Thread: Okay, NOW where are you at with shaving stuff??

I have two razors which are shave ready, One from Bill Ellis and one which was NOS that I was able to prepare on my japanese 4000 and 8000 waterstones and my Tony Miller Pimped out pasted paddle strop. I also have a cheap pigskin hanging strop I won on ebay for $4 which actually works rather well after a few treatments with some neatsfoot oil. I have two Brushes, An Omege Proraso boar bristle brush and a Kingsley Badger brush. I've got a few assorted soaps and shaving creams and a couple DE's that I use when I am in a hurry. I would say that out of the six days a week I shave I use a straight 3 times.

I'm trying to become more "reasonable". I have one good razor and a second back up I am working with and shaving with daily. I've taken the other 6 or so and tossed them in a closet. I'm trying on occasion to like my 6/8 World Master because I payed so much money for it, but I'd really like to sell the thing, damn NOS stuff. Great razor, just not the one for me. Why do these damn things have to be so much like women!

Where I am.....

I used to shave daily or every other day with a straight from 1978 till about 1984. Then grew a full beard which I found harder to manage to shave the edges of it w/ a straight & bought a Merkur slant bar HD which worked very well. Occasionally used the straights (maybe 2 or 3 x a yr). Recently my 17 yr old son hijacked the Merkur (who says they're not for beginners?), and I cut the beard down to goatee size and started again w/ the straights. Also, I discovered this very helpful website! Amazed I stuck w/ the str8s for 6 yrs w/ doing so many things wrong!
I now have one shave ready razor, the Imperial 5/8 SP that I won from the recent contest. This is a great benchmark! Others, are a C. V. Heljestrand 4/8, Dbl Duck Dwarf 9/16, and a Henckels 5/8; all 3 are RPs. I got two barber hones recently from redtrader99, w/ which I'm trying to get my original three up to the standard of the Imperial. I have two strops, an old Engels Russian leather and linen, and a small one w/ two leather sides and a tension rod which tightens in between them. One shaving brush, a Plisson pure badger. A rubbermaid mug w/ C & E seashell soap melted in it. Safety razors include the Merkur HD (that's on loan till the kid buys himself a threatened electric!), a Merkur black and maroon bakelite for travel, 4 Gillette Super Speeds, two chrome plated from the mid 50's and two black ones from '70, and a Gem Micromatic. I had a couple of the Fat Boy Adjustables, but gave one to my wife and one to my younger son. Only aftershaves are Dickinson's Witch Hazel, and Walgreen's Bay Rum. The Bay Rum has lasted for years, as I only use it for special occasions (it stings!). Not terribly exciting, but hey there's not much cash flow, so it will have to do!

I want a few more John Crowley 8/8 razors. Then I plan to start gathering up some honing equipment and start honing. I would also like to find an extra long 3" wide strop to keep at home. I am also hoping to find a nice scuttle and some new shaving creams and soaps...

Well the last time I took inventory I have about 40 razors in my rotation about evenly divided new and vintage including 8 Double ducks and 11 TIs. I have a Norton 4K/8K, a blue belgian, a coticule and about 6 old barber hones. I've got about 8 or 9 hanging strops mostly vintage save one of tony's and a dovo extra wide. I have 4 mugs and alternate classic shaving soap, haslinger,Trumpers and TH. I have two badger brushes (a Vulfix and one of matt's) and a third on the way. For finishing I use Thayers Witchhazel and I have an assortment of aftershaves too numerous to mention.

But I can stop buying any time I feel like it.

You just don't want to