Thread: Beat-up

Originally Posted by joke1176

Sound like a bunch of idiots, but you should go in there and give a shave demo to em.

Show them how it's done, and how cool it really is!

You might make some new friends, and you may even bring some converts into the fold.

I might do just that in say...six months. I have been using my straight razor on just my sideburns and cheeks for less than a week. I am afraid if I tried that right now, I would be laughed out the door. But...in six months..perhaps.

Originally Posted by xman

When I first started straight shaving and would mention it to people I think they could sense my wide eyed excitement and I did frequently hear that sort of thing. Now when I mention it people hear my confidence and experience. Maybe it helps that I've learned to give them an "I know something you don't" look and they don't tend to scoff as much now. At least that's my perception.

X

That is probably it. I am excited about this new adventure, and I am new, so it was probably like sharks swarming blood.

I sat there and remembered thinking about Odd Ball's comment in Kelly Heroes, "Always with those negative waves."

I went into work a few weeks back after I had nicked myself with my straight and one if the guys here was giving me some stick and saying "How rubbish do you have to be to cut yourself shaving, its so easy etc etc..." until I told him I use a straight razor.

Cue slight pause, then the response of "Thats bl*ody stupid, why would you want to do that? Theres a reason why man invented the safety razor!"

So I explained why I use one (and called him a wuss about a dozen times for using a Mach 3 or whatever..!) and I could see him thinking about it when he walked off.

I'll keep working on him and try to convert him..!

I dont see any reason to pour scorn on what is, lets face it, a learned skill that takes time and dedication to get right. We take pride in using the best tools to do a job, and we look after those tools so that they will still be usable decades later. And frankly, I get a better result with my straight razor than I ever got with a mach 17 or however many blades theyre up to now..! Plus its a beautiful piece of craftsmanship and I take pleasure in using it and enjoy the detail and work that went into creating it.

So to all the naysayers, dont knock it till you've tried it! Give it a go, you dont know what you're missing..!

Originally Posted by Stubear

So to all the naysayers, dont knock it till you've tried it! Give it a go, you dont know what you're missing..!

That is the truth......

Different strokes for different folks. It's a shame that human nature, as you've mentioned seems toward the propensity to view things you don't understand, are fearful of or are threatened by as something to be hostile toward.

My Father-in-law is 85 and served in WWII. He's never used a straight razor and gets by with the same electric shaver he's used for decades (I assume he changes the rotary heads, etc). He says that he just can't understand why anyone would want to spend that much time shaving. I know that I would never be able to convince him to try it, get a straight shave, etc. He has literally zero interest in even the thought as most men are. That doesn't bother me at all.

Chris L

That kind of thing happens all the time. Unless you run into an old barber that's a pretty common reaction. Ignore them and proceed to enjoy it knowing they never will understand:-)

Gentlemen,

The barbershop is the center of the universe. It sounds as if our friend visited a spittoon that tries to pass as a barbershop.

Regards,

Obie

I once had an older colleague insist that it was "impossible" to get a 100-year old razor restored to shaving condition. He said, with absolute certainty, that the steel would have degraded too much, that it would be so worn that the angle of the edge would be wrong, that all such razors would have long since rusted, gotten chipped, etc. It was startling to hear someone who clearly didn't know what he was talking about spouting such negative BS.

Originally Posted by Proraso Man

Well if you're ever in phoenix, let me know and we can have a little meet up.

Roger that.

Don't take this as me being an eager beaver, but I am quitting my job as a probation officer and beginnng a school at the Arizona Heart Institute in late September...unless things fall through. We need to stay in touch via this forum.

Originally Posted by northpaw

I once had an older colleague insist that it was "impossible" to get a 100-year old razor restored to shaving condition. He said, with absolute certainty, that the steel would have degraded too much, that it would be so worn that the angle of the edge would be wrong, that all such razors would have long since rusted, gotten chipped, etc. ...

wait ...
*wipes tear from eye*

STOP it yer killin' me!!