Progress Update

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I returned to DE shaving about 2 years ago, and decided to take the next step. Not wanting to invest big and then find I couldn't get on with a cut throat, I decided to try a shavette-style razor. I bought one from Ebay, which was cheap, but surprisingly not nasty, especially as it was from a brand whose razors are normally considered a no-go, I believe - Sanguine.
I started, as all the experts seem to recommend, by just doing the cheeks, and progressing from there. I found that fitted with a "gentler" blade like a Shark, I would (in the first week or two) get a few cuts & nicks - though I never had anything too bad. However, when fitted with a sharper blade - Feathers - it seemed much easier & smoother. Now, after about six weeks, and maybe 25-30 shaves with the thing, I have started to develop the oft-cited "muscle memory"/confidence/competence, and can do the job cut-free 90% of the time. I can't say that the results are as good as a 3-pass shave with my Jagger DE89, but they are now acceptable from a foot away, if not to the touch. I have decided to go on with the experiment, and have got myself a vintage Sheffield-made blade, which is now being honed by an expert.
What I have learned, which I hope may be of use to other new starters:
  1. Don't be afraid of your cut throat or shavette. You are not going to slice your face off.
  2. Respect the blade, don't rush, pay attention to your angle or you WILL cut yourself.
  3. You are more likely to cut yourself with a dull blade rather than with a sharp one.
  4. A shavette is a cheap way to learn the basics, though I can't personally comment on how the skills learned with a shavette transfer to skills with a cut throat.
  5. Keep at it. Practice makes perfect! (Though I am not there myself YET).
 
  • Don't be afraid of your cut throat or shavette. You are not going to slice your face off.
  • Respect the blade, don't rush, pay attention to your angle or you WILL cut yourself.
  • You are more likely to cut yourself with a dull blade rather than with a sharp one.
  • A shavette is a cheap way to learn the basics, though I can't personally comment on how the skills learned with a shavette transfer to skills with a cut throat.
  • Keep at it. Practice makes perfect! (Though I am not there myself YET).
spot on, you don't need to spend a lot on a usable shavette, 1/2 DE blade parkers and the like are perfectly serviceable without breaking the bank. it's a great way to learn the basics of shaving with a "traditional" straight razor.
 
Today I did my first shave with the "new" (actually old) cut throat. Some observations:
  1. Stropping: new to me, but I think I did OK. At least the blade seemed sharp, and I didn't cut the leather!
  2. Shaving: actually seemed "safer" - that is, not as likely to cut or nick as with the shavette! I think that's because with the cut throat, I can see where the ends of the blade are. With the shavette, it is all hidden away inside the holder to a degree, and I think my occasional accidents were largely caused by digging the point of the blade into the skin. In any event, first shave with the cut throat = no nicks or cuts.
  3. The result: similar, or a little better than with a shavette - perfectly acceptable to look at, but a little rough in places to the touch. Specifically, the very point of (and just under) the chin, low down on the neck, and just under and behind the ear lobes. All in all, though, I am well pleased. I think it is just a case of honing (ahem!) my technique a bit more.
For the record, my first blade is a beautiful Sheffield made Colquhoun & Cadman "Douglas" from the 1880s - a brave choice for a beginner, perhaps (it's not a round point), but expertly restored and honed by the seller Str8razor2014.
 
Update, about two months into cut throat shaving:
  1. I don't cut myself, ever. I found good technique a lot easier to learn with a proper razor rather than a shavette
  2. Stropping and general razor care is fairly straightforward, and a refresh was straightforward too. There is a lot out there, especially on YouTube, to help.
  3. It's very slow to do a proper job! I need to allow 20 minutes or so for a full (I can do three-pass shaves OK now) cut throat shave. If I need to shave, but I'm in a rush, there is always the DE razor.
  4. It is fun/satisfying to have mastered (well, OK, being on the way to mastering) a cut throat. I like the ritual, and the sense of well being it gives me. I now shave 7 days a week (it used to be 5), and look forward to the next one.
  5. My shaves are pretty good - I can get closer with a DE (especially round the point of the chin, and the lower parts of the neck), but not by much. Certainly nothing you can see. In the last week or two I have gained the skill/confidence to add an against the grain pass to my shave, which has improved things no end. The shaves do get a little bit better every time.
  6. Before I started, I watched a load of videos on YouTube, especially those by "GeoFatBoy" (recommended). On one he comments that to learn how to use a cut throat (being American, he, of course, uses the term "straight") razor well can take up to a hundred shaves. I think I am pretty much there now, having done something like 75 cut throat shaves (including about 20 using my old shavette).
  7. I keep looking at razors for sale. Old Sheffield razors are my thing.
The conclusion is: I am now a committed cut throat man. If you are tempted, give it a try!
 
