There was a great old one which came up from the depths. It commanded of me.
It made me shave straight. I am half mad and in it's thrall. http://www.thesafehouse.org/forums/i...lhu_smiley.gif
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There was a great old one which came up from the depths. It commanded of me.
It made me shave straight. I am half mad and in it's thrall. http://www.thesafehouse.org/forums/i...lhu_smiley.gif
Wanted to see if I was smarter then my forefathers.
I was excited as teenager to start shaving. as I got older I grew to hate it. I had constant razor burn. I would grow a beard but I have to be clean shaven. I was reading the news paper about how most men say they have a sensitive face but they don't, they shave wrong. It said a DE was the best shave, I have not used a DE but I'm sure they were wrong. Anyway, it got me thinking about my Grandpa's straight so I found SRP and have loved shaving with it.
Some times I go a couple of weeks
with out shaving, and so it's easier to
use a straight razor.
Also some times I stay at a hippie
commune, and a straight razor
does not require a sink of water.
Just a hand towel or ones arm,
to wipe the blade off.
There is also a consideration of
being attacked by a raccoon, while
shaving.
Does one think a safety razor would
be of any help fending of a raccoon
while shaving? ;)
Being a chef I have an unhealthy fascination with sharp blades and sharpening.
Also I've suffered from razor burn for years and after starting shaving with a cut throat it's almost totally gone.
I've got a few reasons: I have a certain fascination for older ways of doing things, it seemed like I could save a good bit of money, people seem to agree it works better, and I like the idea of learning a way of shaving that requires more presence, more mindfulness. Oh, and it fit in well with my other strange interests.
I stumbled across this article. I was curious enough to give it a try. Now I'm hooked.
Straight Razor Shaving For Beginners | The Art of Manliness
I came to SRP because I wanted to learn more about sharpening and hones because of my interests in woodworking and hand tools..... I did learn to sharpen at levels that I did not even dream of before....but for a guy who use to loathe shaving, it has become part of my day that I savour each day.
I never liked shaving and I hated how expensive replacement cartridges were. Ive used a disposible SE on and off for the last 10 years or so. When I didn't use that I just trmed with clippers and called it good. I too like older and more primitive ways to do things. The only time I actually enjoyed smoking was when I rolled my own. I also hate like the idea of throwing things away that end up in a landfill or elsewhere for hundreds of years. Cigarette butts, diapers and razor cartridges are among the most thrown away items in the world. My wife and I also used cloth diapers for our youngest and would recommend it to anyone, especially with what is available now.
I was always a knife nut,But I also am a chef and I have always had very sharp knives. I alway had a respect for very sharp implements. Every knife was always sharp,anyone who has worked in a restaurant will tell you a sharp knife is most important. I have always wanted to have one of my knives razor sharp, the knife store that I took my knives to used to sell straight razors and I always wondered about them and how they work but they were always too expensive for my taste. That was in the seventies or eighties, eventually curiosity and nostalgiawon me over.
Cartridges are ludicrously overpriced, and i don't like the thought of contributing to landfills, s i bought a DE. After 18 months of DE shaving i started looking around for a more aggressive DE and somehow ended up looking at straights.
I really enjoy the whole ritual that shaving has become for me, whereas when using cartridges it was a chore. Someone earlier mentioned it was meditative, and it really is! The overall experience of straight shaving is strangely relaxing and deeply satisfying. I love the improved shave i get, and i really enjoy being free from the clutches of Gillette.
I talk to others at work about it and none seem even remotely interested in the concept of straight shaving, and some even think it is downright reckless. I think it is the sort of activity that appeals to a certain type of personality. Maybe we just have a better appreciation for some of the finer things in life?
