For over 400 years men the world over have come to know the straight razor, it’s benefits and it’s cruelties.  It’s proper use in the daily ritual of shaving required the careful application of multiple skills, typically acquired over years of painful and often bloody trial and error. 

  Perhaps it says something about the relationships of men and boys: Nearly all women I know can recall, as girls, having their mothers teach them how to curl their hair, apply their makeup, manicure their nails, etc.  Yet, not a single man I’ve ever spoken to can recall having been properly taught to shave.  It seems almost as though figuring it out for your self is one of the many requirements for manhood.  That fact may well be among the reasons for the demise of the straight razor. 

  Straight razor use, if done properly, is very demanding.  Without some instruction it is nearly impossible to master all that is necessary.  One must have a basic understanding of metallurgy, both to guide you in purchasing your razor and in its use and maintenance.  A fair understanding of chemistry is helpful in choosing what soaps and lotions to use.  Of course I would never suggest using a straight razor without having, at minimum, an introduction to first aid principles.  And while speaking medically, a clear familiarity with dermatology, bacteriology, and cosmetology would be in order. Not to mention a good eye, steady hand and the time available to practice and learn the various skills involved.  Without having mastered at least the basics, your result will be less than satisfactory. It’s not hard to see why so many men switched over to safety razors or why so many others wear beards!  The curious thing here however, is that there is currently a considerable renewed interest in returning to straight razor use!  In an age and a society where time is among the most valuable of commodities, and convenience is a primary consideration in everything we do, why are we again willing to endure all that we escaped nearly 100 years ago?

  The reasons are many and varied.  While some may seem to address you specifically, others will seem totally unrelated.  But taken as a whole they do explain the trend. 

   The initial cost of a straight razor and all of its associated equipment may at first seem high, perhaps as much as $200.00 for better quality items.  But have you ever added up the cost of a lifetime supply of stainless steel razor blades? That could run into thousands!  Of course you’re not likely to keep and use one favorite drugstore safety razor for a lifetime either.  Just when it becomes your favorite they stop making blades for it and you have to buy the “New” model.  You can expect to go through as many as 12-16 average drugstore razors in a typical lifetime.  Add the razor cost to the blade cost and see what you’ll spend.

   Where do all of those non-biodegradable plastic and stainless steel razors and blades end up?  Together with the plastic packaging they came in, the plastic and steel aerosol shave cream cans, the plastic lotion bottles, the Styrofoam packing materials, the plastic shampoo & conditioner bottles, they are all securely tied up in a plastic bag and sealed with a plastic and steel twist-tie in the local tax supported landfill where they will outlive us all.  We’re becoming smarter and more responsible than we have been in our recent past.  The older ways made more economic and ecological sense.

   Modern life is hectic and often too fast paced to truly enjoy the finer things.  I don’t think anybody could argue that a leisurely luxurious shave using a high quality badger brush, rich fragrant soap, a fine quality mug, a hand crafted artfully made technically perfect razor, and finishing with a refreshing lotion is far superior to the typical daily grind most modern men are faced with.  The only way you could make it more luxurious is to have a barber do it for you, but that too is becoming an impossibility.  A straight razor shave gives you a great beginning to the day and sets the tone for what follows.  And once you master the art it takes only slightly longer than the average regimen most men endure.  Isn’t it peculiar that, in this case, the highest possible level of quality and luxury actually costs only a fraction of what the poorest quality product does!

   Have you ever noticed that the only two things any modern razor blade manufacturer talks about when selling his product is “closeness of shave” and “less irritation?”  How do you get a closer shave by keeping the blade away from the skin?  And maybe if you didn’t need two or three blades to remove the beard you’d have two or three times less irritation!  Good lather with one good sharp blade will do the job better every time. Have you ever seen a barber use a safety razor?

   Men respect craftsmanship.  It’s just that simple.  A fine quality straight razor is an instrument that commands respect - Like a Stradivarius violin, a pair of Zeiss binoculars, a Smith & Wesson handgun or a Weatherby rifle, like a Porsche or a Harley-Davidson.  Men respect the craftsman and his product.  A drugstore razor doesn’t qualify.  It fits into the category of implement, like a garden hoe or a rectal thermometer.  Not exactly something you bond with and respect, just one of life’s necessities.  A straight razor is something you develop a respectful relationship with and come to appreciate. 

   America used to be a productive nation. Industrially speaking.  It was our production that created the fortunes that still fuel our economy.  It was our production that won the World Wars.  It was our production that fed the world.  But more and more we are becoming a nation of “middlemen.”  We produce less, import more and resell it everywhere.

  Today more men are employed at desk jobs, in management, administration, distribution, services, communications, and government, than there are producing something tangible.  I’m talking about the kind of production where when you are finished you can stand back and admire what you’ve created and feel good about it. Experience that feeling of accomplishment that comes from a job well done.  The feeling you can experience when your wife comments on how smooth your cheeks are.  The feeling you can experience when you have replaced that perfect edge on a dull razor using your hone and strop and your own two hands.  The feeling you get when you look in the mirror after shaving and know that you’ve done something most men can’t do.  We all need some of that and it’s getting harder and harder to find.  Just try to get it from a plastic disposable drugstore razor from China!

  While it may seem like I’ve gone far off the subject of straight razors, I really haven’t.  Today we don’t use straight razors because we have no alternative.  Just the opposite!  We choose to use them because they provide us with something we can’t easily find in modern life.  They permit us to make a personal statement, as much to ourselves as to anyone else.  Today, real quality in any form is becoming scarce and some of the old ways are worth preserving.