Thread: Benefits of Straight Razor

It's a bit like riding a motorbike...If you haven't tasted the special brand of freedom and exhileration it offers, no amount of explaining will make you understand.


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

It's a bit like riding a motorbike...If you haven't tasted the special brand of freedom and exhileration it offers, no amount of explaining will make you understand.


Mick

Ahh, but you could give a hint that there's a whole new world out there TO understand and enjoy.

How can you hint at something that has no words except for the experience?!...Oh hang on, razors are not the same as motorbikes in that respect...I suppose you could hit at it, but to jump in and try the water for yourself is always going to be the best way. You could just dangle your toes in the water, like what the OP is doing, or you could grab ahold of the rope swing and take a flying leap into the deep part of the creek to get the maximum enjoyment out of the swim.


Mick

Originally Posted by MickRussell

I think all the material benefits, such as economy, have been covered as have most of the ethereal ones, like satisfaction and nostalgia. There is a part of me that enjoys doing something as part of my grooming that quite frankly scares the willies out of a lot of guys. It's a thumb of the nose to modern consumerism and disposable society, as well.

Well said!

Originally Posted by jeffegg2

This kinda tells it all. I think there is no convincing you.

Jeff.

I appreciate the comment, but for the early stages of my shaving i'll be sticking with the Shavette for money reasons and the idea of maintaining a Straight Razor isnt, While a Shavette might not deliver the same quality as the real thing, its the next best thing, and in due course i'll like 2 graduate to the real deal

Originally Posted by MickR

How can you hint at something that has no words except for the experience?!

That's what metaphors are for. Marketing gurus are good at this kind of thing.

It's badass.

Originally Posted by markdfhr

That's what metaphors are for. Marketing gurus are good at this kind of thing.

Sort of like sitting in a comfortable chair in front of the fireplace reading adventure books, instead of going outside and finding an adventure of your own huh?!


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

Sort of like sitting in a comfortable chair in front of the fireplace reading adventure books, instead of going outside and finding an adventure of your own huh?!


Mick

No, not really. Teddy Roosevelt was an American President and a very interesting man. While President, he had time to read two books a day. He was an adventurer extraordinaire and a most driven man. I would say he had plenty of adventures while reading about those of others. He probably got ideas for adventures of his own that way. Reading and words aren't antithetical to life. Words document and celebrate life. They can do that for anything, whether it's love, motorcycle riding, or straight razor shaving.

On a different note, what's straight razor shaving good for? Well, this morning SWMBO and I had a little disagreement about vet bills. I don't like conflict and wasn't feeling up to my shave this morning. I wasn't sure I was going to do a good job. Well, the concentration straight razor shaving requires focused my mind and took me away from all my troubles, if only for a little while. Even now, I know my day is better because of it. I really concentrated on technique, especially stretching my skin. I scraped my troubles away much like the hair on my face.

In the beginning I can see how a frustrated beginner might not see things this way. The hair stubbornly refuses to come off and the skin can be raw; but over time, your successes will add up and your concentration will improve and a great shave will mean more than just having a well groomed face.

Mick, I'm with you. You can talk about what it's like to cruise the twisted two lanes or scream down a highway at 100mph with the wind in your face, but talk is just talk until you work up the nerve to experience it yourself.

For me...
1st Economy: Shaving with a straight costs me about $.50/mo vs. $35-40 with a cartridge
2nd Health: Shaving with a straight yields healthier/better looking skin & a lack of ingrown hairs I can't get with a cartridge
3rd Comfort: Even over a DE my straights provide a more consistently comfortable shave in skin irritation and closeness.
4th Heritage: Having a razor used by 3 of 4 preceding generations and shaving with it like they did connects me to my ancestors, the trials they overcame, the frontiers they settled, the wars they fought, the faith they lived.
5th Posterity: I intend for my sons to inherit my razors, but it's more than that. I intend for them to inherit a value for things that last, things that go against the flow of perpetual waste, the consumer driven mentality, and the reliance upon a system designed to forever leach off of your hard earned dollars.

Oh, and it's one of the few "unprotected" things you get to do in life.

Peace,
Jim