7 Reasons Why Straight Razors Are Better Than All Others! 

i guess im randomly asking but does any of you know of a tool to get back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid lost the account password. I would love any tricks you can offer me

@Nixon Ari instablaster :)

Well, you could buy a couple of red shirt and I guess you'd still save money in the long run. :p

Navy and black do very well.

If you're in a rush, shave later. The straight razor is divine and cannot be rushed. It must be respected.

Love it! Thanks for sharing Robert.

Because you are smart and they are not!

Thanks Simon! I appreciate that.

Exactly Lance! Well done, well said.

It's dad's fault!

Including the safety razor?

@@onyxd4450 absolutely. it takes me many passes with a DE to even come close to 2 passes with a properly honed straight razor. problem is that probably 90% of men these days have no idea how to sharpen a pocket knife and probably 99% can't hone a straight razor properly. my Dad had a lot of short comings, but he did show me how to work with most any tool and work on cars and everything from plumbing to electrical and sharpen a knife with a whetstone. thanks Dad.

Truth... Spoken!

​my dad thought me how to sharpen a scythe for cutting thistles in a small field we used to keep our mare in for foaling he also thought me how to ride a horse and like a good razor a good horse does 90% of the work so jumping any optical is no problem. My mam thought me how to sharpen a carving knife eventhough my dad done any carving in our house, but no one thought me how to sharpen with a honing stone so some tips would be much appreciated

Thanks Spectre!

Thanks very much, I'm glad you're enjoying them.

My pleasure Dope Boy!

Razorine is FUN to shave with! bit.ly/RazorineShavetteSN

BAM! shavenation.com/collections/straight-razors

That's what I'm talkin' about! Good for you, enjoy.

Thank you Samuel!

True That Johnny!

I shave with a shavette and safety razor too and love them both but the safety razor is much quicker than the shavette. I shave at night when I have plenty of time so I alternative between the safety and the cut throath blade gets blunt on 1 about 4/5shaves a use the other. The cut throath takes more getting used to than the safety razor but once you get going it gives at least as good if not an even better shave than the safety razor which I shaved off a full beard with and got 4 more shaves out of. But one thing I can guarantee is I'll never go back to the catrage razor which to me at least is a written invitation for razor burn.

Gillete is woke trash

I had my first straight razor shave in 2020 just before the lockdown and I never in my life remember a closer shave I started shaving with my fathers old de razor about 2 months ago and it gives a very close shave and with a shavette about 3 weeks ago and as you get used to it it gives an even better shave than the de but definitely not at the start plus it's much slower, I'm going to try a proper cut throath soon and see how that compares and if I like it and get the hang of honing and stropping it it'll be my main razor and my old 1950's de as a second razor.

I've had the best shaves of my life with a cutthroat razor, and only have to strop it a few times each shave. Every few months I give it a few strokes on a strop with paste on it, and don't get any nicks or cuts.

The de Is a great razor the shavette is even better and hopefully the traditional cut throath will be even better.

What do you mean? You mean sharpening?

Thanks for sharing-Enjoy!

I've been reading afew comments here and I'm getting very tempted to try my straight razor on Friday because Friday's my birthday, how did you get on stropping your razor first time.

I have to say I love shaving with the shavette and when you do it right it gives a great shave I've been using it about 3 weeks now but I have a traditional cut throath I want to start shaving with any tips on stropping or honing without damaging the blade.

@@Minime163 well the first thing I’d tell you is it properly honed, if not then you need some stones or you could send it out. The second is get started on the linen and do about 20 passes; each pass is to get 1 stroke on each side of the blade. Then you’re going to want to do 40-50 depending on your liking. There’s a lot of videos on how to strop a straight razor so I’d recommend you go and look at those, DrMatt is a great guy to look at for all around straight razor advice. Edit: so didn’t see the last part there, just trail the edge so the blade doesn’t cut into your strop or make microscopic warps or chips and you should be fine.

My pleasure junior...

Kurt Cobain would be proud...

Exactly right!

You can do it!

Straights: shavenation.com/collections/straight-razors ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4DuwVRSa-7A.html

Badass for sure! Go get a straight shave from a professional barber, then get back to me...

@@geofatboy But that's a bit like asking a guitar shop, "Will this one make me sound like Jimi Hendrix?" The skill of the barber must account for some of that closeness? :)

Thanks for sharing Sam-You should make a video of that.

