Interesting trivia.

clownjuggles · Post by **clownjuggles** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 8:11 am

I went to get my hair cut today. I was having a talk with the head barber at my store and we got talking about straight razors. He said he had a hess razor today because Florida and 10 other states require a replacable blade. You would think that it was the blade is the issue. Apparently the issue they have with normal straight razors isn't teh razor. It is the strop. They don't want them to use a strop. I find that really ironic. But it was interesting to hear.

clownjuggles · Post by **clownjuggles** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:44 pm

Yeah,

I know that is what the barber said. Sterilize it afterwards. not too difficult.

zebo · Post by **zebo** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 7:49 pm

I was recently on vacation in San Francisco, looking for straight razor shave, and everybody was using replaceable blades. The barber I eventually got a (rough!) shave from said they have to use replaceables, also can't use brushes on your face.

I live in Massachusetts, and would like to find, and get, a straight razor shave--in hopes it'll push me over the edge to get the str8 bug and start doing it myself........

Mark

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 9:30 pm

Peter, A VERY murky issue. Your barber ( Carr's I presume ) actually gave you pretty much the true picture, I think. Notice that real straight razors actually CAN be used in the majority of states, according to your barber. But barbers in most places will tell you that they can't be used, even though they, presumably know better. They are the same guys that will often tell customers that they're prohibited from using brushes, when really, they're not, they're just required to handle them in a particular way ( to keep them sterile, etc. ). But generally, they just don't want to bother, the lather machine is much easier and simplier for them. So, they tell people that they CAN'T use a brush. Strops are, apparently, the real issue. But as Chris pointed out, all they have to do is staret with a new strop, and then sterilize the razor after EVERY use, and voila! No problem. Obviously, it's hardly an insurmontable problem, as barbers in Britain and Europe manage, and everyone's not walking around with barber's itch there. Chris, I believe that a few barbers in Canada still use real cut throat razors, do they not? I think I read that Truefitt & Hill, in Toronto, uses them. Regards, Gordon

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 12:49 pm

Chris, Sorry to hear that. I read a piece where the writer said his barber at T&H ( Toronto ) stoped up his razor, before shaving him, and another piece where the same happened in some small town barber shop in Ontario somewhere. Ah well. A barber I used to go to here in Tampa used real open razors to trim around one's neck and sideburns, but regetably, he doesn't do shaves, and I got one shave in NYC, a few years ago, where a stroped razor was used ( and yes, I could feel the difference, from those shavettes ). I've told Gavin, at Trumpers in Curzon St., that if i ever get over there, I'm not paying what they charge to be shaved with a shavette. We'll either find some way to use a real straight, or, I'll look elsewhere. Regards, Gordon