Thread: youtube shaving

Youtube shaving videos can be very entertaining and funny. A guy with three hairs in his chin and a couple on each side of his face pulls out an 8/8 spiked razor to shave 7 hairs. Another guy with a very heavy beard wore out three razors to shave and at the end looks the same as when he started shaving. They may be entertaining and funny, but you can see how other folks shave, hold their razors, angle the blade, etc. It is instructional what to do and not to do. Some of these guys are new at shaving, they stated so in the video. Give a guy a straight razor and he becomes a master shaver. It took me two years of daily shaving just to stop from butchering my face and I don't know how long to stop the bleeding. Keep on shaving and keep a good supply of toilet paper on hand both for your face and razor. Juan

Hi,

I'm not trying to be rude here, but what point are you trying to make? That youtube videos are good? That they're bad? That they're funny? That they're educational? That they're not educational? Not to bother with a straight razor if you have a thin beard? That thick beards wear out razors faster? That having a straight doesnt mean you know how to shave? That it takes a long time to learn how to shave properly? Or that TP is useful when shaving?

You've made all of these comments in your post and I'm finding it hard to see what your point is. This just seems to be a collection of random thoughts more than anything else?

Just trying to understand where you're coming from!

Well, to provide some point to the thread, I've found plenty of inspiration by watching people who are good at open razor shaving actually shave. I like the guy about to go to work for the MTA (metro transit authority). He uses a grip that I found to be very useful. Also good production and with an underlying wholesome message beyond "stay well-groomed."

That said, I have a comment from the perspective of someone who was a newbie (i.e. never shaved with an open razor) who read several months of posts right here from this site on personal experiences and advice on shaving (think of it as the ASCII equivalent of watching youtube videos): it helps, even if just internally visually conceptualized, to begin shaving on the right track with the right mindset. I suppose the competent-to-good shavers on youtube can help with that, if the ambitious newcomer were to exercise the appropriate caution and patience for their individual skill level/innate ability.

Hello, Juan:

I agree with everything my friend Stubear says. I, too, am struggling to understand your point.

By the way, in all my shaving days I have yet to use toilet paper to close a nick, or stop any bleeding. If I do get a nick, the reliable styptic pencil takes care of it. I dare say most straight razor shavers that I know of usually rely on styptic pencil rather than toilet paper.

Regards,

Obie

I have been straight shaving for a while. It took me a year to get my technique to what I consider to be a good level. I used Youtube videos all the time when I started. They helped to get an idea about different methods. At the end of the day you have to try them out yourself and choose what is best for you - but I got a good number of tips and ideas from the videos that I would never have worked out by myself. I strongly urge newbies to watch these videos. I still watch these videos from time to time - and I always seem to get new ideas. You can never stop improving and learning!

Originally Posted by Stubear

but what point are you trying to make? That youtube videos are good? That they're bad? That they're funny? That they're educational? That they're not educational? Not to bother with a straight razor if you have a thin beard? That thick beards wear out razors faster? That having a straight doesnt mean you know how to shave? That it takes a long time to learn how to shave properly? Or that TP is useful when shaving?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you are making all of these points and maybe a few more? I rather like reading between, over and through the lines. Thanks for posting.

I got it! Youtube straight razor shaving videos are like nuclear technology, both boon and bane. Like the Three Stooges, both hilarious and annoying. Like politics, both annoying and ... well, forget that last comparison.

Personally, I would feel better about these videos if we didn't spend so much time on these threads undoing false expectations created by the videos. I have to keep reminding myself that we probably aren't going to be as aware of the good from the videos as we are of the negative side of newbie viewing of shaving videos.

There is no point or sense, the youtube shaving videos are just guys shaving, don't look for any meaning, philosofical learing or spirutial inspiration from these videos. They are fun to view and you may learn something from them without receiving college credits. Just an old man making a comment on viewing videos. Juan.

HAHA, ya some of the videos are more comedy than usefull

I started making videos to see, in the third person, what I was doing when I shaved. My daughter suggested I put one on the tube... That got addicting as I tried to get as many different razors filmed

I don't expect to teach anyone anything, just point out some areas to look into, kind of the Zen thing I guess.

I still look up new shaving videos to see what people are doing and using