Shaving with a Straight... Art!?!?!

I was sitting here studying and got side tracked...

Many people have this theory that shaving with a blade is an art. I got to thinking, no it's not, it's just a way to get rid of whiskers for the lady!

But I thought a little more. Anything that you take pride in and do very well... so well that not a whisker is left on your face after harmoniously honing and stropping your blade till it glistens on the edge with delight... can certainly be an art. Like chopping wood, carpentry, laying brick or carpet these things can be mastered or masterpieces, much like shaving with a straight.

I'm glad to stumble onto this forum... it certainly has shed some light on shaving, among other things.

Thanks Men.

I'm happy to hear that you feel this way. :tu

I certainly see it as an art. I think "an art" is anything that takes skill and patience to master. By that definition, using a straight razor well is definitely an art.

Great thread! I agree, very much an art. I almost feel sorry for those who get up in the morning, spread on some cold barbasol shaving foam and yank their whiskers out with a mach 3 as fast as they can so they can rid themselves of that daily chore quickly. Nothing like the art, nobility, thoughtfulness, time altering craft of lathering, stropping and shaving with a straight razor. Ah, it makes me want to go shave now! We are a lucky few who enjoy this wonderful art. Jeremy-

IT definitely is an art, especially when you consider all the factors you need to learn and develop to shave successfully. For example, honing, is something that is truly an art form and takes a ton of experience to master. It even spreads onto the side of personal preferences since there is no exact way to hone, everyone has their own methods.

I do not think that it is art, but it certainly takes skills, guts and discipline to become a good straight shaver. I am working on all three areas. :)

I work on a ship with a shared bathroom. The filipino crew that have seen me shave do not think of me as an artist. They just think Im a nutter. However, it is an art, very true! I' m still waiting for my "Sistine Chapel" shave though!

I think it's an art.

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Originally Posted by gregs656

I think it's an art.

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ditto :) I like to think of it as one anyways :rock:

I also like many above think it is an art as well.

I agree, wonderful thread- thanks for starting this one. For me, I have been shaving with a STR8 for almost a week now and I am LOVING it. I am not yet at the point that I can shave exclusively with the STR8, but I am getting marked improvement with my two blade Sensor Excel as a result of shaving with the STR8 as well. Shaving with a STR8 (for me) is a wonderful ritual which lets me escape from the unexciting or stressful parts of the day. When I have the blade on my skin, I dont think of anything else and it is almost like a meditation or relaxation exercise. I suppose that the ritual of sharpening the blade is also an art which allows great pride and care to be exercised. STR8 shaving, "I'm lov'n it."

-Thomas

I may just be picken a fight here.i believe that the act of shaving itself is in no way artistic. I say this because wether watching myself or others invokes no feelings of emotion of any kind. There is however true art and beauty in the hardware used for shaving.From this is where I derive the appreciation for the traditional shave.

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Originally Posted by nobby

... I' m still waiting for my "Sistine Chapel" shave though!

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haha

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Originally Posted by spanx

...i believe that the act of shaving itself is in no way artistic. I say this because wether watching myself or others invokes no feelings of emotion of any kind. There is however true art and beauty in the hardware used for shaving.From this is where I derive the appreciation for the traditional shave.

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You have a good point Spanx. Well said and I'll agree with you in the act of shaving is not an art, but the whole process of prep and storage can be pretty soothing.

When I see my straight as I pull them out of the box, it definitely gives me some appreciation for the work that went into creating a process for such a simple thing as skimming whiskers.

I think once you have contracted RAD it becomes an art. When you begin to appreciate the subtle differences in each of your many razors you can say straight razor shaving is an art.

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Originally Posted by spanx

I may just be picken a fight here.i believe that the act of shaving itself is in no way artistic. I say this because wether watching myself or others invokes no feelings of emotion of any kind. There is however true art and beauty in the hardware used for shaving.From this is where I derive the appreciation for the traditional shave.

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So, when you shave, you don't either feel happy, mediocre or annoyed because of how you shaved?

I think you could watch a hundred different people shave and see a thousand little subtleties, no two people shave exactly the same way, and not every one is trying to get the same result. It requires quite a high level of skill, and there are guidelines, but ultimately you can make it your own.

That's why it's an art for me.

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Originally Posted by gregs656

That's why it's an art for me.

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That is quite an interesting explanation. What other forms of art do you seek and consume?

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Originally Posted by sparq

That is quite an interesting explanation. What other forms of art do you seek and consume?

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err, nothing really special. Lots of day to day 'arty' type things like film, music, literature. People keep telling me I'm quite philosophical, so I suppose you could argue that (which is part of 'the arts' with classics etc).

A definition of art is 'a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation' so there is a case for almost anything to be art. Some of the things I think can be art are things like driving and riding a motorcycle, every day things, sure but things that are actually very induvidual. They reflect the kind of people we are, in the same way I think, that Monets paintings (for example) reflect the kind of person he was.

They're an expression of our selves, just using our face or a bit of road instead of a canvas.

I like to think that part of the art is taking something from being a necessary chore and making into a pleasure that you look forward to at every opportunity.

Lynn