The Reputation of the Straight

[Shangas]

The straight razor has a unique place in society. It's history, it's craft, it's use denotes skill, dedication and practice. It is effective, comfortable, wasteless and long-lasting.

It's for these reasons, along with my own curiosity, that made me want to start straight-shaving.

But then there's the other side of the straight-razor, one which I tend to find a mite annoying. And that is it's reputation for death, danger and violence.

How many members here have had friends, family or just strangers, cringe in fear, or complain vehemently about your choice of shaving apparatus? The straight-razor's nickname, the "cutthroat" does little to bolster its several merits, while exaggerating (I think) it's dangers.

How many bad or negative experiences or comments have you had with others when you mention straight razors?

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I went flea-market scouring about a month ago and I bought a paddle-strop for my razor. The fellow I bought it from also had three or four razors on sale (although none in any real state to be used without restoration). I was examining the razors when he immediately told me how deadly and difficult they were to use.

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I went to a local antiques shop and asked the lady behind the counter if they might have any antique razors. She directed me towards the likely case, only to discover that they didn't have any. She then confided with me that they don't really encourage their presence in their shop, antique or not. She related a story where, one time when straights were at their shop, a customer who asked to see them promptly tried to commit suicide by using a razor to slit his wrists.

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My father found my straight-razors in my bathroom while hunting down toothpaste and asked me whether I was actually using them to shave? (as opposed to my DE safety-razor).

I think the only good experience I had with straight-razors so far, was when I purchased my two at the flea-market. The man who sold them to me had been dealing with knives and sharp, killy things for as long as I've known him. He merely told me that they would be good shavers if looked after properly and advised me to get a strop or an old belt to strop them on as soon as I could.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

I've come across similar sentiments "You'll kill yourself"...."your face will look like hamburger"..."Why would you want to do that??"

I got the same sentiments with the DE...so whats the diff?

 

[grump]

"Nobody uses them anymore, they are just for decoration or gang members!"

 

[professorchaos]

Who cares what others think? I think cartridge shavers are nuts spending $3 a shave to turn a pleasure into a chore.

 

[kg4ghn]

A lot of people are sheep.

I have had people cringe and stare when I pulled out a small pocketknife to open a package or something. The fact that somebody would actually try to shave with a "cutthroat" is just ludicrous to people.

I don't care what they think, except maybe to find humor in it.

 

[Walker]

When they find out i shave with a straight "Man, people cut jugglers with those things"

When they see me looking at straights on BST or Ebay "I know you have bodies burried in your backyard"

They ask me "What has gotten you into this?" and i say "It's fun" they just stare at me with a little smirk and say "What? Shaving?"

 

[instpasr]

Most people that I get into a shaving conversation with give me the old you'll kill yourself with those straight razors.

 

[Ride4TheBrand]

Most comments against a straight shave come from those who:

~ think coffee comes from McDonalds
~ believe the advertising in Maxim magazine
~ wouldn't know how to clean a fish
~ cannot engage in meaningful conversation
~ have no critical thinking skills
~ haven't read a real book. Ever.
~ can't wait for the next Twilight movie
~ live their life vicariously rather than experiential

I could go on .. but I digress

 

[tylerdurden]

I just keep it to myself. Its too much trouble trying to explain

 

[ouch]

I just keep it to myself. Its too much trouble trying to explain

The first rule of straight razors is, you do not talk about straight razors.



For goodness' sake- you invented that.

 

[grump]

I just keep it to myself. Its too much trouble trying to explain

I love to explain that there still are many of us who use straights and that it was the way our forefathers kept themselves presentable.

While a tool for shaving, they also provide us joy in the during the whole experience.

While shaving, honing, & stropping the razor is fun, many find joy in restoring them and others in collecting and displaying.

Certainly a tool of the past that some want to forget about, but also a tool that some want to resurrect, keep in use and take into the future.

 

[Shangas]

It's interesting to see what peoples' reactions are to straight-razors.

I remember another experience I had with straight-razors. I was at a local shaving-shop and noticed that they'd started stocking a small selection of straight-razors by DOVO. Actual straight-razors, brand new. Not the kind that you change the blades with, but actual razors which you hone and strop.

I was so taken aback by this that I asked the shopkeeper, a very nice lady, if I could have a look at them. She let me *look* at them, but for safety reasons, she wouldn't let me actually touch them. She took them out of the case and opened the razors and showed me their scales etc. She then asked me, more as a general inquiry, whether I'd used a straight-razor. I told her I'd used one for a month already, and she seemed to be a bit more relaxed.

I almost considered buying one of those razors, but the prices she told me (all over $200) kept me well away! I can get a shave-ready straight for a fraction of that!

In a way, I think it's funny and fine that people seem to percieve straights as being incredibly dangerous. It makes me feel more badass shaving with one.

 

[instpasr]

Badass Shangas maybe time for a name change.

 

[Shangas]

Hahahah! Thank you, no.

 

[kg4ghn]

In a way, I think it's funny and fine that people seem to percieve straights as being incredibly dangerous. It makes me feel more badass shaving with one.

Straights are incredibly dangerous if in the wrong hands. Apply a little common sense and respect for the edge and everything is fine. This is no different than any tool that has the capability of danger such as guns, knives, chainsaws, etc, etc.

 

[instpasr]

Perhaps your right. Save the BA for Chuck Norris

 

[BladeRunner001]

The flip side is that the more these people think that this is dangerous and shy away from, the more there will be for you to find at bargain prices

 

[instpasr]

This is very true....perhaps we need to perpetuate the nasty straight razor rumors.

 

[Shangas]

The flip side is that the more these people think that this is dangerous and shy away from, the more there will be for you to find at bargain prices

Touche. I hadn't thought of that. Might be a good idea...

 

[taffy]

Well my wife just does not get it at all, my friends look at me as if i am daft, and the best one was from a seller at an antique store who told me when i bought a straight "be carefull with that thing, its sharp enough to cut your whiskers", which i thought was rather good