I stopped in at a sallys beuty supply store while shopping with my wife and noticed they had some low end disposable straight razors. I asked about traditional straight razors and was told they were illegal to sell in my state. Surely it is only illegal for barber shop use, right? I am in WA.
Illegal razors
- Thread starter BearHeart
- Start date
nahh...Floyd's Barbershop/AOS uses em...maybe that store was just misinformed..
They're still using actual straights? For the most part, health codes have relegated barbers to disposable shavettes due to the paranoia over bloodborne pathogens.
Not that it's impossible to legally use a true straight, but it's going to fall under the same regulations as tattoo equipment... must be sterilized between customers.
Same issue with brushes... you're going to get a hand full of "foam" taken from a benchtop heated lather machine and not a brush and mug.
The person who cuts my hair, who has a barber license in Texas, was interested in offering shaves. I lent her my folding Feather AC DX for her to try since it's been years since she's shaved anyone. I also became curious and looked up the regulations in this state. From what I could understand from the regulations I found, it didn't look like it's illegal in this state for a licensed barber to use a traditional straight razor: http://www.license.state.tx.us/barbers/forms/003bar.pdf
There are other places in the US where it's okay for a barber to use a traditional straight razor. I believe it is in Boston, to my slight annoyance because Cambridge, MA, which is where I lived for several years and is just across the river from Boston, doesn't allow it. I recall passing by a barber shop in Portland, Maine, and seeing well-used strop on the wall next to a barber who was giving someone a hair cut.
On the other hand, many places will let you carry pistol--a device that unequivocally is meant to shed blood--but won't let you carry a pocket knife. Ironically, in Texas, you can carry a concealed pistol but not a Bowie knife.
There are other places in the US where it's okay for a barber to use a traditional straight razor. I believe it is in Boston, to my slight annoyance because Cambridge, MA, which is where I lived for several years and is just across the river from Boston, doesn't allow it. I recall passing by a barber shop in Portland, Maine, and seeing well-used strop on the wall next to a barber who was giving someone a hair cut.
On the other hand, many places will let you carry pistol--a device that unequivocally is meant to shed blood--but won't let you carry a pocket knife. Ironically, in Texas, you can carry a concealed pistol but not a Bowie knife.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
ROTLMAO! I think she was confused and/or misinformed. Sure, a lot of places have outlawed the use of straights in barbershops, but that doesn't make it illegal to sell one. Probably Sally's doesn't carry them because most of their customers are professionals and can't use them, but there is still demand from stylists and barbers for shavettes, and this confused the clerk. Remember, she is working at SALLY'S. (Speak VERRRRRRRRRRRY slowly!)
WA does allow shavettes at least, but you have to look well to find a barber who will shave ears and necks, with a haircut.
Classy. Do you always make judgments of how you should treat a person based on their job?
That's not very nice.
Straights are sold in WA. I don't live there but I go there often. She was just misinformed. Easy to understand since relatively few people use straights to shave.
AOS sells them, and I have bought oh maybe one or two at an antique shops. So you can buy them in the evergreen state. New or used.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
If the shoe fits...
- Thread starter
- #13
Other than going all the way to AOS is ther any place in the Tacoma/Puyallup area to buy one?
Sally's doesn't exactly hire the A team, you know?
New? the tinder box(or excaliber) used to sell some in the mall(not even sure if they are still in business), but way overpriced.
Your best bet is to get it on line from the superiorshave or some other online retailer. If you buy at a local brick and mortar it probably will not be shave ready anyways.
Your best bet is to get it on line from the superiorshave or some other online retailer. If you buy at a local brick and mortar it probably will not be shave ready anyways.
I think you SHOULD make some preliminary judgments to say the least.
I'd be willing to bet that you personally speak with a different tone of voice and mannerism to the traffic cop that pulls you over, than you do to many other persons you encounter.
Ditto the difference between the real estate attorney you hire, Vs the person taking your fast food order, Vs the person using a shovel on the concrete job you just commissioned at your house.
"Classy" is appropriate, as it is about "class."
I think in most cases the barbers find it's not worth all the trouble to do straight shaves. The guy who owns the shop I have been going to for 20 years said after the initial AIDS scare they tacked on extra safety precautions and at that point he just decided to stop shaving customers. He also stopped washing and styling men's hair. According to him, he can make more money doing nothing but hair cuts.
Interesting that it only took a couple of generations to move from having lots of barbers routinely doing most of their business shaving, with an occasional haircut thrown in, to having relatively few barbers per capita and them doing basically zero shaving and nothing but haircuts.
- Thread starter
- #20
I just want to touch one before I buy.
