Maybe it was the recycling thread in the General Discussion, or simply because I've never shaved with one, but am now thinking about straights. This has also lead to the question of age: When is too old to use a straight razor?
In my mind, there are two issues. The first is my life expectancy vs the set-up cost of straights. No, I am not about to kick the bucket (that I know of), but if I started tomorrow and lived as long as my father, I wouldn't have four decades of use. OTOH, if I was in my twenties, that would increase dramatically. If I'd done this in the 1970s, I'd literally would have been set for life (granted that it was a lot harder to do then than now, but that's another issue).
The second issue is how long will my hands remain steady and be able to tighten my skin enough for a straight? That's likely to happen sooner than my death (knock on wood). This further reduces my return on the investment.
Note: Investment-wise for me would mean a straight, a strop, a hook, and one or more hones.
Comments? I'm not dissing straights at all. I'm simply wondering if it's more for younger men.
Side note: When I went back to SE and DE, my father thought I was going to straights, and had a look of pure horror. I think he was intimidated by them, and started using DE. OTOH, I know his father originally used a straight- I have his hone and old strop. No, I don't think the strop is still usable.
In my mind, there are two issues. The first is my life expectancy vs the set-up cost of straights. No, I am not about to kick the bucket (that I know of), but if I started tomorrow and lived as long as my father, I wouldn't have four decades of use. OTOH, if I was in my twenties, that would increase dramatically. If I'd done this in the 1970s, I'd literally would have been set for life (granted that it was a lot harder to do then than now, but that's another issue).
The second issue is how long will my hands remain steady and be able to tighten my skin enough for a straight? That's likely to happen sooner than my death (knock on wood). This further reduces my return on the investment.
Note: Investment-wise for me would mean a straight, a strop, a hook, and one or more hones.
Comments? I'm not dissing straights at all. I'm simply wondering if it's more for younger men.
Side note: When I went back to SE and DE, my father thought I was going to straights, and had a look of pure horror. I think he was intimidated by them, and started using DE. OTOH, I know his father originally used a straight- I have his hone and old strop. No, I don't think the strop is still usable.