Thread: I don't get it.

Much of it, strops, paddles, red/black/green pastes were around, Eschers, Coticule and Barber hones too. Nortons and other synthetic stones are modern day improvements on items that were arounf back then too.

As mentioned before prices were much better. two of the Eschers I owned had less than $2 price strickers on them originally. Today they would fetch $75-100 on eBay to a razor guy, $150-$200 to certain other types of buyers.

Tony

The old hones still work, but they're just not as consistent or as fast as the modern synthetic waterstones and diamond pastes. They had arkansas stones back then, and the translucent arkansas stone will definitely get a razor shaving sharp. But it's slower than a norton; I use my norton to get the initial edge, then use the arkansas after that.

My great grandfather had a hanging strop and a board with green paint on it, accd to relatives. I've heard that at least some green paint back then was colored with chromium oxide. He also got his razors sharpened by barbers, and tinkers would also come around and do sharpening on razors (as well as scissors, knives, saws etc).

Phlanx,

You can save some of the initial investment by going with a double-edged, or safety, razor. The blades for them are available for $0.15 to $0.50 on eBay, and you get about five to seven shaves out of a blade. At $.15 a blade that's $11 a year.

The razor itself you could get used on eBay for $5 to $10. Some Proraso cream at Target costs $6 to $7. Grab a bowl or latte mug for $5. A cheap brush is $5, and a nice beginner badger is $35. Either will last you for many years.

So for less than $60 you can get rid of your Mach 3 and canned gel and get better shaves. The brush and cream, for me, made a huge difference over canned gel, and even if I was forced to use a cartridge razor again I would still use a brush and real shaving cream.

After that, a year of blades is only another $11. If you live to be 75 that'll be around $750.

It's really not that expensive. The real cost of a Mach 3 is hidden because you get the razor and a few blades for pretty cheap. But then you're beholden to Gillette forever, and in a few years they'll stop making your cartridge, so you'll have to get a new razor...

Josh

Exactly. Do you mean to say double edged blades are no longer available in shops?

No, you can still get some DE blades in stores. Wal-Mart carries cheap Personna blades, and there are some others. Most of the blades I've seen in brick-and-mortar stores have been cheap varieties.

Buying in packs of 100 via online stores is the easiest way to get good blades, I've found.

Josh

okay. i've been pretty outspoken on this subject for quite some time now. this is all you really need:

--ONE razor ( i have a spare, but i've yet to use it for anything other than the hell of it). you can get a shave-ready for forty bucks that will last you forever. plus, by buying it shave-ready, you'll know what that feels like for when you have to hone it. 40 bucks.

--ONE stone: the norton 4k8k. 70 bucks.

--ONE strop: you can get one that is more than adequate for 35 bucks.



these are optional, but for nineteen dollars it's worth it:
--ONE boar brush. 5 bucks.

--ONE cake of really good soap from colleen will last you four to six months. 6 bucks.

--ONE aftershave. i've been using the same bottle of thayer's for three months and it's still three quarters full. still, it's the most optional of all the optional items. 8 bucks.



you can believe me when i say this because this is the setup i use. the only exception, as i said, is that i have two razors, one of which i don't really need.


total: $165. all of these except the soap and thayer's will last the rest of your life.

If you look at it from a perspective of necessity, you can get by without spending a lot of money. You need a razor, a hone, and a strop. Any or all of those can be new or used at some very good prices. Hanging around here, you can find the best choices for the price range you feel is justifiable.

If, however, you look at the shaving experience as a dedicated process, everything changes. Then you need lots of razors n soaps n stones n brushes n poo foo n razor talk. At this stage, it is no longer a menial task, it becomes an important event... a milestone for the day.

I'm guessing...

You're guessing right Bill. I couldn't have put it better myself.

I almost forgot...

Those who just want to have the basics may be inclined to learn a little here 'til they are comfortable with the info and move on with a new experience under their belt. They may use a straight for the rest of their lives without ever having to come back here to talk about it. The ones who do like to talk about it have a tendency to get a little more carried away with whole environment of the shave.

Think about it... Most of the talk and hype here comes from the guys who really enjoy this stuff. It becomes more than just an implied duty to shave. Look at it as having the passion to add more than just a few books to a nice library.

I can definitely relate to that... Promised myself a day off to let my face rest from the Feather, but when I saw that my TEW was next in the rotation, I couldn't resist. And I couldn't just go to my doctor's, I had to pick up a bottle of Truoil on the way back from a supplier I had to beg for almost a week as they only deal with retailers. And no, I'm not obsessed. I'm a perfectly well-adjusted individual