The Birthday Gift

[Moses Yoder]

Meg does not support my vintage shaving fetish. That sounds worse than it really is. My hands are kind of shaky so any time I hold a sharp instrument she fears for her life or my life, I am not sure which. I have lots of life insurance, no reason to fear for my life, I assume she has to fear for her own life. Anyway I am shaving with a vintage double edge razor and needed blades. That would be double edge razor blades, $11 per hundred for Astra on Amazon.

She refused to pay for them, said they would have to come out of my allowance. My thought was they are cheaper than the cartridge razors, why wouldn't we pay for them out of the family grocery fund? It took me a while before I realized this was her way of protesting the proximity of any sharp instruments to my hands. So I was waiting until I had money and then our lawn mower exploded, we needed a mower. I decided to sell some of my tools to pay for the mower and asked if she in return would pay for my razor blades. She ordered them grudgingly.

Sunday morning I realized the whole protest sharp instruments thing was why she wouldn't pay them in the first place and on the way to church I told her she could just make those my birthday present and I would be happy. "Ha! Too late for that!" she said. That was a little over a week before my birthday, and I have had to wait ever since then to see what she bought for my birthday. I am not sure when I will find out, or if she did really buy something for me. Just dying of curiosity, don't mind me.

[Pat Barry]

Hope you get something better than razor blades ===> Happy Birthday!

[David Weaver]

I rarely shave with a DE, but I love the astras. They are reasonably sharp, consistent (never get a burr on one or a defect) and CHEAP.

I don't usually travel with a straight razor, and love the idea that I can go somewhere for a week, take an arko shave stick, a brush and razor and shave for the week for 11 cents.

[Rich Engelhardt]

They didn't & don't call them a "safety razor" for no good reason.
Other than the act of removing and inserting a new blade, there isn't anything more dangerous about a safety razor than any of the cartridge or throw away ones.

[David Weaver]

It's pretty hard to do much damage with the safety blades - you'd literally have to hold one by the edge (out of the razor) and sneeze and squeeze at the same time to do anything with them. They're so light that you're in greater danger of ruining the edge handling them by the edge than you are anything else.

Well, that and they'd be difficult to put into a razor while you're holding the edges.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Or pull a "brain went on vacation" stunt and not watch where you're going with the blade while inserting it and run it across your thumb or finger.


Anyhow - my whole point being the only time the edge of the blade is really exposed is when it's not in the razor.

[David Weaver]

Or pull a "brain went on vacation" stunt and not watch where you're going with the blade while inserting it and run it across your thumb or finger.



Yeah, brain dead isn't great with razors anything. I always tell people that you'll never injure yourself badly straight razor shaving...

...now, if you mishandle a razor or drop it, you could serious damage (or ruin) a straight razor quickly, or in my case jerk your hand away as you see a razor falling and accidentally catch it on your hand or finger as it's passing by.

[Mark Yundt]

Glad to see I'm not the only one with a "fetish" or should I say obsession.
My straights number around 450 or so. My DEs are around 175. Brushes, I make them as well as restore vintage ones. Soaps,,30 - 40.
I also have a business restoring vintage straights and honing them.
Here is just a small sample of part of my collection. If you're interested in seeing some of my restored straights I can show before and after shots.
I also have a couple I've carved in Ivory. And shorty I'll be making more of my own custom straight razors but to date i've only made 2. A Kamisori with Giraffe bone handles and a Western style straight with file worked spine.

[Bruce Page]

That's an impressive collection.

[Mark Yundt]

Thank you. It's a good start.

[Moses Yoder]

I am saving those pics to use as evidence when my wife protests my collection of razors.

[Mark Yundt]

Guys on the wet shaving sites I frequent say the same thing!