Thread: The novelty has worn off...

I go back and forth with how much I enjoy shaving and how often I shave. At first, I was shaving every day. Then, I began shaving every other day, because a straight shave was lasting me two days and a straight was a little irritating two days in a row. Then, I went back to shaving every day again. Now, I shave every other day. I don't always look forward to it, and like someone else said, I enjoy the razors and other aspects of straight shaving more than the shave itself. I still prefer a straight shave far above anything else, though. Interesting hobby, this.

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

...I've realized that I STILL HATE TO SHAVE....

BUT, I get such a darn close shave with my straights that I find I only need to shave 3x per week vs. every day with the crappy mach 3s I had been using. ...

Ok, so I guess I'm hooked...

-Chief

Same here. I find the process of building lather, lathering, and shaving with a straight so much more relaxing than shaving with the Fusion I had before, and I thought that was a nice shave then. I won't be going back any time soon. In fact, much to my wife's chagrin, I would rather go "mountain man" than go back to the plastic crap with the cans of goo.

The Novelty may have worn off many years ago, but I still look forward to every straight razor shave. New razors, new aftershaves, new soaps, etc..... This remains my time and my un-interrupted pleasurable time of the day.



Lynn

yeah, I'm still loving shaving. in fact, I get depressed when I use a DE to save a little time, even though I get great results from them and like them too. I find myself daydreaming often about which straight I'll use the next day.

I enjoy my shaves now that I've learned but I don't like the time it takes (stropping, warming lather, shaving, cleaning up). With time I think I will become more efficient. Even though I don't think I will cartridge shave again, I now appreciate the the great invention that the Mach 3 is.

Shaving is sometimes like studying for an exam: postpone, postpone, postpone, but it isn't all that bad when doing it.

The good thing about the shaving bit is that it is actually nice to do, but sometimes I just don't want to "make" the time. Right now I could shave, but I'm spending some time on SRP. Too much on my mind maybe to take the effort to get off my behind for now.

I love the zen-like feeling I still get using a straight razor. The great shave is a bonus. It is an excellent way to start a new day.

The feeling of turning an old neglected razor into a state of the art tool.
It is also fun to try to find a razor that is good enough to join my rotation.

Thanks for all the replies. I was thinking it over, and there is something else I really do love about it-- it's the ability to maintain my own equipment which will last a lifetime. Not too many things like that anymore...

-Chief

I am usually chomping at the bit to shave with new razors or razors I love (if I get two razors honed the same day I don't know what to do with myself) and it saddens me that razors can only be honed once (and thereby require buying more to practice on... ) but shaving is still a pain. I don't feel the need to make the perfect lather, and sometimes I forget things like stropping and what not.

But the razors are great fun and I think most of the time I'm excited to shave when one of my favourites comes up in the rotation or I just honed something, and secondarily, the shave is arguably better than anything else- had to shave with a mach3 the other day, and I never used to- but this time I got like 8 ingrowns just on my chin, plus acne from the can stuff. I now FULLY buy into the once your face gets used to it its the best thing for you.

Originally Posted by heirkb

Except for when I get a really really nice shave (like I have been recently), I kinda feel this way about my DE's.
I've shaved with a straight twice now and I have to say that I think the shave itself is more fun than DE's though.

When I think about it again, I have some ambivalence. I look forward to my shaves, but don't enjoy the shaves unless they're going well. Which I think makes sense. So perhaps I do (or can) still enjoy the shaves as much as the razors.