Thread: CULTURE DIFFERENCES I NEED HELP ON THIS

I think that anyone who has posted or lurked on forums for a time learns that the wrong impression can easily be given through the keyboard. We all try to be gentleman and to be of help to each other when we can. At the same time since body language and facial expression don't come though the written page most people learn to choose their words carefully.

I happen to despise Dorco DE blades but I have seen some guys post about how great they are while Merkurs are lousy. I happen to like Merkur DE blades. A lot of this hobby is YMMV and who am I to tell the other guy that he paid too much or steer clear of this or that ? If it is really obvious such as a poster asking if he should buy a razor with obvious defects or one that is on the razors to avoid list in the Wiki then yes I wouldn't hesitate to pull his coat.

When we get into other areas such as which hone to use to set a bevel or which stroke is best what is right ? I have my preferences and others have theirs. I may voice an opinion in a general way but I won't presume that I am right and the other guy is wrong. I know many of the members will help the other guy when they feel they can but no one wants to step on toes either.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

this is not personal .i wanted to understand. in my mind i think differently.I never will hurt anyone intentionally(may be have done so many times without noticing).
it is not just about 1 post.this is about what i have seen in here more then 6 months.
I think if someone comes in here and says i bought this or that is this a good deal ?
they are asking for help to find out what they have done right or wrong?
We who knows the approximately prices have to say yes it is a good or bad deal not to be afraid we will hurt that person's feelings?
I had problem with myself just accepting this ,To tell everyone hey you got already great deal.you wanted you get it doesn't matter what it cost you?in this case he learns nothing at all.
it was confusing and i wanted to hear from you guys i am hopeful more people will come forward and let their opinions go.

Hi Sham,

If I were asking that question, I would expect to get honest answers. "You probably paid too much" or "You paid more than I would have paid" seem like the best possible answers to me. It is how we learn (just as you said earlier).

As for differences in culture, I say that the "American" culture is a mix of cultures from all over the world. We should each express ourselves as we see is right. In doing so, we help each other to learn and grow and to understand new (and sometimes better) ways of thinking and interacting.

I've always appreciated your posts. This one is no different. You are helping all of us by asking this question and sharing what you think. Thank you for that!

Cheers,
Tom

I see what you mean... sometimes we do go easy on someone when they make questionable decisions... but it is really hard to be too helpful without knowing how much something is worth to an individual, and what they think is fair (yeah... they will learn eventually that they paid too much, but sometimes that's the only way to learn). I would say, however, that when people make decisions that are unquestionably bad (like buying a zeepk or selective razor) the SRP powerhouse steps in to let them know they had been taken for a ride.

It's true, in my opinion most of the time guys pay way too much for razors on ebay and at antique shops, in the sense that once they've brought those razors to good working condition they would have spent a lot of time and effort and sometimes more money than if they'd have just gone for a razor that's already been fixed.
But at the same time they're getting a good lesson out of it, so that's got some value

Also I don't think I have the experience to appraise razors, neither do I have the desire to do so and basically that's what this is going to be taken as, no matter whether we like it or not.
Just see how Lynn's mention of a particular brand correlates with a spike in that brand's prices. I would hate somebody to start using my opinion on something as an authoritative answer - it isn't and it's introducing completely artificial bias.

On the other hand when people have come with say Dovo tortoise special which they bought on ebay for $150, I've pointed them to classicshaving (nowadays to straightrazordesigns as well) where they can buy the same exact razors for fraction of that price. But there is a big difference between a wildly available razor and one that is hard to get. I may have an opinion how much a genuine tortoise shell helje mk 32 is worth, but if one pops on ebay my mouth is going to be completely shut. Over the last 2 years I've seen only one of these on ebay, and I doubt there'll be another in the next 2 years either.

Most important though is that I think the focus shouldn't be on the amount that's been paid, but rather on the condition of the razor.

I think the fair definition for a 'good deal financially' is 'paying below average/median', so half of the people are getting good deal and half are getting a bad deal, that's just a fact.
I don't understand the obsession with getting 'good deal'. If somebody is purchasing razors as an investment vehicle I would expect them to compensate me financially for my consulting services. Otherwise they should concentrate on the important part and in my opinion it's not the money.

I think Gugi is right about the condition being more important than the money; even more, DESIRE is more important than the money. Anyone who asks that question AFTER they bought it has probably already decided what they think; now they just want affirmation. Actually wondering if you got a good deal or a bad deal after you buy something is probably a sign of buyer's remorse, and at that point, it doesn't really matter what anyone says. Why make the guy feel worse, is my opinion.

