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It's true... after 9+ months of shaving with a straight razor, 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. Plus, I find honing these things are quite theraputic.
Buying another coticule for Christmas for some reason...
Ok, so I guess I'm hooked...
-Chief
That's all that matters :DQuote:
Originally Posted by BHChieftain
I can't say I love shaving (which is probably why I don't really feel the need to collect brushes or razors or what have you), but I do enjoy it and it helps me unwind. I might even have to get a Coti sometime and sell the little barber's hone I have. But who knows.
Drew
3x a week vs. 7x a week, I wonder what hooked ya?
Lol yeah man, I hear ya! Not many guys will admit this, but I'm with you. It's still the best and most enjoyable method though IMO. I like the razors themselves more than the act of shaving I think... I'll never go back I can tell you that.
I find myself impatient for the next shave, oh and I am getting another natural finisher...hooked like there is no tomorrow here.
I'm glad to hear you've found a way to stick with it! I don't think there is a better way to do it, so if you hate shaving anyway it might as well be the best way.
I never shaved except with a beard trimmer so there isn't really a 'go back' option, other than mountain-man style.
I look forward to every shave, and I'm torn between shaving every day or the more therapeutic method of waiting a few days to remove more beard.
I'm a waiter. Not in that a serve people (:p) but in that I wait to shave, following the M/W/F cycle. My face doesn't like the straight ever day and I honestly don't think I need it.
I find myself looking forward to each shave!
Its just a real delight to start each day out with a proper shave, rather than a "quickmustshaveandgettoworkwheresmymach3andcanofgo o?dammitnowIhaverazorburnandIhatethisplasticpieceo fjunk" shave like I used to do.
Its time for me to relax and stop thinking about the world. Love it!
Plus I enjoy all the honing and restoration as well! :-)
I sometimes feel this way too. But generally I love shaving and always have, regardless of what instrument I've used. I guess the thing that takes away from it for me is the obligation and timing. Sometimes I go to bed at 2am and then get up at 6am and have to shave in a cold bathroom. The thought of having to do it then and there isn't good, but once I start I fall in love again.
I enjoy it more on weekends and when my girlfriend is watching.
I haven't touched anything other than a straight since I started using one, and I shave everyday, but sometimes when I stand there in the morning, without said girlfriend in the apartment, I get the feeling I should aim for efficiency rather than luxury, and just use the old Bic disposable.
But then I leave for work and probably spend about one hour stroking my face and enjoying the closeness. And then I spend the rest of the day thinking about my razors and how much I want to get home to them again.
Really, it's a funny relationship, but I don't have any plans to end it.
Rob
I don't shave every day and haven't for some time. I don't think I need to.
The shaves I enjoy most now are the ones before going out. I don't know why, I don't generally make an effort when I'm going out but I sure as hell go out with a damn good shave.
I'm with you. Yes, I love the razors, that's why I have so many. But the thirll is in the shave itself.Quote:
Originally Posted by mainaman
I'm another that still looks forward to the shave and doesn't want to miss a day. We've only got so many coming to us so I don't want to waste any. :) If it wasn't for the straight razors I wouldn't feel that way. The rocks, honing, razors, shaving brushes, the ritual of stropping and lathering are all a part of the whole affair. Top it off with the Bay Rum or whatever. What's not to love ?
I actually like shaving. I only shave 3 times per week, but I really enjoy the ritual. I don't collect brushes, scuttles, strops, or other things. I have a couple of razors, 1 strop, 1 brush, 1 type of cream, 1 type of AS...
I do have a couple of hones, but I need them for the one thing I truly love about straights, and that is the restoration aspect.
Except for when I get a really really nice shave (like I have been recently), I kinda feel this way about my DE's.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philadelph
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.
One of these days, some psychologist type will stumble onto these SRP conversations and use our posts as grist for a book or dissertation. I don't care. Something about standing there, brush with lather in one hand, weapon in the other hand, soothes the beast.
Not everybody shaves because they just enjoy the experience. Many use straights because they get a better result and that's reason enough.
i, like most look forward to each and every shave..since i drive over the road i sometimes do not get to shave everyday. only wish i could. when i am home i can not wait to shave, different razor, different brush, different homemade shave soap, different aftershave, and most important a different attitude when i have completed the shave...
Me too! But, I need toQuote:
Originally Posted by BHChieftain
Same hereQuote:
Originally Posted by Philadelph
As long as I need to shave, it'll be with straight razors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoglahoo
I used to hate shaving, it hurt, irritated my skin and put me in a bad mood because my face always looked horrible every time I wanted to look nice. I actually took to wearing a beard because I felt I looked more attractive with a well maintained beard than an irritated face.
Ever since I started shaving with a straight razor though my whole attitude about shaving has changed. Shaving is now something I look forward to, something that brings me a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure. I'm talking about the whole ritual of shaving of course; the warm water, the scent of my favorite shaving soap as I build a thick rich lather and apply it to my face, my razor gleaming in my hand, scything down the new grown stubble of my beard........On top of all that my face looks better than it ever has. The time I spend shaving doesn't take away from my life, I believe it adds to it and because of this, for me at least the novelty will never wear off.
Happy Shaving Gentlemen!
I enjoy shaving. I do look forward to my shave, which is usually everyday. I do sometimes debate whether to skip a day (if I don't have tme) or use something else like my DE.
For instance, this last weekend I was in San Francisco with my wife and kids and due to circumstances, I couldn't take the time to do my normal routine, which takes me 30-40 minutes. Now I thought about skipping, but just wanted to shave to get that clean feeling. So whipped out the travel DE that I carry with a single GE blade and in 5 minutes was cleaned up.
I really prefer to shave with my Straights, but I want to be shaved more than anything else, sometimes. So nice to have options that will do the job and never have to worry about the dreaded Mach3 scenario.
I mean if I had to choose an old DE over anything other than a Straight, it would be a no brainer.
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by BHChieftain
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.
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_2_47.gif
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. :D
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by heirkb
You know, thinking about it, I don't think I really enjoy my shaves right now, because I had to go back to my shavette, as my real str8 needs some touching up, and I have neither money to get the stuff to do it, nor the money to send it somewhere to be done. So, for now, I get a nice shave, which is getting quicker by the way, and improve my shaving technique, while merely shaving. At least it isn't a cartridge though, right!? :D But when I was using a real str8, I would really look forward to every shave.