THERE is a moment in “Skyfall”, the new James Bond film, when the stylish cipher we like to call 007 shaves with a straight razor, also known as a “cut-throat” blade. In a perfect advertisement for what is often considered a grooming chore, a bare-chested Daniel Craig, the latest Bond, patiently swicks at the marble block that is his face, only to be interrupted by the near-breathless marvelling of a beautiful woman (Naomie Harris). The scene ends with Ms Harris finishing the job herself, cooing, “sometimes the old ways are the best”.

And so a market is born. The Shaving Shack, an online retailer, claims to have seen a four-fold increase in straight-razor sales. The Executive Shaving Company has sold 50% more cut-throats in the last week. “Men have a hankering to do this,” explains Brian Mulreany, a shaving expert at Executive Shaving. “Real Men use Straight Razors," quips a comment on Badger & Blade, an online forum dedicated to all things shaving, in one of many threads devoted to James Bond.

At a time when the end of manhood is allegedly nigh, gents seem keen to embrace indulgences that are manly without being metrosexual. Bond has long served as an example of what this might look like. As with all of the secret agent’s choices—sartorial and otherwise—shaving with a straight razor is macho, anachronistic and fetishistic. The tool is dangerous, so its bloodless deployment demands enough skill to be a source of pride without seeming fussy.

Yet the latest cut-throat boomlet is part of a growing demand for classic razors and kit. Mr Mulreany notes that sales at his company have risen 240% in three years. He adds that he spends much of his time teaching grooming basics to men of all ages. “It used to be that dad would take his son into the bathroom and show him what to do,” he says. “I now meet men who have never shaved properly in their life.” More barbers are offering cut-throat shaves as well.