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Anyone here shave with a straight razor?

DjArcadianDjArcadian 3,632 Posts
edited January 2007 in Strut Central
I'm sick of paying for Mach3 razors. Anyone shave with a straight razor? Is it tricky and does it produce results as good? There's something inherently masculine about using one but scrapping an open faced razor against your face doesn't seem like such a smart idea.
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  • profeignprofeign 145 Posts
    my friend and I went to this barber in SF out in the mission years ago that would give you a haircut and then shave you with a straight razor. fucking scary is what it was but it was a pretty good shave. plus disposable razor blades are a scam and I would like to bust out the straight razor myself, but you gots to keep that fucker, uh, razor sharp on a leather strop and shit, so know what you're getting into. but in the end, if you make it your everyday that shit will be seen as
  • davesrecordsdavesrecords 1,802 Posts
    just get a gilette double edge razor. one of those metal ones. i have never shaved with a disposable razor ever. you will never use another razor. i still use the one my father gave to me who his father gave to him. it's about 50 years old and works perfect (even though it's a little grody). problem is getting razor blades that fit them. a lot of places don't stock them anymore.

    think i may even have an extra one. or you should be a able to get one off ebay for pretty cheap.

  • OldschoolspinnaOldschoolspinna 311 Posts
    There is mos def a trick to using a straight razor.

    I tried one a few years back, and it was some scary shit, that blade is one SHARP mofo, and you have to get the angle just as you draw the blade down or up if you like.

    One slip sideways and its a nick or your ass depending how much pressure you use.

    Good luck

    I myself dry shave with a Venus womans blade.....if you want the smoothest shave youve ever had, use your womans Venus razor if she has one.

    The refills are cheaper than the mach 3 and they snap right on the mach 3 wand, and if you and the woman are both using the same type blades, you can get mega packs at costco or sams club and beat the price some more, not only do you get a closer shave, they stay sharp longer,

    I use one a month...and remeber I DRY shave, so it hasta be sharp.
  • cpeetzcpeetz 2,112 Posts

    I myself dry shave with a Venus womans blade.....if you want the smoothest shave youve ever had, use your womans Venus razor if she has one.

    That sounds terrible, shaving is cruel enough, but that sounds like torture.
    I don't shave anymore, maybe a few times a year max. Years of everday shaving
    got to be a drag so now.....
    I rock a beard, and when it gets too long, or I just feel like keeping it pretty short, I trim it down with
    clippers to 3 day stubble and start over.
    Shaving sucks!

    I'm thinking of going into competitive beard growing!
  • chasechase 767 Posts
    anyone had luck with a Norelco type of electric joints?
  • BaptBapt 2,503 Posts
    Ask your girl to shave you, sensation guaranteed
  • DJRELAXDJRELAX 452 Posts
    anyone had luck with a Norelco type of electric joints?

    ive tried 2 different ones and they both sucked, ymmv
  • sergserg 682 Posts
    I use a merkur safety razor. The blades are dirt cheap, fuck a mach7turboshitmagiclevel9 razor.


    When I got this I was considering going with a straight but lots of folks said I would hack up my face. I don't think it's that dangerous considering I never cut myself shaving so I'm going to cop one just to see. Hell sometimes I use the box cutter at work if I miss a spot. Got to be better than that piece of shit.

    but yeah if you dont' go straight razor definitely get a safety razor.
  • IronfeetIronfeet 516 Posts
    Never tried using a strait razor on myself but the ladies I've been with love it when I use the straigt razor to prep before eating pink tacos!

    Though it's better to try on your face before using on the sack...
  • cpeetzcpeetz 2,112 Posts
    Never tried using a strait razor on myself but the ladies I've been with love it when I use the straigt razor to prep before eating pink tacos!

    Though it's better to try on your face before using on the sack...

    EWWWWWW...
    I think i just threw up a little in my mouth.
  • tuneuptuneup 586 Posts
    on my request my lovely wife got me a straight razor for Chrsitmas one year, which she even had my initials etched in.

    later that morning, i went for a clean Xmas shave, and gave myself a nice razor cut right across my right cheek..... shit was like 3 inches long. (thing was so sharp that i healed with absolutely no scar)

    needless to say i have NEVER touched that thing again
  • Funky_MimizuFunky_Mimizu 631 Posts
    In Japan you can get straight razor shaves at all the barber shops...

