Function vs. Aesthetics (poll for newbies)

I've been wondering for a while about this and I'd like to make a poll to see how you feel.
I know that everybody's opinion changes over time, so let's see how the newbies feel.

Please vote here only if you consider yourself a newbie. I'd let you decide, but I kind of want to know what way people lean when they join.
I'll probably run the same poll in another section for more senior members and see if things are changing.

What is function: basically the shave quality - not all razors are the same, 'good name brands' are on average better than 'lesser known brands' (although there I'm not a fan of some popular brands and there are few fantastic ones, which are just not so popular because they didn't make tons of razors).
Warping and hone wear of the blade I would consider function.

What is aesthetics: condition of the blade - pitting, tarnish, scratches. 'Brand name' I consider unrelated to function - I have razors that have no brand attached to them which are much better than some sught after brands. The scales I would also consider mostly aesthetics.

For example would you pay say double the price for a razor to have scales made of wood/horn or even more for ivory or carbon fiber, instead of the more common plastic. Or would you rather have a no-name razor that is a top shaver vs. not so good shaver, but from a popular brand.

For most people it's a balance so where do you think you fit, at least where do you expect you'll fit. I think I gave enough options (pure function, mostly function, equally function, mostly aesthetics, pure aesthetics).

as a newbie, i bought a noob (new out of box) henckel. work at a razor place and paid cost.
it's not shave ready and sitting on a shelf, so i'm using a borrowed wapi.

so i think i went for a good shaver, after looking at the reviews but will only know for myself in a little while , but it's basically plain black plastic with a grey twin logo.

next i'll go with both and get a Dovo renaissance, still plastic but better looking.

then i'll try to fight rad and stick with those two...
but i would also like to try one of those little japanese razor or get a custom maestro livi or a zowanda or....:w

so i went with 75%function and 25% aesthetics

i would pay good money for ivory scale but not on a unusable razor (unless i could use those to have a rescale on another good blade)

100% function if it looks good but wont shave whats the point, and if it shaves good why does appearance or brand matter

I'm a noob and use a wapi. It seemed that most thought they are good shavers, and it was relatively cheap. I wanted to start out modest but not so modest that I got discouraged by an impossible-to-shave-with razor. I will say that aesthetics played zero part in my decision for this first razor.

-graham

Dude, it's been about a month. I'm looking for a great shave right now. Later, when I'm displaying razors in my shave den, assuming I make one, I might care more about aesthetics.

I'd rather have function than beauty. But what is the deal with spending 100 bucks on a razor, and getting a really crappy plastic handle? Doesn't make sense to me. The cost difference can't be that much. Sell it for 10 dollars more and put a wood handle on it.

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Originally Posted by stdreb27

I'd rather have function than beauty. But what is the deal with spending 100 bucks on a razor, and getting a really crappy plastic handle? Doesn't make sense to me. The cost difference can't be that much. Sell it for 10 dollars more and put a wood handle on it.

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Point taken but it may cost more than just $10 to make that change, especially if the wood is "exotic" don't you think?

Al raz.

I voted 75% function. I wanted to vote 100%, but that would make me a hypocrite, because when I bought my DE I avoided the Merkur Progress because of THAT ugly plastic knob.

I wonder if there are any equivalent monstrosities in the straight razor world?

BTW I wouldn't knock the Wapienica. I happen to think it has a special charm of its own.

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Originally Posted by grahamule

I'm a noob and use a wapi. It seemed that most thought they are good shavers, and it was relatively cheap. I wanted to start out modest but not so modest that I got discouraged by an impossible-to-shave-with razor. I will say that aesthetics played zero part in my decision for this first razor.

-graham

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Right now I'm in acquisition mode to determine the size and style str8 I like. I have 7 str8s, 5 found in antique shops for $10 - $15, 2 were new, Col Conk Cracked Ice scales and Dovo Special Tortoiseshell scales. Six are 5/8 and one is 4/8. Three are round points and 4 are square. I'll use the $10 blades to learn honing. They are 2 Shumates, a Torrey, a Henkel, and a no-name.

Down the road I'd like to get something like a Mastro Livi, but I don't want to spend $400 or more and find out I don't like big blades. I haven't shaved with a square point yet (they need cleaning). My plan is to clean up the Henkel Platinum square point and send it out for honing. Then I can learn the square point without worrying about my honing skills.

