Straight vs DE

Vern · Post by **Vern** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:10 am

Do you str8 users get as BBS as you did with a DE? I have been using my Feather AC for a couple of weeks and I am getting pretty good, mostly irritation free shaves, but not "rub your hand against the grain faceturbate" smooth like I could if I blade buffed with a DE. Especially problematic for me is the jawline. I have learned to stretch different ways to get good results on cheeks and neck but need help for jawline and ultimate smoothness. Thanks in advance for any help.

Vern

Coche_y_bondhu · Post by **Coche_y_bondhu** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:17 am

Hello Vern and Fellow Feather AC User!

I am getting very close shaves with my Feather AC. Unlike the majority, I use the Proguard blades. True, blade buffing is a key contributor to a BBS both with and against the grain.

I achieve a BBS with the Feather AC by blade buffing with it for the T&C pass. The more skilled you become with the AC, the easier it will become to blade buff with it.

Cheers,
Richard
Plano TX

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:21 am

For me, the Feather Artist Club gives the closest shave (i.e., longest time for stubble to appear). Safety razors with Feather blades come in at an extremely close second. Traditional straight razors are a close third.

mparker762 · Post by **mparker762** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:07 am

It's no contest. With the a 3-pass DE shave I get BBS, but will get stubble within 6 hrs. With a 2-pass straight shave I get BBS with stubble in about 9 hrs. If I do 3 passes with the straight it's common to be BBS for 18+ hrs. I usually don't bother with the 3-pass straight shave.

I've had a Feather AC for maybe 6 months now, but it's been a real disappointment. I seem to be unusual in that regard though.

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:22 am

Ben wrote:For me, the Feather Artist Club gives the closest shave (i.e., longest time for stubble to appear). Safety razors with Feather blades come in at an extremely close second. Traditional straight razors are a close third.

My experience is similar to this, except that DEs with Feather blades fall into a range.

The Futur and slant are at the top and slightly ahead of the AC. THe Japanese AC seems to be a bit better than the regular one. Maybe when I get used to it it will be as good as the Futur and slant. The Vision is a little behind them, and Gillettes of all types are far behind them. A conventional str8 is ahead of the Gillettes.

If you're fairly new to str8 shaving, the AC may not be as close as a DE, because you need to develope your str8 shaving technique. Developing a consistent cut may take some time. Then, there are problem spots, like the neck under the jawline, where it takes time to learn how to use the large str8 blade.

One of the frustrations of a DE shaver when switching over to a str8 is that the str8 shaving technique takes time to develope and your DE shaves are so much better.

Vern · Post by **Vern** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 12:28 pm

I am glad to hear it will probably get better with time. Ofcourse that was true when I started with the DE also. Was just so used to the BBS DE shave that the Feather AC results were disappointing in comparison. As it has only been a couple of weeks I will try not to be disappointed with the results so far. I really do like weilding that razor so I intend to keep after it at any rate. In fact I am so smitten with the idea of it I am considering one of the seven day sets. Thanks for the encouragement.

Vern

CRR · Post by **CRR** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 4:39 pm

I can get BBS shaves with all 3. I get my best shaves with the str8, then the Feather AC, then last are my DE's. I normally shave with a str8 every day, but once in a while use my Feather or DE.

The technique for each is very different. Obviously the Feather AC is similar to the traditional straight, but there is still enough difference between them in technique. Just as it takes a while to learn how to get BBS, irritation free shaves with DE, so it is with the Feather AC as well. Then to achieve that same level with a str8, even more time.

Comparing them after a few weeks, IMO, is not enough time to make a complete assessment. I personally didn't have too much trouble shaving with any of these instruments, but it definitely took time. Getting great shaves with a DE or the Feather AC didn't take me very long, but getting a great shave from my str8 definitely took a long time.

I've heard lots of people try str8's and give up too quickly because they couldn't get as good of a shave as they are used to with their DE. I find this a bit strange, because most people coming over to DE's from Mach III or Fusion, etc... don't get great shaves at first, but after they develop their technique they get the best shave ever. If they would stick with str8's and develop their technique, which takes much more effort, they would achieve great shaves.

