Acquisition disorders - not again!

Like a lot of other guys, I went through an acquisition disorder stage when I started wet shaving. My collection grew to include an eclectic mix of DE and SE razors because I wanted to sample a good variety. I really never thought I'd get into straight razors because I didn't want to bother with all the stropping and honing and extra maintenance. And I had found products and combinations I really liked, so I figured I should spend time using up some stock.

But one day I picked up a Parker shavette, figuring it would be fun to try and it was only $18. But that led a few weeks ago to my purchase of a Thiers Issard and cheap strop--and it's happening to me again. I find myself researching Dovo vs. Bokker, stainless vs. carbon, vintage vs. new. The problem is, DE and SE razors are cheap in comparison to straights! I think I only have one DE that cost more than $35, and that (a Gillette Fatboy) was a gift from my wife! It's a lot harder to make a stealthy straight razor purchase. I'm going to have to learn new tricks to set aside a little cash each month and be content growing my straight collection slowly, I guess.

Haha welcome to my world. My wife said the next package from eBay is going straight into the dumpster:dropjaw: I have only bought 1 new one but have 11 good sharp used ones in my rotation and probably 15 that I'm going to use as honing/reconditioning practice. :tu

Its just horrific. lol. My favorite one was when a post said he was sweating bullets waiting for the mail before his wife got home first lol. I think he even said he was waiting by the mailbox hah..

I will not buy more shaving related product.
I will not buy more shaving related product.
I will not buy more shaving related product.

That lasted me a whole day. Fat Boy, zulu gray and some aftershave on the way

Straights are awesome. Just don't start to save money.

Ha got my zulu grey a week or two ago ! Had to pay the wifey 20 not to throw it in the dumpster lol

On more than one occasion I have rushed home to beat my wife to the mailbox, including once when I moved my lunch hour to 3:00 because my wife
called and said she was getting off early and would be home by 4:00. The real funny thing is that she gets something from ebay or amazon about twice a week and
I only get something about once per month.

One of my friends that collects matchbox cars actually rents a mail box at a UPS store so that his wife won't see his purchases.

Oh man thats funny. On more than one occasion I have rushed home to beat my wife to the mailbox, criswilson...a true man,, Is that what it boils down to...beating your wife to the mailbox. wth is she racing you to the mail for lol...just kidding man...iva done the race thing to the mailbox lol

Well going slow in my opinion has a serious advantage. That advantage is familiarity. Getting to know your tools, especially early on, pays huge in reducing the learning curve. At least it did for me.

There is always time for more - never enough time to get to know what we have!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nodakjohns

Ha got my zulu grey a week or two ago ! Had to pay the wifey 20 not to throw it in the dumpster lol

---

That opens up a whole new thing by the female gender...................straight razor extortion or RED.....razor extortion disorder! What about the things they buy???:nono:

You are all making me laugh! Good to know I'm not the only guy doing these things.

When my wife does recognize something new in my collection and asks when I got it, I just kind of look at it like yesterday's news and say, "I've had this for a while now..." :rofl2:

Gentlemen,

After almost 50 years, the dearly beloved is accustomed to my flights of fancy. She shuffles into the shave den, glances at the razors and the brushes and says, "They grow like rabbits."

No worries we all have been the same path.
Make sure you set aside for hones, and strops too. I assume you already have a bunch of brushes, cream, and after shaves, else set a side for those too :).
You are among brothers (ahum enablers) here :rofl2:

In the last 3 weeks I have picked up a total of 24 razors. Why do you think I restored that machinist chest, to hide all my ill gotten gains.

This to shall pass,back in the day I had 100s of razors,now I have ten,I had 15 strops,now I have two.
I had every Hone known to man,sold most of them.
Had all the so called great soaps,to me they were all the same,today I use Cella, Palmolive and Tabac,all cheap stuff.
Aftershaves, I have tons I never use,are in a box out in the garage somewhere,100s of $$ worth of stuff.
As an aftershave,I use cheap whichhazel cut 50/50 with cheap bayrum,I may not smell like a french whore,I smell like I came from an oldtime barbershop:) just my way.

