Thread: "Interesting" advice from an interesting site

I found this today browsing around, but the advice handed out in this article make me wonder......
What do you guys think?

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It...ght-Razor.aspx

He's someone who is trying to write with authority about something he truly doesn't have any real knowledge. Stainless will not hold an edge? Don't pay more than $2.50 for a razor? Buy only Sheffield steel? All nonsense.

Yeah, I read that a while back. Useless, but it parts of it are good for a laugh. Really there are one or two good tips, but for the most part I dont think its of any real use.

I would love to find an antique store that will sell a strop for anything under $20 let alone one dollar. When was this article written? Pay $10 for a good hone? OK. Only shave ATG. ONLY! yeah right. He forgot to mention the first two passes. Oh well.

Yep read that one once already, Some true points but other than that pretty much Bogus BS....

In the author's defense, the article was written in 1972! Unfortunately, it comes up fairly quickly in google searches for straight razors.

Yeah, I've come across that article before. I wasn't aware it was written in 1972, though.

A lot of his advice is pretty bad, especially the bit about always shaving against the grain. His prices for razors, strops and stones are a little out of date on the whole, but I would encourage new members to do as he suggests and check out junk shops and antique stores, though. There are many deals to be had. I've had proprietors give me two free hones and a number of free razors over the last year or two. I've purchased a very old, heavy duty horse leather strop with stylish brass hardware for five bucks, and plenty of Sheffield and Solingen razors for around the same price. In this online community and on eBay, we are very aware of what these things sell for -- but this is usually not the case in small town ma and pop antique stores.

I also have the benefit of being young and good looking, so for any other youthful members, I advise you to exploit that and charm some good deals out of the older ladies behind the counters of such shops.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Yep read that one once already, Some true points but other than that pretty much Bogus BS....

And yet its published. I've often wondered if they guy really shaved, did he really get a good shave, did he really find any of his process the best? Did he learn some better practices after he wrote the article?

I found that too, and noted the date of publication. To put it in perspective, I turned 22 that year, and I don't remember *anyone* using a straight razor. I'm sure some people were, but no one that I knew. The author was resurrecting what probably seemed like a dead art, and didn't have the advantage of fora like this that let us share knowledge instantly and around the world. It would be interesting to hear if he learned more in the intervening years--I don't know of any follow-up.

Rich

At the time that article was written, I wasn't going to be showing up for another ten or eleven years! What I've gathered from magazines of the era, however, is that both electric and disposable razors were very en vogue. Double Edges were very popular at the time, with cartridge razors catching on later in the decade - their popularity still remains. I don't know if anyone bought into all of the advertisements I've seen in the magazines, but electric shavers (either plug-in or cordless) were really pushed on the public a lot! Gentlemen's magazines like Mayfair, Playboy and GQ, as well as LIFE were full of ads talking about how they gave such smooth, effortless shaves!

Did any of you folks from that era buy into those fads at the time? How did motorized / electric shavers of the era compare to the modern ones they have today?