B&B is history for me, and why it should be for you...

Three or four times per year, a good friend and I get together to show each other our new gear, hone a bit, and catch up on what's happening in each other's lives.  The last time we got together, he had a special new strop for me to admire...

Over the last decade, the straight razor scene has seen a tremendous increase in activity, information, and panache.  Concurrently, it has seen an evolution from a niche hobby being served by an industry from its figurative death bed to an industrial Phoenix rising from the ashes, seeing venerable names among straight razor manufacturers like Revisor, Puma, and Böker being revived to serve the burgeoning community of enthusiasts.

I'm quite sure everyone who has visited this website has read Robin's review of a Robert Williams Custom razor.  That razor belongs to me, and Robert has been more than gracious in his handling of that razor return.  No one is perfect, but the measure of a man (or company for that matter) is seen in the way they handle their mistakes.

Now that you have determined that you want to try your hand at straight razor shaving, you have to consider some maintenance aspects of the endeavor.  In order to master artisan shaving, developing effectual stropping skills is essential.  However, picking your strop is an important consideration and it should be researched considerably.  Stropping is King, afterall.

In recent months, little has been more controversial in the straight razor community than Belgian Coticules and their fraternal twin, the Belgian Blue Whetstone.  Robin recently dealt with the uproar resulting from the release of Coticule.be's team of researchers.  Without getting into the personalities and politics at the center of this Hone War, allow me to tell you the truth, as I see it, about Coticules.

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One of the first things a newcomer to the wetshaving scene will notice is the myriad small shop soap makers and their loud lauding patrons.  The marketeering tactics of these, and other vendors, is of no concern to me, but there is a reason to beware the overnight soap makers. Read more »

You know the quote.  There are many witticisms pertaining to opinions, but in the straight razor community, expressing negative opinions is, almost universally, taboo.  Opinions that are shared so freely about how opinions *should* be expressed (yes, I catch the irony) in the wet shaving community are as varied as they are stinky. Read more »

With the previously incomprehensible development of turning shaving into a hobby has come the same propensity for "acquisition disorders" (ADs) that plagues many other hobbies.  And while the commercializing of a hobby is fundamentally problematic for some, there's a more important reason I blanch at the praise and enabling of ADs: it retards the learning process... Read more »

The resurgence of cut-throats has spawned a new generation of craftsmen who are creating some truly gorgeous works of functional art.  From Tim Zowada to Robert Williams, this new breed of razor makers captures our collective imagination with their creative designs, captivating lines, and attention to detail.  As a buyer, there are a lot of features to consider before commissioning a razor by one of these talented craftsmen...