Or, of course, someone wants to brag, in which case they won't take any disagreement well at all.

Basically, when someone asks that question, "did I get a good deal", they already know the answer themselves and nothing you say, one way or the other, will change it.

I recently bought a razor that was cosmetically in pretty poor shape--stained and worn looking. However, I LOVE the blade design, and I really don't care if I got a good deal or not by other people's standards. I got a good deal by MY standards, so why would I ask the board if they agree with me?

I think you are mistaken, Sham.

I travel to the US a lot (in fact, I'm about to get on a flight to NY in a few hours) and enjoy the company of my American colleagues as well as family there. In my experience, Americans are not shy at letting you know that you are wrong. Although in a social sense this can sometimes come across as somewhat "in your face" to the Brits (and Europeans?), it is very refreshing in a work environment because it's a great way to cut through all the BS.

I was born and brought up in Hong Kong, with an extended Chinese family. Certainly in my experience you don't tell someone bluntly they have made a mistake because the whole issue of 'face' amongst the Chinese is incredibly important as a social more.

I was educated at a very uptight and traditional English public school -- you were taught not to rock the boat and generally they turned out automatons (highly privileged robots, mind you). Criticism from your superiors would be harsh, but criticism from your equals was fighting talk and not tolerated.

I think what we are seeing is less a geographical cultural issue and more to do with the fact that on the internet it is [1] easy to misinterpret what others are trying to say (e.g. I can't tell when Mark is or isn't ranting about Obama ) and [2] easy to hide behind anonymity. The SRP community seems a little more intelligent and discerning than your average forum, so perhaps the members are more aware of those two points. Hence, the tendency to pull punches when normally one wouldn't?

But I do agree with the point of being more forthcoming about positive criticism. Unless it's a pile of crap, then I reserve the right to flame you.

Different cultures have different ways of doing things. The way a person is brought up by his parents will have a lot of influence as well. Then you have to factor in what kind of school a person went to. So many variables. In the UK, people generally tend to be reserved and tactful, though this has changed considerably over the past 20-30 yrs. I find on this forum very helpful, constructive criticism tends to be the norm.
Sometimes one has to 'read between the lines' as we say in the UK. In other words someone may say one thing, but phrase it in such a way that there is another interpretation. This can be difficult if it is in a language that is not your mother tongue.
In terms of costs/values mostly I would say that we are referring to the US marketplace. In the UK things are often more expensive because there is less to choose from. For example, there is much better availabilty of Sheffield made razors in the USA than there is in the town of Sheffield.

i do appreciate every single opinion you have given so far.i want to clear a little bid.
My first mistake i used word American culture.
I live in this country and Generally i think American culture .As we all know srp include all other the world.this is my mistake and i accept this.
Now Please guys we are not talking about buy sell between some 2 people .I am talking about newbees who buys something and comes to the forum asks what he/she has done.
Example .have anyone ever seen Mr Lynn buy razor and come to the srp and asked i bought this Puma for this price what guys do you think?
or have you seen ever Mr Bart leaves message i have bought belgian coticule what do you guys think it is a good price or bad.
I hope you got know what i am trynig to tell.
check this thread it was early and see my response please to Randydance. Please pay attention Randy never mentions how much he has paid for razors this is the link
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...60-razors.html
Now People who leave such a message i think(my understanding are new people )They doing so want to make sure what they got.
If we i mean by we people who knows the approximately prices (example i know prices of the hones.how much they worth etc. i have been buying them more then 4 years now) Not to say truth to new peoplei think this will hurt them
This is i am trying to tell.
As gugi said he knows prices of the razor's he could say to new comers X person you have done wrong it is not worth that money.
I thank all of you and hope this message will help someone instead of hurting anyone.
Sincerely sham

Sham, if I am understanding you correctly you are saying that randydance or gugi have the experience to know what they are buying and how much it is worth while a new guy may not have a clue. Therefore if a new guy posts what he just bought we should tell him what we really think it is worth ? Or do you mean we should consider his feelings and tell him but if he got cheated we should tell him in a nice way ?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Sham, if I am understanding you correctly you are saying that randydance or gugi have the experience to know what they are buying and how much it is worth while a new guy may not have a clue. Therefore if a new guy posts what he just bought we should tell him what we really think it is worth

yes exactly .