In high school, I thought it would be cool, so I asked for one for Christmas. It lasted for a few weeks but I really didn't know how to take care of the razor (My Mom gave me a Dovo and strop, and said "you shave with this one, and sharpen it with this one") so I wound up putting it in the proverbial drawer, although I continued to use the soap and brush. Then in college I became interested in it again, and tried to sharpen it with a soft arkansas as if it were a knife (not with the spine on the stone, etc.), of course that failed, back in the drawer. Then a year or two ago I had become better at knife sharpening and had a finer stone, so took it out again and tried honing after looking up the proper method online, and was able to get it to shave, but just very poorly, so back in the drawer it went (I was closer than I thought that time). Then after that time at some point my roommate broke the razor, which was in the bathroom (bad chip), so I decided to get a replacement on ebay (Wade and Butcher), and do it for real this time. I got it, and the blade was warped, but I was not dissuaded, I spent a long time honing it, got a 1k/3k waterstone, a coticule, and a trans arkansas, and spent a long time trying different things to get it shave ready. I got there once, and then dinged the blade on the sink, and had to start all over again. I peened the pivot pin one too many times, and the 150 year old piece broke, and cracked the scales. So I ordered new scales. This is why I have not followed the advice to just send it out to be honed, as this has been a 10 year battle for me and one I was determined to win. This time I have succeeded in making the razor a working shaver, and it feels so good. And now I have learned a skill that I will take with me to the grave.
I've always used a straight; learned it form my dad just feels right.
I have always hated the idea of disposables - over priced gimmicks. For a long time I have been curios about straights, then this year my lovely wife got me a dovo silver steel for Christmas. I haven't looked back, more enjoyable experience and a better result than a disposable.
I saw Sweeney Todd and fell in love with the magical, mysterious nature of it. Did some research on it, found this site and saw how "easy" it was. My buddy's cigar shop sold new Dovo blades from Col. Conk, and he gave me a steal of a deal on one and a brush. Bought a Chinese natural and stripped on belt until Tony Miller caught up with demand enough to allow me to purhase his ethereal 3" Latigo/Linen and put a proper edge on it. Haven't looked back since.
I think the main reason I started shaving with a straight razor was because of how manly it is. It is a lost art that hopefully will be brought back some day. I am prefer to be a proficient person....I drive a Diesel Car that gets 40 mpg plus....so why not be efficient on razors also. My co-worker and I talked about straight razors one day, just to find out he had already gotten into it. So I decided to do the same......he is not just my co-worker but a very good friend of mine. I think the reason for the straight razor, is purely for the fact of its Manlyness.
I have always had trouble with ingrown hairs. So every time a razor company would come out with the next best thing I would go out and buy it with hopes that it would work. Three weeks ago I bought refills for my Fusion at 30 some bucks for three and hit the breaking point. A friend of mine who's also a co-worker Had talked to me about trying a straight razor about a year ago. So I talked to him, got online and did all the research I could and here I am. Two shaves in and loving it despite my lack of technique refinement.
It's something to do after all those things were something to buy...
:beer2:
I was tired of dreading shaving. Plus, it annoys the crap out of me how expensive the cartridge replacements are, how much they clog while shaving, and the severe discomfort caused especially on my neck area. And let's be honest, putting a single, incredibly sharp blade against your face just feels... well... better. :)
Peace,
Conor
Well, several things all coming together at once. I guess for me the thing that gave me the nudge was finally getting fed up with flaking that strip of gooey crap off of the twin-blade cartridges I'd been using, coupled with the fact that twin-blade cartridges were getting harder and harder to find, and not liking the idea of the major razor-makers dictating to me what I was going to shave with--they're all making the same crap. If one decides that they're going to make a 4-blade cartridge, they ALL start making 4-blade cartridges :soapbox: . . . but I digress . . . the other major things were my growing antiquarian tendencies--I really enjoy activities that give me a sense of tangible connection with the past--and, just as those frustrations mentioned above were all sort of coalescing, happening upon an article at The Art of Manliness about shaving with a straight, which had a link to SRP. Once I realized that there were a good number of folks who shaved with straights, I was hooked and took the plunge. And like Obie, I look forward to my daily trip back to the 19th century.
hey in reguards to hating the shave....as soon as I started straight shaving, I startes enjoying it. I dreaded shaving before I started straight shaving, like would go weeks. Now sometimes every day, most of the time its every two days. I am with you
For me, the prospect of relief from razor burn was a big incentive, but the chance to learn a new skill, arcane though it may be, was an attraction as well. So about seven months ago I purchased a Dovo razor, strop and brush and gave it a try. The razor burn vanished and once I got the hang of it, I cut myself less (paradoxically, as long as the razor was sharp).