@@geofatboy sure I will do mr.geo ! thank you for your invation 😍

@but ton Thank you sir , It's a hard method but that works perfect for me !

Awesome Steven! Thanks for sharing your experience! shavenation.com/collections/feather-shavette-razors. It's really not that hard to master.

geofatboy I was thinking of buying the TOBS grapefruit shaving cream from your website and was wondering your thoughts on it or perhaps you could make a video on it. Thank you

Me too. But for the traditional old school straight. I was looking at either TI or cheaper American blades.

Blade angle, sharpness, beard prep, all come into play...

It will get you close!

That's why they are the favorite choice of professional barbers.

until you hit 45yrs old and can pass for 35yrs old when clean shaven. lol

​@@publicdomain4890very true😂😂😂 wait till he hits 56 and wants to pass for 45.

I had a beard the last 2 years and I liked it but spent my life shaving with catrage razors before that so the clean shave come stubble was always my look so I reverted to what I know. The only advice I can give you is if you ever do decide to shave don't use cartilage razors as they always gave me razor burn.

Thank you Vig-This should help answer some questions for you: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4DuwVRSa-7A.html

Strop before each shave.

@@themadscientest Indeed. Stropping keeps the edge aligned so your blade doesn't get warped out of shape. Honing is the actual art of sharpening & taking metal off the edge to make it cut more effectively.

bit.ly/StraightRazorsSN we have them...

In my experience, most straights don't come ready to shave, so i'd bet you are correct. T

A touch up with a 12,000 grit stone and strop with chromium oxide you should be good to go.

@@dougiesshavin1627 Another company sells in Oxide paste form. Much better!

This will help: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4DuwVRSa-7A.html

i agree, so i use shavettes with disposable blades. All the benefits, and none of the maintenance. T

Heh that’s your preference in using straight razor but for me I can’t as only have full mobility of one arm due from stroke so safety razors best way for me to shave

bit.ly/SRXshavetteSN Did you buy a straight razor from Parker from Shave Nation?

Unfortunately not from there :D I live in Georgia (country) and there was no shipment here but I love your videos :)@@geofatboy

Thanks Stacy!

But a safety razor doesn't have an infinitely variable blade angle whereas a straight does so only your skill limits your ability to get the shave of your life with a straight. T

Go get a straight shave from a professional barber, then get back to me... A safety razor is convenient, fast, and gets you pretty close though.

@@geofatboy not many barbers left in Denmark, only know of one in the other end of the country...

shavenation.com/collections/safety-razor-history Like it says here.

There is a bit of a learning curve to it...

Woudnt recommend. Anything wilkinson does is crap

Except maybe a chainsaw!

Used properly, it would! shavenation.com/collections/straight-razors

What sideburns? Elvis has left the building!

Shavette user here. From.what I research one advantage of straight razor is that you can hone the blade more or less sharp and smooth. With double edge blades you are tied to the factory edge. Of course, you can try many blades and search the better for you. Some people say that never found a better blade than the ones from straight razors. Other people say it's the same. And other people think that nice double edge blades are better than straight razors for their skin.

Probably because you're the jackwagon going to get a shave while you have a beard..😂 No Barber wants to shave around a beard, nor should a man be getting a shave when he has a beard? My shaves have been excellent at *most* barbers. Cut the flaky itchy beard off man, that trend reached maximum saturation long ago. I can grow a thick beard and have great facial hair but I don't because I don't want to look like half the goons out there with the funky beards. I also get to enjoy a real shave at least 5 times a week.

@@BuffaloNickel9 missed the point entirely 😂

@@kelseymj1975 No point. You said Barbers can't shave you well and then you said you go in with a beard asking them to shave around it? They probably are about ready to bop you in the head. If anyone's missing the point here buddy, I think it's you missing the point of what a shave is for! 😂 it's to shave the hair off your face. It's like parking cars all over your lawn and asking your lawn maintenance man to just mow around them. You said the shavette was part of the reason why the shaves were poor, but then you went on to list why you thought the shavette was the better choice, no? Look I don't mean to be hard on you. I'm just pointing out some discrepancies here. If it's any consolation, I very much agree that I think the shavette is a most excellent choice for the exact reason you listed at the *end* of your comment. It's the closest shave you'll ever get. I don't find my straight razor to get any closer of a shave than my shavettes- if it does, it's negligible. And secondly your point of not having to strop the shavette, honing etc. is a huge deal. I agree. For a daily shaver I'm picking the shavette every time. Just throw a fresh razor blade on there and it's beyond sharp enough to give you the best shave your life. Some people don't understand how thick our whisker hair can be. they're like copper wire, it really does a number on the straight razors edge. I'm guaranteed a sharp fresh blade every time with the shavette. Cheers

