Thread: I am on the fence now after the first DE shave.

Hi, I just had my first DE shave (not exactly the first one, but this time, I
got it right with Merkur 12C long handle open comb+Feather, with proper face preparations).

Finally, I had that "buttery" feeling when the blade sliding through my skin.
Everything sticking out just melted away.

This has put me in a awkward position since I am not sure anymore I should
even start to learn the straight razor if a DE can provide such a
close shave with much less demand for skills. I have ordered a bunch of honing stones and
strops and blades. Haha

Any input would be welcome.

Everything is relative.

Yes you can get a very fine shave with a DE but it still does not match a Straight Shave. I know I'll finish with a DE and be BBS all over but by late that night the stubble is there. With a straight the same amount of stubble doesn't reappear until the next morning.

It just feels so much safer with a DE

I will at least give the SR a try to see the differences myself.

I am sure if you decided not to use a straight your items would be able to find new homes from members here. I have never used a DE I went from cheap disposables to a straight. There is a definate learning curve but the shave is not even comparable. If you are comfortable with a DE then perhaps it is good for you. But I think You should try a straight for a while besides it gives you a whole new set of skills. Honing, shaving, stropping......

I have and use both regularly, but straight razors are not for everyone. I found the straight razor to be my primary tool where my wife found the DE to be her primary. She still uses a straight and helps with the back of my neck with a straight razor, but for her the DE is simpler and she prefers it.

My DEs have been sidelined now, for the reasons outlined by thebigspendur. Mind you, I can get very good results indeed from a safety razor (lots of practice!), so if using a straight seems like too much hassle or too steep a learning curve, fair enough.

remingtonmarlin,

A lot of people, including myself, use a straight not just because if the quality of the straight shave, but because of the entirety of the straight shaving experience.

I shave after work, and for me, my straight shaves are a tranquil oasis.

During the shave, all the bad crap from the day disappears, and I fell very much the better for it !

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Like some of the other gents here I went from a cartridge directly to a straight. I hesitate to say it, but I didn't actually know what a safety razor was until I joined up on forums. I have tried them and they work great, but to be honest I found them rather lack luster. By all means, you can get a great shave using a DE, but IMHO they lack the subtleties of a straight razor - it's the little things that make them so interesting and fun.

If it works, great! But I would encourage you to keep options open. Variety is the spice of life!

Tell you the honest truth ..... it is very rare that I shave with a DE in the past few years. Not that I didn't like them, I have a fairly large collection of vintage Gillettes and vintage slants which are my favorite DEs. The reason I rarely shave with them is I am way more likely to nick myself with one of them than with a straight razor. That and .... once I developed my skills... I do get a superior shave with the straight. Keep shaving with the DE until you feel the call of the straight and then start rotating between the two. You'll eventually find which is best for you .... or continue to use both. You can't lose.

+ 1 on what jimmy says.A wise man.Well said.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Tell you the honest truth ..... it is very rare that I shave with a DE in the past few years. Not that I didn't like them, I have a fairly large collection of vintage Gillettes and vintage slants which are my favorite DEs. The reason I rarely shave with them is I am way more likely to nick myself with one of them than with a straight razor. That and .... once I developed my skills... I do get a superior shave with the straight. Keep shaving with the DE until you feel the call of the straight and then start rotating between the two. You'll eventually find which is best for you .... or continue to use both. You can't lose.