Thread: What are the reasons behind having a 'rotation'?

I know that a lot of members have a number of razors and rotate their way though them at some rate. Is that to benefit the blades, one's face, or just the need to have a bigger collection (I don't mean this in a pejorative way)?
Also, do you rotate brushes (it seems that some do)? Soaps?

I've come to the conclusion that I rotate through different razors, soaps/creams and brushes simply because I have more than one of each. It is only in the past 4 years or so that I did have more than 1 each thanks to various acquisition disorders. For 40 years before that I got along just fine with one of each and probably still could, Just spoiled by all the options available and don't want to go back. A rotation is a nice luxury if you can afford it but not strictly necessary to obtaining a good shave imo.

Bob

It's basically justification for the various acquisition disorders. Why use 1 razor when you can rotate through 14?

I have at least 50 badger brushes,but I only use two of them.

Man certainly is the proverbial collector, what ever his interest maybe ours so happens to be straight razors could you use just one for the rest of your days the answer is definitely yes, the question is would you want to own just one razor when you can have many?

One possible benefit could be honing the blades less often. If you used a blade weekly vs. daily, the edge wouldn't need honing (or 'refreshing') as often. This would also reduce the wear on the blade, but that occurs so slowly I doubt it is really an issue. You see how many old/used razors there are that are still in good condition.

I have two razors I'm learning to shave with (5/8" hollow and a 8/8" wedge). I don't rotate them though, I just grab the one I feel like using. I've got several others I'm fixing up and I would like to get them honed once their finished. I'll probably try them each out and find out which ones I like the best. After comparing them they will probably get narrowed back down to a couple that will be users instead of collectors.

A small rotation (2-3) can be advantageous if sending out for honing to ensure that you always have a shave ready razor. After that you are collecting just to have variety or for collections sake. Soaps and brushes are the same just variety or experimentation.

Variety is the spice of life............

Originally Posted by DoughBoy68

Variety is the spice of life............

+1
Bingo!
Ding..Ding..Ding! A winner every time!

Pete <:-}

Y'know when I was a young man I did ironwork for a couple of decades. I found that if I bought two pair of work boots at the same time, and rotated them, it gave each pair time to dry out, and they would last longer than if I only wore the one pair day after day.

The same can be said for shaving brushes. Not that you'll wear one out, I used the same one daily for 35 years before I came around to the forums and caught the AD bug. But aside from liking different brushes for different reasons, it does give them time to dry out.

I've gone for a spell where I used the same shaving soap for an extended period of time, but it is nice to have a rotation of soaps/creams to enjoy the different scents, textures, and characteristics.

With razors I also like different ones for different reasons, and I think it is prudent to have at least one back up in case anything happens to your main shaver. Especially if you don't do your own honing. Other than that, it is enjoyable to have more stuff.