Thread: Wet Shaving as a "way of life"

On another thread, cuda said this:

Originally Posted by cudarunner

Some call this 'A Hobby' and I digress. Collecting razors, hones, strops etc is 'A Hobby' using, and maintaining a straight razor is a 'Way of Life'

A Way Of Life that I love.

This got me thinking, I think of "wet shaving" and "collecting straights" as a hobby as well, but more than that it's interesting to think of wet shaving especially maintaining straight razors as a "way of life"....who among you share this sentiment, and tell me what does does this 'way of life' mean to you?

This is specifically for SR's only because that's my interest, but obviously this applies to 'wet shaving' in general.

Originally Posted by Tjh

On another thread, cuda said this:



This got me thinking, I think of "wet shaving" and "collecting straights" as a hobby as well, but more than that it's interesting to think of wet shaving especially maintaining straight razors as a "way of life"....who among you share this sentiment, and tell me what does does this 'way of life' mean to you?

This is specifically for SR's only because that's my interest, but obviously this applies to 'wet shaving' in general.

There's several things that makes this Way of Life so enjoyable.

1. The Challenge; Unlike those electrics, disposables etc you can't just pick up a straight razor and have a go at it in the hurry hurry hurry manner you can with the previous mentioned ways of shaving. Oh I guess you could if you were some kind of masochist.

2. The 'Me Time'; When my kids were living here and I started learning how to shave with a straight, the bathroom door was closed and locked. Then it was just 'me', me taking my time to learn and enjoying the learning curve. And now with the kids gone, the doors open and it's just me enjoying my shave.

3. The Pleasure; I for one get a lot of pleasure when I complete a straight razor shave. I know that I took my time and got a shave that nothing else can compare to. I used to hate to shave and now I look forward to shaving.

4. The Satisfaction; I find great satisfaction knowing that I just shaved like men did for hundreds of years and that i am part of a very vast minority who still know 'How To'.

A friend here made custom brushes that he shipped all over the world. He told me this true story:

He was at the Post Office with quite a few boxes to ship out and was waiting in line. There was a very attractive woman in line behind him and she started a conversation asking what was in all the boxes (they were all the same size) he told that her they were brushes used to make lather for shaving with straight razors or other forms of wet shaving. She asked if he indeed used a straight razor and had pictures of some his razors along with his brushes on his phone so he started showing her some.

She said "That is the sexist thing I've ever heard" and asked if he was single. He replied no he was very happily married. She reached into her purse and handed him her business card telling him that if he was ever available to call her-----She was a Superior Court Judge.

For myself how I shave and all its related rabbit holes are not my way of life but reflects it.

Originally Posted by cudarunner

A friend here made custom brushes that he shipped all over the world. He told me this true story:

He was at the Post Office with quite a few boxes to ship out and was waiting in line. There was a very attractive woman in line behind him and she started a conversation asking what was in all the boxes (they were all the same size) he told that her they were brushes used to make lather for shaving with straight razors or other forms of wet shaving. She asked if he indeed used a straight razor and had pictures of some his razors along with his brushes on his phone so he started showing her some.

She said "That is the sexist thing I've ever heard" and asked if he was single. He replied no he was very happily married. She reached into her purse and handed him her business card telling him that if he was ever available to call her-----She was a Superior Court Judge.

Well, that settles it then, if EVER you needed a reason to start shaving with a straight razor.

Originally Posted by Tjh

Well, that settles it then, if EVER you needed a reason to start shaving with a straight razor.

I wish I could find the picture that fellow member wullie used to post but this will have to do.

I hear that chicks dig scars---

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I wish I could find the picture that fellow member wullie used to post but this will have to do.

I hear that chicks dig scars---

Reminds of the t-shirt I saw on firstcanadianshave "Chicks Dig Scars" with a straight razor image.

https://firstcanadianshave.com/produ...unisex-t-shirt

I haven't reached the stage where I would call it a way of life yet. But I'm close. Once I get to the point of where it's second nature, I guess I could say it was a way of life. Still learning and adapting.

I have to shave because I do not like to look scruffy so from that pov it is a way of life. I started shaving with a straight razor just to see if I could do it so in that respect it is a hobby. It is now a rewarding and pleasant experience that I look forward to daily. I guess it is now both a way of life and a hobby for me.

Bob

Originally Posted by 32t

For myself how I shave and all its related rabbit holes are not my way of life but reflects it.

Tim, you hit the nail on the head, for me.

Well, I don't know if I would go so far as calling it a way of life.

To me a way of life is something that defines you like being a lumberjack or a survivalist or a bank robber.

I'm just as gung ho about straights as the rest here but if I had to say how it affects me I'd say it was a hobby with a strong practical side to it.

Now maybe if I constructed razors from scratch and was part blacksmith and did this full time and lived in an 1800s village then that's a way of life.