Thread: If you're not looking for a hobby ...

I would disagree. The hobby for me is talking about it. The shaves though are simple and carefree. It remains an interesting way to shave though.

It took years to get simple BBS shaves, but I'm there. The cost of purchasing DE blades is not the problem for me. Its the silliness of it. To get the blades that I like I order them off the internet and then they get shipped to me. They last about a week. Seems inconvienent and silly to me. Particularly if prices and access vary. I have one blade that I like to buy at the BX on base, but they run out a lot. It seems like a silly waste of good steel, steel that should just be left for other purposes. Its the disposable society that I dislike. You can't be against a disposable society and continue shaving with a DE. I can justify the idea of disposable stuff, but shaving just isn't important enough to me to be selfish about it.

My straight razor is simple and easy to sharpen. Takes a few passes on a stone and I'm good for about a month. It couldn't be any easier. A DE blade does not shave anywhere near as smooth or close. Big problem with a DE for me are the nicks. If I get blood on a $60 work shirt that ****es me off.

I can't even say anymore that a DE is faster. Since my level of demand on closeness has gone up a DE takes just as long. In the end, it NEVER achieves a finished shave. So, in my book, never takes longer than a straight razor.

I never got HAD, RAD, SAD, NAD or whatever. I haven't bought a razor in about 2 years, and I don't shave with the razors I've bought in the last 5 years. I figured out years ago that if you really want to get good, stick with one blade, one stone, and one strop.