I now use the straight every day and can get my face done in about 20 minutes or so. I think this is about as fast I care to go, because rushing leads to cuts. So I'm planning to try a double-edge (DE) for weekday shaves to save time, and reserve the straight for leisurely shaves on the weekend.
I started shaving with a straight purely as an experiment. I'd seen so many conflicting views about how easy/difficult, safe/dangerous, expensive/cheap it can be, so I wanted to find out for myself what the hell all the kerfuffle was about.
That, and I always reckoned shaving with a freaking KNIFE is just awesome. So I had to try it out. I always admired straight-razors. So I took the dive.
So far, I have discovered that straight shaving is easy/difficult, safe/dangerous, expensive/cheap, so I'm happy.
For me a lot of reasons. Initially I was just curious about it, but then as I read more and eventually took the plunge the "real" reasons became apparent.
Pride in Ability. Shaving with a straight seemed so much more elegant. It was something you became good at and thus is a skill. Shaving with disposable razors was a chore nothing to develop and therefore nothing to take pride in... as I get better I feel more involved with the "art" of shaving with a straight.
Tools of the trade. Similar to the above when you shave with a straight you end up with tools you can be proud of, develop attachments/preferences for, and even pass on to others whom will also be served well. Disposable is only worth anything while it is doing its crappy simple job and then actually creates more mess/screws up the environment as you pitch it in the trash. I am unsure if the little bastards are even recyclable.
Camaraderie. Being part of a small group of people who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable creates a sense of belonging. Sure it is pretty minor and isn't my reason for existence, but it's kind of nice to know that there are others out there who share the same (hobby?) as myself and I can go learn from. It's also an experience that binds everyone of all walks of life: women, men, young and old.
The Shave. Last, and certainly not the least is the shave itself. Disposables would tear me up no matter how I shaved or what I used. As one friend once quipped I "looked like I was lynched" due to the severe razor burn. I hated shaving it hurt, was a chore, and made me look ridiculous. I am still no expert by any means with a straight but even my first shave with one went better than my best disposable shave ever did. I was sold immediately.
Well written. Excellent. You hit all of the points!!!
It was a deed of necessity for me really.
I was so sick and tired of running out of usable cartridges, and more so to find that out half way thru shaving my head.
Walking out with half the head shaven is generally frowned upon around these parts.
So, I went out searching for alternatives.
I first started out with a Feather DX, and bought about 200 blades for that thing.
It worked, but it gave me a bit of a challenge at first, especially doing the back of my head.
After just a few weeks with that system, I continued my search and stumbled upon SRP.
The rest is history:)
I still use the DX for my head shaves every now and then, but a straight and a DE gets just as much time up there.
Spend a few hundred on tools and some time on technique and you can shave for the rest of your life....and then some. That was enough for me to take it up. Plus I collect antiques.
Electrics and cartridge razors never shaved as well as I would have liked. Last year I became interested in straight shaving. I like history and old things in general, and I'm kind of old-school anyway.
Earlier this year I found my Dad's safety razors and my Grandfather's straight razor. The straight may be just a keepsake at this point, but I have been shaving with the DEs since then.
Last month Larry's dog whipped up a couple of straights for me, and I have been alternating with a straight and a DE. Once I settle on the DE blade that works best, I'll focus on straight shaving, and occasionally use my Dad's razors just because I can. I'm really thankful to have that option. :)
There is a lot of great information here, and I appreciate all the time and effort that you folks put into this site! Thanks again!
I was bored. I got a Dovo Bismarck and all the accoutrements, and life became interesting again. A hundred razors, maybe thirty hones, a couple dozen soaps, and a dozen brushes later, and I am happy and fulfilled. Don't begin to know why. I just accept it.
