Even though the rise of hipster culture has made getting into old fashioned things seem like a cliche, the fact is, nostalgia is a phenomenon that is never going away. This includes nostalgia when it comes to shaving. The Herald-Review explores this in a recent article titled “Old-fashioned straight razors offer modern indulgence.”

Bob Fallstrom of the Herald-Review writes, “Northgate Barber Shop is reviving the old-fashioned tradition of using a straight razor for closest shave possible. But gone are the days of a ‘shave and a haircut, two bits.’ Pampering like this is going to cost a bit more than that. ‘It won't be cheap,’ said shop owner Bob Stelbring, a 50-year barber. ‘We'll offer it by appointment. Adam will be the guy doing it, a full deal. We'll see how it flies.’ Griffin, 30, recently joined the seven-chair shop. A graduate of a Taylorville barber college, he's from West Frankfort and has two years of experience. Shaving with a straight razor requires a steady hand. ‘I enjoy doing it.’ Griffin insists. The hot towel? ‘It softens the whiskers,’ he said. There's a deal attached to every shave. Register for a free shave. Each week, a drawing will reward one lucky customer.”

Men’s Journal also makes a case for the straight razor in an article fittingly titled “Why It's Finally Time to Consider the Straight Razor.” Matthew Kitchen of Men’s Journal writes, “‘The learning curve is long, but the lifelong enjoyment of shaving goes way up,’ Luke Webster, founder of straightrazors.com, explains. ‘Cleaning is simple. Just run it under water and towel it off. There’s no soap scum, no hair, no assets from your face. You’re using a blade that’s always in perfect shaving condition.’ The added shaving time and high entry cost might scare a few people off, but when you space the introductory $100-$200 over the next sixty years, or hundreds of years if you pass your blade down a few generations, versus the $30 you’ll spend on disposable blades every few months, you quickly lose that argument.”

If you’re looking for a place to explore your straight razor curiousity, why not go with Armory Replicas? Our Bone Handled Damascus Steel Straight Shaver is perfect for a good smooth shave with exfoliation. This shaver is handmade with damascus steel and a bone handle with a brass medallion in the center. The shaver comes razor sharp but a few laps with a strop couldn't hurt to get it exactly to your personal preference of sharpness. It's not like any other razer you've experienced.

Whatever replica armory and novelty item needs you might have, you can’t go wrong with Armory Replicas!