Rant: Young barber asked me why I still use a straight razor

Kid straight up said it's slower than shavettes. Told him about old Mr. Garcia who came in every Thursday for 40 years, and how that razor let me feel every bump on his jaw from a fight in '88. Ever have a tool teach you something about a person?

4 comments

4 Comments

baker.holly14d ago

Hold your horses there. I can see why a young guy might think a shavette is faster, but faster isn't always better when you're working with someone's face. That straight razor forces you to slow down and pay attention to every little detail, and that's exactly the point. You can't rush through a shave with a real straight edge without hurting someone, and that's a good thing. A shavette lets you zip along without really feeling the person underneath the blade.

the_brian14d ago

Does this mean I should ditch my electric razor and find a wise old knife?

the_tessa14d ago

You ever have a buddy who swears by his grandpa's old hunting knife for everything? My friend Rob uses one to whittle wood and says it taught him patience.

troy_price14d ago

Oh man, Rob's got the right idea but it's actually the other way around. Whittling doesn't teach you patience, you have to already have a little bit of patience before you even pick up the knife. Like I tried whittling once with my dad's old Buck knife and almost cut my thumb off because I was rushing to see the shape come out. You gotta slow down real quick or you'll learn that lesson the hard way. But yeah, once you get past that first panic moment, that old knife does make you focus and take your time with each cut.