Thread: To all Polish straight razor users

I just finished reading "The Train Was on Time" by Heinrich Boll yesterday. The characters praise the Poles for their excellent shaving skills. Since the story is set in WWII Europe and I know other aurhors such as Remarque mention straight shaving in Eastern Europe during these times.
My question is, are Poles still straight users (for reasons other than nostalgia) and are they still recognized for their skills.
Thanks for any answer to an irrelevant question that will not change MY skills or why I shave with a straight.

you might google "polish barbershop" to see if the Polish still gots da shaving skillz

Dunno about their skills, but they are recognized for producing large quantities of cheap razors of very inconsistent quality and poor balance. Although it's not clear they meant them for shaving.

Dunno about the Polish SR shavers, but i've been visiting for several times in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, and there's quite plentiful assortment of old straight razors in almost every second hand store with very cheap price. Mostly unnamed or former CCCP made but it is not uncommon to find some old German razors as well. Well maybe there is not SR users any more as there so many old razors waiting for the new owner.

I am not sure about Poland but straight shaving is dead in the Czech and Slovak republics (and has been so for decades). It was killed by DEs IMHO.

Originally Posted by Sailor

Dunno about the Polish SR shavers, but i've been visiting for several times in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, and there's quite plentiful assortment of old straight razors in almost every second hand store with very cheap price. Mostly unnamed or former CCCP made but it is not uncommon to find some old German razors as well. Well maybe there is not SR users any more as there so many old razors waiting for the new owner.

Is that why Trakstrom in Moscow seems to post outstanding examples of razors that most any of us would die for; only he posts floods of pictures of his new acquisitions almost weekly?

Chris L

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Is that why Trakstrom in Moscow seems to post outstanding examples of razors that most any of us would die for; only he posts floods of pictures of his new acquisitions almost weekly?

Chris L

I would say that for obvious reasons we all know it is possible to find German (pre 1945) stuff in former Eastern block countries. Finding pure western stuff there is almost as impossible as shooting 100 rabbits with a single shot.

However, on the day that collecting old razors becomes a fashion among those 'nouveau riche' and oligargs of Moscow and St.Petersburg (and i do not mean Trasktrom by that), then we see the prices go higher than we could ever imagine. Just like Filly's now.