I think for most of us who have been at this for years you come to a place where you look at your inventory and say "why do I need all of this junk". I've whittled down my razors by more than half and my strops by 90% and have probably 7 or 8 hones of which maybe 4 I really use. If it weren't for my DDs which are really a collection I seldom use I'd have just a handful of razors.

To tell you the truth I'm happier these days.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AZBronco

You are all making me laugh! Good to know I'm not the only guy doing these things.

When my wife does recognize something new in my collection and asks when I got it, I just kind of look at it like yesterday's news and say, "I've had this for a while now..." :rofl2:

---

I hear ya on that one!

It still gets me from time to time.......like this afternoon.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CaySea

It still gets me from time to time.......like this afternoon.

---

Can't let 'em get the best of ya............it works both ways. They spend money too!!!!!

When the wife says, "Honey, how many of those things do you have now?"

I answer with an approximate weight in pounds rather than the number of pieces. ;)

The last time I was busted was over fishing gear. Had gone to Capt Harry's and came home. The wife asked, "So what did you get at Capt Harry's?" I replied, "I got some leader material, some hooks and a pair of pliers." She snapped back, "I saw a receipt on your dresser for $487.00." I responded sheepishly, "It was a really nice set of pliers." :-)

Rule of thumb I use as I get older,if you do not use it, get rid of it.
On CL today I sold 3 chainsaws,a warn winch I took off my dodge power wagon 30 yrs ago.
Two Nikon Cameras (non dig) 6 lenses,two nikon binos.
1000 rnds of .45 ACP,3 cases of shotshells,(all duck loads)
My duck club membership,is all gone:(

Yeah I agree Pixel, though I have trouble following through sometimes. If I haven't used something in a 12 month stretch, out it goes, generally. Exceptions to that rule exist, mainly for things with a potential use longer than 12 months, like the toilet cistern and various bits of plumbing for downpipes etc. Pieces of wood seem to hang around a lot too, never know when you might need to make a gate or whatever.

James.

My wife never gives me grief. She asks what is it, how much, then that's it. She has no problem with my spending some $$ that I've earned.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HaiKarate

Its just horrific. lol. My favorite one was when a post said he was sweating bullets waiting for the mail before his wife got home first lol. I think he even said he was waiting by the mailbox hah..

---

There's a simple treatment for Acquisition Disorder - just buy one more. Then buy another, after all it's just one more. And one more won't hurt. As long as you only buy one at a time it's just one more, and one more is not that many.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AZBronco

Like a lot of other guys, I went through an acquisition disorder stage when I started wet shaving. My collection grew to include an eclectic mix of DE and SE razors because I wanted to sample a good variety. I really never thought I'd get into straight razors because I didn't want to bother with all the stropping and honing and extra maintenance. And I had found products and combinations I really liked, so I figured I should spend time using up some stock.

But one day I picked up a Parker shavette, figuring it would be fun to try and it was only $18. But that led a few weeks ago to my purchase of a Thiers Issard and cheap strop--and it's happening to me again. I find myself researching Dovo vs. Bokker, stainless vs. carbon, vintage vs. new. The problem is, DE and SE razors are cheap in comparison to straights! I think I only have one DE that cost more than $35, and that (a Gillette Fatboy) was a gift from my wife! It's a lot harder to make a stealthy straight razor purchase. I'm going to have to learn new tricks to set aside a little cash each month and be content growing my straight collection slowly, I guess.

---

Well busted again. Shopping at Walmart and my phone blew up telling me I won a coticule on fleabay. Wifee had a Coniption fit. Gotta ear beating when I got home. I didn't mention the Joseph elliot best silver steel 6/8 I won the day before...lol