Thread: Straight razor mentality

Microwave meals, you can feed the family something in seconds, but what's in it?

Originally Posted by floridaboy

Microwave meals, you can feed the family something in seconds, but what's in it?

And what do you say about all the moms and paps thay buy their children a "good" dinner at the nearest fast-food store ?!

I carry a swiss mechanical pocket watch and a bone handled pocket knife, I prefer to use my steel bodied Minolta 35mm SLR camera than my digital camera and I use a canvas tent when camping with my kids becasue it works better than the 'nylon' ones we have owned in the past.

So how much of this is the feeling of quality / of substance and how much the pleasure of use of a good quality item ? All of it, I like to use and own Quality.

many of my clients who come to me for knives and jewellery do so because I forge and hand make each and every item myself, they get that little extra something out of knowing that the piece of Jewellery or Knife they have bought has been lovingly handcrafted with patience and care.

So In this fast 'I want it now and cheap' world we live in nowadays, I know there are still many people in the world who have the 'straight razor mentality'

The way I see it we live in a disposable world where everything is easily disposed of, including people and their relationships. Hype is king. There is no appreciation for quality, people are in too much of a hurry. Blame that on our society and the direction its heading. If things continue the way it is we'll be like the Roman Empire in its waining days. There are many parallels already.

Wayne I'm with you on the quality thing. My mom makes quilts and by piecing them by hand she says it gives them a soul. I think hand made things have a little af the soul of the man who made them. This is why I like the blued rifle in the wood stock. There are few things more nobel for a tree to do than honorably take game. Same with a fine long bow shooting a ceder shaft. Touch a piece of iron forged by smith you can feel the sprit of the man that put the sweat into the iron. A lot of people look at an old mechinacal device as junk I see a genius of a man before digital and CNC machines. Fit and finish worth putting your name on.

Funny that this topic should come up. I like to think of myself as a modern individual but older ways just appeal to me more and straight razor shaving just fit right in with them. Everyday I visit my mom she comments that I remind her more and more of my grandfather, a man I never met. When I announced to her that I straight shaved she was thoroughly convinced that I am the exact image of her dad. She used to watch her dad shave when she was a little girl and he used a straight while new fangled razors were already taking shape. She found a black and white of him and we even look identical. Now I can even tell her about some of the things he did and why he did them because I do them to. Weird.

Smoking pipes, straight razors, barbershop antiques, cast iron cooking (including 3 legged dutch ovens), fountain pens, fedoras, camping in a period correct canvas wall tent complete with wood burning camp stove, muzzle loading firearms, pocket watches, ice cream made in a hand turned churn, home brewed beer...I could go on and on. All are interests/passions of mine, and I grew up in Southern California, Los Angeles County. How'd that happen???


Scott

I am always touched to here people talk about quality and the deep intrinsic value of taking the time to do things right and what I mean by right is with the spirit of love and caring. I rarely run across such people in this day and age.
I do not like computers. For me they stand for just about everything I dislike about the modern world, and yet, isn't it odd that I should find such a group of people as you, kindred spirits actually, on such a device?!

Mark Avery

I agree - I like things that are made with care and craftsmanship, and that were built so well that they last.

Almost every day I shave with an antique straight (sometimes I use one of my new ones), write with a fountain pen, use an old leather sachel. My pride and joy is an older (60 years - almost antique by Australian standards ) automatic Omega Seamaster wristwatch which I wear every day. Keeps perfect time and never needs a battery. Just pure quality.

James.

Originally Posted by floridaboy

Microwave meals, you can feed the family something in seconds, but what's in it?

There are three things I use our microwave for..Popcorn, Popcorn, and Popcorn

I love collecting antiques. There is nothing better than camping in a tent, not an rv being in the outdoors and being a part of it.