I shave with a straight razor because it happens to be the most convenient, economical, environmentally friendly, and close method of gentlemanly hygiene available; not to mention the shaves are always fun.
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It's nostalgic. It brings you back to a simpler time, when eveyone wasn't in such a hurry. I remember my Grandfather shaving with a straight, and then a DE. What I remember most is the mug on the sink with brush in it for some reason....
Plus, who ever heard of anyone collecting Quattro's? It's a hobby to be mastered, respected...
me - I shave with a straight because I enjoy doing certain things the ol school way and I think it is way cool :)
I like handtool woodworking with planes, chisels, hand saws etc...it sort of fits right in with the neander slope of aquiring tools and the RAD/HAD/SAD of straight shaving
andy
Because I am hella cool!!:beer1:
OK I love the fact I can take a 100 year old hunk of steel put and edge on it and shave my face.
Shhhh! Don't tell anyone but I got into straights because I thought they were kick as#!!!
I started using a straight razor exclusively after I discovered it burned a whole lot less than a cheap disposable or an electric razor. I used to go without shaving until I couldn't stand it and then dread the chore and the burn. Not anymore.
Another reason I chose to learn is because, as much as I love my father, I want to have a few things that make me distinctly different from him. We think differently, drink differently, even express differently. Yes, sometimes it creates a rift but most of the time it's a good balance. Father and Son "Yin" and "Yang" if you will.
I couldn't get the hairs on my upper lip successfully with my DE safety razor.
First, I've always preferred things "old." You know, bells on telephones, not electronic chirps; rifles that are stocked with wood, not plastic; watches that have to be wound, not have a battery replaced.
Second, these modern two, three, four, and even five (!) blade razors are a means to separate us from our hard earned cash. The shave is inferior, the required foam or gel only dirties one's skin, and one can go through $20 worth of blades in a little over two weeks. Electric razors are a joke.
Third, there's a certain level of skill required to use a straight razor. The preparation is key to a good shave. Like any tool, it must be maintained which is another skill. The shave is superior to any other method. The combination of soap, shave, and aftershave cleans your skin and reduces break outs.
Thats why I use a straight razor.
1. it is a challenge
2. it is fun
Gentlemen,
Many thanks for your responses. I found several really good quotes.
The article is slated for January. I'll keep you apprised.
Regards,
Obie