Arguments FOR traditional wet shaving

[Compaq]

I'm sure I've read a similar thread, once, but I wasn't able to find it.

If everyone could try to add one unique advantage with using the traditional gear, we could make a pretty good list

I'll start with the classical myth:

With good self control, you'll save much money. By that I mean you won't save any money if you develop any Acquisition Disorders

 

[jansob]

Wetshaving will make your skin happier...no razorburn, fewer ingrown hairs.

 

[Speedwell68]

Traditional shaving is a far more pleasant experience than using a modern wet razor such as a Mach 3, Quattro or Fusion. It is more pleasant as it offers a far more personalised shave. Granted, when I was using carts I always had the choice of soaps, creams, brushes and aftershaves I have now, but now I have an almost infinite choice of razors and blades, so I get the shave I want rather than the shave the big corporations want me to have.

 

[luvmysuper]

Arguments FOR traditional wet shaving


Because if you don't, the boys will be over to pay you a little visit.
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[firehydrant]

Arguments FOR traditional wet shaving


Because if you don't, the boys will be over to pay you a little visit.
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.
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They just wanted to stop by for a friendly little chat.

 

[ackvil]

Because it's what real men do.

 

[Defend Tacoma]

You will immediately have something in common with your 25,000ish closest friends over at the B&B.

 

[djh]

Arguments FOR traditional wet shaving


Because if you don't, the boys will be over to pay you a little visit.
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.
.

Don't worry too much about them....... what's the vig on shaving supplies these days anyway?

 

[Timbit]

It takes shaving from dull chore to fun hobby

 

[Sirius3]

It's fun and relaxing, cheaper(disregarding the obsession with buying new gear) and kinder to your skin, i used to think i had terrible skin and it was simply genetic...turns out it was because of using cartridge razors, saw a huge difference in my skin when i switched.

 

[Drubbing]

I like it.

And I've never said that about a cartridge and can.

 

[solar]

Traditional shaving is a far more pleasant experience than using a modern wet razor such as a Mach 3, Quattro or Fusion. It is more pleasant as it offers a far more personalised shave. Granted, when I was using carts I always had the choice of soaps, creams, brushes and aftershaves I have now, but now I have an almost infinite choice of razors and blades, so I get the shave I want rather than the shave the big corporations want me to have.

+1. Sorry, to lazy to articulate everything that Speedwell did so well anyways.........Yes, its about the pleasant ritual and good feeling with the result.

Chris

 

[Saturn]

One attraction to traditional wetshaving (at least, if you care about this sort of thing) is that the products are beautifully well-crafted and will last a long time. A high quality brush looks wonderful and will last decades if cared for well, and a DE or straight razor can be handed down to future generations. As for the software, there's something really nice about knowing you're using a tried and true traditional shaving soap that's been made by the same recipe since before you were born.

 

[Groat]

It's hard to argue with results, which leads me to say that the best argument for wet shaving is simply trying it for oneself. My secondary argument would be the diversity of the software. Canned shaving gel usually smells pretty clinical, like something that wouldn't be out of place in a dentist's office. The creams and soaps that I've been exposed to since beginning wet shaving are quite the opposite, running the gamut from fruity to staunchly man-tastic.

 

[Drubbing]

As for the software, there's something really nice about knowing you're using a tried and true traditional shaving soap that's been made by the same recipe since before you were born.

Best not mention "reformulation" then

 

[Shavely Manden]

• You'll save money on your shave. Which you can use on your newfound brush-collecting hobby.
  
• If you spend big bucks, you spend them on products you like and enjoy using, not products you wish you didn't have to buy.
  
• Much of the money you spend is likely to go to small or medium-size business, or even local businesses (e.g., antique stores). You'll be spending less on multi-national corporations that don't care about their customers. (I dream of having my own business someday, and find places like Gentlemen's Best, Mama Bear's, and Queen Charlotte inspiring.)
  
• It gives you a civilized, dignified masculine image. Sometimes it feels like you can't be manly these days and still enjoy how a flower smells--old-fashioned shaving creams and aftershaves really show a different sort of manliness than fast cars and explosions.
  
• It slows you down a little, helps you enjoy life--maybe if you're careful and thoughtful about shaving, you'll start looking at the rest of your life more carefully and thoughtfully.
  
• It's fun!

 

[DaveNJ74]

It saves money. I used to go through a can of Gillette Edge in maybe 2 weeks as apposed to having a tub of shaving cream last me over 6 months maybe longer. I started using these products back in January and I have not finished a tub yet although I sold a few though.
The average price of a tub of one of the 3 T's is about $20-$30. A can of Gillette Edge is about $5. even though the tubs are 5 or 6 times the price of a can of goo, they last almost a year from me even longer.
My skin also looks 100% better since I started using a good shower prep, pre-shave, brush with a good cream, DE or Cart, alum or which hazel and an aftershave.
Even though some of the products are a little on the heavy side as far as price goes, there is no price for looking and feeling good.
I used to say I dont mind spending money on food and cloths, now I saw food, cloths and shaving stuff.

 

[woodturner]

Since straight razors have been found in archaeological digs dating back thousands of years (Egyptian Pharaohs had to have those heads shaved) and Mr. Gillette and Mr. Schick invented their money sucking devices only 100 years ago, which should I use? While technology is not necessarily bad, new technology in shaving has made men hate shaving and consider it a chore. Straight razor shaving put men in control of shaving with the instruments they prefer and put sharpness under their control. Straight razors put freedom and control in the hands of men rather than in the hands of those that would steal our money and make us hurry through a daily ritual that men have done for thousands of years. Don't know about you, but I prefer shaving like a man not being advertised to by pretty boys on TV.

 

[jmg]

Wetshaving gives you something to look forward to every day.

 

[Topgumby]

It is more than the sum of the parts.

The soaps and creams are nice, the tactile and functional role of the brush are a revelation and there is fascination and utility in the wide array of vintage and modern razors and blades.

The experience transcends all these things. It's not for nothing that poems have been written about facing "the man in the glass", and the few minutes of genuine focus that must come with a traditional wet shave are increasingly vital in today's world of constant electronic distraction and the frenetic pace of work.

An Android App will not protect you from the keen edge of the razor, and you can't order superb lather via UPS next day early A.M. shipping. You must have the patience, skill and focus to do these things for yourself. The reward for mastering these old shaving tools is a degree of self mastery, and that is the beginning of gentlemanly behavior and wisdom.

If the end goal of a smooth, stubble free face was what mattered, the laser treatment would trump the daily application of sharp steel. The truth is that the wonderfully smooth shave that the old ways deliver is only a fleeting trophy of victory in the endless struggle with ourselves. It shows that with clear eye and steady hand, somebody got it right that day, despite the knowledge that with the old tools there is a price to pay for getting it wrong.