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Just out of curiosity - Was straight shaving a hobby back then?

OK, so I'm relatively young (30's) and I'm curious that way back when (everyone used straight razor), was SE shaving a "hobby"? What I mean by that is that do some people have a collection of razors (and also for the purpose of collecting) and hones? My grandfather only had one that he used. So I wonder people back then collect (like some do here) razors and hones.
 
I'm sure it was done but i doubt like today. I'm pretty sure back then it was looked at as a tool to remove hair.
 
Great question! I've wondered this myself- perhaps the reason so many antique razors are in such good shape (I.e.- low hone wear, no frowns, etching preserved, etc...) is due to collectors who had a number of razors on rotation so as to reduce wear on the razors we have today. Could it be that our addition is as old (or older) than the razors we collect and crave?!?
 
I haven't read anything to suggest it was anything but a functional activity back in the day. Like all things, there were people who saw the quality of their shaving equipments as being a status symbol, hence why we have some fantastic historical pieces that can still be found and used today. I think it only really becomes a hobby when there are alternatives and it's not widely practised.
 
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I completely disagree.

Take a look at Victorian facial hairstyles. It was NOT simply about shaving, it was about bling and style. Not to mention the advent of seven day sets, etc. No, guys are guys, no matter the era. I'm sure there were hoarders and all that back in the day as well.
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I gotta agree with the GD guru. Although I think it was more like a car today. The rich guys had 6/8 gold washed, Ivory scaled, ebony boxed 7 day sets. The common man had a single 5/8 wood or celluloid handled razor that got honed to a nub.
 
I gotta agree with the GD guru. Although I think it was more like a car today. The rich guys had 6/8 gold washed, Ivory scaled, ebony boxed 7 day sets. The common man had a single 5/8 wood or celluloid handled razor that got honed to a nub.
I think this is pretty much the answer.

Of course there were guys with way to much money & free time that probably had a nice set of straights & certainly indulged in their shaving much like we do & that is pretty much akin to a hobby.
However, keep in mind that the luxury of having enough time & money to actually spend on a "hobby" is a fairly new & very rare thing.
Still today way more then half of the population of tyhe planet struggle just to survive to the next day.

And "back then" almost all did.

Hobbies for guys are almost always about takign something simple & making it as expensive & complicated as possible :biggrin:

Shaving, fishing, smoking, making coffee, listening to music & what not. '
Most people on the planet still shave to look decent, fish to have something to eat & so on. Even more so back in the days.
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I am gonna go out on a limb and say "rock collecting" was big back in the day.
 
After speaking to my Gramdmother recently, She informed me that many of the well to do Men went to the Barber for their daily shave. For some the Barber would keep Razors, Mugs, etc that belonged to each individual. I am guessing that the Barber would maintain the gear for the Men. For these Men I can see where the shave was more like a ritual than a chore.

Just what I learned recently. Her Daddy Shaved with his one or maybe two straights, and later a DE. He was a Rancher, and probably never saw his razors as more than tools to do a job. I think he went electric when they came out.

Jon
 
Of course there were guys with way to much money & free time that probably had a nice set of straights & certainly indulged in their shaving much like we do & that is pretty much akin to a hobby.
However, keep in mind that the luxury of having enough time & money to actually spend on a "hobby" is a fairly new & very rare thing.
Still today way more then half of the population of tyhe planet struggle just to survive to the next day.

Food for thought here. Once I have it "figured all out", I'd like to scale things back and take a more Stoic path. But that seems a long time coming.
 
I read an interesting post about how barbers were the only ones really trained in using straights..the average joe..wasnt..took time and patience many men didnt invest in
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I read an interesting post about how barbers were the only ones really trained in using straights..the average joe..wasnt..took time and patience many men didnt invest in

I think that theory doesn't mesh with all the razors found in estate sales, unless all those guys were barbers.
 
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