Ackerman’s post ridiculing the antiquarian’s desire to shave with a straight razor reminded me of his namesake’s death—I’d thought Spencer Trask died by cutting his own throat with a straight razor in a train accident. But the Internets are so shy with this story—the only other sure reference I could find was this poem, excerpted below—I wonder if it’s true.
Spencer Trask must have stood amazed, the red gush on his shaving hand, pearl-handled razor dropping open on the floor.
15 comments
December 11, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Vance
The Times at the time said skull fracture.
December 11, 2008 at 2:16 pm
kid bitzer
straight razors are wicked cool toys to play with, but i would never want to have them around small children, emotionally unstable couples, or my own throat.
kinda like a loaded gun, only you keep it in the bathroom. no thanks.
December 11, 2008 at 2:33 pm
matt w
I hear Yaddo is the party artist’s colony.
December 11, 2008 at 2:35 pm
eric
I’d like to find out first-hand.
December 11, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Jay C
eric: find out about Yaddo, its parties, or straight razors?
December 11, 2008 at 2:43 pm
eric
Yaddo and parties. Straight razors I can leave.
December 11, 2008 at 3:22 pm
jazzbumpa
The photo of Trask on his Wikipedia page (everybody should have one) shows him with full beard and mustache.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Trask
Speaking of unstable couples – keep a 12 inch crescent wrench out their hands, as well.
December 11, 2008 at 3:49 pm
soup biscuit
It’s actually really pretty easy to shave with one (a straight razor), I did it for years originally in protest of disposables or something, then out of habit.
It does require a bit more concentration, but it’s not much slower really. Only thing is you have to maintain it.
December 11, 2008 at 3:58 pm
ben
It’s as if Spencer has never heard of the safety razor (even though I have it on good authority that he lives with the owner of one). None of those guys canoodling with Miss Holloway was using a straight razor. It is easy to shave with a safety razor. I have always imagined that it would be hard for a right-handed person to shave his right side, and a left- his left, with a straight razor, but whaddo I know.
December 11, 2008 at 4:00 pm
ben
Straight razors I can leave.
You sure? Just the thing to secrete in the folds of your c-mm-rb-nd at functions with rivals.
December 11, 2008 at 4:08 pm
soup biscuit
imagined that it would be hard for a right-handed person to shave his right side, and a left- his left, with a straight razor
Not noticeably, in my experience.
Safety razors are functionally close in use to today’s disposables. They tend to be a bit faster for the broad flat parts of your face, slower in the corners. All in all, about the same. The blades stay sharp longer than most disposables but these days maybe having a dozen blades in the head or whatever makes it even. They’re cheaper to keep going (than a good disposable), but more pain in the ass to change blades (and these days to find them).
Straight razors are definitely more pain in the ass to keep going, cost nothing ongoing, and worry people when you’re visiting. I don’t know that there is a lot to recommend them these days, but they really aren’t such a pain in the ass. I maintained both clean shaven and a clean, short beard with one for ages.
Electrics universally suck (in my experience) if you have any sort of density or strong beard hair. Work wonders for some others though.
December 11, 2008 at 4:59 pm
kid bitzer
agreed. with the crescent wrench it’s an unstable triple.
they’re notorious, 12″ wrenches.
December 11, 2008 at 5:58 pm
ben
but more pain in the ass to change blades
What? It takes like ten seconds.
December 12, 2008 at 12:05 am
sharon
I don’t think this actor will be using a straight razor any time soon…
December 12, 2008 at 6:41 am
Ben Alpers
I’ve recently switched from a disposable (Gillette Fusion Power) to a safety razor. I find that I get a better, cheaper, but somewhat slower shave.