Thread: RAD

Daaaaaaaang! I can't believe I read ALL of that. I believe I am no longer ADHD! Thanks for the input, a lot of good points to keep in mind. And it can definitely get out of control.
Choose a set price, don't go over.
Keep your priorities in mind.
Try to enjoy what you already have.
Now go forth and save those wayward blades!!!

Originally Posted by MikeT

Daaaaaaaang! I can't believe I read ALL of that. I believe I am no longer ADHD! Thanks for the input, a lot of good points to keep in mind. And it can definitely get out of control.
Choose a set price, don't go over.
Keep your priorities in mind.
Try to enjoy what you already have.
Now go forth and save those wayward blades!!!

Yep, I admit it is quite long but I wanted to share my experiences with RAD & to also give me advice for people who might feel they have RAD or might be on their way to getting it. I also wanted to share my experiences on eBay. I had some money but began to run short back in October, 2014 & the last new straight I bought for retail was a Waterhouse custom. I have since bought just a few things but not like I used to. Sure, like I said, we do joke about it & that's fine but as Bruno said, "any AD is sad". That was why I decided to write about it, to help educate others to not do what got ahold of me & I still read posts everyday about people saying they have RAD. Collecting some is one thing but when you begin to accumulate some you don't really need to have, it leads to RAD. I made a mistake when I was buying more but I'm also not afraid to admit when I'm wrong. I hope those who might think they are getting RAD will see this & learn from it. I always like to help others out.
Thank you very much for your input!

Some years ago I went through the photography version of RAD (called GAD, gear acquisition syndrome). Trust me, you can buy a lot of razors for the cost of photography equipment. At any rate, that thought me a lesson, and I'm always careful to make sure I'm not doing anything impulsively unless it's a time sensitive, amazing deal.

Part of the problem is reading everything in forums like these...for beginners, just learning the basics is enough, but it is very easy to get caught up in the amazing, rare stuff that people have amassed over time, and when someone says something is the best they've ever tried, or their favorite, a newbie is looking for what works best for them, so buying more is a natural consequence. I think that learning to use what you have, THEN expanding and trying different things, is the best approach (unless you have something that is truly awful).

I have a hankering for a large silvertip brush, something really soft and floppy, but when I shave every day and use my brush (a nice, Edwin Jagger best badger), I can't find any fault with it, so I haven't bought that brush...it's just a want, not a need.

If you can't answer the question, "How will this razor/brush/soap/etc improve my shaving experience?" you can wait. If you like collecting, that's a different beast, but a newbie most likely doesn't know enough to assemble a collection and identify a good deal (see my question about tang stamps as an example; I didn't buy that razor after getting feedback here). Someone experienced should normally be more selective and will at least not buy junk; any purchase should be able to be resold for a comparable price unless bought new.

I very much agree!

As it says on TV,
"Know your limit, play within it."
Good judgment comes from experience, which comes from bad judgment.
Many schools on RAD and all the rest, but IMO as long as you make decisions that feel right, and learn along the way buying whatever you like, and can afford is the way to go.
My wife sometimes eats all of one item before moving to the next at dinner, very methodically so she can "fully savor each component". Personally I think that's daft. But to each their own, I love her anyway cause my quirks are way worse. It's that sort of thing for me.
I learned straight shaving, and honing, and stropping, and lather, and brushes, and grinds, and etc,,,all at the same time. And continue to do so.
Did/does that detract from any one aspect of the craft, or my enjoyment of each step, failure, and victory? Heck no. Would I be wiser or stronger in any one area were I to break it down and learn things sequentially? Most certainly in those mastered areas, but further behind in those not yet addressed. Where's the fun in that?
Again all entirely subjective and not to say my way of eating is better or worse than my wife's, it all ends with the same result.
Great thread.
Cheers.

Originally Posted by MikeB52

As it says on TV,
"Know your limit, play within ...
Again all entirely subjective and not to say my way of eating is better or worse than my wife's, it all ends with the same result.
Great thread.
Cheers.

Great points, I was laughing too because i often joke with my wife about the way she eats and how my method is far superior... she eats the same way one at a time.
You rounded it up well too, I'm trying to remember what that's called... a "tie-in" ?

Rad is something which seems to eventually save some great pieces of history. Sadly, it destroys some as well.
JMO

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Rad is something which seems to eventually save some great pieces of history. Sadly, it destroys some as well.
JMO

Very true Tom. Your opinion is greatly appreciated.
I knew of an eBay member who would buy old straights, take the original scales off of them & would sell the blades. I knew this because I had corresponded with this guy & could tell he was the one buying these razors, then would see him listing the blades only. I wrote to him & asked him what did he do with the old scales & he said he threw them away!!!! I asked him if he would send me the old scales but he wouldn't say. I kept seeing him list more old blades & I would write to him again & he would say the same thing & he finally told me he would stop trashing them & send them to me but ever since then, I have not seen him on the bay selling blades anymore. This has been some time back. What a terrible waste................somewhere in a dump are some perfectly good old scales rotting away!!!!!

Originally Posted by engine46

somewhere in a dump are some perfectly good old scales rotting away!!!!!

That's probably the saddest thing I've read today.. That guy was nuts.

Originally Posted by MikeB52

That's probably the saddest thing I've read today.. That guy was nuts.

You tell me! I had communicated with him about a blade or something & ended up communicating with him more. When I saw he was buying up these old straight's & selling just the blades, red flags went up so I asked him about them which is how I found out about it. He even asked me if i knew of a good place that would make custom scales for them. When he finally said he would send me the scales, I haven't seen him since on eBay & that has been sometime last year. I like saving old scales when I can & I even fix them if they're broken. Sorry to sadden your day Mike. It saddened me then & still does because I now wonder where these scales ended up or where they could be..........