Thread: Prices have been so high or this is just me?

You can still buy a good brush for a reasonable price. Vintage Blades is having a big sale and the Shavemacs are darned good brushes.

Being new, I wouldn't know what the old prices were, but it seems to me that there is actually just a very very wide range of prices for the items we use, and subsequently a large range of qualities, features, and/or "luxury" you get. I mean, you can get a "good enough" strop for $20 or pay over $100, a razor for $50 or $800, a hone for $35 or $600, a brush for $15 or $500. A soap for $1.50 or $60. Aftershave for $5 or $75. Huge price ranges, and from what I can tell, there is definitely a point at which the returns don't justify the extra cost anymore, unless of course you have extra money to spend or you just want to experiment.

Did the same items you are looking at used to cost less? Or has there been a jump in quality since you've looked, and therefore a jump in price? Most of the $80+ strops are really really nice handmade strops with the best materials. You can still find plenty of strops for much cheaper, but you may not be getting the best possible quality. Also, you really don't need to spend $250 to get a great brush. Jimmy is right on, the shavemacs are damn fine brushes and the sale makes them even sweeter. You could even order a custom shavemac with a D01 knot and real horn handle for much less than $250. And then there are the Rooney super brushes which are among the best bang for the buck brushes you can get in terms of price vs quality.

What exactly are you looking for in a strop or brush? Maybe we can recommend something that fits the bill and won't break the bank!

Get a cheap practice strop from Tony Miller and a shave ready razor from a member here on the classifieds and you are in business. Brushes can be had for under a tenner, shaving soap needn't be expensive either. A nice Swaty barber hone on ebay for touch ups needn't break the bank either.

The "best" isn't necessarily the best. You can always find the most expensive but that and the best is often mutually exclusive.

You can still put together an assortment of razors, brushes, strops,hones and other gear thats does a great job for little money.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The "best" isn't necessarily the best. You can always find the most expensive but that and the best is often mutually exclusive.

You can still put together an assortment of razors, brushes, strops,hones and other gear thats does a great job for little money.

Agree but i am not that smart .i learn hones and took me 3 years.i have spend more then 250 to buy turkey stone but every attempt end up buying trush.
I don't know anything about strops,brush etc.I got great help from member zeppliin to buy brush.Now lets see how i will end up with strops.i know oldschool knows some japan side was selling great strop need to ask his help on that.
Utopian you are killing me it Took me so much energy and time to buy those stones .if i sell them for 50 i don't know what will happen to my brain.I should say end up some psychiatric home.