I'll probably re-scale the antiques down the road. So it's 75% function for me. I want my str8s to look nice, but mainly I am looking for good shavers at this time.

Dave

I love beautiful razors, but the one thing that is absolutely necessary is that they also be really good shavers.

Have fun,

Lynn

i guess ill throw my two cents in here when i first started i was looking for a :eek: thats a beautiful razor but now i am starting to collect some old rough looking american made blades and i find myself drifting to the rough looking great shavers i find that old razors with some character are beautiful in there own way a couple months ago i would have voted 75 looks 25 shave but now its exact opposite

I don't keep anything that is not an amazing shaver, but as more and more razors come through my hands I go for those that are good looking, add some diversity to my collection, and feel good in my hands.

In short, I really don't think I could attach percentages to it.

straight razors look Bad A$% nomatter what. so i voted 100% function
that beign said i nice wood finish handle makes a beautiful razor

I have to say 75% functionality and 25% looks. I like ornamented blades, I'm not too fond of plain ones.

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Originally Posted by Alraz

Point taken but it may cost more than just $10 to make that change, especially if the wood is "exotic" don't you think?

Al raz.

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You just need some oak or mesquite. These aren't large run items, the amount of wood used is really small. The difference in price isn't going to be very much. Especially when you factor in the instability in the price of oil. Which is what most plastics are made from.

When I voted 50% function 50% aesthetics, I meant that I want it to look GREAT and shave GREAT. Being sub-par in either regard is not something I'm interested in at all. Just my opinion.:jedi:

Crap. Sorry Ivan, I didn't read before voting that you wanted newbs opinions on this post. Well, I'm no expert, so maybe my vote would still count?

75% function 25% form.

An insanely beautiful custom, even if it shaved well but didn't allow for an effortless stropping motion would end up gathering dust for me. Stropping is a huge part of performance for me and a razor has to flip flip flip easily during stropping.

Chris L

I went for 75-25, it doesn't have to be all that pretty as long as it works well.

it's got to at least peak my interest for me to want to buy it. then i (courtesy of being schooled here) i make sure it's worth my funds

I spent a lot of time hunting for the right first razor. Picked up a Dovo 5/8 Silver Steel with ebony handles. Bought Dovo, because I knew it would shave well, but I really wanted a good looking one, assuming that I won't have mountains of money to throw around on more razors for a while and I have plenty of other equipment to upgrade before I look at new razors. I can already see how this is addicting, but I've got to pace myself :rolleyes:
That Dovo is pretty sharp looking for a non-antique (which I would greatly prefer once my honing skills are deemed non-destructive).

I voted 75% function 25 Aestetics

In the first place a razor should shave very well... but I did get a buzzz when I got a razor back that had been cleaned up quite a bit..

And I'm not insensitive to brand names.. I sure want a Henckels someday..a Boker or a double duck will do fine as well.

I also like an old vintage because of it character, its hone wear, its pitting, in short its history. . So a razor that has history doesnt need to look perfect.. I like it better imperfect.

Maarten

Hmmm. As with most everything I acquire, the functional bar is set very near the top. THEN aesthetics are very important. Not sure how to answer the poll

I'm not sure how to vote either. First and foremost, it MUST funtion. And function VERY WELL. Or I will not keep it, no matter what it looks like. BUT, I will, and often do pay dearly for better aesthetics.

I didn't vote and I am an example of what Gugi said,"I'll probably run the same poll in another section for more senior members and see if things are changing."

When I got with this I bought mint razors and grungy ones. I liked a shiny perfect razor but if it had corrosion or other cosmetic faults I didn't worry about it. Only the edge mattered.

Now I find myself reading archived threads in the workshop and looking at sandpaper and dremel polishing kits. I have quite a few to practice on and I may start to clean some of my herd up.

Now that I have a relatively large collection of straights I am becoming much more discriminating when looking at razors to add to the collection.

I voted 50-50.

A razor has to have a certain "look" that appeals to me, a certain flow of the lines of the razor.

That said, if the razor doesn't feel smooth, and shave close, fuggetaboutit...