    If you haven't had one... that shit is fucking fantastic! They do a whole routine with hot towels on your face. Its not just a shave, it's relaxing as hell.

    If you go to Japan, go to one of the 1500 yen barber shops that are all over, and ask for a shave.

    Peace...
    FNM
  • OldschoolspinnaOldschoolspinna 311 Posts
    on my request my lovely wife got me a straight razor for Chrsitmas one year, which she even had my initials etched in.

    later that morning, i went for a clean Xmas shave, and gave myself a nice razor cut right across my right cheek..... shit was like 3 inches long. (thing was so sharp that i healed with absolutely no scar)

    needless to say i have NEVER touched that thing again


    Exactly my point.
  • profeignprofeign 145 Posts
    just get a gilette double edge razor. one of those metal ones. i have never shaved with a disposable razor ever. you will never use another razor. i still use the one my father gave to me who his father gave to him. it's about 50 years old and works perfect (even though it's a little grody). problem is getting razor blades that fit them. a lot of places don't stock them anymore.

    think i may even have an extra one. or you should be a able to get one off ebay for pretty cheap.


    dude those are the same shits they gave us (only the cheaper version of the handle) on the honor farm at SB County Jail. I couldn't believe that shit when I was rolled in there. They give me the fly jail gear in a pile and a bedsheet and a fucking double-edged razor blade and razor handle. Fifty incarcerated motherfuckers all issued double-edged razor blades...

    The wrench for opening the razor out was up at the CO station but they didn't watch you that close. I slept with one eye open the first night, but remarkably nothing ever came of everybody having a fucking razor in their shit. NAGPolicy
  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,906 Posts
    I use a merkur safety razor. The blades are dirt cheap, fuck a mach7turboshitmagiclevel9 razor.


    Cosign on the Merkur. I use one of those also.

    If you'd like to learn more about how to use it the guy that owns the store below has a wealth of information. People from all over the country go into his shop for shave clinics to learn his wet shave technique.

    http://enchanteonline.com
    http://enchanteonline.com/pages/faqs/primerfinal.pdf

    -billb
  • DeeRockDeeRock 1,836 Posts
    I get one everytime I'm in NYC! They are my favorite. They won't do them here in Seattle. Go figure? One barber tried to tell me it was ilegal in this state.
  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    I get one everytime I'm in NYC! They are my favorite. They won't do them here in Seattle. Go figure? One barber tried to tell me it was ilegal in this state.

    i shave once a week.

    i heard the same in other states. they have to have an autoclave onsite. something about AIDS.
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    Pretty much any Spanish barber shop will hit you up with the straight edge. I don't get the shave but I think I might do that next time. Sounds like the move. I always get my shape up with a straight edge but that's just regular policy. Also, some of you may say



    but fuck with the Dominicans man. Puerto Rican shops can't cut hair for shit. Always trying to give you the fucking line beard, plus the shops always got the cheap razors and shit in them. Anyone in NYC need a good recommendation fuck with Jose on Forsythe & Broome. That's my dude.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts

    but fuck with the Dominicans man. Puerto Rican shops can't cut hair for shit. Always trying to give you the fucking line beard

    Haha... one time about five years ago I went in for a cut and shave the morning of a job interview and dude had me looking like this:



    I decided to go cleanshaven for the interview.
  • JRootJRoot 861 Posts
    If you have pulled a straight razor across the grain of your facial hair, you have known what it was to be a shaven man for the two centuries that preceded our birth. In the process, you have learned why it is that so many men in old photographs had moustaches. By far, the most difficult part of the face to shave straight is the upper lip. The nose and the cleft between the nose and mouth both present difficult and dangerous obstacles to cutting the hair to the quick.

    I bought my straight razor on our honeymoon in a hill town in Tuscany. Although this was three years ago, I don't feel like I have my strop skills on lock. Pointers are welcome.

    Sharp.
    JRoot
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    Straight razors are strictly for barbers - shaving yourself with an open razor takes serious practice to get an even shave and there's always a tiny nick somewhere on the edge that just makes the whole thing a real number. I had no choice but to use one for six months. Never again. Shove your strop up your arse.
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    whats a "razor"?

