Thread: Why?

I started because it is economical and as it has already been said,people think it is way too dangerous.

It's cool; it's a challenge and I like the idea of shaving the way men have shaved for hundreds of years.

after 20 years of razor burn - no razor burn, no wasted plastic, nice feeling all day long, and my wife loves it

I had always been intrigued with razors when I saw Moe shave Curly in an episode of the Three Stooges when I was a kid about 7 or 8 years old. I asked the old man about it, he gave me every excuse in the book......."you'll cut your face off, you'll never be able to do it right", etc., etc. Thanks for the confidence in your 7 year old son, pop! He did say, however, that doing things the old fashioned way was always the best way. He shaved with the blades that Schick or Gillette gave him for free.

When I was old enough to shave at 16, he bought me a shaving kit for Christmas. It had a brush, a soap puck, a bottle of Ice Blue Aqua Velva, a mug and a Gillette Mach 1 (remember those? ) with a bunch of cartridges. He didn't teach me how to shave as I figured it out myself by watching him, but my assumption was straight razors hadn't been manufactured since World War II. I got good shaves with cartridges when I shaved, but they're expensive. I have to throw the cartridge away after 1 shave because of the toughness of my beard dulling the blades.

Fast forward to December of last year, me and a bunch of my buddies were playing poker close to Christmas time and someone brought up shaving. I chimed in saying I'd love to try a straight. One of the guys told me about The Art of Shaving in a local mall out here. I said you can't be serious, they still make them? There's a store that sells something other than Edge gel? Yer pulling my leg!

A week later I went in and bought a straight and a strop. I went home, showered and shaved with it. It was an ok shave, but the irritation was a bit much.....I blamed it on technique (what is this 3 or more passes stuff? You mean I don't have to put pressure on my skin to cut the hair? ). I started reading and found this place. I wish I found it sooner, but no matter. I've spent about $1300 so far to save about $6/week! Worth every penny....I'm hooked! I spent several weeks on these forums before I got the courage to finally post.

I've discovered that for me, shaving is 90% technique. It's closer than any of the Mach razors, from 1 to 50. My personal opinion is that the right women in life like a man who grooms.....I feel more confident when I'm clean shaven as well.

I found out about straight razors because of the Sweeney Todd movie. What actually drew me into buying one were all the stories of how wonderful shaving was for people once they tried. I hated shaving and my routine showed it. Wake up, use an electric razor, finish up with a disposable on the leftover stubborn hair with no shaving cream or water.

Now after getting a complete wet shaving set and 2 razors with strop, I'm shaving properly, getting fantastic results (though I still need a disposable to do the chin before the straight), and I feel like I'm connecting to an older way of life. A gentleman's way of life.

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

I'm not exactly sure, but I also use a fountain pen and my watch is the kind you need to wind up. I also shoot a Howard Hill longbow...

-Chief

I too, am a luddite, and feel pretty smug when I see adverts for the latest u bute multibladed razor. The straight beats them hands down. Great for the environment, no waste and your razor can pass down your family line.
I just connect with the 19th century for some reason, hence write with a nib, carry a belt watch, wear Victorian period clothes for going out, hunt with a flintlock,. Seems most of us here have a similar feel for life and how we wish to go about living it. The aquisition, of old time skills and then passing them down.

Cheers all

Gordon

I was sick of razor burn. Originally I was going to go with DE shaving but all the gorgeous pictures of straight razors convinced me to take up straight shaving instead.

It is difficult to say why I use straight razors. Why I smoke pipes why I use the fountain pens. I adore antiquarian things and love history. Likely, it is pleasant to me.=))

Pure dumb luck (and a bit of good scotch at the Venetian in Vegas) got me introduced to it all. And for the same reason Keiji laid out (the finer things about life) kept me at it until I can't seriously think of ever going back to another way of shaving. Why go at the daily whisker removal like it's drudgery? SR shaving makes it fun, relaxing, and a great experience and I add just a bit more pleasure to each day.