Thread: Straight Shaving, Part of a Larger Movement?

Here I've gone and joined a movement. And I thought I was just having fun.

I didn't do it for any rebelious reason at all. I wasn't even that bothered about buying cartriges, I was basically happy with my shave. It just didn't engage me.

I have noticed that there are a lot of shared hobbies, and that there are a lot of skills or hobbies that many people hint at being tempted to get involved with them selves. I think SR shaving is quite a good indicator of the type of person you're talking to, but not really rebelious.

There were a variety of reasons I got involved with straight shaving. Firstly I hate buying stuff that breaks, or is throwaway.

Secondly I like the manliness aspect of straight razor shaving.

Thirdly growing up in London, I was always fascinated to walk past shops like Trumpers or Trufitt and Hill on rare family forays into Jermyn Street, and thus in my early 20's began to frequent those places for a haircut or a straight shave whenever my meagre funds would allow.

Finally I'm ornery, and very anti consumer society, so anything that means that I can strike a blow, even in the smallest way is great with me.

Are we part of a "movement" ? Possibly , I think more people are becoming aware of just how big corporations manipulate via the media and advertising. Hopefully the trend towards straights will continue.

I just do it to get funny looks from friends and family.

Really, I take great pleasure in finding the sublime in the mundane. Shaving. Before I started turning away from "conventional" modern shaving, what could be more mundane? Then, through the DE, and the scents, and the time spent to do a job well, it became fun and enjkoyable. Then, with a straight, and honing it myself, and using a quality tool that should last for many more generations, it became an art. Is this too high-faluten? To grandiose for what is, really, just a morning grooming task? Perhaps. But it is MINE. I OWN IT. And as MY time, and MY task, I am free to enjoy it as much as I possibly can. And I do.

Originally Posted by keenedge

Here I've gone and joined a movement. And I thought I was just having fun.

I'm hesitant to call it a movement, an organized one anyway. It's an organic one I think. A motion that doesn't require uniforms or pamphlets.

As I said in an interview with a German business weekly, "I like things that work." Interestingly, this was for an article about Trading Up:

Trading Up
Middle-market consumers, in the United States and around the world, are trading up to New Luxury products and services that deliver higher levels of quality, taste, and aspiration than conventional items. Because New Luxury goods sell for 20 to 200 percent more than standard midprice goods, they deliver higher profits. They also can sell in much higher volumes than superpremium products, and thus have greater potential for growth.

So, I wear bespoke clothes, have bespoke furniture, and bespoke watches. I also use, and collect straight razors, and wear hand crafted perfumes. All from shops whose owners I know personally, and like. Not quite what the author had been expecting, but it worked nicely.

Do I consider myself part of a larger movement? Possibly. I can see a return to traditional values (young people learning to use a fork and knife again, the return of dancing lessons), and a certain boredom with mod cons taking the fun out of things that should be simple, and satisfying. "Learning to use a Gillette Mach 69 Turbo was a truly satisfying experience, which now gives me peace, quiet, and comfort every morning" does not sound quite right, does it?

There is a very nice German language website called zunftwissen.org (literally "knowledge of the guilds of craftsmen", google translation for shaving here). It is all about knowledge about to get lost. But thankfully, some people still care. I certainly do, and this is why I am here.

Originally Posted by bassguy

I'm hesitant to call it a movement, an organized one anyway. It's an organic one I think. A motion that doesn't require uniforms or pamphlets.

I was being somewhat tongue-in-cheek there.

Me too

Except I bit down on it. I hate it when I bite my tongue!

Originally Posted by Englishgent

There were a variety of reasons I got involved with straight shaving. Firstly I hate buying stuff that breaks, or is throwaway.

Secondly I like the manliness aspect of straight razor shaving.

Thirdly growing up in London, I was always fascinated to walk past shops like Trumpers or Trufitt and Hill on rare family forays into Jermyn Street, and thus in my early 20's began to frequent those places for a haircut or a straight shave whenever my meagre funds would allow.

Finally I'm ornery, and very anti consumer society, so anything that means that I can strike a blow, even in the smallest way is great with me.

Are we part of a "movement" ? Possibly , I think more people are becoming aware of just how big corporations manipulate via the media and advertising. Hopefully the trend towards straights will continue.

I am glad people from other parts can see this manipulation of media, although you ended up in my state!! The more you look into this the obvious it is. Want to have fun follow the GE road and see what they are up to. I do buy DMTs and I think they make the monocrystal diamonds, Somehow you can't get away. Straight Shavers Unite!!!!LOL Almost an oxymoron cause I suppose the lot of us a more individualists than LEMMINGS. (love that Rob! lemmings heheheheh)
M

Mike

Well, I don't see it as a movement. Over here on SRP we're in a bottle looking out and because we see our membership growing we think we're at the forefront of a Tsunami but that is not the case. Our straight thing is at best a tiny blip in the market and always will be.

As far as the conversion to disposables I don't think it was just marketing that did it. The simple truth of the matter is using a straight and all the maintainance and associated requirements might be a quaint hobby loved by us but to the general population it was a curse and it was good riddence once it was gone.

When my father was growing up his dad used a straight and he still talks about how when his dad was shaving all you could hear was cursing coming from the bathroom. It was enough to guarantee he would never use a straight. He thinks I'm crazy for using one.