Thread: How did you get hooked?

One day several weeks ago I was minding my own business and getting my haircut by some "new" guy. Just before he finishes up, he pumps a little hot lather out of a gadget on his table and dabs it on my hairline from ear to ear behind my head. He then proceeded to pull out what I could only describe as a face-sword at the time and trimmed up everything nice and neat. I noticed the ultimate smoothness before I even left his shop (and that wasn't even on my face!). I didn't even have a chance. Dangerous looking vintage tools, classic pastime and the results...oh my god the results...I was HOOKED, dammit. Now I'm jonesen for that shave again but this time I have to be able to do it myself with my own "face-sword." I'm addicted and the only treatment is more razors (and maybe faster beard growth...you know...for practice.)

Anyone else care to share?

I've always been fascinated with straight razors since I first saw one. I messed with straight razor shaving in my twenties and thirties but gave it up each of those times. Finally found SRP in my late fifties and thanks to Lynn and the forum members I'm living the dream.

I always thought they were hella cool. Then my brothers wife bought him one. So naturally I had to have one, then two, then three, well this can go on forever you get the point! Now I can't imagine ever using anything else.

I inherited 2 straights and a loom strop. Until I had found SRP I only got mediocre shaves with them. SRP facilitated a steep learning curve and a few addiction disorders. The rest is history.

Interestingly it was economy that brought me into the fold. Not necessarily the idea that I would save a lot of money; although, that isn't a bad motivator.

I was really discouraged by the thought that razors, and cartridges were made to be thrown away. They don't even try to hide it with clever marketing. The word "disposable" is right there in black and white.

So I started with an old Gillette red tip. I feel a bit better about that because at least I'm not tossing plastic into a landfill when I replace the blade. Ultimately I started using the straight. The shave from both is great, and I like the whole routine of it.

I know that, like any hobby, this thing can get expensive. I haven't really spent that much, and I'm sure that I have saved a mint compared to cartridge razors. I look at this as a nice fringe benefit from straight razor switch.

Originally Posted by apples439

One day several weeks ago I was minding my own business and getting my haircut by some "new" guy. Just before he finishes up, he pumps a little hot lather out of a gadget on his table and dabs it on my hairline from ear to ear behind my head. He then proceeded to pull out what I could only describe as a face-sword at the time and trimmed up everything nice and neat. I noticed the ultimate smoothness before I even left his shop (and that wasn't even on my face!). I didn't even have a chance. Dangerous looking vintage tools, classic pastime and the results...oh my god the results...I was HOOKED, dammit. Now I'm jonesen for that shave again but this time I have to be able to do it myself with my own "face-sword." I'm addicted and the only treatment is more razors (and maybe faster beard growth...you know...for practice.)

Anyone else care to share?

That's how I got hooked! Wait, or was it when I saw Mr. Baltar shave with one on Battlestar Galactica? Can't remember...


-Chief

I initially had a strong interest to try it out. After I was getting BBS shaves with the disposables straight razors and had a good badger brush along with my shaving soap, I was hooked and starting plopping down the big money to pick up fixed straight razors and accessories.

It took about 15 shaves to reach this decision and I never looked back. This was one of the best decision I made for myself in 2009.

Pabster

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I've always been fascinated with straight razors since I first saw one. I messed with straight razor shaving in my twenties and thirties but gave it up each of those times. Finally found SRP in my late fifties and thanks to Lynn and the forum members I'm living the dream.

My story is pretty much the same . I was trying to hone a razor from my modest collection , on a Col. Conk hard Arkansas hone which I found to be an exercise in futility . During my searching the internet for any info I could find about straight razors I stumbled onto this forum , and discovered the Norton 4k/8k hone . After some trial and error I finally was able to get an acceptable shave , but I was still not a commited straight user . During this time I ran out of cartridges for my mach 3 , and went to Wal Mart to get some more . I couldn't find any of the 3 blade cartridges because all they had were the new 4 blade things , which cost more . Totally ****ed off , I bought a 4 pack of Shick disposables , and went home determined to learn to shave with a straight .That was back in March 2007 , and I've been shaving with straights ever since . THANK YOU SRP

I went a different route I guess. I just like old stuff but I don't like to "collect" just to look at. I like to find old things (the older the better) that I can actually use. I get a thrill out of an ancient tool that was made so well I can use it just as effectively (sometimes even more effectively) than a modern day tool.

Couple that with increasing frustration with shaving. I hated spending money on what I consididered an afterthought and never being satisfied. I wanted it to be simple and yet could never get a good shave. These two worlds collided as, a couple of years ago I mentioned to my wife how cool I thought the old shave soap and brush thing was. She actually found (I never knew this was available then) a brush, soap, and bowl set at walmart and had it under the tree the next Christmas. I used it with my disposables for a while still not quite satisfied, though I could tell I liked it better than the CC (can crud). Then I found SRP...{insert shining heavenly light and angelic singing here} and learned that I could use restored 100+ year-old razors to get a better shave than I was getting with disposables. I was definitely hooked!

For the past several years, I've been intrigued by a BLADE used to shave can cut whiskers and not your face(if done right, of course!). Once I found this site, I found there were many facets to the art of shaving such as restorations, customizations, and brush making and the list goes on. I've been shaving with one once every two days all this month, and vow never to use another disposable razor again. Ever.