Looking for info about straight razor users

1. How old are you?

43

2. When did you start using a straight razor?

3 weeks ago

3. Why do you use a straight razor?

I tend toward being a luddite.

4. Where do you live? What type of area is it?(urban, country?)

Auburn, AL--small town; grew up in Chicago

5. What sort of hobbies to you enjoy outside of sharpening razors?

Homebrewing, woodworking, cooking.

6. If you are older, do you have a son that may have interest in using a straight razor? if so how old is he?

No.

7. Why did you start using a straight razor? Were you dissatisfied with other types of razors? Tradition?

Got fed up with electrics, hate the waste of disposables. I prefer doing my own maintainance on whatever I can rather than buying cheap and replacing often.

8. Where did you buy your razor?

First 3 on ebay, 4th from an SRP member, 5-10 on ebay.

9. Do you feel that shaving with a straight is worth any additional time it may take you to complete your shave?

Most definitely!!! The 30-45 minutes I spend in the bathroom each morning are MINE! I get to take care of myself, put my mind in gear for the workday (or weekend for that matter). It forces me to slow down and remind myself of what really matters--NOT slitting my throat :p

1. How old are you?

50+

2. When did you start using a straight razor?

About 1-yr ago

3. Why do you use a straight razor?

I suppose there's a whole litany of reasons... but primarily, a)economics and b)I get a REALLY close shave.

4. Where do you live? What type of area is it?(urban, country?)

Arizona - fringe urban

5. What sort of hobbies to you enjoy outside of sharpening razors ?

gardening, carpentry, cars, motorcycles, computers/electronics. I don't consider "sharpening razors" a hobby, although I get a lot of satisfaction when I do it well. Not all satisfying things are necessarily "hobbies", are they? (Eg, Sex, food, religion, etc. are generally satisfying, but not usually considered hobbies)

6. If you are older, do you have a son that may have interest in using a straight razor? if so how old is he?

Yes, but not interested/32

7. Why did you start using a straight razor? Were you dissatisfied with other types of razors? Tradition?

Cost -- what pushed me to action was the Gillette/Schick guys introducing new razors and expensive cartridges... 5-blades, batteries, etc. I typically used 2 blades a week, so at $3 a blade... well, you can do the math. I'm not the type of guy that buys something new just because its the latest and greatest -- there's got to be a functional reason too. (Ie, Win98 does everything I need done... why spend $200 for XP? Word97 works just fine... why spend $$$ for Office 2003? My Schick twin-blade cartridge razor is 15-yrs old razor and works just as well as it ever did... why spend $$ for a newer razor. fine but the blades are getting expensive)

8. Where did you buy your razor?

I've purchased a goodly number via Ebay, and half a dozen purchases from private individuals.

9. Do you feel that shaving with a straight is worth any additional time it may take you to complete your shave?

YES! First, it doesn't (necessarily) add much time... how much you want to pamper yourself determines that. More importantly, it has an incredible calming effect... in a prior life I was an exec-VP with all the typical pressures and pace of a technology driven company... I wish I had started then.

:hmmm: FWIW - Are you sure your strategic premise ("trying to break them from the bonds of the gillette corporation before it is too late") and target marketing age range are correct? Do you want to target the (pre)teen, his parents, or the older gentleman?

On one hand there are lots of "baby-boomers", and as a marketing segment they (typically) have lots of buying power... I doubt, however, you'll attract many of their $$ with an ad campaign targeted at the Sponge Bob age group.

On the other hand, I suspect lots of kids learned to shave by watching their fathers shave from the time they were toddlers. (Maybe if Sponge Bob shaved, they'd pattern themselves after him instead?) Don't most kids actually start experimenting with shaving by "sneaking" pretend shaves (using their father's razor?) when they are pre/early teen... ie, when their peach fuzz gets noticable and their friends start bragging about shaving? The key question -- does a kid choose/buy his first razor or does mom/dad buy it for him? How old are they when they actually purchase a razor with their own money? And, in true Gillette tradition (give away the razor and charge lots for the blades), are you going to make your money selling the razor or the accessories (soap, brushes, strops, hones, etc.)?

