Okay, we all seem to go through different phases with straight razor shaving (and likely many other hobbies) and I was curious your stories and where you are at this point.

My serious start (not the 5 years I dabbled with no direction) was finding the SRP forum and making a call to Classic Shaving. I wanted a decent razor but wanted to start cheap, just in case. I got a basic Dovo, a skinny strop and a cheap brush. Two successful months later I added a second, larger Dovo and sold the small one. I was hooked.

Then came the acquisition phase <g>, evey half decent, less than $15 ebay special had to be obtained. I needed them all! Some were great, some were horrible. This continued for months. After a while I realized I was only using the newer Dovo and slowed down on ebay. I bought a few other, new razors and sold many of the old ones. I found myself using a complete rotation now, 5 or 6 razors that all shaved well.

Then I bought a TI. Bad move. I liked it better even though it was one of the sub-$100 pieces. I bought another, slightly used and much better than the first. Next thing I know other nice razors were being sold to buy newer TI pieces.

I now own less razors than before and am using each much more often now. I still use my first cheap Burma Shave brush almost every day even though I have a few really nice ones. I guess I am now at the point where fewer, really nice examples, users too, not just collectables are what I want. Each must be justified instead of randomly grabbed. I set certain guidle lines for what I will buy and what I will pass on. I almost always stick to it <g>.

So, where are you at? Same phases as I did or did you start with the best? Maybe you started with bargains and stayed there the whole time?

Tony