Is straight razor shaving for everyone?

I haven't been straight razor shaving for too long, but I love it, I find myself wanting to shave more than once a day. So I want to spread the word, but I don't know if its for everyone. So a few questions:

How many people in the world, percentagewise, would you say straight razor shave? And if its not proportional among the different countries, expand on which or where its more prevalent?

Ignoring the potential for spending a lot of money, the extra time it takes to pre/shave/maintenance, the initial fear of cutting yourself or wasting money or the unknown in general, basically everything except the shaving part. Is it for everyone? What I mean is, is there a face too sensitive for straight razor shaving and is it always a better shave than any other means of shaving, just based on the results?

Now as far as I'm concerned its not only the best way to shave for the results, but the cheapest way. A modest bare minimum set will allow you to shave for less money than any other form. Anything above that is the cost of a hobby and thats how I would advise people. Now considering everything else, potential of spending a lot of money, the extra time....... how many people in the world do you think would straight razor shave? By that I mean what percentage of the world has the right combination of patience, willingness to explore.......?

I think the percentage of current shavers is about .0001 % and I think that at least 30% would have the patience, given instruction. Some people I talk to cringe at the thought of a straight razor. I'd give them a pass. I've had guys tell me they want a shave but would never do it themselves.

By the way, that's all wild guess.

The number is probably smaller than that considering a lot of world's population either doesn't shave or doesn't need to shave. But I agree that straight shaving is addicting and very enjoyable. I have mentioned it to several of my friends and they say they won't do it because it's too dangerous. I tell them so is driving a car.

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Originally Posted by Knife

how many people in the world do you think would straight razor shave? By that I mean what percentage of the world has the right combination of patience, willingness to explore.......?

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The number of cutthroat shavers is probably so small as to be statistically irrelevant. I suppose someone will have the figures for Wet v. Dry shaving, but even the number of shavers using DE razors is probably tiny compared to those using cartridge blades. It appears that almost everything these days needs to be 'user friendly' and easy to operate.

Oh, well, if we classify non-shavers as people . . .

Its amazing how often shaving comes up in conversations between men. When I mention that I've started using a straight razor because it gives me a good shave without irritation, I get looks like I just came from Mars. Comments include, "isn't it dangerous?" "why are you being so old fashioned?" "I can get a closer shave with my electric/ cartridge/disposable" etc, etc.

As far as sensitivity goes, I have very sensitive skin and I could never get a fully irritation-free shave with anything (except a DE razor with brand new blades) for almost 40 years...till I went to a straight razor. Admittedly, I did not get a great, smooth shave for the first couple of weeks, till I learned decent technique and also learned to go XTG, but right from day one I had no skin irritation at all.

Is using a straight a hobby? Yeah, I guess I've come to view it as that too, and I do like the preparation and the deliberate slow pace to start my mornings, but primarily, it gives me a nice shave and I'm not afraid to touch my face for fear of making the irritation worse.

As far as being the cheapest way to shave, I'm afraid you're off the mark....just wait till you want to try new soaps, get a new brush, have more than one strop and heaven help you if you decide you get bit by the collectors syndrome :)

As I recall cartridge type razor shaving is king in the U.S but in Europe and Japan and the rest of the developed world the electric is king with around 80% of the market. I don't know about the undeveloped world and places like Central America or Mexico.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

As I recall cartridge type razor shaving is king in the U.S but in Europe and Japan and the rest of the developed world the electric is king with around 80% of the market. I don't know about the undeveloped world and places like Central America or Mexico.

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Those poor people using electric shavers. I had one in college for my first two semesters. I had only been shaving for a couple years but it only took my first two weeks of using the blasted thing to know I'd never get a good shave with it. It was convenient, though. I could shave while I walked to class and toss the thing in my bag after.

I know that DE's are still rather prevelant in places such as India and many Middle Eastern countries due to the relative poverty of the people and the low expense of DE razors and their blades.

You can kill a deer with a high-powered rifle or hang in a tree all night with a bow and arrow.
You can shave with a cartridge or take the risk of a straight razor either 8/8 or narrow.
You can write longhand cursive, but then there's calligraphy and italic so people can read it.
Straight shaving is not for everyone, but for those that do they like it and then they NEED it.

I would think the percentage would be too small to measure . Most people must think we're a little crazy .

I live in a town of about 7000 people, and I'd be willing to bet I'm the only one in town using a straight. I know a guy in town who collected them but has never shaved with any of them. So I guess I'm finally unique, at least in this way (and that's about it).

I live in a town of ~60,000 people, and besides rumors of the occasional older barber who will still give a straight shave, I haven't heard of anyone else using one. The knife store at the mall carries a few Dovos, but I don't know if they ever sell. So far I haven't convinced any coworkers to try it out. It can be a lonely hobby. There's another reason for us to be thankful for SRP.

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Originally Posted by Knife

I haven't been straight razor shaving for too long, but I love it, I find myself wanting to shave more than once a day. So I want to spread the word, but I don't know if its for everyone. So a few questions:

How many people in the world, percentagewise, would you say straight razor shave? And if its not proportional among the different countries, expand on which or where its more prevalent?

