Thread: Some rambling thoughts...

To quote TO "Get ya' popcorn ready" cause this is a long rambling post...

So, I've been a member here (and other shave related forums) since Jan. '09. This was either my first or second forum (can't remember the exact order but I think it's second), and I've always enjoyed reading about and sharing experiences related to this little hobby.

When I first joined here, I posted very rarely, read a lot, and started working on gaining experience and relevant knowledge rather than simply regurgitating what I'd seen written by others. That's just what I did naturally, and it's surprising how few guys take that approach. Only after getting past "book learning" stages and into real world success did I feel ready to share suggestions, advice, etc. with others... Just a thought...

On the other hand, I really don't understand how some guys seem to think that a person has to have experience with ebvery possible hone or permutation of hones/razors/strops/soaps/creams/blah/blah/blah to have a valid opinion. This isn't to single anyone out, and I don't even have anyone in mind, but I don't understand it when I see it. If Lynn tells me that Naniwas are good, you're never going to convince me that it's a bad move for me to offer them as a suggestion to people who are looking for hones. I haven't moved razor one across a Naniwa, but too many guys tell me they are good for me to shrink in the background when they are being discussed (of course, I'll not offer specifics about their performance, though).

Another rambling thought... Honemeisters' edges sometimes can use some improvement. So what, most of the time they'll shave, and if not they'll always be happy to work on it again. They'll even be happy to work on it again if you just don't know how to use the razor and return a perfectly serviceable razor to them for work. I've had one case where a razor came back and it didn't shave (and it wasn't just my technique), but I didn't say anything and just worked on it myself. I've also gotten razors from others to hone (at no time should you confuse this with me saying "I'm better than XYZ" because me sitting down and working on one razor until it works isn't the same as going through a session of honing 10 razors and getting a 90% or 100% success rate). No big deal... Please don't post "Screwed by Honemeister" threads because they are counterproductive, and show that you've most likely not tried to communicate with them. Some simple math will tell you that they aren't doing this service to get rich. Say a guy hones 10 razors a day, taking weekends off, they are only bringing in $52k a year on that (260 days X 10 razors a day X $20 per razor). While that's nothing to sneeze at, that's a pretty hefty load for someone doing it as a second source of income, and it's not a substantial living for someone who's using it as a primary source of income...

Something else... Just because a product is being hyped too much, doesn't mean we need to try to actively marginalize it. My pet peeve is the praise Tabac gets. I've tried a ridiculous amount of soaps and creams (buying into the gotta try it all to be relevant opinion at one time), and Tabac truly does rate about in the middle of what I've tried in my experience... I do express that opinion, but when guys talk about it as being the best of all products in wet-shavedom, I try to ignore it... The same things happen with hones and razors and brushes and blah blah blah. The most recent example that I'm seeing is a bunch of posts about coticules being really hit or miss when it comes to finishing razors. I think that's innaccurate, but don't deny that a) they are very different and require different techniques from stone to stone making them seem more difficult and b) they aren't the "best" for many according to their preferences. However, I reject the idea that only 2 or 4 out of 100 (or more) are capable of finishing razors. My friend Jimmy has had 20 and all work (some better than others, but are good). I've had 5 and they've all been excellent (I'm talking only recently mined ones, maybe vintage ones are out there that suck )... I just don't get the need of some to bash products that either they don't like or didn't take the time to learn or whatever... Guys who hone a ton of razors, I understand not wanting something that takes an individualized approach for each razor and each honing session, but that doesn't mean that synthetics are definitively THE way to go...

That brings me to this thought. The only thing that's absolute in this game is the fact that there ARE NO absolutes. When someone says something that works for some is "wrong" because it doesn't look like what they do or read or whatever, they loose credibility to me. I don't need someone on the internet correcting my stropping, honing, shaving technique from across the country when I know good and well that it works great and has been giving me excellent results for all this time...

Another thought back to hones... When talking about hones with Glen or Lynn or some of these guys that hone a bunch, like thousands of razors per year... I don't need the same kind of set up for my measly honing needs that they do. They are going from dull to shave ready by the fastest means possible and that's what they need. This is like a farmer with 5 acres talking about tractor needs with somone who has a 5000 acre farm... While what the farmer who has the most land is absolutely right in saying the best tractor for his needs is the huge beast, that doesn't mean it makes sense for the guy with the 5 acre farm to drop $100K plus on a tractor... Here with razors, you can get all the hone(s) you need for the rest of your life (most likely) for less than $100. Buying several thousands of dollars worth of hones is fine if that's what you want to do. But, you don't have to have a rare Japanese natural stone, or an 8X3 coticule, or the full set of Shaptons, etc.... I have all of those, and I've found that I prefer my little bout Coticule for most of what I do. I use a 1K Shapton if I have any major work to do, then I go to it... But, more importantly, there REALLY isn't that much difference in all of these things to justify spending 5 figures on shaving gear to "experience" it all. There really isn't, and yes, I've spent well over 5 figures on all this junk since starting...

The best thing to do, IMHO, is find a setup that works for not too much money, and learn it really well. By the time you really learn what you're doing, you'll be much more educated about what you might want try next. Don't go out and buy a bunch of stuff before you learn what the deuce you're doing... it's just not smart.

For the record, I didn't have a "mentor" when I started, and I have often said that I wish I had me to guide me when I got started... My brother has spent an embarrassingly small percentage of what I have on this junk, and his kit is great. My stuff is nicer, but he is enjoying a great shave, has great great razors and some really nice software... He didn't have to learn all the expensive lessons I did... That brings me to this point: see the guys with the blue "mentor" tags? They are here to help. If you are smart, you'll latch on to one (preferrably near you so you can get 1 on 1 help) and befriend them, and let them help you get a good start.

Well... those are some rambling thoughts, and I'm quite certain they read as being as incoherent as they felt, but I just wanted to put it down for others to read... I hope someone finds it at least interesting