@@BuffaloNickel9 I actually don’t change the shavette blade every time. Sometimes I feels that it somehow works better on the 2nd or 3rd shave. And I was wondering if there was any benefit at all to the straight razor since I’ve never had a shave with one. So you answered that question, in your experience no. But onto the barber comment. The question in the video was something like: “have you ever gotten a barbers shave? And what was your experience like” And so I said “in my experience…” I never said Barbers don’t do a good shave. What I’ve gotten from them is called a beard line up. I’m not asking them to do something they don’t normally do. They have a price for it and even a package deal, because people often get them together: a haircut, a beard trim and a beard line up. The reason they offer a beard line up and the reason people get them is because over time shaving around your own beard it’s easy to miss little things here and there due to the asymmetrical characteristics that all faces have. And then over time the beard can start to take on an asymmetrical shape. Attempts to correct it can make it worse, you take too much off one side, now you have to even it up on the other. And before you know it you’ve lost a lot of it. So that’s the point of a beard line up. Some hairstylists offer it also but only with clippers figuring you’ll do the close part yourself at home. For the same reason a lot of people don’t like to cut their own hair, is the same reason the service of a beard line up exists. It’s sometimes a good idea to have a fresh pair of eyes and skilled hands doing the job. So my point with the barbers is that I would’ve thought they would’ve been a little better at getting a close shave during the lineup and they haven’t been (in my experience). I don’t think it’s because of the shavette, I was just commenting that that’s what they use when I’ve been there. Being that barber shaves in general aren’t as common as they once were (although making a comeback in recent years) and beard lineup even less, is probably the reason the barbers I’ve been to aren’t as seasoned at doing it. But it’s not a new request by any means.

Nailed it!

Thanks Rajan. Not everyone takes to a straight razor right away, which is why safety razors are so popular. Easy, fast, convenient, fun, and close shaving.

Watch the the vid where Geo shows you how to use a 12000 grit Super Stone. Make sure your strop is condition. Plus use a small amt of Chromium Oxide paste on strop. Geo does not sell this.

Stacy Dale Barendse which razor gives you the closest shave ?

@@stacydalebarendse3978 Thanks Stacy! bit.ly/ChromiumOxideBarSN

Here you go: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GAsAHKsYPg4.html

@@tydeProductions Geo sells German Boker brand. Very good brand....He sells the naniwa super stone. ...when I bought mine he was out of stock. Also very important: Have a very good and large flattening stone for your water stone!

I'm 14 and I recommend a safety razor

Nice!

@@geofatboy yes geo straghit razors is the closes 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 keep it on with the videos geo

Nice! What's your favorite straight?

Interesting...

Get a good safety razor such as the Merkur Futur or Mühle R41 and you're gonna get a bbs shave. Ultimately it's a matter of taste.

Any safety razor is easier to learn how to use than a straight or a shavette. There are tons of safety razors, but the Futur is a rather expensive slant and the R41 has a reputation for being harsh and for experts. The workhorse safety is something like a Merkur 34C or an Edwin Jagger DE89 that are both mild and budget friendly. T

Trunker Dixon I agree with you about the Mrekur 34c. I have been using a feather AS D2 and it is excellent, but if I had to choose it would be the way less expensive 34c.

34C DE89 Futur Progress shavenation.com/collections/safety-razors

@@Phessington Boxers or briefs... My Feather AS-D2 was my favorite, well still is but I am always looking for something better and my new Italian Barber/RazoRock "BBS" razor was a fraction of the price but shaves almost exactly the same. It does this even w/o using "Feather or KAI" blades. But YMMV... (smile)

Holiday and birthday gift list! shavenation.com/collections/straight-razors

That's why these are used: shavenation.com/collections/shavette-razors

Yes, moles are tricky, you need to glide smoothly over them...

