Thread: How many razor do you own ?

A good time for a yearly count; right now I am at 51 razors that are or could be nice, functional razors. I have a good 10 junkers that either came in lots or were dud purchases. So way too many.

Of those 51, 16 are ready for use. Note that I actively use about 5 of those 16. The other 35 are in various states of refurbishment and most of those I will likely not keep - had most of them for a good year or two. I have 20 or so that I would like to keep. I'm working on a collection of Swedish razors myself and aim at having razors by as many different manufacturers; one of each. But this might be subject to change, as there are (were) a lot of manufacturers in Sweden.

The most I ever paid for any one razor was €70. Which was arguably too much for what it was (a common Japanese brand). I have also paid too much for a celluloid rot tainted 9/16 Daniel Peres without scales based on bad pictures. Still, a nice razor with a lot of character (it really does not look as bad as you would think) but I still paid at least four times (but really closer to eight times) as much as I should have - in relative perspective an insanely bad buy. I still "only" paid €40 for it, but it is a prime example why I will not spend more than €100 on any one vintage razor (prices are very personal illustrations to my point rather than valuations).

For me, collecting razors is a welcome hobby, something that I genuinely love and love doing. I have invested time, effort and patience in my collection, so I am attached to it and I love everything about a beautiful, well made, functional razor. But this attachment is more to the thing in abstraction ("collection of cut-throat razors") than to specific razors (although I have ones that I will positively never get rid of, but they are few - maybe 5). I feel my investments have paid themselves off in satisfaction with what I have; I really appreciate my collection and do not feel any need to accumulate just for the sense of accumulation.

A wise man once said (well, I am paraphrasing):

'It is easy throwing money around and buying whatever you want. It is much more difficult and satisfying to keep sane and enjoy in moderation, especially when you can afford not to - gluttony is a mortal sin.'

Live and let live, different strokes, birds of a different feather and you should not be judgmental. But I am, ever so slightly. Call it a character flaw if you like. I acknowledge we are all adults; we can do whatever we want (within reason).

But. I find amassing whatever you want, on whims, without as much as considering the possibility not to just plain silly. Even when concerning something as small and inconsequential as collecting tools, such as razors. I am funny like that.

As for the question 'why do we buy so many razors?', I think very often it is just a simple case of overshot enthusiasm, fuelled by all the beautiful collections on display on sites such as SRP and purchasing euphoria. For a while it was for me, even if I never made any real high-dollar purchases. I did not hurt anyone, it did not hurt my finances, but it felt empty. My purchases mostly just ended up in drawers and I went on looking for another nice Heljestrand.