Thread: Discrimination and Prejudice against Straight shaving

Does any of you feel that there is some certain discrimination and/or prejudice against Straight shaving? Do you feel embarrassed to talk about it and feel that the world looks down like we are some sort of weirdos? My co-worker caught me surfing SRP and looking at some shaving videos. We were in a discussion of straight shaving and me being very enthusiastic and eager thought to share all that I know about straight shaving. However his reaction was a bit uncomfortable like I made a social faux pas and like I'm in a cult or clan and straight shaving is suppose to be for "old timers".
This is not the first time where I have found this to be challenging, Im always on a look out for straight razors, hones etc and many times people have given me the weird eye.

Do you guys feel the same way, and feel that there is a certain attitude of the society when it comes to straight shaving?

Im sorry if I have touched on an uncomfortable subject, or posted in the wrong category but I rather clarify if its just me or everyone else who feels this way.

Not that I really care what anyone thinks about how I shave, most guys that I've talked to about it think it's pretty cool (at least 70%).

I'm with rodb. I've never fielded questions by anyone who wasn't very fascinated. People view my straight shaving as almost a show of gentlemanly pursuits that is too skillful for their mortal faces.

On the other hand, I watch shaving videos in private. I could see how people would weirded out by that!

actually i am proud of myself .

Originally Posted by Timedwards

I'm with rodb. I've never fielded questions by anyone who wasn't very fascinated. People view my straight shaving as almost a show of gentlemanly pursuits that is too skillful for their mortal faces.

On the other hand, I watch shaving videos in private. I could see how people would weirded out by that!

+1 On the private viewing of shave videos!!

Well, I haven't gone around trumpeting the fact that I shave with str8s. But everyone I've talked with about it thinks it's pretty cool, once I explain that you really don't hack your face to bits and that unless you get careless, shaving with a str8 isn't painful--quite the reverse. I think there's a LOT of bad information/misinformation out there, mostly based on old movies in which somebody gets a really painful shave. These are comedies, of course, and back in the day the audience would have gotten the joke. Another common shot in those movies is of the barber lifting the razor high off the strop at the end of each stroke and slapping it back down--again, that would have seemed comical back when str8 shaving was common, because folks would have known that it was a gag. But I actually had someone I was talking to about this say, "Oh, you mean the kind of razors where the guy slaps it back and forth on the strop?" So if people react as if they think it's strange, it may be due to the fact that all they've ever seen of str8 shaving is out of an old movie in which it was intentionally made to look painful.

The reaction I get is, I guess you could call it a scared admiration. People think I'm brave for using such a "dangerous" tool.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

actually i am proud of myself .

I feel the same about myself too. I'll never have to buy razor blades or cartridges again or fill land fills with disposables if I choose not to, and I can bring 150 year old razors back to life with hones.

I think that is why they rioted Egypt.

Originally Posted by rodb

I feel the same about myself too. I'll never have to buy razor blades or cartridges again or fill land fills with disposables if I choose not to, and I can bring 150 year old razors back to life with hones.

Yes, that's another good point. People are impressed when I show them a vintage straight.