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-O2F5vJdQ1Rk.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZoHuHle_7gs.html

shavenation.com/collections/straight-razors

Just like I said in the video! shavenation.com/collections/de-razor-blades

Lots of safety razors in the market: shavenation.com/collections/safety-razors

Thanks for your input Dragan!

I'm surprised that some people below have never heard of the green tinge aka Shrek look... As I stated in the vid-straights are best for taking care of it. Safety razor would be the closest second.

@@geofatboy Read from one that mentioned you could use a shave talc to cover up the greenish tinge. Like the Pinaud Clubman Talc.

As it states in the vid- Straight Razors: shavenation.com/collections/straight-razors Then Safety Razors: shavenation.com/collections/safety-razors

geofatboy sorry I meant which safety razor ? Gonna hold off on the straight razor for now as I don’t Wana cut myself,

For hygienic reasons you don't want a shave from a barber using a traditional straight razor. That's why they use the replaceable blade razors on clients. Especially with all that's happening now...

​@@geofatboy One individual in a Portland Razor Co video asked about getting a straight razor shaving in Virginia, but his barber was under the impression that only disposable blades were legal. One of the barbers at Portland Razor Co's 'Shave Shop' replied (in part): '[A]lmost every state allows conventional straight razor use so long as they can be completely immersed in a high-level disinfectant. Most older razors could not be because the steel and scales materials would degrade in high-level [disinfectant]. Our [Portland Razor Co's straight razors] will not.' /watch?v=rgRvuvknC30 www.portlandrazorco.com/professional He found Virginia's 'Board for Barbers and Cosmetology Regulations and Statutes' which state: On page 15 -- Barber Schools are required by the state to include stropping and honing in their curriculum. On page 23-- 'Disinfection of multiuse items constructed of hard, nonporous materials such as metal, glass, or plastic that the manufacturer designed for use on more than one client' need to be sanitized to Virginia DPOR spec [i.e with a 'wet disinfection unit' using 'an EPA registered disinfectant that is bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal', like Barbicide]. Of the states he's checked, only Rhode Island wouldn't permit barbers providing a straight razor shave. I'll have to hunt down my state's 'Board for Barbers and Cosmetology Regulations and Statutes' and (if it's legal) find a barber that shave with straight razors. I'm sure any such shave will not be cheap (given the upkeep of straight razors), but it would be interesting to experience the quality of a straight razor shave versus (one of my favorite razors) a single edge razor shave (using Feather Artist Club Professional Super blade). Last year Portland Razor Co offered a 2.5 hour 'Straight Razor Honing & Maintenance' workshop (that has been removed from their website, due to COVID-19), but I bet they also offered a 'Straight Razor Shaving' workshop. (In a post COVID-19 world (and if you had a proper area to hold it)) I bet many people would flock to such on-hand workshop(s) if you offered one. In a way, you'd think states where straight razor barbering is permitted - they would offer such workshops to the public in their Barber Schools. (Of course, they wouldn't be guaranteed a teacher providing 'Geofatboy' charisma!) Still, there would have to be sufficient interest to hold several such workshops yearly. Then again, it would take such services away from their licensed barbers.

The shavette looks similar to what my barber uses on my face, and it does a really good job, so I'm thinking maybe you could just swap out the blade and try a different brand? Also...a little extra skin prep goes a long way.

a shavette is way less forgiving then a straight and specially a DE... i would say switch to a DE..

Michael Petersen I use DE also. I have 3. I use them primarily. I bought the shavette because it was cheap and I wanted to get the feel of a straight to see if it was worth investing in a straight. But the shavette is pretty harsh and leaves me feeling a bit tender lol. I want to try a traditional straight but not sure I wanna spend north of $140 and not like it.

@@richardpartin9378 no and not to mention All the sharoing gear and Stones also... You could try the zazor ord the razorine shavettes

Shavettes are a harsh mistress and the currency is blood. Totally unforgiving. So you'd better have near perfect technique with a straight before messing with those. But.....i reckon you can get a better shave with one of those than with a straight and by better i mean it lasts longer, it's dirt cheap, environmentally friendly, and zero maintenance. If you want a cheap wet shave that is pretty good and miles better than a cartridge then i'd use a DE safety. T

Amen!

Light touch!