The Straight Dope

Discussion in 'General Shaving Talk' started by Infotech, Sep 12, 2007.

  1. Infotech

    Infotech Active Member

    This is a cool site that was born from a news paper column a long time ago. THe guy claims he'll answer any question. I haven't visited the site in a while and decided to check it out about shaving.​

    Are twin-blade razors better than single-blade ones?

    [SIZE=-1]25-Nov-1983[/SIZE]​


    Interesting note: The article says that when Consumers' Research magazine first started testing twin disposable blades they could get 10 or so shaves out of certian razors but by 1981 they could only get 4.​
     
  2. IsaacRN

    IsaacRN Active Member

    That was a great TV show as well
     
  3. jbcohen

    jbcohen New Member

    In the early 70s Saturday Night Live (Does anyone remember when that was the name of the show not the three letter acronym?), did an interesting skit on the matter in which Chevy Chase held up a Gillette Trac II and said "Gilette Trac II becuase you will buy anything." I still frimly belive that's true.

    I am convinced that most of the history of shaving is one big long quest by the producers to get the public as a whole to pay more and more.:whacky084

    In the begining we all used straight razors and got excellent shaves and never really had a problem unless you fell asleep while shaving. The problem with the straight was that the producers made a lot of money off each one of us once in the customer's life and never made a cent from them again. Something had to change the producers were not getting enough of the consumer's hard earned dollars. :think001

    So the safety razor was born. This removed from the user the ability to sharpen the blade, and hence the customer had to keep buying in order to keep shaving. But the devil was where he typically is, in the details. Too many companies saw the oportunity to get the customer's dollars and began fighting over the market and under cutting prices.::duel Something had to be done there was just too much competition and prices were to low. Producers had to eliminate the compeition somehow.

    Thus the cartridge razor was born, it allowed the producers (staring at Gillette), to raise prices to what ever they so desired as long as they produced new models ever so number of years.

    Somewhere along the ways we have lost site of what is good for the consumer.

    I was on track to shave with a straight some time ago until Shave Den members who use straights told me that straights are not necessarily a better shave.
     
  4. IsaacRN

    IsaacRN Active Member

    Get on the straight bandwagon man......these DE people lied to you.
     
  5. Will

    Will Nevermind


    Perhaps but their is always YMMV. ;)
     
  6. IsaacRN

    IsaacRN Active Member

    Well.....i have to put up a strong front...

    I did have to break out the DE today to clean some areas...........haha....

    DONT TELL ANYONE
     
  7. Will

    Will Nevermind

    Tell, heck I do the same thing. :rofl

    DE's are fun for goofing off.
     
  8. IsaacRN

    IsaacRN Active Member

    Its a nice quick way to do cleanups for areas you didnt see. Im getting better not using them though.
     
  9. jbcohen

    jbcohen New Member

    Have not gotten on the straight bandwagon at this point because Shave Den members tell me that the straight is not necessarily better just takes a bit longer to use. At the cost I am paying for the double edge blades (approximatly seven tenths of a cent) there is no finacial way I could ever warrant the straight. If straigth users were telling me that the shave is better I might consider it.
     
  10. Queen of Blades

    Queen of Blades Mistress of Mischief Staff Member

    Moderator Supporting Vendor
    I haven't seen anyone saying the shave from a straight isn't better. :confused:

    I do recall reading that a straight gives you a longer lasting, closer shave.

    Am I right straight users?
     
  11. JMS

    JMS New Member

    You are correct!
     
  12. PalmettoB

    PalmettoB The Old Guard

    Okay....now I'm tellin' ya...it is!
     
  13. Sejanus

    Sejanus New Member

    I also see Straight Shaving as being a more a slightly more refined but certainly more hands on version of DE shaving. Not saying DE is bad or 'less advanced' because it isn't but in the same way that us DE shavers get choices of blades to stretch across the room, straight shavers can shape and wield the blade to their own devices to an extent. Both work great and both are a personal choice that really CAN'T be wrong to anyone. As a DE user I am going to try straight one day for my own fun factor.

    In the end though, sharp is sharp and it takes a brain behind the hand in order to do the work! :D
     
  14. jbcohen

    jbcohen New Member

    Your big advantage with the straight is you need not buy anything further. I on the other hand need to keep buying the blades.
     
  15. rick

    rick I'll make ya SCream!


    another reason Ill never use a cut throat ;)
    I can barely get 6 shaves a week in now.
    If I used a straight Id never have to buy any more soaps and creams.
     
  16. Will

    Will Nevermind

    Yes Ma'am!
     

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