Thread: Old meets new and the new wave of straight users

I was reading a post earlier today about how the price of vintage razors is going up on eBay. Well that got me thinking on how much of a role the internet has had on the re-emergance of straight razor use.

Personally I doubt very much that without the internet I would be shaving with a straight today. I bought all my straight razor gear off the internet (barring soap etc), there are simply no shops locally that sell straight razors and hones would be a nightmare to find ! In addition to actually buying the gear, the information gleaned from this site in particular has made it possible for me to start on this truly enjoyable method of shaving

I wonder how many out there are also straight razor shaving who, without the internet would be still using a cartridge based razor.

I find it quite pleasing to think that modern technology has resurrected such an old and historic method of shaving. Quite often modern technology destroys old techniques and skills that sadly will be lost forever and its nice that in this case the reverse is true.

At least that is what I think. What are your thoughts, has the internet played a big role or would it have made such a comeback without it ?

Yes, the internet is responsible for raising awareness of many things, including wet shaving.

One of the interesting discussions I had with a fellow hobbyist, was along the lines of beautiful vintage razors being rescaled, and even rescaled with flashy neon etc., type materials, including wild custom razor designs etc, and one of the points we agreed on, at least from our perspective, was that if it took these types of things to widen the appeal of the hobby, then that's great, and I think the internet, and specifically sites like this, are pretty key in this phenomena....two years ago, if you said, "Wade and Butcher" to me, I wouldn't have had a clue what you were talking about.

I got interested in straight shaving from a video I saw titled, "The Manliest Shave", which turns out the guy shaving in the video is/was a member here, which led me to this place and reading and researching, and the next thing I knew I had a starter kit with a Dovo Best Quality straight razor, and this fantastic, meditative practice of shaving with a straight razor, became something I look forward to every time I shave.

I would still be shaving with a straight razor. My edges on the other hand would not be where they are today. I was shaving with a straight razor previous to finding this site. What was the beg attraction to me here was the honing information. Although my edges shaved they were not what they are now, thanks to the members on this site.

Yeah, I am a pretty stubborn SOB, and don't give up easily, but with local knowledge all but disappeared from memory, I don't think I could have learnt what I have without this website and the helpful members within. All thanks to the Internet ultimately.

I would have been shaving with disposables or electric if my hunting knife did not need to be sharpened and My stone was worn out. I found SRD after reading reviews of water stones on Amazon. The internet searches led me to SRP quite often. So the internet is responsible for my _AD

Originally Posted by JTmke

I would have been shaving with disposables or electric if my hunting knife did not need to be sharpened and My stone was worn out. I found SRD after reading reviews of water stones on Amazon. The internet searches led me to SRP quite often. So the internet is responsible for my _AD

I think that pretty much sums it up for all of us brother!

definitely the internet or indirectly my sons interest in shaving with a DE (which he learned about on another site). It is good to have access to so much info but on the other hand bad for those of us just getting started as far getting the best deals. Maybe the fad will fade and leave a glut of razors ripe for the picking by those of us still around.

Since I am a big believer in the Universe guiding you, more than you are aware of, I've been trying to remember what brought me to the SRP site. Like many events in my life, it just happened at the right time.. But I can count on one hand those times I am aware of as happening that way. As a result I have found a place in my life where I can be social and interactive while still maintaining my need to be a semi-recluse. I have made friends, maybe even cohorts, with a number of SRP members. I've been elevated to a high position as Pope of the Church of the Steel Blade. I've made a fast friend with a young man almost sixty years younger (like minds know no age differences) whom I'm trying to encourage to get back on the forum. I've provided encouragement to a few new members and sent razors their way to get them going. I've discovered I suffer, along with most of the SRP members addictions to the nth degree (yeah, but just try to keep up with Phrank). All in all, I'd be a fool to question why, I'm just enjoying the ride.