Thread: What made you guys want to shave with a straight.

I thought it'd be less expensive.




...and it was, until I caught RAD.

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

I like things that actually work. I like old things that actually work even more. .

Best summary ever. Seriously. I'm pretty into old stuff like that.

To quote myself from a post in this tread:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ght-razor.html

Originally Posted by Otto

I’m on a quest for the ultimate shave.
- I started shaving with a DE in 1979
- I also had a "mini-lawnmower", but I gave it up. It was too painfull. I haven't tried one since about 1990.
- About 1988 I got a straight razor shave from a barber north of Seattle. It was just amazing.

A few years ago I bought a straight razor just to try if it was even better than the DE.

Then I found this great site. Got RAD and will never turn back to any other method of shaving.

Thanks Lynn, for starting all of this.

I started because I was getting tired of buying foils for my electric. They kept getting more and more costly. I had an old straight that my wife put in the sewing kit and she used it for a while in there. I breadknifed it and got it "shaving sharp". Used it for a while and went on to other razors I acquired. The original has an edge that looks like Swiss cheese under 100X Magniication. I have been sharpening knives for years that would roll hair off your arm so I thought why couldn't I sharpen/hone/strop a razor as well. Read a lot, shaved a lot and have enjoyed every minute of it. Been well over a year now.

It's an affectation.

I am sort of a survivalist. I'm not the stockpiling stuff in a bunker type though, but the type seeking to be able to sustain a lifestyle in the absence of supermarkets, drugstores, etc...
Well, if there are no stores you can't buy disposable razors, or replaceable blades. With a couple of straights and a set of hones you are good to go.

Since getting into straight razor shaving though, I've gotten a bad case of ERTSSAD (Everything related to straight shaving acquisition disorder). I love the feel of the shave, the relaxation of the prep, and the way my skin feels after the shave. There is absolutely no way I'd ever go back to disposable or cartridge razors.

I started with a DE and SR, but when I got into high school I joined a MCJROTC, and performed with their Drill Team. Needless to say a SR shave in the morning was a little hectic, so I picked up a Mach 3. I realized that in a five year period I had spent over $3,000.00 on cartridges for the razor and switched back to DE and SR.

A friend of mine is into DE shaving and kept telling me I should start doing that. I told him I was cool with what I have, I'll spend the cash on something else. I started getting into knives last summer and have acquired some sharpening stones, and the like. I decided I needed some more uses for them since they were kinda pricey, so I googled straight razor forums. Lead me here, read the wiki, asked a few questions, and purchased. I hadn't thought about how I would be reduceing waste, but that is a bonus for me. Now I am going to make some soaps and creams at home, does anyone else pick up a hobby that leads to another one? Straight shaving is relaxing and a much better experience. Less cuts, less burn, and more fun.

I work in a technical field and have always liked simpler technologies (also into sailboats, canoes, fixed gear bikes and old tube guitar amps). Someone once said a good engineer can do for 10 cents what anyone can do for 10 dollars. Straight razors certainly fit that philosophy! I had used a mug and brush with disposable double edged and triple edged blades for years. Once my son found out that you could still get/fix/use/buy straights, he knew it would appeal and he told me.

Gentlemen,

For me, the romance of shaving with a straight razor is just as important as the pleasure I get from the art itself.

The ritual also transports me to the 19th century, where I feel I belong, anyway, living next door to Dickens, Chopin and all the rest of the good guys.

Regards,

Obie