Will straight razor shaving ever become trendy?

[Tales101]

As a young (I'm 21 years old) and still learning straight shaver I find that my newfound hobby of straight razor shaving is extremely rare among people my age. I do have a feeling that, although maybe not in the near future, straight razor shaving will become popular again, even if only for a brief period. If you look at fashion trends everything works in cycles and maybe this will too. Just look at Courvoisier cognac. It was seen as a classy drink had only by executives for a long time but throw the brand name in a rap video and suddenly all the 17 year olds with their older brother's i.d.'s are buying it to go out and party (what a terrible way to waste such a great drink, isn't it?).

Something tells me it's only a matter of time some rapper or the like will put out a music video about how cool this method of shaving is and suddenly its popularity will explode, although only until a video about the next fad in line.

...just my thoughts and rambles. Anyone else care to comment?

 

[Big_E]

In my opinion, I don't see it ever becoming trendy. I think it will always be an unknown art of the "old days". But I kind of like it that way. I like the idea of being able to to something that very few people can do anymore, such as honing a blade, stropping it and using a straight. That kinda makes it trendy for me, but I always enjoyed being different.
Ernest

 

[ilovekittens]

As a young (I'm 21 years old) and still learning straight shaver I find that my newfound hobby of straight razor shaving is extremely rare among people my age. I do have a feeling that, although maybe not in the near future, straight razor shaving will become popular again, even if only for a brief period. If you look at fashion trends everything works in cycles and maybe this will too. Just look at Courvoisier cognac. It was seen as a classy drink had only by executives for a long time but throw the brand name in a rap video and suddenly all the 17 year olds with their older brother's i.d.'s are buying it to go out and party (what a terrible way to waste such a great drink, isn't it?).

Something tells me it's only a matter of time some rapper or the like will put out a music video about how cool this method of shaving is and suddenly its popularity will explode, although only until a video about the next fad in line.

...just my thoughts and rambles. Anyone else care to comment?

this is ironic on so many levels... where should i start... first of all the Courvoisier comparision: i personally dont prefer it but i do get the comparison
also it was the new Sweeney Todd movie that got me interested in straight shaving.

 

[Ookla The Mok]

The inherent problem with straight razor shaving becoming wildly popular is the time, effort and expense it takes to become proficient. If you couple that with the image of slashed necks you find yourself with a limited following.

What's popular today is fast, tiny, and super flashy.

You'll likely see some kids popping up with some Pakistani razor from ebay beacuse they saw the guy in Hitman or Sweeny Todd have one, but I would doubt very many will actually learn to shave with and maintain a razor. They will be too busy stealing their brother's ID to buy Cognac to spend 30 minutes on shaving. It can easily be accomplished in a couple minutes by a peachfaced teen.

 

[Mr. Gillette]

As a young (I'm 21 years old) and still learning straight shaver I find that my newfound hobby of straight razor shaving is extremely rare among people my age. I do have a feeling that, although maybe not in the near future, straight razor shaving will become popular again, even if only for a brief period. If you look at fashion trends everything works in cycles and maybe this will too. Just look at Courvoisier cognac. It was seen as a classy drink had only by executives for a long time but throw the brand name in a rap video and suddenly all the 17 year olds with their older brother's i.d.'s are buying it to go out and party (what a terrible way to waste such a great drink, isn't it?).

Something tells me it's only a matter of time some rapper or the like will put out a music video about how cool this method of shaving is and suddenly its popularity will explode, although only until a video about the next fad in line.

...just my thoughts and rambles. Anyone else care to comment?

It won't become trendy-- cycles or not-- fashions do cycle, but never "exactly" the same...always with a subtle twist. As for the Courvoisier...you can be certain that this "youth" movement was intentional...pm me and I will explain it in detail...it was no chance event, but a piece of corporate America at work...and yes, it is a terrible way to waste a great drink, but in the eyes of "Beam Global Brands" it's a nice way to collect a great many additional thirty dollar bills!

In the 1970's Jim Croce sang a very popular song about Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. Mr. Brown had "A 32 gun in his pocket full of fun, and a razor in his shoe." I didn't see a great move toward straights then, and I don't see fitty cent stopping, stropping, mixing up some suds, hot toweling, and spending 30-40 minutes shaving.

I think you'll be unique for a long long time, my young friend!

 

[Hawkeye5]

Those of that use and enjoy straight razors actually are a rather small faction of the wet shaving sub-culture. In other words, we all are considered weird, some of us are just more weird that others.

 

[iron maiden]

God I hope not.

 

[indykramer]

Something tells me it's only a matter of time some rapper or the like will put out a music video about how cool this method of shaving is and suddenly its popularity will explode, although only until a video about the next fad in line.

Please tell me you don't gauge what trendy is by what a rapper does.

