Anybody Shave With A Straight Razor?

[Dee]

I've been cutting my own hair since about 1971 or 72, and have used a straight razor to clean up around my ears, and neck.
Since I've totally retired I've put the effort into eliminating the drag in a straight razor on shaving my whiskers.
Finally got the right technique, and a good wet shave with a straight razor, not only has a really clean feeling to it, but lasts 2 days.
Worth the time and effort, plus the satisfaction of being able to go back a hundred years or so.

[mcbammer]

   No . I usually end up bleeding .

[Dee]

LOL, I've been using one for about 50 years so that part I've gotten better at not doing.
My problem was getting a shaving age sharp enough to shave whiskers instead of pulling'em out. Shaving hair sharp was easy, the tougher whiskers was a different matter.

[ironglow]

.
  No, not yet..but I have been threatening to forge a razor and go that way..

[billy_56081]

That would mean I would have to shave,  which I haven't done in 20 years.

[Dee]

LOL, I've got an older style beard but I keep it short.

[oldandslow]

Shave with a straight razor? Good Lord, NO! Modern technology makes it so much easier and I haven't nicked myself in years. I sort of miss my beard but having to apply a cortisone medicine to my upper lip and chin for five days a week makes it necessary to shave. Yes, I could probably rub enough in through my whiskers to get the job done but it would be very expensive. I'll just wear a naked face for the rest of my life.

The first thing I did upon retiring early back in '96 was go fishing for a couple of months. Then I started cultivating a beard because I wasn't allowed to have one at work. I had to be able to use SCBA equipment although I couldn't work anywhere in the presence of H2S gas because it's explosive and what I did involved very high heat. After I had a pretty good beard established I got my picture in the local paper for no reason at all and a few of the people that I had worked with told me later that they didn't know who I was until they read the short article that accompanied the photo.

[Graybeard]

Have had a full beard since '76 so no I haven't used one.

[scattershot]

I tried it once. About 30 years ago, and scared myself so bad that I’ve never tried it since. Kinda like pulling the pin on that first had grenade.(OK, dummy, now what?)

[Dee]

Do what I did. Throw it in an appropriate direction. 

[oldandslow]

Dang it, I knew I shouldn't have bragged about not nicking myself in a long time. That streak just came to end this morning as I nicked my upper lip. At least it was on the left side and didn't hurt at all. I was in a serious accident back in '79 that resulted in severed nerves on that side of my face. I would rather have the pain. I can't even tell when my nose drips on that side.

[Dee]

I wish there was some way to "unread" that.

[Ranger99]

Maybe some day I won't be so
shaky and can use a razor again.
I used to every day.  It gives the
best smoothest shave you can get

[Dee]

Yes it does. A straight razor shave lasts me 2 days. Its the closest shave there is.

[gene_225]

Been using a straight razor to trim the edges of my beard for years. It's the only way I can get both sides to look the same. I have tried shaving my face with it, but not quite so sucessfully, lots of nicks.

When I lived in Pueblo Co., I couldn't find anyone to sharpen my razor, so I asked the barber, he explained and showed me. Has worked well since then. Even so, when I can I get a specialist to do it. The key is to lay the razor flat on your stone, and draw it away from the sharp edge, the same number of strokes on each side. Then strop to take the feather edge off. That simple. Except that you don't use the stone for anything else. Just your razor.

[Dee]

Once I get a wire edge I start drawing the raze towards the edge. Once the edge is built I strop on the canvas side with green polishing material, then flip the strop over and finish it on the leather side.
I strop before every shave, but the edge lasts me for months.