Thread: 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.

(And of course – never will I put down my straight – because other SRP members with RAD are always joking about stealing them from under other people’s noses… )

Well said Suavio I think the reason gillette and similar has captured the market is for a couple of reasons. They realise they get more of our money by offering disposable products, and they make a calculated judgement in how much of our money / their profits they will put into marketing to distract us from others ways to get a good / cheaper shave.

It also speaks loudly of our disposable society, and how one often chases convenience rather that the bottom dollar, the environment etc. They also know that if they sell the convenience of disposable cartridge razors, their clients are not going to build a lather from a puck of soap, instead they will buy their convenient shaving foam in a can. I think though the tides will have to turn sometime, as there's only so many additional blades they can fit into a cartridge, and between their competitors they will start to lose their USP (unique selling point).

I guess mens shoes are an example of our disposable society. It is more common to find a cheap bonded shoe for around $100 or less, than to see men wearing shoes constructed from good quality leather with craftsmanship and the ability to restitch/resole. People don't tend to see the bigger picture cost wise... I read or heard something years ago when I was in sales that I still believe to be true... things are either a bargain to buy or a bargain to own. A straight razor may be a bit more expensive in the short term, especially if one also considers the cost of a strop and potentially hones, however the ongoing cost of maintaining the equipment can still be far cheaper than buying disposable cartridges for 30-50 years.

The only thing that negates this argument of long term cost is RAD and other disorders that tends to affect most straight razor users from my limited experience (including myself already)... but I don't know many people who hope their cartridge razors will be left to loved ones for them to enjoy and cherish.

Glad to hear you're enjoying it, I am too (in the month or so I have been straight shaving)

Thank you for sharing…

Inspiring! As I sit here sporting a fresh slice and a nick from never remembering where the damn tip of the razor is, and wondering if I ever will it, is good to know perseverance has its rewards.

I just started into this for all of the reasons you've mentioned. I believe in the finer things in life. Not expensive things but things of quality. I hate the disposable, fast food lifestyle our countries have become. People say they're too busy but I say they've made themselves that way. Stop, slow down and enjoy life.

100% agree. I had no idea how much i was going to enjoy the SR experience last summer when i made the decision to stop buy stupidly expensive cartridges and learn a new skill. Now i wish my facial hair grew faster so that i could shave more that a couple times a week.

Excellent! Couldn't agree more!

For me, it was all about changing a lot of things, and one of them was to shift my perspective from being so obsessively task oriented, everything was a, "to-do" list, everything existed later, the next task to complete, and I found one day I was completely missing the, "now".

So, one of the first things I did, was change the, "task" of shaving in the morning, to an, "experience", something that allowed me to focus on the moment, and what I was doing, "now", for me, and all I can say is that it then led to many other changes in my way of seeing and interacting, and as a result, it has opened my eyes to a different way of seeing and experiencing things, and I feel happier for having done it.

The other reason, you get to own, for a brief period of time, some beautiful pieces of history, that have traveled through many hands, and as Spock says, "I find that fascinating."

Cheers!

Well said!! I started SR shaving for many of the same reasons about 4 months ago. I will never go back to using multi-blade cartridges! I enjoy the process of SR shaving, researching vintage SRs and SRs manufactures. It is something I CAN do every day that I enjoy. It has become my brain gym activity that gets my day going in the right direction. I still have lots to learn but that is also the great part about this art/hobby you never stop learning.

Originally Posted by Gehring9006

Well said!! I started SR shaving for many of the same reasons about 4 months ago. I will never go back to using multi-blade cartridges! I enjoy the process of SR shaving, researching vintage SRs and SRs manufactures. It is something I CAN do every day that I enjoy. It has become my brain gym activity that gets my day going in the right direction. I still have lots to learn but that is also the great part about this art/hobby you never stop learning.

And the shaves only get better