Thread: What's special about SRP?

This thread illustrates the kind of giving, selfless, dedicated straight razor aficionados frequent this forum, making it the wonderful place it is.

What you guys have mentioned.

I have been on lots and lots of internet forums, but I have never been to one that was so friendly and welcoming right off the bat, no questions asked.

I've been here, what, maybe two months? And the majority of regular members here already seem to know me by my real name. That's ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome.

I've been offered so much generosity and advice, above and beyond the call of duty. I mean, I got PICTURES of my blade at microscopic levels to illustrate how I had damaged it when I sent it to Oni to be honed. He could have just as easily just punched the time card and been done with it, but we exchanged quite a lot of words to help put me on my way to, well, not messing up a blade again.

And those are the kinds of experiences I've had over and over again here. This really is a family. Just a really big one.

I have never, ever, ever seen a real flame war here. The worst of it is a slightly heated discussion, or a slight clashing of communication. But I've never seen anyone insult someone else. Out on the internet, where there's no accountability for your actions really, that is a rare thing indeed.

I also have to say I was attracted to the fact that there is a Lady's Corner, and Ladies Only.

I remember there being a thread on another wet shaving forum which has been discussed here, where there were a bunch of dudes basically expressed that women should "stay out" of their manly hobby. And when I first went looking for straight shaving info, that was the sinking feeling I got in my gut - that I wasn't going to be able to find anyplace that would accept a woman wanting to learn about straight shaving without putting me through a ringer that I'm just unwilling to deal with.

Lady's Corner is a great conversation between the men and women on women's shaving (perhaps slightly different than the original goal, but still very much unique and needed), and Ladies Only has been a really great place as well, if a bit quiet.

Must convert more ladies to straight shaving!!!

Originally Posted by Sirshavesalot

Robin, hit the nail on the head, and he might agree with me when I say the BSD, Linux/ Unix forums/chats are a great example of that "ego" nothing like joining and forum as a new guy, and being treated with sarcasm and infantilism.

Ugh, THIS! I'm a non-geek Linux user. I know enough about computers, but I don't like having to fix stuff all the time. So within the last few years, desktop Linux finally got good enough that I was willing to give it a try.

Only to find that the forums are filled with snobs who want to tell me that if I'm not a geek, I shouldn't be on Linux. Then why bother creating desktop Linux at all!?!

I'm on Mint now, and the forums for Mint are better than most Linux forums... but I mostly rely on the fact that Mint works well enough that I don't really need the forums. I've never had a good experience on a Linux forum.

Originally Posted by HNSB

I'm here 'cause chicks dig the SRP guys.

Dude. Totally.

I like the fact that I am in charge

No what I like best is that we have a lot of gentlemen and ladies who give back to the community and help other navigate the realm of straight razor shaving.

We have a vast sea of knowledge in our forum / wiki and so many experts that there is not a question you can't think of that can't be answered. People are generally expert in only 1 or 2 areas, but there are so many experts here that all bases are covered. We have people making razors, people making strops, people trying the weirdest restoration experiments, ... and then there are the various collectors, topical experts and let's not forget the people who make sure that everyone finds a warm welcome and a patient ear for beginner questions.

In short, despite our individual differences we all share a common passion and we do our best to help others.

The thing that makes this a special place to me is the way we treat one another.

I recall my first days on this site and remember telling my wife:

"It's just amazing. These guys act like they are sitting across from one another at a table and treat each other with gentlemanly respect. This has got to be the only place on the internet like it."

Then I went to my first gathering.

All I could think at first was: "How is this going to work? We are the most motley, disparate, rag-tag group I have ever seen. Different ages, vastly different personalities, a powder keg waiting to blow."


Then we sat down to eat the first night.

That's it, I have friends for life from this group. Tim, Lee, Doc, Randy, Lynn, SR-CMT, Coully, Glen, Alan, Bill, Bill, and the list is a lot longer than I have time to make it.

I love the fact that people would look at us and you could see them thinking:
"What the hell do those guys have in common?!"

It's really simple. We all want to have a great time and find someone new to share it with. It really is as Lynn says: Have fun.

-Rob

I like this place because there are people of different age, profession, social class, even sex from all over the world sharing the same interest: straight razor shaving and everything related.
Good place to share knowledge and information. Not only about razors but almost everything.
I've been and am on few internet forums and this is almost the only place where even conversation forum is well-mannered and polite.
This all makes this place special. It is a privilege to spent my time with such fine gentlemen.

Robin's post more or less covered it. The air of polite generosity here is fantastic.