OT - Shaving with Straight and/or Safety Razors...

Jashley73 · Nov 25, 2017

I've struggled getting a good, close shave for years and am contemplating trying shaving with a safety razor or straight razor.

Looking for feedback from forum members who've tried it.

I shave every 2nd or 3rd day, but have never had good luck with disposable razors. I either get a crappy/rough shave, and/or ingrown hairs - usually all at the same time.

I did discover recently that I've been shaving wrong, in that I've been ignoring the "grain direction." Upon closer inspection, my hair grows in differing, and non-symmetrical directions, and I've been ignoring this, which I think is the cause for most of the ingrowns.

Will a safety razor or straight razor give a better, closer shave? It seems like some people advise using "multiple passes" for a closer shave - something I've not been doing with disposables. 1st pass with the grain, 2nd pass perpendicular, 3rd pass against the grain if you so choose. I'm semi-afraid to try the 3rd pass against the grain for fear of ingrowns...

Hard to believe I've been shaving for something like 15 years and I've been doing it wrong this whole time. Will a straight or safety razor give me a better shave?

Also, I usually shave after the shower, and usually am not in a hurry - so if it takes a little longer, that's OK.

Thoughts...?

DDoug · Nov 25, 2017

I have been using the disposable double blade units, and I shave dry. Dollar general branded cheapies.

Yup, sans shaving cream, no water either.

Since I switched to dry, I find the single blade units don't work as good. But I get a better shave.

And yes, I have to shave in every direction, usually pulling the skin
with my other hand to flatten it and stretch it out for the blade.
The other hand will fell the stubble left, go back over it again,
trying a different direction.

Ox · Nov 25, 2017

I shave in the shower with the days "grease" as the lube.
I use the single bladed cheapy's.

I go with, and then agginst.

If you shave every 2nd to 3rd day, why are you so worried about a "close" shave?
I shave 2wice a week* and git it as good as I can and not worry about the rest.
Real close is only gunna last a cpl of hours anyway.

I really like the single bladed jobbies as they don't plug up like those doubles, and I can only imagine the trippples. :eek:

* If it's good enough for Don Johnson, it's good enough for Ox.

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

boslab · Nov 25, 2017

The only thing I can add is that water as hot as you can bear seems to improve the bristle situation, I got so sick of shaving I stopped a couple of months ago, it was a hard habit to break after 45 years or so, I don't have to have a clean face anymore as I don't wear a BA as a lot of the time I had to go into areas with gas, beards stop the mask sealing properly, anyway really hot water seemed to help get a close shave without too much face ploughing.
I've only had one open razor shave, took every pimple and bump off, apparently when you start your face has to get conditioned as the barber put it, the stingy pencil stops the bleeding fast, looked like a stick of chalk made of wasps.
Mark

Gordon Heaton · Nov 25, 2017

digger doug said:
. . .I have to shave in every direction, usually pulling the skin with my other hand to flatten it and stretch it out for the blade. The other hand will fell the stubble left, go back over it again, trying a different direction.

That's the key! You want the closest shave, you gotta do it this way regardless of what razor you use.

B-Mathews · Nov 25, 2017

I use the disposables from Costco. They used to be 2 blades and now I think there 3 and they lowered the qt you get. That said they work great. I try to shave in the shower while skin softer and shave against the grain. often I have pretty course facial hair and could never get a clean shave going with. I also go over multiple times. I have Never had an in grown hair on the face or neck.

motion guru · Nov 25, 2017

I can't use a blade - my whiskers all lay down with a one-way grain pretty much all downward. When I shave with a blade, I can get a close shave but within about 8 hours, if I brush against my face with the back of my hand, or my wife brushes against my face with her cheek, there will be little fine cuts on my hand or her cheek that start to bleed. The ends of the whiskers are like little daggers and cut whatever brushes up against them.

Because of this, I use an electric Norelco, it cuts (chews?) the whiskers off at more of a right angle and they aren't nearly as sharp.

Jashley73 · Nov 25, 2017

Ox said:
If you shave every 2nd to 3rd day, why are you so worried about a "close" shave?
I shave 2wice a week and git it as good as I can and not worry about the rest.
Real close is only gunna last a cpl of hours anyway.

I really like the single bladed jobbies as they don't plug up like those doubles, and I can only imagine the trippples.

I put it off because it's a chore, and I don't enjoy the process now. I also don't like the shoddy results either. If I'm going to go through the trouble, I want it to look nice anyway... (Sort of like mowing the lawn - If I'm gonna get hot & dirty in the yard, then I'm going to trim, edge, stripe the grass & blow off all the concrete...)

