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WHY a STRAIGHT razor?

Wonder how BAD those first, initial shaves were for you guys? šŸ¤”šŸ˜±šŸ©ø

first 10 or 20 no blood but I had some scruff left.

after that technique, stropping , and touching up with the Method.......enlightened me. very quickly.

i wanted to be self sufficient, so naturally looked at Finish stones and then the whole shebang from the ground up.

some learning curves along the way but im golden in my world.

I handed a convert one of my blades a couple of weeks ago who is knowledgeable with both knives and swords. he shook his head after feeling the edge.

I tried telling him.......but experiencing is a different matter.

camo
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@RicoSuave In case it will help you, here's the thread on which I documented my initial foray into SR shaving.


WARNING: MPAA Rating: R
Blood, gore, more blood
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So I have over 30 razors, only one was bought new, the rest are at least 70 years oldā€¦ but Ralph Aust is definitely on my shortlist if I am going to buy another new razor. While I have no direct experience, the consensus seems to be that his razors are truly shave-ready.
If/when I buy another Ralf Aust, I might go for a 7/8 in horn again maybe with a Spanish tip. The horn is gorgeous and my 6/8ā€ has some heft to it as well but is also really hollow. A singing razor for sure. Or maybe I can ask Ralf to make something custom like an 8/8. I have some rare scales coming in that would make it extra special.
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Ravenonrock

I shaved the pig
My first experience was 30 years ago and it wasnā€™t fun. The Dorko I purchased new was not shave ready. Shaves were very rough and unpleasant. Probably dulled whatever was sharp by poor stropping. I was in the dark and little in the way of info at that time. It didnā€™t last long, I gave up and grew a beard instead. I kept the razor however and picked it up again about a year ago after being inspired on this forum. Itā€™s a pleasure to use and maintain that Dorko and laugh about how far Iā€™ve come since those rather naive first attempts.
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He says to the guy with the user name ā€œRicoSuaveā€ :lol1: :lol:
0B135584-C8B3-4F06-B2F9-E2EFBE87536C.jpeg

Donā€™t knock the ā€œhustle,ā€ bro. šŸ˜ŽšŸ˜†
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Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
After watching my fair share of shaving videos on-line, I still have to ask, WHY would anyone use a STRAIGHT razor in this day and age?

Iā€™ll admit, it does look COOL, but damn, as someone whoā€™s a DE user, I also see the downsides.

One major one for me - I sometimes like to shave in the NUDE. I know that even with a safety (DE) razor, I still face the risk of a substantial nick/cut should it slip from my hand.

But, with a STRAIGHT razor, I just keep imagining that with just ONE potential slip-up, it's an instant ā€œsex changeā€ down there (in the LONG history of straight razor shaving, it MUST have already happened to someone, no? šŸ˜§).

Besides, you gotta get a strop, a strop handle, a sharpening stone, blade oil, etc., plus, thereā€™s a long learning curve if youā€™re gonna get any good at wielding that thing.

Just trying to understand what the appeal is, from the other side, RESPECTFULLY. šŸ¤“ šŸ™šŸ¼
Few are called. Fewer are chosen. If you are not drawn to it, don't waste your time or money. If you are, don't let anything stop you.
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Few are called. Fewer are chosen. If you are not drawn to it, don't waste your time or money. If you are, don't let anything stop you.
Nah, Im giving it SERIOUS consideration. šŸ¤”

Maybe not as a day to day method, but as an occasional challenging change-up.

Besides, like someone else mentioned on this thread, if I find itā€™s really not for me, I could always sell my ā€œequipmentā€ on eBay (cant say the same for my tub of Stirlingā€™s ā€œBarbershop.ā€ Anyone? šŸ˜©)
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I didn't have time to read 5 pages of this post yet, but at least for me, straight razor shaving is about the experience.

I'm keeping alive a somewhat lost art. Some may argue it's not lost, but I know more men using cartridge razors than straights.

I have DE. I enjoy them and grab them if I'm in a rush.

But the true joy is in the process. Slowing down and focusing on what your doing, intense focus, puts you in an almost zen like state. In today's hurry up and get it done now world, taking some time to slow down and connect with the past is refreshing. Not to mention the shave quality when you learn what you are doing.

Plus, and I'm not an extreme environmentalist or anything, straight razors cut down on our waste. I use mostly hard soaps and can buy refill pucks for them and reuse the plastic container. If the hairs start falling out of the brush you can put a new knot in it. I literally have nothing going to the landfill or recycling center except an occasional aftershave bottle. The same can't be said for a cartridge razor which is all plastic, let alone the plastic packaging the plastic heads come in.

If you don't have or want to make the time to learn to strip, shave, hone, or maintain your equipment, then it's probably not for you. But if you want gear that will practically last a lifetime if well maintained and want to learn a new skill, give it a go!
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SR shaving is simply the coolest way to shave; incomparably great shaves, a fine sense of achievement, a nod to history, a meditative indulgence, and the acquisition of a non-trivial skillset. SR shaving has everything to offer those that are, as Slash said, called to it.
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Funny, I didnā€™t expect to read about the almost MEDITATIVE aspect of it, the need for a ZEN like focus and concentration during a set period of time. šŸ¤”šŸ˜”
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thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
The spineā€™s too high in that photo for meditation. A spineā€™s width or less above the skin is the highest one can go when meditating unless itā€™s the corner of the chin.
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Funny, I didnā€™t expect to read about the almost MEDITATIVE aspect of it, the need for a ZEN like focus and concentration during a set period of time. šŸ¤”šŸ˜”
View attachment 1283391
That photo is a typical advertisement. I may be wrong but I wouldn't hold the razor at that angle or that grip.

There is no set period of time. That's the beauty of it. It takes as long as it takes, and there is no rushing it. It's like smoking a pipe or woodworking with hand tools. You are more concerned about the journey than the end result. You don't have to be in a zen state before you use a razor, but it will force you to slow down and focus on what you are doing. I realize I can get a faster shave with almost any other method, but to me, it's not about the speed.

I'm not trying to get romantic or philosophical. I work an inside sales job and after a stressful day of entering orders, taking phone calls, and trying to get products and parts to customers as fast as possible, taking time at the end of the day to slow down and not worry about the time something takes is a way for me to unwind.

Wether it's straight razor shaving or I'm in my woodshop, I think everyone needs a hands on hobby to help them relax.
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The spineā€™s too high in that photo for meditation. A spineā€™s width or less above the skin is the highest one can go when meditating unless itā€™s the corner of the chin.

Everything is wrong about that photo lol. Soap is thin and dry, grip is awkward, and angle is off. I think it's just one of those photos where the person is already shaved and they are just revealing it for the picture. I don't even know if there's a blade in that razor.
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