Comments on: 30 Days to a Better Man Day 30: Get a Straight Razor Shave

By: Cat

Cat — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:15:06 +0000

“Plus, in a world where women are pretty much doing everything men are, a straight razor shave is one of the few activities that is still completely and exclusively male.”

Sorry to burst your bubble, but guess again. Straight-shaving woman, right here.

And plenty more where that came from down at Straight Razor Place. Legs need razor-love too, you know.

Denise – “I find that shaving the face is not as good anymore with the new Mach 3 razors coming out, they give a closer shave with less razor burn, straight razors can leave the skin feeling raw, which is very unpleasant I am sure.”

Really? All those multi-blade razors drive my skin mad. A straight never does.

By: Ben

Ben — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:17:52 +0000

getting a straight shave from a barber was a friday afternoon ritual for me for a long time….. but now i just do it myself. If you decide to try your hand at this STAY AWAY FROM E-BAY and buy a new shave ready razor(straight razor desings is a great place) along with the other things you will need.
its better than the multi blade cartridge stuff
you wont get it just like the barber did overnight you have to learn but its worth it!!!

By: Peter

Peter — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:16:17 +0000

I’m really impressed with the comments here. Great that all of us are in the same boat. I love to have a great shave using my straight razor. And my wife thinks it is sexy. I am also the one who hone my own razor. I get the stuffs I need at http://fendrihan.com. They have everything you need if you are into wet shaving.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:26:37 +0000

Where is a place that does straight razor shaves on the southside of Chicago? I myself use straight razors to shave. I have very sensitive skin. I use standard 5/8 thiess-issard singing blades, and a feather artist club dx. I used to have razor bumps even with the Mach 3 razors. Before my barber retired he explained to me about straight razors. I nolonger get bumps, and my face is smooth as can be. I reccomend learning how to use a straight razor. After a week or two you’ll have it down pat.

Mike

By: TJ

TJ — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:55:57 +0000

What are disposable straight razors? Anyway, I go to a barber on the south side of Chicago who charges $15 for a shave or haircut. Old school Italian, they will do your eyebrows and nose hair too. The best part is the use the straight razor around your ears, neck, and side burns after haircuts too.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:07:23 +0000

Getting shaved by a barber is a good experience that every man should try once. They’re tough to find in GA (you have to find someone who was grandfathered into it, as they don’t let new barbers do it). The guy I found used a disposable first and on the second pass used a traditional straight razor.

By: Denise

Denise — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:08:18 +0000

I am a female Master Barber of nearly 20 years, To be a barber is to respect the straight razor, so many people think it is easy to straight razor a face, if you trying it on your own, you may require, many, many stitches. I was taught in barber school to use disposable razor blades, such as Tondeo or Dovo blades, they aren’t cheap but they are the best.

When I was in school I thought the best way to learn to use a razor, was to shave my legs, if I could shave around my knees and bony shins then I could shave anything. And I was right!!! lol These days, I only get clients who want their heads shaved and I truly love to do this service, it is my most proud accomplishment, and shaving the neck is a rarity I hear, but I believe it is the only way to shave the neck.

I find that shaving the face is not as good anymore with the new Mach 3 razors coming out, they give a closer shave with less razor burn, straight razors can leave the skin feeling raw, which is very unpleasant I am sure.

My daughter is a Master Barber and we are quite proud to be female barbers/stylist, we have the best of both worlds, we can do perms, colors, any female style and cut, but we have the edge of the common cosmetologists because we have the cutting edge, of being able to clipper cut like no ones business, fades, hi-tights, tapers and military fades. I am also certified in the Roffler style cutting, which is using the straight razor to cut all types of hair, and that too is a rarity.