I started off cause i read about how the costs of cartridge razors per year was almost 600 dollars,so i figure id invest my money in a SR because the long term costs of maintenance is less then buying razors. The luxury factor as well played into my purchasing a few SR's
I am 43, and a product of the 80's. Through out High School I was part of the "preppy" group of kids. Bass Weejuns, Top Siders, button downs and anything else that was classic and timeless. I think I was in grade 12 before I owned a pair of jeans. Well anyway I started shaving using Mug and Soap and Brush back then. Still using a cartridge razor though. After Marriage and kids I reverted to dry shaving. Step out of shower and rake the POS disposable over my face no soap no cream no nothing and out the door. I had it down to I could be starting my car 10 minutes after my alarm went off with a shower, shave and teeth brushed in that time. Mind you I did show up to work once with a brown shoe and a black one on. Shaving had become a necessary chore.
2-3 years ago I was looking to get a good close shave for a function we were attending so off to buy brush and soap again. The whole process has evolved to now I am after my first straight.
I'm pretty close to yourself in personality and reasons. I also one of those nostalgic people who wish for simpler times and a slower pace of life. When quality was the norm, and the 'Rat race' was something held behind the local pub for the punters to lay bets on.
Mick
my grandpas straight an old "tückmar" made me started shaving with a straight. I remembered, that i played with it when i was a child. it was not sharp anymore. Than i found it and thought: why not shaving with it. i removed the rust, polished a bit and sharpened it on my kitchenknifestones (king 1k/6k and bbw). After that i done some laps on a strop with green paste and some laps on my leatherbelt. Shave wasnt that smooth but than my sbad, had, and rad started. :D
Hello!
I just joined this site today. It looks great!
I am 63 years old and can remember sitting in my first barber shop reading a comic book while waiting for my turn to get a haircut along with all the other kids. The barber took us one at a time and we got bubble gum after he finished with us. The cost was $1.00 for a haircut. Finally, when I was in my teens I expressed an interest to my family about a straight razor. I got one for Christmas. I don't even know if it was pre-honed or not. I cut my self over and over. No one taught me how to use it. It ended up with a nick in the cutting side. Somehow it got lost or the person who gave it to me retrieved it. This was before the internet. I didn't think to ask my barber to give me tips on how to shave with it. Years past and here I am feeling very disgusted about the amount of money I have to give, each month, to a popular (here not named) company for four disposable 5-edge cartridges. I have always been fascinated with straight razors and have a strong interest in honing. Working with my hands has always given me peace. I'm learning on line and will eventually purchase a good used one and try it again. I also discovered that I have a life long interest in becoming a Master Barber. I was told by one the other day that it's not too late. I just have to come up with at least $5000 in tuition.
Thanks to you guys for being there.
Phil
Hello,
I never liked the Electric and cartridge razors. I shaved most of my adult life with an injector SE. The Atra was ok and then they started adding more edges of less and less quality. And the simpler razor blades were no longer easily available in local stores. Memories of straight razor shaves in Japan and some shops in the US made me a bit...no, a lot!, nostalgic for a good shave.
I am 70 and started with a straight about a year ago. A friend started with straights a bit before then and I became curious. I am retired and I started hitting the antique shops to find blades for him. Then my son became interested and then, and then, I decided to find blades for myself. Another friend was found to be a honing expert, and so I learned to restore and sharpen. So now I shave a few days a week with my own straight razors and enjoy the process. I am continuing to learn about the shave and all the processes that go into a good shave from the steel to the final splash.
This hobby is a good way for me to avoid the doldrums that sometimes come with geezerhood.
Respectfully
~Richard
I have always been fascinated by straight razors so that's what peaked my initial interest. The next motivator was realizing how much I have been spending over the years on Gillette's products. It was worth it!
I'm 27. When I was 12, my father told me some wise words, "No son of mine will shave with one of those plastic cheese graters!" It just seemed normal to me. He shaves with straights, and so did my grandfather. To be honest, I have never actually held a disposable razor. I do see the prices of them whenever I buy deodorant and toothpaste, how people can afford them is beyond me.
I do have a friend that was excited about his new Schick 5 blade somethingorother. He showed me how "cool" it was that it had gel lubricating strips. Once wet, this razor turned into a mucus producing apparatus that left his skin stringy with goo. Reasons like that, that I am very satisfied with my choice of hair removal, haha.