I learned to use a straight razor as a 16 year old working as an ER tech - used a Weck straight razor with replacable blades for pre-op preps whenever we had patients going directly from ER to the OR on night shifts. CLOSE shave, even had a removable blade guard/screen for those with no confidence. I bought one for myself and used it with a badger brush and mug for years until it was stolen from my bathroom during a party in grad school. Still use the same mug and a badger brush, but of late I am finding that the soap doesn't last as long or foam as well as it used to. Probably the old soap contained ingredients that are now considered: a) too expensive, or b) environmentally prohibited.

The old WecPrep blades are still used for disssection and microscopy work - they are that sharp. They used to last a long time and are about $1 each, but hard to find.

__________________
John

2003 Firemist Red/grey leather SL 500
2015 Palladium Silver/black mbtex GLK 350
1987 Smoke Silver/burgundy mbtex 300E Sportline (SOLD)

Click to see 87 300E

"Give it to Bot, he'll eat anything." Mikey's older brother.

That's nice to know, JCE. I'll look for some of those. Maybe I'll work up the confidence to actually try it on my face. Maybe I'll go get some of those Kiwis to practice on first . . .

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Ummm! Shoe polish. Now you're talking. I love eating shoe polish.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I've been using a straight razor for years. There's a bit of a learning curve but the results are worth it as far as closeness and less/no irritation. Other advatages are that you always have a sharp blade because you strop it before every shave! Plus you will not need need to buy a razor for a very long time. I've been using the same two razors for the last 7-8 years. - one of which was used by my father for about 40 years prior to me using it.

So how did you learn, George? Did your dad teach you? I'll hunt one down and give it a try. I think my grandfather may have used one, but he was the last one the I knew other than my barber.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

id use a straight razor if someone could teach me.. itd be neat to use one. probably lose a friend or to after telling them you straight razor to get a close shave and they go out and try to , end up cutting a major artery or something and mums the word

For years, I couldn't use any kind of safety razor w/o getting a rash of tiny zit looking things on my face. Doesn't bother me now.

I had to use 'lectrics which didn't seem to bother me. Still do for convenience about half the time. Remington's got a rechargeable model that I keep in the car and shave while I'm driving. That's usually placed in the same category as eating or cell phone calling while driving but I think it's way safer. You can tell by the sound if you're cutting hair or not. It's about as challenging as scratching your chin while you're driving.

The ones with the pop-up clipper type trimmer are the ones to have. That way, when you get to your destination, you can use the mirror to get the longer hairs that the foil screen thingy missed. Don't think you're going to save money on blades, though. The foil screen is real thin and wears out, developing jagged holes that'll cut you after 3 or 4 months, and the screen and blade pack costs around $20 to $25.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

The barber who initially shaved my head used a straight razor. It was quite comfortable other than the fact that he was exceptionally gay.

I also found out later that not just anyone can shave your head with a straight razor. I was initially shocked and kinda pissed that I had to wait and that the hot girl with the tattoos couldn't do it. I imagine it's much more fun to have a hot girl shave your head than a thin puerto Rican with a lisp and hot pants.

As for my shaving. I've taken quite a bit of comfort shaving in the shower (face and head). No shaving cream, no soap, just water, a fog free mirror, and a clean schick 4-blade razor.

__________________
Pxland

2001 Honda Accord

1995 Jeep Cherokee

1973 MB 280SEL 4.5

Shoe polish was named by the people of a certain eastern-European nation, who discovered the use of freshly excreted dog dung to increase the light reflection of leather. They discovered that feeding the dogs different diets to develop different colors. A great innovation was the development of a combined pooper-scooper with an accompanying lid, allowing the materail to be scooped and capped for sale in one motion.

You heard it here first.

B

There's an old boy next town over that still uses one of these, and the hot-shaving-cream dispenser along with it. Can't beat it, and he's only recently "raised" his price to $10!

__________________
1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

I think I might well do the same. We had a long, drawn-out discussion on this very subject in college... a drunken all-nighter as a matter of fact. One kid, a redhead with fuller facial hair, swore he'd get electrolysis to have it all removed if he could afford it. I argued against the idea, but that was when my beard was still pretty patchy. Now that I have plenty of it, I could certainly do without this mess.

__________________
1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

That's how I do it. I guess if I ever lose my eyesight, I'll be okay. I shave like Stevie Wonder.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Did you make that up, Bot?

In case anyone is interested in trying this or at least finding out a little more about it here's a link that seems pretty good:

http://www.menessentials.com/oxid.php/sid/x/shp/oxbaseshop/cl/info/tpl/straight_razors.tpl

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Yeah, I made it up. But it sounds good, doggone it.