Ignoring the potential for spending a lot of money, the extra time it takes to pre/shave/maintenance, the initial fear of cutting yourself or wasting money or the unknown in general, basically everything except the shaving part. Is it for everyone? What I mean is, is there a face too sensitive for straight razor shaving and is it always a better shave than any other means of shaving, just based on the results?

Now as far as I'm concerned its not only the best way to shave for the results, but the cheapest way. A modest bare minimum set will allow you to shave for less money than any other form. Anything above that is the cost of a hobby and thats how I would advise people. Now considering everything else, potential of spending a lot of money, the extra time....... how many people in the world do you think would straight razor shave? By that I mean what percentage of the world has the right combination of patience, willingness to explore.......?

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I got started out of 40 years of unsatisfactory shaves and a chapped face from disposables, cartridges, and electric razors. I hated shaving, so I was open to new (actually old fashioned) ideas. In fact I actively sought alternatives on the internet.

I haven't converted a soul among the people I know, and I think the reason is that they never reached the level of dissatisfaction I did. Plus, the generation after me doesn't feel it is mandatory to shave every work day like I do, so if their face is tender they just skip it until the irritation goes away.

I get the best shaves out of my Merkur38C and 39C DE razors with Medical Personna blades, but prefer to shave with a straight and maintain my own blade. It has branched into a hobby because a shave has become enjoyable and it's fun to try various razors and toiletries. I am not saving money by shaving this way but that is my fault. If you're disciplined, you do save.

If everybody had my shaving experiences or felt like they had to shave every day, I think either the DE or straight would become the norm for everybody.

We are a strange group,lets face it. Out of all the people i know and i know a few after being above ground for 55 years, i can say without a doubt,nobody i know shaves with a straight. And i cant even get someone to try it.

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Originally Posted by joebehar

As far as being the cheapest way to shave, I'm afraid you're off the mark....just wait till you want to try new soaps, get a new brush, have more than one strop and heaven help you if you decide you get bit by the collectors syndrome :)

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Your confusing shaving with a hobby. I know they could be the same thing, but I was talking about the cost of shaving alone, not the hobby aspect that can be associated with it. To straight razor shave you could buy one straight, one strop, one honing stone, and be able to shave for the rest of your life and trust me you'll be saving money. Nevermind adjusting the price to comparing the quality of each shave you have compared with the inferior disposables. Just compare cost of shaving and straight is way cheaper. The moment you start experimenting with different razors, strops, brushes....your a hobbiest. That's not a cost of shaving that's called fun.

And by the way soaps, creams, brushes and so forth are not limited to straight razor shaving. Anyone who shaves can use them.

I LIKE the fact that so few people use a straight razor. If everyone did, I'd still use one too, but I like that it's different. I don't know anyone else who uses a straight razor and have never known anyone to use one. Even my father, who is 84 and grew up in an essentially 'middle ages' style village in Yugoslavia has never used a straight razor. And like someone said above, people look at you like you're from Mars when you mention it. I've never had any problems with it for the three months I've been shaving this way, apart from absolute FEAR on the first day. In fact, I must confess, today is the first day in the last three months I haven't shaved.

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Originally Posted by Knife

Your confusing shaving with a hobby. I know they could be the same thing, but I was talking about the cost of shaving alone, not the hobby aspect that can be associated with it. To straight razor shave you could buy one straight, one strop, one honing stone, and be able to shave for the rest of your life and trust me you'll be saving money. Nevermind adjusting the price to comparing the quality of each shave you have compared with the inferior disposables. Just compare cost of shaving and straight is way cheaper. The moment you start experimenting with different razors, strops, brushes....your a hobbiest. That's not a cost of shaving that's called fun.

And by the way soaps, creams, brushes and so forth are not limited to straight razor shaving. Anyone who shaves can use them.

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You're absolutely right, except for that if I never went to a straight razor, I never would have been interested in the hobby aspect.

Either way, its one of the few things I can think of that has both a utility and a fun aspect.

As for the percentage of people who use a straight razor, I live in an area with a population of about 5 million people within a 40 mile radius and I think I've counted maybe 5-7 people that use a straight. its a miniscule percentage of people for sure, but like so many other comments here, I'm kinda happy about that.

there must be enough to keep stores like AOS in bidness..... cause they are usually in upscale malls and i know they don't give that space away for free....

I suspect that there are more than a few people with complete high end kits with fancy razors, brushes and strops sitting in a drawer somewhere, that wil never be used and that might be what keeps these places in business.

I see the same thing with flyfishing. I've been an avid flyfisher for quite a while now and every season I see guys sporting brand new rods, reels, waders, boots and assorted paraphanelia that must total in the thousands. Rarely do I see them more than once, and I'm on the stream a lot!

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Originally Posted by paco664

there must be enough to keep stores like AOS in bidness..... cause they are usually in upscale malls and i know they don't give that space away for free....

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While AOS sells straight razors, they tend to cater more towards the broader group of traditional wet shavers, i.e. use of brush, soaps/creams and other items with whatever type of razor, including multi-blade monstrosities.