Why so many guys are turned off by straight razors

Maintenance for me is the biggest turn off. I like how easily I can just swap in a new DE blade when needed.

True...I see it more as a weekend or holiday shave.

BTW I would love to see what a silicon impregnated sock looks like.

I tend to alternate with my ti wolfman wr2 but the feel of a well honed straight is far superior to my skin. I like moderate aggression de’s and a straight is just unlike any other shaving experience. My skin is in better shape and less irritated when using a straight for multiple days in a row. Very counterintuitive, but has been my experience. There’s no comparison between even the smoothest of de blades and a well
honed straight razor. For this reason and the fact that I have come to enjoy the maintenance from a quick 45 seconds stroping, to touching razors up on stones, makes it a winner for me.

I tend to alternate with my ti wolfman wr2 but the feel of a well honed straight is far superior to my skin. I like moderate aggression de’s and a straight is just unlike any other shaving experience. My skin is in better shape and less irritated when using a straight for multiple days in a row. Very counterintuitive, but has been my experience. There’s no comparison between even the smoothest of de blades and a well
honed straight razor. For this reason and the fact that I have come to enjoy the maintenance from a quick 45 seconds stroping, to touching razors up on stones, makes it a winner for me.

I feel the same way!



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Ive seen some reasonable strops around but some of these stones with exotic Japanese names are hitting the
400 mark.

Ive seen some reasonable strops around but some of these stones with exotic Japanese names are hitting the
400 mark.

Just get a notovan strop from Tony Miller. Or get a cheaper one to practice with. You’re likely gonna chew up your first one.

Ive seen some reasonable strops around but some of these stones with exotic Japanese names are hitting the
400 mark.

Just get a notovan strop from Tony Miller. Or get a cheaper one to practice with. You’re likely gonna chew up your first one.

Only because everyone seems to think you need to do long strokes from one side to the other.

Short strokes do the same job and less likely to damage the strop


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I used a straight razor 6 days a week every week starting in late February or early March of last year and stopping in about February of this year. It was fun to use them, and I didn't mind stropping, but the constant worry about keeping the edge perfect and the steep drop off in quality of the shave if the edge wasn't at its peak got a little frustrating for me. Even a tiny error stropping can dull the edge considerably.

So, I went back to DE and SE, until about a little over a month ago. I really missed the straight shave, but didn't want to get back into stropping, fussing about the edge, etc., so I purchased a Feather SS shavette. I had tried one even before straight razors, but back then I had tried the kamisori style (non-folding).

This time I thought since I had become accustomed to shaving with a regular folding Western straight razor, maybe the folding Feather shavette would be the way to go. So I picked up a Feather SS off amazon.

Haven't used anything else since.


For those of you looking into the idea of straights who are put off by honing, stropping, etc., the folding Feather SS shavette is a fantastic razor. For me it provides pretty much everything I loved about straight razor shaving and takes away everything I didn't enjoy. Just put a blade into it and you are good to go.

Just like a straight razor, these things are gentler on the face than a DE or an SE (in my opinion). It feels like magic. You just squeegee off the lather and the stubble goes with it. Amazingly smooth.

I'm seriously thinking about selling almost all my other razors, but I've learned about honeymoons before, so I'm going to wait a few more months. I can't see it getting any worse; if anything, as my technique improves they shaves should get even better! For right now, at least, I am hooked.

I used a straight razor 6 days a week every week starting in late February or early March of last year and stopping in about February of this year. It was fun to use them, and I didn't mind stropping, but the constant worry about keeping the edge perfect and the steep drop off in quality of the shave if the edge wasn't at its peak got a little frustrating for me. Even a tiny error stropping can dull the edge considerably.

So, I went back to DE and SE, until about a little over a month ago. I really missed the straight shave, but didn't want to get back into stropping, fussing about the edge, etc., so I purchased a Feather SS shavette. I had tried one even before straight razors, but back then I had tried the kamisori style (non-folding).

This time I thought since I had become accustomed to shaving with a regular folding Western straight razor, maybe the folding Feather shavette would be the way to go. So I picked up a Feather SS off amazon.

Haven't used anything else since.


For those of you looking into the idea of straights who are put off by honing, stropping, etc., the folding Feather SS shavette is a fantastic razor. For me it provides pretty much everything I loved about straight razor shaving and takes away everything I didn't enjoy. Just put a blade into it and you are good to go.

Just like a straight razor, these things are gentler on the face than a DE or an SE (in my opinion). It feels like magic. You just squeegee off the lather and the stubble goes with it. Amazingly smooth.

I'm seriously thinking about selling almost all my other razors, but I've learned about honeymoons before, so I'm going to wait a few more months. I can't see it getting any worse; if anything, as my technique improves they shaves should get even better! For right now, at least, I am hooked.

Thats awesome bud. I did the exact same thing with the feather SS....

Did it twice actually. Got fed up with straights and bought the SS....loved it !!!

Then got bored of it. Got back into straights....

Then got another SS and did the same thing and now im back at straights

So yeah, defo could be a honeymoon stage.

There’s something about straights that always leads me back to it. Both my grandfathers shaved with them and i just like the stropping process and keeping the blade in tip top shape.

I guess, each to their own.

As for honing. That used to be the biggest issue for me until i got Max Specher to hone my razors. The first razor he did for me is still as sharp as the day i picked it up after honing, and I’ve had about 20 shaves from it.

Feathers SS are great but i get a bit bored. Lol.



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I haven't read everyone's replies and I'm guessing someone has already mentioned it, but I don't think " turned off" would be a good term. I think straights are the culmination of the hobby and most of the shaving world has not turned shaving into a hobby. So for the very same reasons that allowed King Camp Gillette to build an empire; safety, convenience, and learning curve, is the reason that most don't choose the "straight" route.

I am going to give it an almighty go in the coming weeks....stropping doesn't faze me as
I plan to practise using a butter knife while I wait for the razor to be made. ?

It's the honing that has me a bit concerned...The videos of honing look simple enough.
It's all about finding the right stones and grits that will work for the grind I get.
I have to figure out all the exotic terms as well...paste, diamond spray, setting the bevel,
all that stuff.

Im of course going to get one of those full hollows as I like a razor that sings.