Why I started to straight razor shave, why I still do, and why I’m never going back
Why I started to straight razor shave, why I still do, and why I’m never going back
It is coming up a year now since I first shaved with a straight razor, and it felt like a fitting time to put my thoughts and feeling to paper again (if I could work out how to blog this, I would). If there’s one person whose sentiments I capture, that’s great. If there’s one more person who I convince to pick up a straight razor, or to give it a second shot, I’ll be thrilled. I constantly have people ask me: "Why?", as if there's something odd about what I do. Well, here it is...
Over the year, I’ve shaved with about 15 different blades, had about 30 pass through my hands in varying states of disrepair, and restored about 5 to a condition that I currently feel I will never wish to part with. (Of course, that might change with the next phase of razor acquisition.) Each blade is different, and no shave is ever the same.
The restore of the blade is immensely rewarding – especially those ‘near fatal’ blades that are taken back to a usable condition. Those damsels in distress that we pull out of antique stores, the bottom of garage sale boxes, our old neighbour’s attic; the bargains we strike; and yes, the times we overpaid for something – the search, the restore, the result. (I wish that I could say I inherited my grandfather’s, or great grandfather’s blade, but alas, those were lost as casualties to bitter divorcees and contested wills. If I had, I can only say that this would have been an even more personal topic.) Of course, it's not enough to just restore - it is also important to maintain, and the skills involved in honing, stropping, and generally maintaining blades are skills that I work on each day. If that sounds like too much hard work for a newbie, bear with me, because I'm just warming up.
Not only have I become addicted to collecting and restoring these works of art, but I have also become addicted to researching their history – e.g.
- Why is it that Sheffield, Solingen and Eskilstuna (amongst others) were considered the best locations for steel works? (There's an answer for that.)
- Who was William Butler, and was he related to George and James? (He was.)
- Why are the same trade marks used by different companies? (Various examples of this, some without answers.)
- Why were different razors popular through the ages? What drives these trends? (We may never know.)
And lastly, I have become addicted to the discipline of the shave. It has changed my routines – not just the shave itself, but my daily routine. I look forward to it each day, and if my hair hasn’t grown long enough, it’s a pity, not a chore. My skin is better than it was, my hand steadier. The meditation-like process of preparation, the zen-like calm of the shave itself, the feeling afterwards that what you have done wasn’t simply a daily inconvenience, but something that defines you – something that you enjoy, that challenges you daily, and that makes you feel like - for want of a better expression - "a man".
Why I started straight razor shaving
Of course, it wasn’t all like this from the start. There were days that my face felt raw, that I felt like a youngster again, learning to shave for the first time and missing the odd patch, shaving other areas too close – WAY too close.
There are the accidents and the lessons – dropping a blade, dropping a honing stone (including onto another one), cutting fingers and hands and cheeks. But each time, I learnt something. It is more than I can say for ever shaving with a modern razor. And the things that I have learnt the most are patience, steady hands, and how to take care of my face.
At the beginning, I looked into a straight razor shave for a friend before his wedding day. It seemed like a manly and fitting experience to have. It seemed tough, and old school and ‘Mad Men’. I wanted that story of the straight razor shave – but no one was willing to give it to me, not a barber in town that I could find. So, I ordered my first blade myself – and what I got was so much more rewarding than a single-shave story…
Why I will never go back
As if I haven’t said enough already, I’ll really dig into it now (modern razor companies beware)…
Why is it that companies have changed their attitudes so dramatically over time, and why have we let them lead us? Is that Gillette ad so compelling that the new 12 blade 8 times lubricated cartridges are worth it? And does a four blade razor get that much closer than a three, a two, a one? What caused the shift in the mid 1900s for these companies to decide: we don’t need to make products that last a lifetime – we need to make products that last a week! And why did we decide that a product that would last a lifetime could be replaced with plastic dispensables? Are we so easily persuaded? Are our lives so driven by ‘disposable’ products?
Where is the art, the passion, the patience and discipline? Well gents, it’s right here!
Never again will I pick up a multi-blade razor – because they are made to last a year, not a lifetime.
Never again will I pick up a multi-blade cartridge – because they are too damn expensive and they pollute my earth.
Never will I put down my straight – because it gives me the closest shave that I have ever had.
Never will I put down my straight – because it my art, my hobby, and my passion.
