Thread: Am I the only one?

First of all I have only been straight razor shaving for a few weeks and I absolutety love it, wish my wiskers would grow faster so I could shave more often. Perhaps I am strange but I find the actual razor to be the least interesting part of the whole process. I find the brushes, soaps/creams, strops, and hones to be far more fascinating than the razors. Maybe it is the fact that as long as the razor is well made of proper Steele it is the other the other things plus the skill of the user that makes for a great shave. Perhaps in time my feelings will change. Does anybody else out there share these feelings or am I a freak?

Well, one could say "So long as X is good, the other factors play a greater role" and substitute anything for X - razor, lather, strop, honing, etc.

Personally, I enjoy the razors most. I also enjoy the act of honing (but don't have HAD). I don't like stropping at all; I have only one strop. I like different scents, but pretty much all my soap/cream comes from the same place. I have one brush, and don't really care to learn about other brushes unless someone who's opinion I really value specifically recommends me one.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Well, one could say "So long as X is good, the other factors play a greater role" and substitute anything for X - razor, lather, strop, honing, etc.

Personally, I enjoy the razors most. I also enjoy the act of honing (but don't have HAD). I don't like stropping at all; I have only one strop. I like different scents, but pretty much all my soap/cream comes from the same place. I have one brush, and don't really care to learn about other brushes unless someone who's opinion I really value specifically recommends me one.

You have a great point about basically all the factors
coming together to make a great shave. When I first started DE
shaving I went headlong into collecting razors and accumulated a couple dozen in a very short period of time. Then I started paying more attention to the blades I was using and came to the realization that the blades were a bigger factor in a comfortable shave than the razor. I'm sure eventually my interest in the actual straight razors will grow. Just right now I am spending more time exploring the other factors. Plus, nice razors are spendy!

I have one strop and one travel strop, one brush plus one travel brush and I've tired a handful of soaps. But I love those razors and my collection keeps growing. For me, the others are just necessities. The razor is the main course.

I find myself fascinated by the hones, and honing, and the razors. It's the challenge, I guess. Brushes, soaps, all that jazz, is just a means to an end: getting an incredible shave from a razor I honed. I can't control the soap, or the brush, but I can control the quality of the shave though the growth of my own skill. This is for me the real reward.

Oh great, I am a freak! Damn!