I voted 60 function 40 looks. It has to work cause I am mostly practical, but I would be lying if I said I didn't care out it looks. Looks, however, are subjective. While I have to admit that a damascus style blade is pretty sweet I typically like the older and simpler looking blades with some interesting/intricate engraving on either the blade or scales. So I don't think the $400 blades are necessarily the prettiest. Not that there's anything wrong with them ;)

i'm so typical in these polls. 75% function, 25% aesthetics.

for me, if i was to spend a lot of money on a razor it would be all about how well it held an edge and how well it shaved and if it was a quality product that would last. i like the looks of lots of razors but the flashier they get the less likely i would be to use them. i put the 25% because i will admit that i bought a W&B initially because i thought it looked cool ($15 at an antique shop and i now have it shaving great). looks are good but not essential.

to me it's like motorcycles. MV Agusta F1000s are beautiful, fast, sound good, but can cost $70 000 and truthfully don't out perform a Suzuki GSXR 1000 that runs about $14 000. so which would i buy? if i was rich i know which one, but i'm not. BTW the MV is the bike that Bruce Wayne rides in the Dark Knight, not the bat cycle though.

75% functition, 25% cosmetics but it's more like 80:20. I do love the way they look though.

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Originally Posted by gugi

would you pay say double the price for a razor to have scales made of wood/horn or even more for ivory or carbon fiber, instead of the more common plastic.

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Yes I would, without hesitating.

Aesthetics of my razors is extremely important to me. I want the tiniest little detail (for example whether the pin is uniformly spread over the washer or not) to be perfect.

That said, just equally important is the fact that the razor has to shave very well. After all, that's its primary purpose and the reason I'm buying razors in the first place. I would not want to collect nice looking dull razors.

Err, wait a minute, did I say "collect"?! I only started using straights 3 weeks ago! How come I own 7 already!? :eek:

Not sure how to vote on your poll as there is no option "I want both function and aesthetics".

I would have to say 50/50. I definitely want a razor that works very well, but I want it to look equally good.

I voted 60% function, 40% looks....NOT because either is unimportant, but because BOTH are important, with the emphasis on function.

Some esthetic's such as the scales really do effect function in the way that they feel in your hand while shaving, stroping, or even just picking them up up and opening the blade. So, although function is important, different materials As I aquire more razors, I find myself looking a more "unique" or decorated razors with Quality blade.

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Originally Posted by metalhead

100% function if it looks good but wont shave whats the point, and if it shaves good why does appearance or brand matter

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Ditto.....

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Originally Posted by AlanII

75% functition, 25% cosmetics but it's more like 80:20. I do love the way they look though.

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I would second this opinion in general.

What I look for most of all in items of all categories, is a nice "fit and finish". Things I buy don't have to look "trick" or "bling" (in fact, I prefer if they don't), but I want them to have a solid feel, and to seem well built - the feeling of QUALITY. I'm often willing to pay extra for that feel.

For the shanks of a razor, I think my primary concern would be function and stability. I'd want to see some thickness to them (so they're not feeling flimsy), a solid feeling hinge action, and for them to have a nice fit against the blade.

100 % function at this point because im tight budget, if i wasnt then 75 to 50 ratio for me

i would say 100 ratio because im on tight budget and i want the best function not looks, but if i wasnt then 75 top 25 ratio for me

I went with 75/25 as well. I'll say this though. If I thought I had no chance of finding a well priced good looking razor that gives a killer shave, I'd buy the first "good one" I could get my hands off regardless of looks. But lets face it, lots of nice razors shave well and we like pretty things.

Maybe we could poll on this question : "Are you willing to pay more for a prettier razor?". And to be fair, we could wait until the economy recovers :P

Right now, I think I'd be willing to pay 25 $ extra, maybe more, for an equal shave with better looks.

Of course, everyone has their own ideas about what makes a better looking razor.

100% function I have a stainless steel straight and several double edges. They are nothing to really look at some are a bit tarnished some don't look terribly nice, but for a sixty year old razor I'm not really complaining (I hope I look that good when I'm sixty).If they don't yield an excllent shave what's the point to them.

As has been mentioned above I'm most concerned about functionality. If it doesn't shave it's pretty useless to me. However if I'm gonna drop a 100 bucks on it I better get some nice scales as well. I would select 100 percent function but I'd be lying if I said I haven't wanted to buy a razor or anything else just because it looked cool

Don't some of the aesthetics effect the quality of the shave that you get from a straight?

I prefer function over aesthetics. I have a few razors that were given to me that are butt ugly, but they give great shaves. But to be completely honest I would never have bought them. So I chose the 75%/25% function vs. aesthetics. Like others have said I'm not going to plunk down cash for a razor that looks crappy. Of course if I ever start to restore razors then I guess that would change.

Allen