All of these, I'd think, have an impact on your target age range. And, don't forget the injectable straight razor... that's what my barber uses. As a matter of fact, his scissors have replacable blade edges, too.

1. How old are you?
28

2. When did you start using a straight razor?
3 weeks ago

3. Why do you use a straight razor?
I find advertisements and brand images to be very transparent and I like to look through all that to what they are actually selling. Quite often I find that a product seems to have been designed not because there has been a technological advance but instead, to fit a marketing brief. I find this sort of marketing patronising and it insults my intelligence. Also the style of advertising is a complete put off: the automatic assumption that because I have a penis I also like red cars and supersonic aircraft! So the next step is for me to look back and see why these products were replaced. If the cut-throat continues to work for me like it has over the past 3 weeks I will continue using it, if it doesn't I will know that the technological advances are justified and I'll go back to shavers with sports cars on their packaging.

4. Where do you live? What type of area is it?(urban, country?)
Melbourne, Australia - inner suburban.

5. What sort of hobbies to you enjoy outside of sharpening razors ?
Coffee Roasting, Home Brewing

6. If you are older, do you have a son that may have interest in using a straight razor? if so how old is he?
N/A

7. Why did you start using a straight razor? Were you dissatisfied with other types of razors? Tradition?
See Q.3.

8. Where did you buy your razor?
Barber trade shop, antique shop.

9. Do you feel that shaving with a straight is worth any additional time it may take you to complete your shave?
I'm quite a highly strung person, I move quickly and if I don't allow myself time to clear my head in the morning I get quite 'scattered'. I've tried yoga and meditation and just plain old getting up early and sitting around but haven't ever stuck at any of them. Getting up early for a shave allows me to focus on one task for a certain period of time with no interruptions because my wife can’t bear the sight of me taking to my face with a razor sharp razor. Net gain: shaved face, had time to wake up before leaving the house and taken time to focus on one thing and clear the head.

xman:
I'm not thick headed. I'm just practical. There's no need to be rude about it. You can communicate your concerns/disagreements civilly without insults :p.

How many people think nothing of letting their children have pocket knives or hunting/fishing cutlery at even younger ages? How many children are enrolled in firearm training courses and archery courses at younger ages? I've held back on providing my children with such tools much longer than others do. Just go visit a local firing range or archery range. Every time I've been I've seen many children much younger than my son there.

Virtually anything can be deadly without the proper respect, even pencils. How many kindergardners go through a licensed pencil safety course? They have woodshop classes in public jr. high where children as young as 13 are handling tools much deadlier than a shaving razor. How many have to pass your approval before they can sign up?

I've taken my son through as much reading and safety precautions as I can find available out there and I have stressed heavily the importance of safety on straight razors. My son practices better safety while shaving than the vast majority of adults probably do while hunting with a firearm.

Please don't be insulting or insinuate derogatory things just because you disagree with something. I'm very safety conscious for my children and I resent your crass insults.

FUD

1. How old are you?
61

2. When did you start using a straight razor?
About two months ago.

3. Why do you use a straight razor?
I have always thought that it was neat way to shave. I guess that I seem to favor the past century and they including my GGGrandfather, whom was in the Civil War, used a straight. I also seem to do things that noone else does and this is one of them. Besides it is cool knowing that you honed and stropped a razor good enough to shave with.

4. Where do you live? What type of area is it?(urban, country?)
A town in northeast oklahoma of about 30,000 population. I guess it would be urban.

5. What sort of hobbies to you enjoy outside of sharpening razors ?
Bonsai; Bicycling; Riding a Harley; Fitness; Reading; Computers; Tinkering

6. If you are older, do you have a son that may have interest in using a straight razor? if so how old is he?
I have two sons and at this point they both think that I am crazy for using one. Neither of them use a straight.

