What is WRONG with You Guys????

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by toolarts

Why are you shaving with these Str8 Razors? Are you cRaZy?


That is the response I get from virtually everyone I mention this to. I work with a bunch of engineer techno-geeks so maybe that's why.

But frankly, I don't know why *I* am so caught up in shaving with a str8.

Why are you?

Is it a macho thing?--you know proving to yourself you are a real man? (I have to admit this is one of my motivations).

Is it because the shave is so great? ( I can't claim this as my starting reason because it wasn't for quite a while)


I have to admit, it is just absolutely fun, one of the best things I have ever done in my life--but I can't figure out WHY!!

Maybe it is a suicidal impulse? Self-reliance? Re-enactment of History?

Perhaps it was inevitable for me. Long ago I eschewed power tools and now work mainly with hand tools, especially 19th Century wooden planes and japanese tools. I guess I am a partial luddite in that I believe that just because a technology exists doesn't mean it is a good idea to use it. Hell my boat is even a sailboat.

Maybe I just like the fact that a str8 razor doesn't have a genetic code that can be cloned. Each one is an individual--like me.

And may be finally I feel that

*skill*

Is a rare and valuable thing--and worth developing and preserving.

Sorry. I had to get that off my chest.

Please chime in if you feel like it--or insult me if you feel like that. Have at it.

Regards,

Paul

---

Well... I first started because of both the economic (hah!) and the cool factors.

The economic... I was tired of throwing away my $$ on mach 3 cartridges every month. I figured that one or two straights and I'll be set for life.

...little did I factor in the RAD.. I now have 8 razors I rotate through, a couple I am working on restoring (this W&B, I have great plans for!), and two more WAPIs on the way from Stamps because I saw the thread about it and dammit... Those WAPI blades are my favorite shavers (I have two in my drawer right now but I ....I ...must have MORE).

The cool... That is what keeps me going. aside from the simple machismo of shaving with a large very sharp steel knife every morning, there is the skill involved.

There is no skill, no class in dragging a disposable across your face through a foam of harsh chemicals from a spray can. ...making your own lather, brushing it on, making that blade slide JUST RIGHT across your skin.. the simple act and art of stropping, that transforms shaving from a chore into a unique pleasure.

Quote:

---

An auto is steering, a stickshift is driving.

---

Agreed! Str8 shaving is taking the time to learn a skill and do it well; Crap3 shaving is dragging an overpriced piece of plastic across your face to boost Gillette's profits while giving you ingrown hairs! Also agree about the coffee and fine pipe tobacco!

kinda sounds like we need to spur off on a tobacco thread in the off topic.

Don

My standard reply to people who ask questions like that is:

"Because I want to. Why do you ask?"

This of course is a polite way of saying "What business is it of yours?" I have never felt the need to explain myself to strangers, or even casual aquantences.

I at first was attracted by the Macho-ness of doing something a woman wouldn't do even if she could-- something dangerous and expensive, (I could see early on that it wouldn't be cheap, for me, anyway), something that required a skill approaching art. And now I see I have a few other traits in common with some of you; use a clutch, make my own (fill in the blank) when I can, see a good tool as a fine jewel, appreciate fine cigars and good scotch, a charcoal-american, vs propane-american barbeque chef.
I was surprised to find this group and surprised again to see how large it was, but then again, size is relative in this world.:hmmm:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BenMVermont

Junkinduck – I’ve always liked the idea and image of steampunk, but aside from playing through BioShock I haven’t had much real experience with it. I am working somewhat on a wooden case with gears and stuff for a laptop mod, but aside from dabbling in that I’m probably on the same level as you.

---

I have been into steampunk for a year or so and I was just shaving and listening to Abney Park, and thought I would let you know about them if you didn't already. Just FYI

http://www.abneypark.com/

They are great to shave to. LOL

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Windcalmer

I have been into steampunk for a year or so and I was just shaving and listening to Abney Park, and thought I would let you know about them if you didn't already. Just FYI

http://www.abneypark.com/

They are great to shave to. LOL

---

Hey thanks, I like their sound... now I gotta go spend more money.

^^^ Glad I could help. Miss Veen has the most amazing voice does she not?

Just lisened to Abney Park. Sounds pretty cool. I will have to lisen more this eve when not at work. My co workers think I'm crazy anyway. I had never explored steampunk in music just in electronics. I like modern stuff but like to project an aura of old fashoned. Heak I lisen to bluegrass on an Ipod.

Don

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Windcalmer

^^^ Glad I could help. Miss Veen has the most amazing voice does she not?

---

Cool, kinda reminds me of one of my favs, Tristania. Three lead vocals and Vibeke Stene's voice gives me goosebumps..

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...a-ccf21840024b

Well..