For the record Leon Phelps brought back Courvoisier

 

[oogitsmelol]

(cut)
You'll likely see some kids popping up with some Pakistani razor from ebay beacuse they saw the guy in Hitman or Sweeny Todd have one, but I would doubt very many will actually learn to shave with and maintain a razor. (cut)

I guess it's kind of ironic really...

A guy I work with bought a straight because of how much he liked Sweeney Todd (even played the guy in a play once). The one he bought was the replica from the movie, so nothing to shave with... Then he tells me that he wants to get one to actually shave with. I tell him how expensive it's going to be, but he "has already looked into it, and it's not too bad." I tell him there are more expenses than just the razor itself, like for instance that he would probably want to get it honed professionally. Thats where it took a turn...

"Isn't that what the strop is for?"

I told him that if he truly wants to try shaving with a straight razor, I know a place I can refer him to...

 

[cr8n]

Why, yes. Yes, of course. It already is.

(Where have you been man?)

 

[New2DEShaving_Montreal]

Mr. Gillette and others are right on. Hell, I'm almost 30, and I still don't know how to DE shave properly every single time, let alone a straight. And if "Fitty" or some other Hollywood puppet does come out with a straight in their video, more than likely it would portray it as a weapon than a shaver. Just like raccoons, most annoying teens, looking to be accepted, find shiny and dangerous objects to be cool. And then the novelty wears off. Classic shaving is something you have to want to do and stick with. I can easily pick up my M3 to shave with, but I choose to go DE even if I had a terrible razor burn from it the day before.
So nope, can't see it happening.
Double Edged razors, MAYBE, but Straight, no, can't see that become popular.

 

[Bluestaco]

Really good question, and at first I thought, "Yeah, probably."
Everybody's great answers brought me around, though: it is a bit high-maintenance for most of the "trendy" crowd, whoever they are.

I was thinking of it like everything else I got into BEFORE it they got trendy (and, consequently, expensive): single malt scotch, cigar smoking, fly fishing, espresso--things people want to be SEEN doing.

Y'all are right: other kinds of wet shaving, maybe, but probably not the straight razor thing.

 

[Stanley]

.it was no chance event, but a piece of corporate America at work...and yes, it is a terrible way to waste a great drink, but in the eyes of "Beam Global Brands" it's a nice way to collect a great many additional thirty dollar bills!

Mr. Gillette -

thank you for this. I agree 100%. The drink was in the video because it was supposed to be there.

As far as straight shaving coming back, I think it may not become trendy, but it will certainly never go away. There will be cycles of interest, such like when I got into DE shaving because of a Digg.com article. A few thousand people read the article, see the movie, video whatever, and a small percentage of those viewers will eventually learn more about it and become enthusiasts.

 

[Isaias]

Hey, as long as the prices do not go to high or the products do not become hard to find (they already are), there is no reason to worry it is trendy or not.

 

[royalcrown]

Much like others have said more eloquently here, I highly doubt it. Just the overhead and the fact that it is something that takes time. If it does I think it will be a lot like how mah jong became popular in the 20's. Dilatants jumped on the bandwagon buying this esoteric Chinese game to set up in there homes but couldn’t be bothered to learn how the hell to play it and it faded rather quickly into obscurity.

 

[ps49556n]

Never gonna happen....which is good for us who are constantly on the prowel for new straights.....


As has been said, the cost of straights is prohibitive to the majority who do not want to invest in the necessary gear to properly maintain a blade. Besides the cost, where are people going to learn?? Yes, there are internet resources but aside from that, it is very uncommon to meet another straight user.

 

[CRuzin]

There will be cycles of interest, such like when I got into DE shaving because of a Digg.com article. A few thousand people read the article, see the movie, video whatever, and a small percentage of those viewers will eventually learn more about it and become enthusiasts.

That Digg.com article was how I got hooked on DE shaving too. Makes me wonder how many others read that article and got hooked.

 

[netsurfr]

God I hope not.

+1 !!!

 

[michaelskar]

I agree with several other posters...while interest (and perhaps a few attempts) may increase and decrease with movies/etc., it just requires too much practice and patience (and willingness to set aside time for grooming) that most people just won't want to stick with it.

 

[bb557]

I agree with several other posters...while interest (and perhaps a few attempts) may increase and decrease with movies/etc., it just requires too much practice and patience (and willingness to set aside time for grooming) that most people just won't want to stick with it.

Fly fishing underwent something similar. It was a quiet pastime practiced by a small group thought of as a little strange then, THE MOVIE came out (A River Runs Through It), and me and my buddies noticed a huge increase in the number of guys on the river all decked out in the newest and shiniest gear. After a few years, the dilettantes, posers and the trend chasers moved on to what ever was next and just left the guys who got into it just for the sake of the activity itself.