Thread: Why a Straight Razor

You might remember, Lynn that I got started to save money () or at least stop funneling it to Gillette for the pleasure of sending spent cartridges to the landfill. Of course, once I got started I realised how much fun it was to shave and get the best shaves of my life. How can a man look back after that?

I guess I can retell this story too:

In The Deep End » Blog Archive » This Dying Art

X

I got into DEs about a year ago 'cause I decided to green my life up, and also because the blades were SO much less expensive. Some searching brought me to B&B; then it became a quest for the ultimate shave. Read a lot on there about str8s, and then found SRP. Bought a Wapi from Ken, got Lynn's DVD, and found my new love. A month later and I have 3 str8s and looking for more. And I spend all my free time on SRP reading. Thanks guys.

I made my own (see pics in new members section) so had to try it. Its no good bragging about how sharp you've made something if you can't prove it. And that as they say was it, all the twin blades went in the bin after the second shave and I can't see me going back so , SORRY mr Gillette!

Mark

When I was young I used to watch my grandfather shave with a straight. It always fascinated me how he would strop the razor and do the shaving creme. It is a memory I have never forgot.
Later, when I was about 20 while on a camping trip near Del Rio Texas, my girlfriend and I ventured into Mexico. We came across a barber shop full of barbers giving shaves to businessmen. My curiosity got the best of me and got a shave. I remember he made 3 passes and my face was as smooth as I could ever remember. I also remember my face being on fire for a day and not needing to shave for almost a week!
That was my only straight razor shave until a couple months ago.
I have a friend who has been DE and straight shaving for a couple years who comes by to visit pretty regular. We drink a few beers, tell stories and he always bothers me about REAL shaving. He told me about SRP and how to shave. I started going to the SRP to read and learn.
It has been fun and enjoy the people here, a great bunch.

I got into straights after remembering a favorite uncle of mine shaving over his kitchen sink with his straight when I was about 8 years old.
I carried this memory with me for years& when I was a teenager I bought my first straight ,without a strop & wondered why I couldnt get a shave. i now know it wasn't even shave ready.
i tried all sorts of different razors after that dissapiontment. None of them really succesfully. So Igrew a beard for about 20 years,until I started shaving again. I discovered this forum & joined up all the dots ,so to speak & am now an exclusive straight user.
But I must add that the support & free passing of knowlege with the members of this forum is what turned an interest into a passion& a slight obsession. But now all my shaves are BBs.Cheers guys .Paul

I will tell you a strange story of how I got to a straight..

When I first started shaving I got an electric shaver from my mother.. my father isnt much of a talker/teacher and a bleeder when it comes to shaving so I wasnt really looking forward to shaving with a sensor excel or something like that.. I have a light beard and shaved just a couple of times a week.

Those electric shaver really pull your hairs out if the hairs are longer so I did eventually go to a sensor excel and other cartdriges(wilkinson protect) and canned goo..
Last year I had a collegue who mentioned shaving with shaving oil. so I thought that would be an improvement. I liked the shaving oil but it clogged up the cartdridge with just one shave. So I thought if you only have one blade it cannot clogg up). I had some DE blade in my house I use to clean the aquarium and thought I could just run to a store and buy a DE razor..

I couldnt find one and bought one online and saw they also had straights.. Just out of curiousity I bought a shavette to try a straight shave.. I thought it was a bit mad and dfferent so thought it would be fun to just try..And there we are 5 months later and I'm looking forward to shaving. Its not a chore anymore but a pleasure..

Maarten

I don't really know why I did it - it certainly wasn't because I was trying to be green or because I was particularly dissapointed or annoyed with a mach 3 - they're all I ever shaved with. I knew I didn't really enjoy shaving and that it was a bit of a chore - something I never found the time to do really - once every couple of weeks.

I think straight razors attracted me for the same reasons lots of my other interests/tastes have - it's different and you use quality items - and they're debatabely the best tool for the job. All of those things appeal to me.

I guess I'm just a fan of making the mudane interesting.

Back in January 2006 after years of wanting
to shave with a straight razor I ran across SRP.

Well I emailed Lynn and asked if he had any for
sale and he said yes. I sent payment and in
a few days a Genco spike arrived. I have to
say it was money well spent and I'm definitely
glad that I bought it.

Well after a short while the Genco seemed lonely
and in need of companionship so I ordered another
razor. I now have 14.

So for me straights seemed way cooler than a Gillette
with weenie cartridges.


Terry

Well, it was a mixture of my love towards traditional way of doing things and my growing repulsion towards the Mach III and expensive replacement cartridges...

Then I found SRP...

And I became obsessed...

I've always preferred "old." Mechanical watches, cars with carbs, phones with bells... This was a natural progression. Definitely a learning curve. Besides, I refuse to be bested by a machine!