7. Why did you start using a straight razor? Were you dissatisfied with other types of razors? Tradition?
I used to use a DE several years ago and had a rash with some menthol shave foam and went to an electric. Not long ago I finally got bored with the electric and started using a DE again. I then researched straights for awhile because I always did think that it was a neat way to shave. Tried the straight and really liked it so now I am using one. I can shave every other day if I want to. The electric would not shave a two day old beard.

8. Where did you buy your razor?
The first one came from a Barber Supply store. The best one came from ClassicShaving.com. It was a Thiers-Issard which may be the best on the market opinions will differ.

9. Do you feel that shaving with a straight is worth any additional time it may take you to complete your shave?
OH YES!!! Placing the warm wash rag on your face to soften the beard; putting on the warm soap with a warm brush; and then shaving with a razor that cuts through you beard without any effort at all; and having the talent to do so and also the talent to sharpen this razor is so enlightening it is so unbelievable and rewarding it is indescribable. It is also very relaxing afterwards because you put on an aftershave lotion/balm that smells very good. It is a good way to start the day.


Good luck on your project.........I as others have mentioned would also like to see the results.

Bill Watkins

1. How old are you?
44

2. When did you start using a straight razor?
Off and on 2 years, consistently 2 months

3. Why do you use a straight razor?
Tired of racing through life and doing everything in a hurry. This was a way to carve out time for relaxation, same with riding my bike or walking to work.

4. Where do you live? What type of area is it?(urban, country?)
Albuquerque, NM - urban

5. What sort of hobbies to you enjoy outside of sharpening razors :)?
Cycling, hiking, reading, writing

6. If you are older, do you have a son that may have interest in using a straight razor? if so how old is he?
Two boys, eight, coolest thing in the world to them. Looking forward to passing some razors down

7. Why did you start using a straight razor? Were you dissatisfied with other types of razors? Tradition?
Anyone can use a disposable... got tired, wanted to start a tradition...

8. Where did you buy your razor?
1 from strore, 2 from individuals, 6 from e-bay... more to follow

9. Do you feel that shaving with a straight is worth any additional time it may take you to complete your shave?
Yes, few things can match a really good shave.

Mike

1. How old are you?

44

2. When did you start using a straight razor?

About 1 month now.

3. Why do you use a straight razor?

Cost of M3 blades, mystique, the cool factor....very manly.

4. Where do you live? What type of area is it?(urban, country?)

Aptos, CA - Beach!

5. What sort of hobbies to you enjoy outside of sharpening razors ?

I'm a new straight razor user so sharpening is something that I'm learning as I progress. One of the great things about this forum is that you can get a sharp razor from one of the "honemiesters" here and start shaving before you need to learn about sharpening.

6. If you are older, do you have a son that may have interest in using a straight razor? if so how old is he?

My sons are 17 and 8. My 17 year old is using a disposable and I'm working on him. My 8 year old will learn with a DE or a straight. His call...

7. Why did you start using a straight razor? Were you dissatisfied with other types of razors? Tradition?

Yes. Mach3 was causing irriatation and so I starting using a double-edge razor and straights shortly after that. I like the whole process and the time it takes to shave with these instruments rather than the mindless shave that I used to do with a Mach3. Tradition is definately part of it. The mystique and the testosterone is a factor as well. Nothing more manly than the straight razor. Ah, ah, ah, ah.....

8. Where did you buy your razor?

This forum. Great place for your first straight razor purchase.

9. Do you feel that shaving with a straight is worth any additional time it may take you to complete your shave?

Yes, absolutely! It's the process of shaving that is more important with these instruments. Taking more time for this grooming process is just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to pampering. Men should be not hesitate to take more time for their personal hygene and enjoy taking care of themselves.

I find that it leads to more care in other areas, which is a good thing.