I guess I started shaving like this because I really thought it was cool and that not everybody does it!! Then I fell in love with the HERITAGE and HISTORY of straight shaving.:)

"There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are simple things, and because it takes a man's life to know them, the little new that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave".-E. Hemingway

I told a friend this morning that I was going to be buying a straight razor. His response:

"You're insane."

I showed him a few of the razors I had been looking at. His response:

"Dude. It's a razor."

Haha...that kinda made me laugh. I don't know a ton about razors yet, but I know any quality cutlery doesn't come cheap, and I'm not about to chintze out on something I'm scraping my face with...

I'm not exactly sure what mystical force pulled me into the world of straight shaving... I think shaving with muck3 just never felt right to me. Then one day I stumbled upon these forums and quickly became obsessed with learning this art.

One thing that really made me take the plunge was that I am still young enough to skip shaving for a few days (because I don't grow beard fast enough and my job is a job, not a career) and this factor has given me a more forgiving learning curve.

Plus, honestly, I feel like a bad ass standing in front of the mirror holding a lethal weapon to my face.

Definitely a macho thing with me. :tu

But really, who cares what other people think??? :shrug:



And to add to what Jimmy said above...straights let people who live in a dangerous area feel safe in the bathroom. I mean, somebody breaks in and barges in on you in the bathroom to rob you...and you're standing there holding one MEAN-LOOKING straight razor! I love it.

Well, I'm just now trying to get into it. It's hard to explain much of a reasoning, I was watching a History Channel show on "sharpest blades" and they talked briefly about straight razors, and something just snapped, and I was like "gotta get one", so what'd I do? went right out and got a Zeepk kit on Ebay. Now on this site they say that's garbage, so I'm still hunting for plan b (my Case pocket knife is sharper...).

Background? I'm 22... I like old lost-art sort of things. I'm into old cars (something about being able to fiddle with 3 SU carburettors and get em tuned just so...), picked up pipe smoking a while back (never smoked cigarretts, don't ever plan to, some cigars are good.. pipes are awesome), I enjoy a good scotch (emphasis on "good"). I started shaving around 13 with a Norelco.... around 18 I got tired of paying $30/month for blades for that thing, so switched to a Gillete sensor, and remember at the time really thinking that shaving was a much more enjoyable thing than it was with the electric...
I guess one thing is that I've always dreamed of having a pocket knife "razor sharp". Usually I can easily shave arm hair etc, but never face hair... finally decided to just get a razor. And hoping maybe with a little practice I can learn to sharpen my pocket knives similarly :D

bbshriver, The Topher has the plain B you need in the newbie form. His starter sets are all any shaver could want. better hurry though.

Don

yup, I subscribed to the thread, and am planning a stake-out when he's going to officially offer them for sale.
Some part of me is saying I've totally lost my marbles to consider spending $150 for shaving stuff... for some reason that part of me rarely wins though??

a C note and a half is cheep. If you bail out you could get your money back and make another new shaver happy. I spent far more than that on less.

Don

"cheap" being a relative term here... ~$10 is the most i've ever spent on a razor (until this Zeepk thing)

To be completely honest the macho thing plays a big part in it... I like to revel in my masculinity. :)

I think it dovetails nicely into a lot of other aspects of my life. For reasons that I cannot really explain, I am drawn to many anachronistic things. I grind my own flour, make bread with a sourdough starter that is more tan 150 years old, I love pocket watches, I think spats and gaiters are cool. My farm tractor was built before WWII broke out. I am a sucker for flathead engines. I collect WWII and earlier battlerifles and am especially fond of black power cartridge guns, I'm a sucker for anything art deco and art nouveau... I cant explain, I just give in.:shrug:

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading each post thus far and I wanted to contribute.

One of my hobbies thus far has been finding ways to save money.

So shaving with a straight razor has become somewhat of a subhobby!
I havn't saved money on shaving yet, because of the initial cost, but I'm a long term investor and I believe I'll be in the black in a few months or so.

My other money saving methods are not having anything to do with cell phones, and rolling cigarettes rather than buying manufactured. That's not what this thread is about though, :nono: so back to topic.

I spent some time in the US Army, and shaving really became a pet peeve of mine. Clean shaven at all times when on duty, no exceptions! Razor burn on top of razor burn! I was retired and I'm pretty sure I didn't shave at all for about 6 months, then started shaving about once every two weeks.

All of the learning, skill, and challenge of shaving with a straight razor has really been an inspiration to me and now I look forward to all of my shaves. Since I started I've been faithfully shaving every other day the entire time, and I look forward to each shave because I know I'm going to learn something. The only reason I don't shave everyday is because I don't think my face could handle it with my current skill level.

And of course masculine nostalgia... everytime I shave I think to myself "This is how they did it back when men were men..."

