Thread: When & Why

Two questions for straight razor users: when did you begin shaving with a straight razor and why? I think it would be especially interesting to hear from the pre-interweb guys.

Originally Posted by WW243

Two questions for straight razor users: when did you begin shaving with a straight razor and why? I think it would be especially interesting to hear from the pre-interweb guys.

A

About four years ago. Why? Cost of disposable bladed razors and curiosity...I've always been one of those guys who liked sharp stuff.

I started in January this year, at the age of 42.

I'd been toying with the idea for a while, because there were all kinds of annoyances about shaving with a multi-blade plastic gizmo (expense, skin irritation, mistakenly buying blades that didn't fit, poor design). The thing that finally pushed me to get a straight razor was when I dropped the plastic one, and a tiny plastic peg broke so the handle wouldn't hold the cartridge securely any more. Instead of getting a new handle, I got a straight.

I considered a DE, but I preferred a system with no disposable parts at all. I didn't consider an electric shaver, because I've never heard anyone speak well of them, and I prefer low-tech / old-fashioned equipment where possible.

Started with straights about 6 months ago at age 59. No real reason to try it, just took it into my head to do so out of curiosity I suppose. Never had a problem with using cheap $1.00 disposables or DEs that wasn't caused by operator error.

Bob

Started about 2 years ago because I just couldn't afford disposables anymore and they didn't work well for me. Ton's of irritation and razor burn and the electrics I used always broke and did a poor job. I did some math and I was actually spending 300 dollars a year on just the disposable razor heads let alone shaving creme, which really didn't work well either. My big problem was my beard was so thick and course it actually blunted most multiblade razors in 3 shaves making them unusable. I started out because I wanted to save money but I quickly discovered just how challenging and fun straights are and now I'm hooked and probably not saving all that much money on it anymore. Got to admit though, when I'm not getting new equipment and razors my annual up keep is still way way lower then 300 plus dollars that I used to spend.

Disposables never lasted long for me either, steelstubble. I'm 23 and started using SRs a little under 2 months ago. I hadn't shaved since I was 17 - just used an electric razor twice a week to keep my whiskers trim.

Growing up my father told me about my great-grandfather teaching him how to use a straight (apparently he had a gorgeous custom 7 day set with the family name on one side of the scales and the day of the week on the reverse - sad I never got to see those...). With the history of my dad and my great grandfather, I figured it was only proper to give it a whirl, so I picked up my fathers old straight and here I am now...

While I never had the experience of shelling out hundreds of dollars a year on disposables, I am looking forward to redirecting that cash flow to acquiring straights and all sorts of other shaving accessories

I got interested in straights about four years ago. My previous razor was a Gillette Sensor, which gave decent shaves I guess, the problem started with the introduction of the Mach 3 and the Fusion razors. The Sensor blades became harder and harder to find and the price was going up on them. I tried a Mach3 once or twice and it irritated my face so bad, I figured there has got to be a better way. What's funny is I never even considered a DE or SE until I found SRP. I stumbled across some site selling straight razors and thought I would try one out. Being a noob, I of course made noob mistakes and purchased worthless gear that has since found its way to the local landfill. I found SRP about three and half years ago and the rest as they say is history.

I started about three months ago. First with a shavette then a straight. Been wanting to do it for years..I mean almost twenty years Being 40 Now I always was intrigued by it. With the work I have Done it was needed for me to shave three to for times a week and cartridges were just that much easier.
Living in New York there are a lot of great stores to get great products just not straight razors. I was spending a ton of money on multi blades and it was getting sad.
I lost my job recently and really thought about the price and said it was worth it. I had been using a brush and good soap for years already now just get a blade and strop. Went to a festival and picked up my first one and it was the beginning of my start. Although the blade I picked up turned out to be on the do not buy list...all those things came together to really get me started.

About 2+ yrs. ago. DE's caught my eye because of the history and fascination with all the styles. Naturally coming across str8's during my hunting for shaving stuff. Had a couple but never did anything with them until I started seeing beautiful pieces on the net. Well curiosity got the best of me and I figured , why not? I love sharp tools ( deal with them daily) and since I seem to be rooted in the past with my line of work it just made sense. I love the whole process and the fact that it's such a minimalist experience, just you and a sharp blade, nothing else, no bells and whistles and you can make a 150 yr old 'tool' perform better than anything available today. It's just too cool in my book.

Mid-1970s. As a kid I watched my paternal grandfather shave w/a straight, and the way he whipped it across his face was like watching poetry in motion. I wanted to be that guy! He gave me an Amco Royal Crown and Illinois strop for my 16th birthday (which I still have) and taught me how to use it. Used it throughout high school and some in college (1x per week on average), then my career got in the way. I've been off and on in straight blade use for the past 16 years as other razors have found their way into my grubby little hands, and I've used straights exclusively for the past year.