weepers. I'm more in the close comfortable camp.

The way my face is, going for the baby butt always winds up with weepers.  I'm more in the close comfortable camp.

I know what you mean. Every now and then the stars align and I get that awesome close, comfortable shave with no damage but frequently if I try too hard to get BBS I'll get weepers or even a nick even when I'm using a set up that I've had lots of success with. The area of my face where a goatee would grow is just hard to shave closely. The whiskers are way tougher and coarser than on the rest of my face and the various directional issues and facial contours doesn't make it any easier. I'll try to just touch that up and ...ouch. I find its best to keep my left hand from checking my face for smoothness because otherwise I'll feel some stubble that I'll need to try to get and thats when trouble happens. In my experience, unless you've actually done a bad job, that little bit of stubble you can feel through the lather will be imperceptible after you've rinsed and applied post shave. Nobody, including you is going to see it but everybody will see your bright red irritated, bleeding face if you go too far - its like Icarus and flying too close to the sun. Disaster awaits.

The way my face is, going for the baby butt always winds up with weepers.  I'm more in the close comfortable camp.

 Nobody, including you is going to see it but everybody will see your bright red irritated, bleeding face if you go too far - its like Icarus and flying too close to the sun.  Disaster awaits.

Truer words... no truer words. Alas, the sun beckons lol. Knowing when to stop is an art in and of itself.

When I went from modern razors to straights I noticed a night and day difference, less irritation and ingrown hairs, but I did notice when I picked up my first safety razor that the shave was not as close, but it makes complete sense, there is a guard so the skin is somewhat protected from the blade. I do enjoy safety razor shaving at 0530 pre coffee less to focus on half asleep, straights are still enjoyable just mostly a weekend thing after a cup of coffee. That's what makes this fun was taking a chore and turning it into an experience

I used to shave exclusively with a straight. 5:30, pre coffee - no worries. Ten minutes before I had to be in the car - no problem. I got pretty good with the things. There was/is one area though... on my neck left and right of my Addams apple, the darn hair grows sideways. It's really hard to go across the grain with a straight in that area. Really hard. That's where a DE really shines. But aside from that, I can shave as quickly with a straight as I can a DE or a cart. It's just not fun.

Like I said, the soaps are a big part of my shaving experience now, so the great thing about the DE is that I get to shave every day. But there is nothing like a slow straight shave with coffee and music on hand .



I so have to try those artificial brushes. My badgers are finally starting to lose hair. Looks like I'll need to replace them soon.

Very similar reason to why I quit straight razor shaving. My hair on my entire right jawline, and all of the hair underneath both jaws on my neck grows east to west. I could not for the life of me figure out how to get the straight in a way that I could shave against the grain east to west under my neck which would require a completely lateral type move. I accepted basically two cross grain type passes (north to south, then south to north) in those areas which was lackluster for me compared to a DE which I can navigate anyway I wanted. In the end, straights were just not my thing when I had to factor in all of the maintenance as well (oiling/stropping/honing) which quite frankly I did not care for.

my hair grows in like 4 different directions on my neck and my hair lays very flat and is curly...I've learned to not push it too much or else I'll get razor burn and/or ingrowns. something else I noticed over the past few months being that's it's still very cold in the northeast is that I was exfoliating my skin far too often.

for me, my favorite razor for a 1 pass shave is the ikon tech with a super iridium blade. the muhle r41 is really nice too, but I find that the tech, for me, is slightly smoother.