Thread: Why Do You Shave With a Straight Razor?

A straight razor, like a violin, can be a little unpleasant in the hands of a beginner. In the hands of the proficient, each becomes the source of a profound experience.

I started straight razor shaving to develop a new skill. I discovered that the straight razor shave is far better than any shave with the disposable multiblade wonders that are clogging our landfills. It is closer, calmer, more satisfying and meditative. Skill with the straight razor gives me a private area of competence which connects me with the past. The razor itself is often beautiful. The lather, created by deft swirls with a natural brush, is itself a product of learned skills. A man's competence is most often a gift to the world and to the person he loves. This one little area of competence is a gift to myself.

I always heard a straight razor shave was the closest, most comfortable shave. Back home my barber of more than ten years didn't do straight razor shaves. When I moved away to pursue my education (Go Noles!) I found a barber shop with a long history. I got my first straight shave there and I have been hooked ever since. I can't wait until I am proficient enough to give my friends a shave!

I use a straight because it gives me the closest, most comfortable shave of any shaving device I have ever used. I also now have no blemishes on my face that have plagued me for 4 decades.

Take Care,
Richard

I shave with a straight razor so I can look like a bad motherfuc--(Shut yo' mouth!)

I actually learned so I could I could make a YouTube video or two on the topic.

I shave with a straight razor for the same reason I smoke.It makes me look cool.

Started out because I've always thought they were 'cool'. They are still cool but now the main reason is because I discovered that I get a better shave with a good straight razor than I ever got with any other method.

The aspects that appeal the most to me are the traditionalism, treasure-hunting, skill, focus, and community.

A properly sharpened straight razor in the hands of a skilled user, will produce the single most complete and fulfilling shave of a person's life.

As one of the younger guys who are keeping this alive and not letting it become a lost art (only 19- I know I'm not the youngest here, but I'm pretty close I bet).
One day I was like hmmm, it would be cool to have a straight to shave with now and then, you know, to be old fashioned and bad@$$. After two shaves I was hooked, and now am enjoying great shaves that are peaceful, meditative, and downright fun. It's always great to see the looks on people's faces in our communal bathroom when I'm shaving.

The best illustration of why I wet shave with a straight razor was probably when I walked in and my friend was already shaving with his Fusion- I lathered up ("You make your own shaving cream? That's sweet! Can I feel it?") whipped out two passes and was done before him- the razor doesn't clog, snag, nick or any of that stuff. He was rinsing every two inch stroke, I was rinsing twice a pass. My blade wiped the hair off, his took the regular old repetitive scraping technique. And the icing on the cake was: "Whoa dude! You go against the grain? Why aren't you bleeding?"

That, and to save money, he is stuck using that cartridge until it is really dull- ideally you would want a fresh cartridge every day. As soon as any one of my straights becomes unsatisfactory, a couple passes on the finisher and a stropping and I'm good as gold.

I shave with a straight razor because it is a lot more comfortable for me than the other shaving methods that I have tried; DE, electric, and Mach3.

As an added bonus I get to use my old black-smith training to hone scary sharp blades.