So that's what I think... poorly written, and I apologize for that. The topic really brought a lot of thoughts to mind and I was just trying to get some of the more notable ones down before I had a "OOOH look at the kitty..." moment.

Geez, I gave up tobacco completely about 8 months ago and you guys are making it really really hard to stick to it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by toolarts

Geez, I gave up tobacco completely about 8 months ago and you guys are making it really really hard to stick to it.

---

:eek: Don't do it! I quit... really quit and was super pleased with myself. Then, in a moment of weakness I broke down and had a cigarette... I might as well have just bought a carton. Now I have to find it in me to quit again and that was the hardest thing I had ever done. The day I gave in and bummed a smoke was one of the lowest points in my life... be strong!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by toolarts

Geez, I gave up tobacco completely about 8 months ago and you guys are making it really really hard to stick to it.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by w12code3

:eek: Don't do it!

---

+1 on this toolarts, dont do it. I'll agree the *smell* of pipe smoke makes me nostalgic- my late grandpa used to smoke a pipe, thats why I have such fond memories.

But there is nothing macho about killing yourself!

Out of interest if I may ask, what was your motivation for quitting 8 months ago?

EDIT: In fact I should also say a HUGE congratulations on going 8 months without a smoke. A VERY hard thing to do!!! :tu

LOL..People just don't understand about straight shaving! I told my stepfather I bought a couple of str8s and was shaving with them. He got all upset and offered to buy me a bunch of "fusion" dosposable razors. He said if he doesn't hear from me for awhile, he'll know what happened. He'll just figure I slipped and cut my throat! Then he got into this long discussion about my will, burial policy, etc.
After all that he informs me that his penis pump operation is scheduled later this month. The guy is going under the knife to have a "erectile pump" put into his body and he's 81 years old! And he thinks I'm doing the life threatening stuff shaving with a straight razor!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fallout55

...The guy is going under the knife to have a "erectile pump" put into his body and he's 81 years old! And he thinks I'm doing the life threatening stuff shaving with a straight razor!

---

:roflmao:y:roflmao

I'm sure it's possible for straight razor shaving to save YOU money but it's pretty clear there is very little chance that it will save me money.

I'm having far too much fun playing with razors blades.
I may have to start playing with matches soon.

- Bob

i dont have any straight shaving equipment yet - but i think its gentlemanly ? straight shaving to me is kind of like "one of the finer things in life"

i can picture it being very relaxing, and the idea of doing something most dont would give you a sense of accomplishment.

mostly, i think its fancy.

i too am watching the noobie kits, but i doubt id be anywhere near lucky enough to get one.

perhaps after i look around the forum more i might find stuff for sale, i havent been on here very long.

I have told this story way to many times. My girlfriend at the time father saw me shaving with a give all your money to me razor, and asked me in German "what the h*** are you doing. Real men don"t shave like that." So that started my adventure.:D. I did take a break for awhile, after I left Germany. The Army took my razors, something about deadly weapons in the barracks.:shrug:

Like is repeated in several postings, tried them all, but when the price of Mach 3 cartridges got so high, and my eight year old would tell me not to rub my face against her cheek when I hugged her. I had my fill of it. I new there was a better way to shave out there.

What I didn't know was about forums. Had no clue they even existed. Then as I was looking for the things I knew I needed. I stumbled across a link to this forum. The rest as they say is history. Now I have a certain pride when I give my daughter a hug before she goes to bed and says " Daddy, I can still smell your after shave and I like that one.";)

Phil

I have to agree with a lot of what has been said. I too drive a stick, (or a horse whenever possible), like good whiskey, and generally like doing something that not everyone can do.

It started when i was 8 and one day saw my uncle cleaning old rusty SR, it was lost in the memories and about a year and a half ago that memory came back ...then it all started Dovo,The Art Of Shaving,Truffit & HIll....
when shaving all world disappears its only the blade that exist,same with stropping ... follow the blade and only then it will be sharp...its a lifetime journey
or maybe it wasn't just memories maybe i just grew up and started appreciating things that have a quality ,durability,character perhaps.....
sold my GMC safari and bought 24 year YOUNG diesel Mercedes Benz,bought another one 1.5 years ago ,this time w140 s320.
2 month ago bought my first ,not the last Fountain Pen...


what is right about me:shrug:

I started because I was getting disgruntled at the increasing profit margins Gillette was making out of me - I hoped to save money.

Now I've started it is seriously like an addiction. The progress from close to closer to smoother. Every now and then I catch myself wishing the next morning to come sooner. I think it's the equipment, the independence and escapism it provides from todays over-marketed, hyped and overpriced products, the array of products on offer, and, I must admit the biggest reason is the sheer generosity of everyone on this forum - truly full of the ultimate gentlemen.

