When I picked up straights, it was because I could not get an irritation free shave from any disposable. As such, it was not till I saw people on here refer to straight shaving as "badass" that I considered it.

I do not think anything about shaving with a straight is "badass." I take my time shaving, and I enjoy it. After I shave and clean up, I go find my girlfriend and rub my face on her. She says "Oh, my baby is so soft." On the few occasions that I have shaved in front of other people, there are typically three reactions. Either they get bored pretty quickly, they ask about why I'm doing what I'm doing (pertaining to technique, not why I'm shaving with a straight), or they say "huh, that's weird" and walk away.

With regards to the "using a straight for something other than shaving" comment, that would be badass, but I don't think any of us would use a straight as a weapon. Some will say that it's impractical, because they don't lock and the edge would be ruined very quickly. Personally, my thoughts are "Oh no, that would ruin my pretty razor; I'd have to remove so much metal to get a good edge again." My own response is, I think, very un-badass.

So maybe it's the honing; taking a blunt, jagged POS off ebay and making it sharp enough to pop a hanging hair; that's badass. Wrong again. Try having someone who has no interest in honing watch you hone. When my girlfriend saw me and JoeD honing, her comment was "So that's it? You tell me on AIM that you're going to go hone and then you sit there with a razor and a stone for hours?" Then she and CarrieM went and made some lotion. (I will say that watching my girlfriend and CarrieM make lotion on the stove seemed rather "womanly," but it didn't make me feel any more badass about honing.)

Indeed, the only thing about my straights that I might even call "manly" is the scent I have after using aftershave. But that doesn't make straight shaving "manly," because I could just as easily use the same aftershave after shaving with a DE or cartridge, or I could just buy similarly scented cologne.

So, in my most humble opinion, there is absolutely nothing "badass" about shaving with a straight razor.