Thread: Why Shave Straight

Nicely written, and much appreciated.

Originally Posted by FTG

Cooking and shaving can be seen as chores or they can become a pleasurable and relaxing time of the day.

I couldn't agree more and wish I'd thought to make the comparison. Preparing a meal has other aspects of course, notably the social and performative components. But they share much in terms of history, daily necessity, and the subsequent opportunity for both reflection and perfection.

- M.

Previous treads say it all! I like it because its relaxing.Done right and when your done most guys walk around the house feeling there face and feeling one great happy feeling,not to mention the great smell of your favorite AS.If I have no time I wait and make time.For people who knock it I say"Forgive them lord,for they know not what they do" Happy shaving whether Str8 or not.

"en voglio enamu dei. ad altrobio dei" Ahhh good Ol Buck Mulligan at the top of the stairs..... ahhh Leopold Bloom....what a hero eh? Try reading "The Third Policeman" by Flan O'Brien, damn that stream of consciousness.


Look man... I love these works, I love Joyce, Portrait as Artist, Finnegans Wake, etc... I like Herotetus.....love reading, I majored in English as an undergrad.. the human condition is an amazing thing..no matter what the culture.

All of these things, like good beer ( not bud or any swill like it) good scotch,etc... good cigars....hell a good surfing session alone in the fall hurricane season getting covered up for 4 or 5 seconds with no one there but yourself....etc...

Straight razor shaving is like all of these things to me, it's an accompinment of years of growing, maturing and developing myself, my tastes,my senses, to experience something beautiful, something of craft, something that transcends time, brings you back and closer to some esential truth about what is to be human, to be a man.


When I step into my bathroom,and break out that 19th's century piece of artistry and that handcrafted soap made by a fellow American, I feel a sense of pride and a sense of history that Im sharing in with all those who have and do shave this way. A time honored tradition.

This is my deepest view of what straight razor shaving is to me.

I drive a stick ( little Mini Cooper S) I don'tenjoy just sitting there like aa zombie driving, I like to be engaged, involved and contributing to the experiences Im having.

Ok pardon my improper grammar and my sentimentalism today, I'm just done bbqing and 6 Arrogant Bastard Ale's later I'm a bit tipsy.


cheers
D

That is indeed a nice post. While reading it, I discovered that I bought a straight blade not only to be more manly, but also to relive a past I have never known. To shave in a more spiritual way, I will listen to Richard Wagner's Parsifal tomorrow. It should a real classical experience. I have been shaving with a straight razor for two weeks and every day the pleasure is greater.
Like sports that demand extreme physical endurance, can shaving give you a real spiritual experience, a revelation, get you closer to God ?

Very nice words mrgad.

The reason for me to start with straight razors was not the fact that my grandfather or dad used it, as I can remember my grandfather used a safety razor and my dad uses a Philishave electric razor. Also the ritual idea or even the hobby wasn't the reason. I started with it, because of my bad skin, and 'nothing' helped. Growing a beard, electric shavers, Mach 3,4,5 etc., still problems with ingrown hairs, rash and bumps. Somewhere on the net (SRP?) I found an article about the same problems I had and they recommended to try a straight razor. At first, I hated it, it took way too long and the stropping, lathering and shaving was very difficult. Only after a couple of months it got better. My skin improved even after a couple of weeks. Now, after almost a year, indeed, there is the ritual I like and it also became a hobby.
I still have to learn a lot, that's where I'm here for.
I wonder of other people have the same story as me and I'm also curious why other people started straightshaving.

Now this, good sir, should really be a sticky!
Extremely well written, a deep philosophic essay about the true reason why the modern man should shave with a straight.
My compliments!!

To paraphrase Obi Wan, other types of razors are "so uncivilized [a way to shave]".

Thanks for summing it up for us and I, too, will print out your post for those who question why.

Wow. That was pretty much amazing. I love the reference to driving a manual transmission. You're absolutely right about people just floating through life on autopilot. It's really a shame. Here's a quote from another SRP user that I found a while back that has stuck with me:

"There is something intrinsically rewarding about developing and then exercising a skill, it doesn't matter what it is. This is a growing casualty of our modern world, where one can almost muddle through without *any* particular skill... what will become of us then?"
-BHChieftain

Originally Posted by mrgad

Inspired by all the comments about Joyce...

a softer brush if intentionally allowed to remain from shave to shave in its agglutinated lather...

Does anyone do this?