My experience has been the same with my str8s. I get, IMO, the best shaves I can with the str8. When the blade is perfectly keen, nothing cuts better, including the Feather.

LX_Emergency · Post by **LX_Emergency** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:26 am

mparker762 wrote:It's no contest. With the a 3-pass DE shave I get BBS, but will get stubble within 6 hrs. With a 2-pass straight shave I get BBS with stubble in about 9 hrs. If I do 3 passes with the straight it's common to be BBS for 18+ hrs. I usually don't bother with the 3-pass straight shave.

I've had a Feather AC for maybe 6 months now, but it's been a real disappointment. I seem to be unusual in that regard though.

I'm not generally a DE user but my experience with the straight is pretty much the same. I do a two/three/four pass system. (different amounts for different parts of my face) and it'll stay smooth untill the next morning pretty much.

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:01 am

CRR wrote:I can get BBS shaves with all 3. I get my best shaves with the str8, then the Feather AC, then last are my DE's. I normally shave with a str8 every day, but once in a while use my Feather or DE.

Once you understand wet shaving you should be able to get BBS with any razor. It may take a little practice with a new type. The difference is effort, comfort, closeness and enjoyment.

Some may require a lot of effort or too many passes (leading to irritation). But once you take those two factors out of the equation, the only difference will be closeness, or how long it takes to re-stubble. If it's long enough with your worst razor, it may not matter to you.

Regarding the "best" shave , I guess it's the best combination of all the factors. But it will also be weighted heavily by your experience. If you're using both str8s and DEs, and you have 10 years of DE experience and 2 of str8 experience, I suspect your best shave will come from your best DE using your best blades (like Feathers), even if your str8 technique is grooved.

In my case, my best shaves aren't even the best quality. I put my Vision/Feather at the top, followed by a few choice str8s, even though the quality of the shave would be better with a few other DEs and my Feather ACs. The enjoyment factor is the difference there, and the str8s are almost mystical: an instrument and ritual tied to the past, a very personal thing of beauty, and a blade prepared by my own hand.

CRR · Post by **CRR** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:10 pm

Joe Lerch wrote:Once you understand wet shaving you should be able to get BBS with any razor. It may take a little practice with a new type. The difference is effort, comfort, closeness and enjoyment.

I agree 100% Joe.

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:15 am

For me, learning the basics of shaving with a straight (Feather in my case) is taking much longer than the same learning process did with a DE. The way I'm going, I expect it to take several months before I feel I can "just shave" with a straight. That only took a couple of weeks with a DE.

DEF · Post by **DEF** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:56 am

notthesharpest wrote:For me, learning the basics of shaving with a straight (Feather in my case) is taking much longer than the same learning process did with a DE. The way I'm going, I expect it to take several months before I feel I can "just shave" with a straight. That only took a couple of weeks with a DE.

Same here. I've been using the AC for about a month and have taken to using it for the final ATG pass only. It seems that if I use no pressue, the blade skips over some of the coarse stubble; if I use pressure, I end up with nicks. There's a sweet spot in there somewhere, but it'll take me a while to find it.

Doug

ScottS · Post by **ScottS** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 9:00 am

DEF wrote:
notthesharpest wrote:For me, learning the basics of shaving with a straight (Feather in my case) is taking much longer than the same learning process did with a DE. The way I'm going, I expect it to take several months before I feel I can "just shave" with a straight. That only took a couple of weeks with a DE.
Same here. I've been using the AC for about a month and have taken to using it for the final ATG pass only. It seems that if I use no pressue, the blade skips over some of the coarse stubble; if I use pressure, I end up with nicks. There's a sweet spot in there somewhere, but it'll take me a while to find it.

Doug

I think the key is to reduce the stubble during WTG passes until the ATG passes go easy. I do this with repeat passes WTG over my chin, and a big angle in some places-- but not additional passes.