Ah, I see that I have struck a chord with a number of you!! That is good, because it always keeps the discussion going in interesting ways, and it sure makes the board more exciting. I have a little bit of experience with this as I own a few discussion boards of my own, and I started my first about 10 years ago, some have grown to over 80000 members. It's off topic, but on my first and most popular board, I have not posted there for over 3 years, I walked away from discussion boards because it took so much time from me, yet here I am posting on a straight razor board!! Anyway, I will try to broadly address the variety of responses I have received.
Apparently, I have come here in all of my ignorant newbieness and dared question the wisdom of the wizened sages. I do not mean not to display the proper amount of humility to those battle hardened and erudite Master's of the Craft! Please excuse my Sophism, for I am but a coarse and uncouth knave who means no offense! Someday, I too hope to be lecturing the unworldly neophyte on the correct techniques to removing the hair from one's face with a lone blade of steel, while at the same time exemplifying the proper amount of "bad assness" which I will have earned only after having single handedly defeated mine enemies on the field of combat!! How wrong I was, to believe that I had the right to that title after having stood in the bathroom and not made mincemeat of my enemies, but instead of my own FACE!! I also implore forgiveness for asserting that the razor which I use is a "straight Razor" for I now see that even though it may SEEM like a straight razor, it is but a prop for a dupe, since a real and true straight razor requires one to have spent countless hours of studying before one becomes proficient enough to recognize what exactly constitutes a straight and true straight razor. But it does not end there either, for a Real Straight Razor is apparently not defined by the fact that the razor is straight, nor that it is a blade intended for the purpose of hair removal, but is in fact defined by a complicated criterion which includes the number of hours spent stropping, the type and grade of sharpening materials for this implement, the proper display of honing technique, the years of experience at the removal of hair from one's face, and the number of "straight razors" that one owns and/or has utilized efficiently and effectively. And then, and ONLY then, after all of those factors have been entered into a special formula which only Masters of the Craft know, will I then be able to CORRECTLY Identify a straight razor! I pine for this day!!
I hope that the note of sarcasm could be detected in the above paragraph, but if not, I will make sure to precede future communications with clear labels so as not to confuse.
Anyhoo, back to the topic of the post. I meant to provoke a discussion on this topic as over the months that I have visited this site, I have many times seen the Feather artist club blade discussed in a negative light. I bought one myself several months back and have been using it ever since. I have also read a lot on the other type of blades and I felt that it would be interesting to see what would happen if I posted about the positive aspects of the Feather club blade. It seems to me that on this board, and any board, there are many of the type who become so involved in the topic at hand that they are always at the ready to demean and demote anything that does not fit into what their version of "purity." I was curious about this as well because after all, the only difference between this and the others is the simple fact that the blade is removable. But in terms of the process of shaving itself, it takes as much if not more skill to achieve a perfect shave with this blade as it does with any other. But many belittle this blade for the simple fact that one does not sharpen the blade themselves. Personally, I don't think that constitutes the definition of a straight razor, but apparently there are many that do. That is a whole topic of discussion in and of itself! I also don't claim to be an expert, but I wonder if there are times when some individuals ever sit back and consider the silliness of belittling those who disagree with them on the topic of shaving with a straight razor! I realize that those who visit this site are very interested in this topic, and have spent a ton of time on it, but it is worth reminding that we are talking about HAIR REMOVAL! At the turn of the century, I suspect that the length of time a man spent talking about a razor was limited to "Dern fred, cut yourself good that time didn't ye?!" "Yep, I got a peek at my wife's bloomers and nicked myself good!".
There are not many positive things said about the disposable straight razor here, so I thought I would start a discussion of it. I also realized that when I first made the post, I had identified the type of razor I have incorrectly, as it is a Feather Artist Club, and not the "featherlite" (although i gleaned from one response that this blade is also somehow a sign of a shaver to be defrocked and cast out). At any rate, there are definitely pros and cons to both, and room for each in the pantheon of straight razors. In my mind, the real attraction to shaving this way is in the challenge of shaving and not so much in the rest, but I DO see the appeal in the other things, and I will likely find that to be true for myself when I choose to get another straight razor.
