Thread: The Straight Razor's Future

Originally Posted by guitstik

A friend of mine used to be a brain surgeon (really) that was an avid hobbyist photographer with a bad case of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), he had a ton of equipment. So he started lending stuff out, then it got to the point he started renting it out. Soon, his hobby became a business so he retired from medicine and started Lensrentals.com here in Memphis. I don't see why phrank couldn't do the same with W&B's.

No...we'd need more of us to form the company...lots of inventory...we need representatives for the Swedes, the Germans, all the other English brands, the Spaniards, the Americans...oh yeah...kinda like the community here....I mean 10Pups with his Ducks alone would be a would be a virtual Goldedge mine!!!

Originally Posted by guitstik

A friend of mine used to be a brain surgeon (really) that was an avid hobbyist photographer with a bad case of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), he had a ton of equipment. So he started lending stuff out, then it got to the point he started renting it out. Soon, his hobby became a business so he retired from medicine and started Lensrentals.com here in Memphis. I don't see why phrank couldn't do the same with W&B's.

Now that is interesting, always wondered how Lensrentals.com came to be. They were mentioned quite a bit when I was into photography. Thanks for the info.

Bob

I work in what is still a pretty traditional trade of masonry. The history and how little it has changed over the centuries is part of the draw for me. Masonry buildings are meant to last and be one of the most durable structures. Straight razors are a product that have some very similar qualities to masonry structures (outside of their cosmetics and useful nature not similar at all). They are quality products (for the most part anyway) that are meant to last as long as one owns it. Hence you could theoretically own just one or two and having the proper equipment, you're set for life. We though live in a world that is hell bent on the disposable product. We build buildings that are planned on being torn down in the near future. Heck I'm only 34 and I've seen several buildings I've helped build doomed to the rubble pile already. We manufacture goods that are meant to last as long as the next fad and then the market is betting you'll set your things to the curb as soon as something new comes up. Or maybe this is a tendency that is a bubble waiting to burst. How many landfills will we fill with junk that isn't engineered to decompose for a hundred years? I'm not so adept in the automobile market but at a glance it seems commonplace for a car to be in good condition well into the 200k mile range and still have some life on it. Not just Volvos either. I feel like that at the present society is stuck in a quick and easy and throw away mentality, so the effort involved in shaving with a straight razor is not likely to be accepted by the masses as a primary shaving means.

If disposables were put to a status of last resort immediately there would likely be thousands of people put out of work anyway.

And I'm not saying I shave with a straight razor because very few people do compared to those who use disposables, but it does add to the appeal. The appeal to me is the tradition and history tied to it. We just don't live in a very traditional society.

I really enjoyed reading this link. Lots of good comments. I'm a newbie to straight razor shaving. I thought DE shaving was expensive but it doesn't compare to the cost of getting into straight razor shaving. Strops, hones, and new razors are expensive. I was reading some articles on straight razor shaving recently. The article said Dovo is the largest straight razor manufacture in the world. This line really caught my attention. The article said one half of the razors produced by Dovo are sold in the USA. I've jumped into this hobby with both feet and look forward to learning from the experienced forum members. Thanks

Welcome to the nut-house
We will help you out as much as we can!

Originally Posted by honedright

While I believe there will always be a place in the world for straights, today's trend seems less in favor of the traditional, and leans more towards the new and diverse. ...snip...But the seemingly more popular, and liberal application of many blades, a kind of multi-cutleral approach, although queer to those of us more accustomed to the straight approach, seems to be the razor-du-jour.
So in keeping with today's attitude of tolerance and acceptance, I believe there is absolutely a future for all razors, straights and non-straights alike.

Perhaps those of us with many well tuned blades are as much a part of the Blade du Jour as any other shaver wanting change and a good shave?
~Richard

Originally Posted by Hirlau

The image of a young man shaving with a Wade & Butcher, then headed to work with his Toyota hybrid, with a mocha lotte in his hand,,,,,,well,,,,,something is just wrong,,,,IMO,,,,

Guess I don't. Shave with a naked blade, drive a Town Car, don't work because I've been retired for a while and I drink black coffee with no additives.

Originally Posted by Geezer

Perhaps those of us with many well tuned blades are as much a part of the Blade du Jour as any other shaver wanting change and a good shave?
~Richard

It's all good.

I liken straights to LP records. Probably back in the 1950s or so folks thought straights would disappear altogether just like they the kissed LP goodbye. Meanwhile remember 8 tracks? Gone. Remember cassettes? pretty much gone. CDs are on their way out but the LP is still with us and always will be. Similar with straights. They will always be with us. How many electrics have come and gone and how many cartridges types have come and gone?

With straights vs the others they keep reinventing the other types and spend loads to sell them. No one needs to advertise straights folks are just drawn to them either on their own or through word of mouth just like LPs.

Originally Posted by Geezer

Perhaps those of us with many well tuned blades are as much a part of the Blade du Jour as any other shaver wanting change and a good shave?
~Richard

Absolutely - last year at this time you couldn't get a Double Duck without dropping a whack of cash, if you could even find one...they were very, very hot...used to watch the auctions just shoot up...and we had the same discussion about it then....a year from now...it will be back to Puma's or another flavor of the day...and that's the way the market seems to roll!