I've spent my life in search of quality and questionning the value of "convenient" versus "well." I won't say that I always opt for the old-fashioned way of doing things, but I like to think that I've created a good balance taking the best of both worlds.

I also like the idea of self sufficiency - too many men work on parts of things - I like to see a job to completion.

Mark

I guess it's about time to make my first post. I've been lurking for awhile, but this thread has struck my fancy.

I have only been shaving with a Str8 for about two maybe three months now, but I have found it to be one of the most enjoyable and relaxing things for me to do at the end of a rough day at work or school. It's something I look forward to when I'm driving home, I visualize the hot towel on my face, the scent of sandalwood filling the air, and a variety of artists playing on the Ipod, finally the thought of a blistering hot shower to relax the muscles and drain away the tension before i lay down for bed.

Another reason I enjoy the str8 so much is because I am a tinkerer. I pride myself on not really needing to pay someone else for services that, with some effort and training, I can do perfectly well on my own. I've been a gearhead since i was able to drive and all work that was done on any of the cars that I owned was done by me and me alone. I felt a personal sense of accomplishment when I taught myself how to finely tune a fuel injected turbocharged 4 cylinder to make a 320 wheel horsepower daily driver on pump gas. The same has applied for me to the beauty of beer. I brew all my own beer, and there's nothing more satisfying then pouring out a homebrew and handing it to a friend and watching their expression as they look at their Bud Light in disgust.

These things tie into the pleasure of using a str8. I love the fact that I dont have to pay for mach 3 blades anymore, and that I have sharpened this blade myself and now I am going to use this blade to groom my sensitive face. Self reliance give me a very high sense of personal satisfaction.

As a young guy who can grow a full beard, I became interested in shaving with a straight as a way to make myself shave, ironically.

I had a beard for about two years only occasionally shaving it off, when I wanted a change. The issue for me was shaving with a mach 3 wasnt at all enjoyable, and had to be done once in the AM, and again in the PM to be clean shaven at night for going out. So I also used an electric for a while, just cause I felt it was easier, and then gave up and just grew a beard. But I enjoyed the idea of the process of shaving with a straight, and thought it would make shaving enjoyable enough to get myself to shave. I;ve shaved nearly every day since it has arrived! It works!

What's wrong with me? Let me start with shaving - started with cartridges as a teen, received a Norelco death trap that made my neck look like it was a hairy Colombian necktie victim. Went back to cartridges but found shaving brushes at 18 (I'm 37 now) After I got a new brush a little over a year ago I found the forums and tried DE shaving. Liked it better but still had ingrowns until I tried the Gem 1912 - loved it but realized there were still OLDER options and went for the Straights. Now that's all I use. Naturally, everybody thinks it's insane.
Other wierd factors:
Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu
Beer Brewing
Liberty Loving Individualism
I also have a knack for killing threads - look out this one's a gonner

Its the same compulsion I think that yesterday made me think

"Hmm, you know it would be kinda cool to have a real old-fashioned working pocket watch.... :hmmm:"

:roflmao

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

"Hmm, you know it would be kinda cool to have a real old-fashioned working pocket watch.... :hmmm:"

:roflmao

---

Second that idea, don't know what my wife would make of it though:D


oops:HJ

I am still pretty new to this whole thing, but there are really two things that attracted me. The first and main reason is the skill that is required. I enjoy learning new skills and always welcome a challenge. Judging by everything that I've read to this point it will be challenging, at least for a little while. The second is the simplicity. No moving parts to break, nothing to replace, just you and the steel. As long as you maintain it could potentially out last you. Sounds like with the right care it could do just as good a job on your first shave as it will on your last.

I already responded to this once, and here's another thought (and I don't even have a str8 razor yet!!), but I suppose as related to my reason for deciding I want to give it a whirl. Over the past year, I have been trying to "discipline" myself into a variety of good habits, in the pursuit of self-expansion. I think one of the best ways to do this is to practice some sort of "art" on a regular basis, not only because you can get better at doing activity x, but I think it really helps you grow overall as a person. You can appreciate finer/simpler things. For instance, every day I read portions of a selection of books. I'm a fairly right-win/conservative Christian so usually I go through a chapter or 2 from the Bible, and currently also reading "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis (of Chronicles of Narnia fame). Then I'll round that out with some "Daily Drucker", which is usually a single paragraph relating to good management/business techniques on adding value in an organization, and when I'm in an especially inquisitive mood, I throw in some EA Poe just for good variety. Then I have a nice leather bound journal and I try to think critically about everything I read and how I can apply it to my life, and just some general thoughts I have.... using my waterman fountain pen, natch!

For whatever reason I picture that straight razor shaving is consistent with this sort of ideal. Just setting aside time to make a routine activity really the practice of an "art" or skill not just a chore to be gotten done.