My take on Straight Razor Shaving

Inevitably when you run an online store dedicated to vintage shaving, you get asked about straight razors. Luckily, I happen to have a personal affinity for the ‘cut-throat’ style of shaving instruments. From their look, feel, and most importantly, performance, I can honestly say that I love straight razors!

I get asked all the time what straight razor is best, how hard is straight razor shaving to learn, what products should I pick up at first etc. etc. So I thought I’d make a brief blog post that covers some ground on the subject. Here goes!

1) How hard is straight razor shaving to learn?
This is a loaded question, because inevitably it is very subjective. However, I would turn the question around and ask, “How hard is it to drive a motor vehicle?” It’s not such a bad analogy- driving a car requires attention, feedback, skill, and practice to get good at it. And the same thing applies to straight razor shaving. At first, the mechanics can be a little awkward/intimidating, but worry not- if you keep at it, you will learn it! Watch some youtube videos of people shaving with straight razors- its an easy way to pick up the important things like skin-stretching, angle, direction and even which hand to use. Remember “monkey-see-mokey-do” – as humans, we learn easiest by observation. Practice in an easy area like your cheek, eventually it will start to feel natural.

2) Will I get lots of cuts/nicks using a straight razor?
When using a finely sharpened piece of metal to remove whiskers from your face, you always run the possibility of cutting yourself! However, I will tell you that straight razor shaving is a VERY tactile experience. What I mean by that is you feel every second of the shave. It engages your senses and you are very aware of what the blade is doing. And because you are holding directly onto the same piece of metal that is mowing down your hair, you get a very ‘analog’ feedback from the cutting edge- like a record needle on a piece of vinyl. You feel every bump and groove of your face, and learn to navigate around it like driving your car to your job every morning, or hiking your favorite trail. In this way, I’ve had less than 5 cuts from shaving with a straight razor in over 2 years. Even with a quality DE razor, I still occasionally get nicks during a shave.

3) Should I get a disposable straight razor to learn on before investing in the real thing?
I would say simply, “no.” There are two key elements of straight razor shaving that you need to learn in order to have a pleasant and efficient experience: Blade Angle & Pressure. The angle at which the straight edge is held to your face along with the amount of pressure you use will instantly determine whether you’ll be removing hair or nicking your skin. Luckily, learning this on a traditional Double Edge safety razor transfers over quite nicely. So if you want to prepare for straight shaving before taking the plunge, pick up a nice DE razor and learn that for a few weeks. It will break your habit from cartridge/electric razors of being passive/unaware of the blade angle/pressure. Shavette’s / Disposable straights were made for modern barbers/hair-stylists who can’t use traditional metal straight razors due to sanitation laws. They feel much different than a real straight razor, and just because they look similar doesn’t mean they’ll teach you anything about real metal straights.

4) What straight razor products should I start off with / what do I need?
I would tell you that a properly restored and honed vintage razor will probably serve you well for years if not decades to come, and can be had much more reasonably than modern made straight razors. The makers of steel from the late 1800′s/turn of the century were not messing around- there was plenty of competition out there to force manufacturing quality to be quite high. Some of the English/German/Swedish steel of yesteryear is un-paralleled today so definitely take a look at cutlery outfits from these countries when searching for a vintage straight razor to purchase. You should be able to pick up a nicely restored/honed straight for $50-$75.

5) What about Stropping/Honing?
In terms of your strop, there are many makes out there to choose from. As long as the leather/canvas are of good quality, you’ll probably be okay. I’ve even seen people using denim jean material and a wide leather belt for a starter set. Honestly, that would probably be okay as well. Keep in mind that the strop only aligns the blade prior to shaving and does not sharpen it. Honing on sharpening stones is only needed every 3-6 months and is best carried out by someone who both has the hones and is experienced in doing so.

Conclusion
Remember that like anything else, learning to straight shave is a process, not an event. Also be open to a bit of experimentation and tweaking your set-up when you first get started. Just like driving, your first automobile isn’t your “dream car.” Likewise, start with a modest set-up and move to nicer things as your skills and ability grow. When it comes to the stropping/honing/maintenance of your razor, it isn’t such a bad idea to try out different aspects. You might find that you really like honing, and that you want to explore doing more of it. Or you may find that sending it out and paying $20 is much more reasonable so that you can do more of the thing you prefer: using the razor! And that’s what makes this hobby so fun- so keep at it and don’t be afraid to try new things!