The Abbreviated History of Straight Razors

The Abbreviated History of Straight Razors by Kennedy Kennedy

How Men First Began Cutting Their Own Throats

Some barber shops are bringing back the beloved straight razor shave. What's not to like? While the barber goes about his business, you get to completely relax and get the cleanest shave possible.

So, if it's so great, why did it go away to begin with? That answer is pretty obvious - the inventions of those twin demons of men's grooming darkness, the safety razor and the electric razor. The former is now up to packing five blades in its ongoing effort to give men a decent shave, and the latter...well, the best we can say about that is it's fast and you can make use of it while you're driving. But we could say the same about McDonald's cuisine.

But, while those new-fangled convenient razors have histories only decades old, the straight razor's got a resume that extends back millenniums, way beyond the first barbershop. You know all those caveman drawings - where all the guys have beards and all the women have lumps on their heads from where the guys hit them with clubs? Well, we can't vouch for the lumps - speaking for ourselves, we generally find ourselves on the receiving end - but the caveman beard is one of those well-worn clichés that's not necessarily true.

Shark's teeth, clam shells and flint were all used by prehistoric men to create primitive razors, according to unearthed evidence. Apparently, prehistoric women were already complaining about beard burn, so the guys decided it was worth possibly shredding their own faces to get a little more action.

A little more recently, if you can consider 4000 BC more recent, ancient Egyptians apparently used straight razors made of gold - they've actually been unearthed by contemporary archaeologists. Since Gillette is now making safety razors out of platinum, we figure uranium blades will be the final shaving frontier in the barbershop frontier.

In 6th Century B.C. Rome, King Lucius Priscus introduced the first Roman razor - and barbershops in that famed city became elite gathering places for the leading men of the time.

It wasn't until 1740 that the first modern steel razor was introduced and shaving became a more regular and widespread habit for men. As a matter of fact, daily shaving wasn't really a fact of life until American men began doing it in the 20th Century. We chalk that up to the invention of the shaving commercial - and the immediate airing of it every ten minutes, over and over and over and over...

The straight razor shave was easily the most dominant form of shaving until the 1950's - when, as noted earlier, we as a people made another one of our ill-advised trades of convenience for quality and switched to electric and safety razors. And thus put the first nail into coffin of the classic barbershop experience - the last nail was put in, we believe, by some pretty bad "chop shops."

But some never say die - and that's why some have brought back the straight razor shave.

Oh, and no worries about the straight razors. They're made of the finest metal - no clam shells or shark's teeth are involved!

About the Author

Kennedy's All-American Barber Club™ caters to gentlemen looking for a fine grooming experience with the old world charm of your father's barber shop. Offering the finest in haircuts for men, the lost art of straight-razor shaves and a modern selection of grooming products Learn more about Kennedy's by visiting http://www.KennedysBarberClub.com