I am a proud “barberette”!!! lol

By: ejsilver26

ejsilver26 — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:59:05 +0000

The Barber that I go to (Kanata Barber Shop), was the place that I got my vary first hair cut. I love going there. When I get a hair cut, the uses a straight razor on to do the edges at the end. He uses the nice, warm shaving cream, puts it on, then grabs the razor. I must say that it is head and shoulders above “First Choice” or any other second-rate place that cuts anyone’s (or any thing’s) hair. I take my dog to a specialist for her “spa days” (as the wife calls it), she goes to a “beautician”, so I go to the “Barber”.

One day I’ll get the full deal of a traditional Straight Razor shave from the same man that gave me my first hair cut. I think it will be realy special. I’m taking my son there, so he and I can do some minor bonding. the only thing that I’m not happy with is the new “stylists” that are there. I prefer to get my hair cut by someone that learned the trade the old fasioned way… aprenticing. I’d love to learn how to do it the “proper way”. Perhaps I’ll ask him for some straight razor shaving lessons… Hmmm…

By: Rob O.

Rob O. — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:08:30 +0000

The day before my wedding, my brother (whom I hadn’t seen for several years prior due to him being stationed overseas) & I went to get haircuts together. We scoured the town trying to find a barbershop that offered straight razor shaves. But we were advised that (at that time) nobody was doing them out of fear of AIDS. So I just kinda dismissed the notion and never really looked back. That was 13 years ago…

So last week, I called around to see if I could find a barbershop that does this now and on Saturday, I took the plunge and got that elusive straight razor shave.

Was it everything I’d thought it might be? Well, my face felt as smooth as a baby’s bottom and my goatee has never looked more precisely trimmed, but I’m not sure I chose the right barber to do the task.

There were no warm towels or fancy prepwork. No ceremonial stropping of the razor before beginning. No badger brush clinking in the little cup of soap to whisk up a warm lather. Really, none of the rituals I had expected to make the shave more of a big to-do were there.

What there was were LOTS of little nicks that stung like rattlesnake bites when she hit me (without warning) with the post-shave astringent.

Will I do it again? Yes. Now that I know there are barbers who’re beyond the dear of AIDS and I’m past the initial apprehension of having someone come at me with a big, gleaming piece of razor-sharp steel, I do think I’ll get a straight razor shave again – but with a different barber next time!

By: R. J. Vincent

R. J. Vincent — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:21:02 +0000

Dan,

Cavalleri’s Barber Shop on King’s Highway in Haddonfield, NJ does straight razor shaves. While they use the disposable type due to health codes, everything else is traditional, the hot towels, the shaving cream, etc. It’s a great place for a haircut, too. Check them out.

By: xlusiv

xlusiv — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:09:55 +0000

There’s a place nearby that sells them, and I am quite sure they’re the only place in Korea that does.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:19:05 +0000

Not for me. I can’t stand shaving, let alone paying an expert twenty of my own dollars to do it instead.

By: Ced

Ced — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:34:40 +0000

always wondered how hard barber college would be

By: Michael D. Denny

Michael D. Denny — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:29:21 +0000

I’ve been shaving with a straight razor for almost a year now, and I love it. To set aside an extra 15 minutes in the morning, and go through the ritual involved just sets my whole day on a better footing. It’s unabashedly masculine, charmingly anachronistic, and once you have the skill sets to do it right, an excellent shave. I even shave my head with a straight razor.

By: Cutter

Cutter — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:06:47 +0000

You can learn a lot from your barber. I mentioned to mine that I have my great-grandfather’s straight razors, and he honed them for me for free. I’ve been using a double-edged Merkur razor for a couple of years, but I’m having trouble getting the hang of the straight razor, so he offered to go over it with me in the shop sometime soon.

One of the biggest problems barbers have is that most younger guys nowadays go to salons. A barber told me that his clientele is slowly dying off and no new customers are coming in. Another big problem is many of these barbers are getting old & want to retire, but no one is going to barber college anymore. They get a basic hair cutting license & go to work at a salon chain. That means if they retire, the shop closes. Often in smaller towns, it’s the only shop within miles.