Thread: DVD: Lynn Abrams World of Straight Razor Shaving

Originally Posted by Forzato

I normally visit forums for one reason - and one reason only: to learn something. Usually to learn something specialized that has little published about it.

I personally despise when a forum, especially a forum on a very specific topic (like straight razors), becomes filled with endless text having nothing to do with the specific topic at hand. The reason I despise it so is because every time that I research something on a forum I've got to wade through the same e-n-d-l-e-s-s text myself to get at the answer.

I decided to attempt a few reviews as way of saying thanks to the SRP community and to maybe help a newbie or two - but in the process I've wound up creating even more of the endless text that I despise so. (some of it personally... as we speak in fact!).

Wanna know me? OK... I'm a consumer advocate/designer/mechanic/author/pilot/fisherman/hunter/welder/sailor/motorcyclist/reader/guitarist that has been enjoying straight razors for the last few years or so.... how's that sound broham's?

And don't forget...
keep it coming!



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So there is someone home!! Welcome to SRP!

Well Forzato, it appears you have become quite the controversial figure here! I thought your review was, by and large, articulate and fairly positive. I have not yet had an opportunity to purchase Lynn's DVD (public service still pays poorly so I have to procure things at a snails pace) but I would say that your review has left me with a positive impression of the product which I have and still do, intend to purchase as soon as the money is available.

Imperial America is, I am fairly sure, a reference to the book Imperial America: Reflections on the United States of Amnesia by the noted and controversial Gore Vidal. I have not read the book as I find Gore Vidal's politics to be distasteful.

I admire your spunk even if I disagree with your politics.

Originally Posted by Forzato

Oh... ok, I see how it is around here.

I'm just speculating of course (majored in sociology for a bit and found the dynamic a bit interesting when you came on board) this should by no means be assumed to be the real reason.

I for one take anything in a reviews section with a grain of salt... ok, less than that. It's not until I've talked to someone or gotten to know them that I feel that I can use their judgment with any reliability (no offense to you or the other reviewers out there, or those that have given me an opinion.) Especially in regards to this art, much of it is a matter of preference.

the views in this post are solely that of Nickelking and not that of SRP or the SRP membership.

Only a few minor negatives to mention:
a) home-video like editing of the video production (e.g. "medical particles" and a few redundancies in the audio track)
b) the video should have a more in depth look into the nuances and pitfalls of honing (this might have helped viewers more with one of the most difficult parts of straight razor ownership)
c) the video needs more emphasis on the importance of using optical magnification (especially when learning)

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A) Are you a cinematographer? If Lynn had invested in doing the very best state of the art DVD it would probably run us $40 per DVD yet still providing us with the exact same information thats presented in an excellent $20 DVD.

C) The use of optical magnification is more of personal preference rather than an important topic. Do you honestly believe that 100 or 200 years ago they were using such methods for testing a razor?

Originally Posted by Forzato

I normally visit forums for one reason - and one reason only: to learn something. Usually to learn something specialized that has little published about it.

From what I see, you have not come here to learn, rather you are trying to teach. You have made no contribution anywhere else on this forum other than your own review threads. You haven't even given us an introduction.

I'm still laughing at R2D2's bunghole.

Seriously though, there's a lot of good knowledge to be picked through on this forum, but there's also a lot of noise making it quite difficult. Same as on any other forum. You need to spend a while getting to know the contributors in order to know which pieces of info you can trust and which to disregard.

I find the only info I can treat as valuable is stuff written by guys who have provenance. Having spent some time getting to know those on here, I know who they are. New members either need to earn that trust (over time) or need to declare their qualifications and experience. Otherwise, as far as I'm concerned, it's just more noise.

Well this thread got off track in a hurry. I don't know what Forzato did to be banned but that is as it may be.

I visit more than I post here. I'm not a straight razor user and don't know that I ever will be as I find it a bit daunting. Past attempts have made the wife very nervous too.

However Lynn has been a past customer at Superlather and I was actually a bit flattered the first time I saw his name come up on my lists. I haven't seen this DVD but like others have said it is the only one of its kind that I know of out there and I do recommend it to people if they ask for a good SER primer. I do this based on what I have heard about it from other SER users whose judgment I respect. Lynn is known as something of an authority in this area after all.

So to put this back on topic and hopefully give Lynn a bump in sales, I recommend this DVD to the newbie and even to the old SER salt because it isn't often you can sit down and listen to someone discuss the straight edge for nearly three hours!

could you imagine what the dvd would cost if it had been professionally filmed and edited, i like the down home touch it has, lynn is a down to earth guy and his dvd is one of the most important purchases you can make next to a good quality razor, not expensive just good quality my best shaving straight cost me $6 dollars, my 2 cents worth