  • reskresk 391 Posts
    i cut at a barber shop for about 8 months when i was doing undergrad. The shop was illegal as fuck, there where 4 barbers who came in at about 5pm (when inspectors stop coming) and stayed open til 1-2am. Anyways, i learned to use a straight edge. There are two type of blades, one that was kinda expensive, almost a dollar a blade (i started with this one) and one another one where you snap into two and was dirt cheap and comes in a dispinser. This one worked straight with me.

    Anyways, even when i was cutting at a shop and was very comfortable using a straight blade, i wouldnt try it on myself as you have to get some crazy angles that i couldnt imagine trying on myself.

    Also, none of us barbers just jumped straight into using blade, we would line you up first with trimmers such as these

    then use one of these


    and my most known client was probably mista sinister formerly of xmen/xecutioners
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    haha, this thread is fun to read.

    I would like to try to shave with a straight but don't want to go through the hassle of purchasing one as I'm sure I'll f*** up and never do it again.
  • LazerLazer 796 Posts
    some serious shit

    serious shave talk
  • the_average_manthe_average_man 675 Posts
    The shop was illegal as fuck, there where 4 barbers who came in at about 5pm (when inspectors stop coming) and stayed open til 1-2am.

    inspectors? What the frig were they inspecting? And barber shops that stay open til 2am are but in this country so non-existant
  • profeignprofeign 145 Posts
    If you have pulled a straight razor across the grain of your facial hair, you have known what it was to be a shaven man for the two centuries that preceded our birth. In the process, you have learned why it is that so many men in old photographs had moustaches. By far, the most difficult part of the face to shave straight is the upper lip. The nose and the cleft between the nose and mouth both present difficult and dangerous obstacles to cutting the hair to the quick.

    I bought my straight razor on our honeymoon in a hill town in Tuscany. Although this was three years ago, I don't feel like I have my strop skills on lock. Pointers are welcome.

    Sharp.
    JRoot

    I started using my feather straight razor a few weeks ago and it's in the house. Best. shave. ever. but it takes hella time.

    The best part about it (you guys with safety razors/wetshaving folls and probably already in the know) is I take a pyrex nearly full of water and throw it in the microwave 'til it's ~boiling and then put a little sauce dish on top and let that shit heat up my fly ass british sandalwood shaving cream. With the pyrex and shit I feel like my rig should be in the liner notes of Only Built for Cuban Links.

    Hot shaving cream and a brush is So, so, so, so

    Can I get a witness on the hot shaving cream? Best part.

    Anyway picture of rig to come.

    As for stropping there are videos on youtube and some sites like the well shaven gentleman. there are at least five shaving (straight and safety razor) forums on the web that are a wealth of info.

    Some are:

    shavemyface.com
    straightrazorplace
    wetshavers

    look at shaveblog online to find links to shit. Apparently to strop properly you need strop paste and a light technique. There are even DVDs on honing and stropping if you're that into it.
  • profeignprofeign 145 Posts
    and PS: the upper lip isn't nearly as hard as the line of the jaw where it changes from your face to your neck. from about one inch on either side of the chin to the other is the hardest. Plus the neck is easiest to nick up because it's the thinnest skin. Folls that shave with any type of blade razor probably get most irritation/bleeding/bumps on their necks for this same reason.

    Light touch is the key with a straight razor AFAICT
  • profeignprofeign 145 Posts
    I use a merkur safety razor. The blades are dirt cheap, fuck a mach7turboshitmagiclevel9 razor.


    Cosign on the Merkur. I use one of those also.

    If you'd like to learn more about how to use it the guy that owns the store below has a wealth of information. People from all over the country go into his shop for shave clinics to learn his wet shave technique.

    http://enchanteonline.com
    http://enchanteonline.com/pages/faqs/primerfinal.pdf

    -billb

    Do you use the adjustability on that thing? I want to try a DE safety but I don't want to drop $50 on an adjustable if I can get a standard for $18...
  • profeignprofeign 145 Posts
    This is the new blade I'm getting shortly:





    sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

    $60, which is cheap for a new straight razor, but still hella bank for a razor in general.
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