Do safety razors and stright razor make good christmas gifts?
- Thread starter tootal2
- Start date
A better safety razor is a great idea. He is surely attached to the one he is using now if it was your father's. But, a new one would be a great addition and might get him a better shave than he gets now (and he would be able to shine the old one up and put it on display in his shave den). My last razor purchase was a Merkur Progress and I couldn't be happier with it. If he prefers a milder shave he can have that.. if he wants to experiment with more aggressiveness he can do that too. If you aren't looking to spend that much, the other razors lower in the merkur line are still very nice. Also consider some blades and creams/soaps to go along with it.
I would NOT recommend getting him a straight razor until he is ready to switch to one. Compared to swapping out a razor blade, maintaining the edge on a straight and learning to use it are very very tedious.
I would NOT recommend getting him a straight razor until he is ready to switch to one. Compared to swapping out a razor blade, maintaining the edge on a straight and learning to use it are very very tedious.
Depending on how old he is, you could look into getting him a "birthday razor", one made in the quarter & year he was born. Fatboys and Slims are great and cover a decent span of years.
+1
+1 on waiting on the Str8, unless he has specifically expressed a desire to use a straight razor. Either a Birth Year razor or a new 3 piece razor would be better. I like the 3 piece for ease of cleaning and have a Merkur 34C, enjoy it a lot.
I've always heard that straight razors are for being shaved by someone else, safety razors are for shaving yourself. Unless he's used a straight before and is proficient, it may be a little daunting trying to perfect the grip along with the angle. I made that mistake,,,,he liked the razor and appreciated the gesture, but barely used it because he had a hard time maneuvering it around his face. And besides, who shaves with a DE that doesn't want another, and another, and another?
It's a great idea if your brother enjoys wetshaving - the best gifts in my opinion are the ones which support our likes and loves.
It may not be much of a surprise, but you can ask if he'd like a razor for Christmas, and to give some general ideas as to what he would like. Barring that, a gift certificate to WestCoastshaving or Bullgoose would also work.
Good luck!
It may not be much of a surprise, but you can ask if he'd like a razor for Christmas, and to give some general ideas as to what he would like. Barring that, a gift certificate to WestCoastshaving or Bullgoose would also work.
Good luck!
It depends.
Maybe he has a deep emotional attachment to his present old safety razor. On the other hand he might welcome an upgrade. Why don't you ask him if he would be interested in an upgraded safety razor as a gift? Otherwise you might just be wasting money.
A straight razor is another matter, a very serious matter. He needs to be highly motivated for that item. Again, discuss it with him.
Maybe he has a deep emotional attachment to his present old safety razor. On the other hand he might welcome an upgrade. Why don't you ask him if he would be interested in an upgraded safety razor as a gift? Otherwise you might just be wasting money.
A straight razor is another matter, a very serious matter. He needs to be highly motivated for that item. Again, discuss it with him.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
No, actually a lot more guys shave themselves with straight razors than have someone else do it. There is no particular reason to think of a straight razor as an implement for shaving someone else. I shave daily with a straight.
However, it is not really a good idea to buy someone a straight razor if they have not expressed an interest. Between stropping and honing and learning to shave, without some motivation and coaching it will probably just sit on a shelf gathering rust and dust after the novelty wears off and after a couple of totally unsuccessful attempts at shaving.