I also can't stand more than 5 days growth too. So not shaving isn't an option either...

The triples are pretty bad about clogging.

I also hear that a "proper" shave is much more enjoyable too. So I'm hoping to find some "encouragement" in here from those who've tried it...

Ox · Nov 25, 2017

"Enjoyable"?

Only if it's the Swedish Bakini Team giving the shave! LOL!

I'm itching on day 4 usually.

Being a tool salesman, maybe you could go with a single blade "rougher" and then go back with the multi-blade finisher?

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Bobw · Nov 25, 2017

Like OX said, every 2-3 days... Why are you worried about "Close"..

I haven't touched a razor to my face but a few times in the past 15-20 years, and
each time I've paid for it.. I stopped with the razors for a reason.. nasty red bumps,
ingrown hairs.. F'that..

Beard trimmer, no guard and I get as close as that goes.. Gets it down to a half day of
stubble, I don't look like a complete bum, and no red bumps or ingrown hairs...

To add some metrology content to the thread, had a nasty ingrown hair on my cheek a
few years ago.. FINALLY one day, a hair pops out of the center of it (with some puss),
pulled that sucker.. 0.0235" in diameter, it was like a tree trunk.

rons · Nov 25, 2017

I splash cold water and wait a minute for the hair to swell.
First pass with a triple Norelco going in all directions.
Second pass in shower with Ivory soak to clean up the neck.

Shaving every single day causes more problems and if I can get by with it I prefer to shave every other day.
Just be glad you don't have to shave your legs.

DDoug · Nov 25, 2017

Bobw said:
pulled that sucker.. 0.0235" in diameter, it was like a tree trunk.

Only would a machinist take a mic to his errant beard hairs..... :nutter:

SeaMoss · Nov 25, 2017

Jashley73 said:
I also hear that a "proper" shave is much more enjoyable too. So I'm hoping to find some "encouragement" in here from those who've tried it...

How about going to an experienced barber first ? Then if you like it, you can learn how. If not, go to Plan B ?

Ox · Nov 25, 2017

SeaMoss said:
How about going to an experienced barber first ?

Doo you have a revolver, or live in Mayberry?

'Cause AFAIK, if'n y'all aint in Floyd's chair, you need to have a 6 shooter pointed at the barber.

???

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

DDoug · Nov 25, 2017

Ox said:
Doo you have a revolver, or live in Mayberry?

'Cause AFAIK, if'n y'all aint in Floyd's chair, you need to have a 6 shooter pointed at the barber.

???

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Barber I used to go to (has since passed away) used a
straight razor around the ears as a normal haircut.

Told me when first starting out, really nervous, old timer in the chair flinched or sumthin', the barber pretty much had the
customers ear in his hand, he sliced most of it right off.
Blade was so sharp, old timer didn't really feel much.

'Course he tells me the story as he's shaving me.....

Ox · Nov 25, 2017

digger doug said:
Old time barber I used to go to (has since passed away) used a
straight razor around the ears as a normal haircut.

Told me when first starting out, really nervous, old timer in the chair flinched or sumthin', the barber pretty much had the
customers ear in his hand, he sliced most of it right off.

You and me may think that _ that is a bad thing, but the kids today would just figger out a way to exploit that idea with some rings and barbed fittings of some Jezebel types...

Then he'd end up having kids coming in from miles around for the opp...

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

eKretz · Nov 25, 2017

I shave with a straight razor. Have for near on 20 years now. I like it much better than any other method. No clogging at all and with a well honed razor it's a very comfortable shave. As already mentioned, the skin stretching is about the most important single thing you can do to get a good close and comfortable shave. Very important to pull the skin so that those hairs that are laying down flat stand up and straight out.

I shave with two passes - one with the grain of the hair and one against. This gives me what the shave forum guys call BBS (Baby Butt Smooth) skin whether you move your hand with or against the grain. This usually lasts for anywhere from 8-16 hours, then I can start to feel the stubble when moving my hands against the grain of hair growth.

DDoug · Nov 25, 2017

.....Oh, and if your concerned with pimples, bumps, etc...Don't worry, the blade will whack them all right off.

JS · Nov 25, 2017

My beard will destroy Blades after a few uses electric, safety and disposable etc... After several decades of this, depending on length, it's electric first then one of the others

I've tried :

Electric: Norelco, Panasonic, Wahl, etc.

These are the same thing: Van Der Hagen and Micro Touch One ....The blades are a little different, but will work in each holder.

Cheap Razors dry seem to work better right now for some reason..

Figure its diet / food related.

CarlBoyd · Nov 25, 2017

I grew a beard.

CarlBoyd

OT - Shaving with Straight and/or Safety Razors...

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