The discussion went on a little tangent when I used the term "bad ass" in regards to shaving with a straight. At the time, it was just a thrown out word, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, but that too was a point of contention so I will address that as well. I don't believe that I am wrong when I say that MOST men who use a straight razor were attracted to it because of what it represents. After all, there must be SOME reason why one would choose to devote the time and effort to shaving when the razor technology has advanced to the degree that it has. I am sure that there are any number of reasons, and for most, SEVERAL reasons. But I don't think that I am wrong when I say that it is a distinctly masculine exercise. I don't think that people are being truthful to themselves when they claim that this has no bearing WHATSOEVER on why they chose this "hobby." Some claim that it is the honing and stropping that attracts them to this, but I would say that when one FIRST looked into straight razor shaving, the thing that grabbed them first was NOT honing and stropping. There are not many images in society of the process of honing and stropping for one, and I don't think many people would look at the process first and then say "man I have to shave with a straight because THAT is for me!" I think that you find out later that you enjoy this process but it is not what grabbed you in the first place (furthermore, evidence of the appeal to masculinity can be seen in the explosion of straight razor shaving after exposure in Maxim magazine and a recent television appearance). It may be worthwhile for some to examine these things via your own introspection, but I don't think that it is a bad thing to claim that the masculine or maleness of this hobby attracts you. In fact, I think that society today denigrates and demeans masculinity, that the world is feminizing the male. This is all to apparent in some of the reactions to this concept. I, for one, stand against this along with a number of others. I also applaud this activity, and this site for venerating this activity, because I think it is a GOOD THING. This has nothing to do with kicking ass, or being a jerk, but for many the suggestion of masculinity immediately triggers that connotation. I would not act a coward from behind the safety of my computer to assert my fighting prowess. I don't think that is honorable, and I think that talk is cheap. So if I came across that way, I apologize. However, I will say that I would be comfortable saying anything that I say on the computer to any ones' face, but in any case, I am not one to start a fight, or even seek one. that said, I am not afraid to get hit,or do the hitting with bad odds, and unfortunately I have plenty of experience with that (which I am not proud of). In the end, when that happens win or lose it is still STUPID.
I do believe that this type of shaving is a connection with a man of ages past, I do believe that it puts men in touch with some of those things that make up just being a guy. I think that is great. I also agree that the process of shaving itself is rewarding in that it is a challenge, and it is fun to try new techniques, and you feel great when you do it right. as an aside, I also think that those things are distinctly male traits. I have been a body builder for over 15 years, and I see parallels between the two. For one they both challenge yourself, it is you against you! They are also things that you always seek to maser, for in body building you require great discipline, and you must go through a lot of pain to get results, and you are always challenging yourself more and more. I think may would agree that straight razor shaving has those things in common. Body builders and the activity itself is a very individual thing, and you will find that many people who do it pride themselves on their individuality, my guess is that many here are the same way. Does it make you "bad ass?" I say "yes" if you mean by bad ass that you are doing something that few would do because it is hard, and often painful. How many times has someone seen you shave and said "wow, I could never do that I would chop my face up!" or something similar? That is the one I hear the most next to: "you don't see that much anymore!" Which also validates my earlier point about a connection to an earlier time. So there are many reasons, but I believe there are some pretty universal ones. I also believe that people who share a similar passion also find they have much in common in terms of values, beliefs, and interests. I think that applies here too.
For those that made valid points on the merits of shaving with a disposable straight vs a non disposable straight, I think that I agree with most. I am thinking of getting a custom Zawoda blade done, and the reason for this right now is because it will be a keepsake I will always have and that is pretty attractive. I even hope that someday my own boys might try shaving this way. I will probably learn to like stropping and honing too, as I see in that activity some of the same type of "challenge" and satisfaction one gets from shaving. I know that I am a novice, I never pretended to be otherwise. My wife thinks its pretty funny when I come out of the bathroom after having watched another video and trying a new technique with blood running down my face! I can't help but laugh too! what the hell am I thinking?! Well, I think we all know what I am thinking, and I am looking forward to chopping my face tomorrow. The cuts should be healed by then. ;)
And to fpessanha: Thanks for your very "genteel" response! ;) I hope that this post clarifies what I meant a bit more as well.
Thanks to everyone for responding, would love to hear more!! :)