Thread: pre-SRP tales

Originally Posted by Spokeshave

Kinda puts a different perspective on our sometimes hyper-analysis of our strops, pastes, dressings...

Maybe I should add; the truck wasn't moving

I got my first straight razor in 1977 in Ulm, West Germany in one of the many shops on the cobbled streets in the shadow of the Munster of Ulm. I had joined the Army three weeks after I turned 17 and was sent to Germany as my first assignment at Wiley Barracks with the Big Red 1, Neu Ulm. I don't remember the brand, but it was a beautiful 8/8 extra hollow ground and was a great shaver until eventually I had a buddy that dropped the damned thing on the stainless steel sink after begging me to try it and after it bounced off the sink onto the tile floor in the barracks washroom, it was all over for that blade. I bought another sometime later and shaved with a straight razor for quite some time... it just turned out to be less convenient than an electric razor, which required no water and allowed me to shave in the field when it was 20 degrees below zero and I spent a few days out there in that kind of weather.

I had my last razor confiscated on my way back to the States and that was it for straight razor shaving for 25 years for me. A few years back I decided it was time to put away the safety razors forever. I got tired of always running out of decent blades and hacking myself up with the damned things. So I'm done with them.

For me it started in 1983 when I watched a three stooges short. In that one Moe was acting as a barber going throught the barber shave rituals of hot towel, mug lather making and then shaved curly in a very violent manner. It was funny as heck. Anyway that is how i remembered it.

I really didn't shave regulary until1999 as this was when the bug bit me again. I do give credit to Larry Curly and Moe for sparking the interest.

95% of my help has been from both SRP sites and the great guys that contribute.
Mike B