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

About two and a half years ago, I got a coupon in the mail for a free five-blade "wonder razor." Of course, I redeemed it at once. The two cartridges lasted a week, and I needed to buy more. The price was a staggering $15.00! I went back to the cheapies.

A few weeks later, I was looking for something else (naturally), and found a WW I British soldiers "housewife" roll. Inside was a straight razor. The thought crossed my mind, "Can I shave with this?" A Google search later, and I'd found SRP. I sent the first razor off to be honed and bought a shave ready razor. A mug, brush, soap, and strop arrived in due time, and I was off to the races. The shave is simply incredible.

A boss of mine told me that the best shave comes from a straight razor. I tried a few times but then found the then Yahoo SRP group who really taught me how to sharpen and use a straight.

I'll confess. I started straight shaving in my early thirties for no other reason than I heard/read that women thought it was sexy! I was between wives, dating and lived in a cabin in the woods. I never advertised that I shaved with a naked blade but, the strop hanging on the bathroom door, mug, brush and straight razor by the sink made it self evident.

A young lady visitor, with whom I had yet to be intimate, saw my kit and begged to watch me shave. She became physically aroused at the sight. The results were, well....you get the picture. Been a straight shaver ever since!


An aside:

At the time (1982 or 83) there was no SRP or, B&B or, for that matter, internet. I went to my barber and asked if he would teach me and what I needed. My first kit came from from a barber/beauty supply wholesaler in my home town. It consisted of a Red Imp 133 razor, a Red Imp barber's strop, a barber's hone and stick of jeweler's rouge. That's it! Cost for the whole set-up was about 60 bucks. (I am still able to get a reasonably good shave with just that kit) The learning curve was much longer and painful than it needs to be now (thanks to the information and help found on this forum) and totally worth it.

The Mach 3 things cost to much. The electric did a crappy job. So I always liked the idea of str8 shaving. So I went in search of one. I found my first at a antique market ( a nasty looking boker king cutter ) for $10, had my local barber hone it up for me. Had my first shave and I was hooked. In truth if I would have stayed with the Mach 3 I think it would have been cheaper in the long run, because now I have over 30 razors about 6 hones. A ton of tools that I bought for restoring razors and making scales. But I would not have a very cool hobby and a new set of friends that I have found here on SRP.

Personally i am not really sure why i use a straight over disposables, there are lots of cost reasons and recycling etc etc but as far back as i can remember i have always had an interest in Straight Razors way before i was old enough to shave.

I have always been very interested in the who history behind using straight razors, how there used and there general ability to terrify people just from the thought of using them (which is a complete and total over reaction once you realize how easy they are to use).

Like some others, I have always liked knives, and enjoyed sharpening them. Nobody in my family or nobody I knew shaved with a straight razor,but I always thought they were cool. About three years ago, I saw some on display in a knife store and started reading about them. I read that there were more people interested now and it provided a bit of nostalgia. I like traditional things that work. Another thing that appealed to me: I always used a cartridge blade and a canned shaving gel, and HATED putting that cold stuff on my face and knew there had to be a better way. So the world of good smelling soaps, aftershaves, etc sounded good. It's manly, traditional and nostalgic.

I was buying bulk disposable razors at costco when somehow I stumbled on the How to shave like your =>grandpa<= / =>great grandpa<=. I remembered the double edge razors my dad used and decided to try one out.

When I received the razor I was surprised how small but heavy it was. I was really worried I was going to cut up my face but it was super easy and gave me quite a nice shave. I figured if the DE was this good I want to try a straight.

Then I saw =>this<= video on youtube and thought man that's the coolest thing I have ever seen.

Right after that I ordered my DVD from Lynn and bought a Dovo Ebony Silver Steel 5/8" Straight Razor & Strop Set and a Norton WaterStone 3 Piece Set from SRD.

Now I have a cabinet filled with razors, blades, soaps, creams, oils, aftershaves, hones, stones, towels, strops, balsa, powders, ointments, balms, brushes, bowls, dishes, alum blocks, styptic pencil, etc...

Thank you,
--Shoki

10 quid for 5 mach3 blades or 5 quid for two 80 year old razors that could show a 2 month old what baby smooth is!

and when I started shaving its bloomin fun! there's not alot that people actually concentrate on these days as opposed to going through the motions... when the worlds gone mad, I know that I can get a bloody good shave and it won't try to attack me with vibrating plastic abominations!

When I was in Iraq, the base barber did shaves with a shavette. So one day I decided get a shave. I was hooked after that, searching down barbers when I got back to the states that do a straight shave. As it turned out, it's really expensive to get a shave by a barber these days. So me thinking there's got to be a cheaper way and complaining to my wife for 2 years, she got me a full kit for this christmas. The razor is an Ultimate Pro #150, a crappy Fromm strop that the leather was wrinkled a plastic shaving cup, the tweezerman brush and some Col Conk soap. Since then I bought the Illinois 827 strop some more Col conk soap (decided not the best soap), the 5/8 Dovo Astrale from SRD, and I won second place on last moths giveaway. Now the razor I got from my wife is not by any means shave ready, and my Dovo hasn't come in the mail yet. Oh and to top it off, I'm in the navy on deployment. So I'm learning to shave with a str8 on a rocking ship. At least the razor I won was sharpened by str8razor, I now know what a sharp razor is. So far I'm down to only nicking myself a couple times a shave (I blame my poor technique). But I plan on expanding my collection when I get home in about a month. so to sum everything up, I shave with a str8 from here on out, and I'm constantly reading here to learn more. aybe my shave after my watch tonight will be nick free. *crosses fingers* Oh and I just like nostalgic "Gentlman" stuff ask me about cigars sometime.

Tim

I got interested in safety razor shaving after getting sticker shock over FUsion cart prices.
I found the shaving forum at bladeforums.com. I bought a Gillette Tech and 2 Gillette adjustables. Then my safety razor collection grew exponentially.
Then I remembered that I had bought an old German straight a few years ago.
Didn't think I'd do well with a straight shave, but decided to try.
Stropped the old straight with newspaper and gave it a go.
Had good results, so I bought another off da bay and ordered a Dovo6/8 from SRD.
Now I'm looking at lots of straights on da bay.
I think I'm hooked.