Thread: A little background

It has ocurred to me that I have never said a bit about my background and what motivates me to use the straight razor. I am 41 and picking up the art at a late age, but I have a four year son who will benefit from my work and learning. I started shaving at age 13 as usual and was scared of the bladed razors since there is an oportunity to cut yourself. So I used one electric after another for the next twenty five years and never got an adequate shave out of any of them. Perspective girfriends would point out that I was clearly unshavened and my electric shavers could do no better. It wasn't until my wife told me that I better get a much better shave that I threw out the latest electric and picked up the latest free P&G Fusion and gave it a try. Better shaves then the electrics but a lot of redness and blood every where. I picked up a free P&G Mach 3 Turbo that did better then the fusion, a smaller amount of blood and still a lot of redness. Whent to CVS and picked up a P&G Sensor Excell, this one did much better then what came before limited redness and a little blood. By this time I was noticing a trend the older the shaving method the better the shave. That's when I got a late 40's super speed which gave me the best shave of my life. Now what leads me to the straights? Simple as stated earlier the older the method the better the shave so I went back before the safety's were invented and found a little gem called a straight razor. Mine is still out for sharpening . But the rule appears to apply the oldest method of them all will give me the best shave of them all if I have the time and patients to work with it and learn to wield the straight right. My wife and the family think I am nuts.

Originally Posted by jbcohen

My wife and the family think I am nuts.

You probably are, but then, so are we all!
Good luck, and remember, this endeavor requires time and patience...lots of it!

If you tend to let blood whilst shaving, then be carefull of your throat!

Straight razors will, with experience give you a superior shave to any modern day razor. Its as far back as I'd recommend going though. Prior to straights men burned their beards off with hot coals. I've never tried that personally but it makes sense that it would be one close shave.

BTW my girlfriend thinks I'm nuts too. Get used to it. I've only met 1 person in my life that doesn't think I'm nuts for shaving with a straight. Just goes to show how many people out there don't have a clue about how to shave.


Patrick

Shaving with hot coal, that must have been an experience. Never heard of that, what time frame are we talking about? I have heard that George Washington used to shave with straight that looked similar to the ones that we use today. I have seen Abe Lincon's shave mirror and straight razor in pictures. I am told that cave man used to shave with two sea shells yanking the hair out one by one.

Were talking old. Stone age. Celts used to shave with copper, then iron flat disks of metal. Here's an idea. Does anyone know of a good book on the history of shaving? Might be a project if it hasn't been done already.

Originally Posted by psdarby

Prior to straights men burned their beards off with hot coals. I've never tried that personally but it makes sense that it would be one close shave.

To make the cavewomen happy? Remember we are talking about shaving hair, not skin

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

To make the cavewomen happy? Remember we are talking about shaving hair, not skin

Lets face it... we do a lot of things to make women happy.


Cavemen were no different.

Originally Posted by psdarby

Lets face it... we do a lot of things to make women happy.


Cavemen were no different.

I would bet that is correct.

Originally Posted by jbcohen

. My wife and the family think I am nuts.

I like your story. Very recognizable.
As long as they don't know you're nuts, you're safe.
I was 38 when I had my aha-moment concerning shaving methods.
I always tell myself that straight razor shaving is the cheapest way to corner midlife. Much cheaper anyway than getting a mistress and buying a motorcycle, which is as we all know, the only real viable alternative.

Bart.