All good stuff, interesting reading someone else journey :)

Just started using a straight myself, been at it a week now... Suffice to say my DE is very much a back-up now! I still use it for touch ups after the straight but those are becoming less with every shave. Geo's videos are pretty good but personally I found Lynn Abrams to be my guide, accent aside its like learning from my old man.

 
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The one word of advice would be to use your own technique for passes when confident as they're not always the same as the ones in the videos.

I manage to nail close and decent shave in 2 passes and if I shaved like the video or Geo I'd have irritation and missed spots due to the differing beard growth.
 
If I were starting again, what would I do differently?

Firstly, I'd like to say "start with a proper razor, not a shavette".
I hesitate to do so because as of yet, my experience is limited to ONE shavette & ONE razor. However, for what it is worth, I personally would bypass the Shavette. I found it too easy to cut myself (though never badly) with the thing. Of course, that may have been due to my shonky beginner's technique back then, but I have consistently found the "real" razor easier to use, more forgiving, and just better all round. It is maybe the weight of the thing (heavier = more controllable, perhaps), the fact that the blade is easier to see (not "hidden" away in the holder), or just that the razor does not have the sharp "corners" of a DE blade.
Of course, a shavette (of sorts) can be had for under £10, with no strops/hones etc. to worry about, and represents a low (financial) risk toe in the water approach - but, on balance, if I were starting again, I'd go for an inexpensive "proper" shave-ready razor bought from a reputable seller (important!), and a low cost strop. If you were to buy from the right person, even a £20 Gold Dollar would do (and a little research on this forum will quickly give you an idea of who to buy from. If, after a few weeks you were to decide that cut-throat shaving is not for you, you could probably recover a fair bit of your outlay by sticking it on ebay. The reason I'd go straight into a proper razor is that - for me, at least - cut-throats and shavettes are quite different, and I think the former is actually easier.

Secondly, don't be impatient. DO follow the advice of starting by just shaving the cheeks for a few days, then moving on. I didn't, but I think I'd have been better off if I had been a little more patient. The learning curve is moderately long, but not impossibly so. If I can learn to shave satisfactorily with a cut-throat in a couple of months, then so can you.

Any other advice from me?
You don't need an expensive brush, bowl etc. (that goes for any sort of traditional wet shaving). They are nice to have, but to start with, you can do it (like I did) with a 99p stainless cooks bowl bought from a discount shop, and a £2.99 Wilkinson Sword brush (the one everyone hates, though I have used them for years, even in my cartridge razor days). Yes, they shed hairs fairly easily, but at that price you can afford to buy a new one every month or so.

Keep at it - you do need to give the switch to a cut-throat a fair trial. I'd say do keep trying for at least a month before you give up. (I nearly gave up after a week with the shavette).

Where am I now, after about 2-3 months of making the transition?
I much prefer using the cut-throat to any other razor. I don't get cuts or nicks now, I don't get irritation, but I do get enormous satisfaction.
If I take my time, and do proper preparation (best thing for me is to have a bath or shower before the shave), the rsults are excellent. Visually perfect, and to the touch maybe 95% as good as a DE shave.
I only tend to use my DE - which I still think is great - about once or twice a week, when I can't lavish (at least) 20 minutes on a shave.

Sorry for rambling on, I hope this hasn't been too repetitive, and maybe helps someone. Good luck if you try!
 
After 7 months or so of happy cut-throat shaving, I think I can now lay claim to a degree of proficiency. My results are still improving, and I feel sure I will be able to do as well as a DE 3-pass shave within another couple of months more. As it is, the results are more than OK. My latest improvement in technique is when the penny dropped about the importance of stretching that skin. Wow, does that make a difference! I used to just stretch the skin for the "sideburn" area, but now I have started to do so in other areas, especially under the jaw-line and on the chin. I have also noticed that my speed has increased - and not deliberately so. Three or four months ago a proper cut-throat shave took me 20 minutes plus, whereas now it is more like 10 or 12 minutes. Still not up to my DE speed, but acceptable - perfectly acceptable. About 9 months after I bought that first shavette, and 7 months after getting my first cut-throat I can say it has been well worth the effort, *
& I thoroughly recommend the process to everyone.
 
The one word of advice would be to use your own technique for passes when confident as they're not always the same as the ones in the videos.

I manage to nail close and decent shave in 2 passes and if I shaved like the video or Geo I'd have irritation and missed spots due to the differing beard growth.
I have never bothered with any videos.I just taught myself but I agree they are excellent for those just starting out.Interesting regardless.Plenty of good useful information out there & nice for everyone to share it with each other.
 
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