Thread: The "craft" of shaving

For me a straight razor just seemed really
damn cooler, way cooler than a Gillette
multi blade.

And you know something....... I was right.



Terry

Originally Posted by honedright

...Hmmmm. Passion and craft, or skills of the hand, seem to be a theme in my life.

... Kind of silly to associate shaving with passion, but then, when put into the context of a craft, I think it fits.

A man after my own heart. I was smiling and nodding through your whole reply. I think you hit it on the head, it's a theme of passion for time honored skills of the hand...SR shaving just happens to be one of 'em.

- Dale

I'm with you 100%. Before we became rampant consumers of disposable stuff starting just after the turn of the last century, we as men were forced to acquire the skills to master the craft of shaving with the bare blade, or pay a craftsman (barber) to do it for us, or forego shaving altogether. I personally feel grubby and sloppy with whiskers on my face; and I feel terrible about all the disposable shaving stuff that I have tossed into the wastestream over the years, so it just made sense to me to try shaving with a straight.

I'll never go back to a machine-made blade again. Not only does it take the skill of a craftsman to properly use a straight razor, but it takes the combined effort of several skilled craftsman to produce a high quality instrument worthy of shaving with in the first place.

Once mastered, straight razor shaving gave me (and still gives me) a sense of knowing how to do something that a very small percentage of men are even willing to try, much less stay with on a full-time basis. To me, it is a brotherhood of sorts. As a bonus, experienced and skilled straight razor users can get the kind of comfort and baby-butt smoothness that no other shaving gizmo can duplicate. Just ask any long-time SRP member who uses the straight exclusively and I'm sure he (or she?) will agree.

Thanks

Joe