Thread: Have you ever faced a situation like this? Hobby gone too far?

Well, I just splurged and bought a boar hair brush, so I figured I'd do this as an exercise.

Hoffritz Straight Razor - $100 1987 dollars
Hoffritz strop - $20 1987 dollars
Synthetic brush - $10 1987 dollars (not so great this brush)
Badger brush - $0 (gift from my father in law)
eBay straight - $12 (useless)
eBay straight - $2 (useless)
eBay straight - $12 (being honed, finally a score)
2 Gold Dollar straights - $16 (useless and ugly)

Puck of Williams - $ 1.98
Spare Puck - $1.98
eBay strops (2) - $0.99 (haven't seen them, don't expect much)
eBay straight - $11 (haven't seen it, high hopes for a first restore)
eBay straight - $9 (haven't seen it, backup plan for a first restore or second restore)
I cheap VanDerSomething boar brush - $5 (meh... 'tsallrite, but I prefer the badger)

So, seems I'm in some $190 into this, and it's taken me 20 years to spend that much . That's leaving out the safety razor hone I bought thinking it was a barber's hone - this thing is small and has a curve on one side.

I have this uncanny ability to predict the future, so here it goes...

I will be spending too much on razors, stops, soaps and unguents in the near future. You will too.

Uncanny, like I told you.

"AND NOW IT'S FOUNTAIN PEN'S???"

Offer her a spa style straight shave in the...um...area of her choosing. Maybe once she personally experiences it and sees how cool it is, she'll understand. Or perhaps pick her up an old DE safety razor if you're not comfortable shaving her. Couple it up with some flowery girly soap/cream (TSD Gardenia comes to mind) and a boar brush and you're in business. I know, but stranger things have happened and some women dig it and end up wanting to get involved. You could reverse the old argument of "I'm only trying to look good for you." or if you're feeling slightly more daring, the "I'm not hurting anyone" approach or if desperation sets in, the "how much money do you spend on worthless woman crap?" is always a final hail Mary. Other than that, show her this

Originally Posted by sgthuskey

I started straight shaving to save money!

Me too !!! <g>

Four stones (two Nortons, barber hone, useless 8K ceramic): $ 180
Assorted sandpaper: 20
2 Strops: $ 80
New Dovo: $ 80
13 vintage razors @ $20 each (average) $ 260
.. ---------

Total (over 6 months or so): $ 620

That's more than I thought. On the other hand, if I look at " Dollars per hour of fun", it's not too bad.

Like most things, you can spend as much as you want, or as much as you have.

You can "get by" with not much. I figure that a complete set of "Whipped Dog" shaving gear would come to under $100 -- and that's as much gear as a person needs for straight-razor shaving.

Charles

PS -- I've been lathering for years, and already had a brush.

Originally Posted by chattersking

Just wondering how much money have you guys invested in all your shaving materials? Basically my wife thinks that this hobby of mine has taken a life of its own!

Just a WAG... but I bet I have less invested in my shaving gear than your wife has invested in shoes

Originally Posted by Birnando

My wife doesn't seem to mind me spending money on my hobbies.
I make the money myself, so I spend it the way I see fit seems to be her attitude towards that end of it.

However, When asked about how much I have spent, I really must plead the fifth

Space in the bathroom is a whole other story.
She really thinks "her" bathroom is getting a very masculine vibe.
My plan is to build a new bathroom for Her and our youngest kid (female)
That would leave me and the boy with our very own cave.

Since you make the money yourself,aren't you afraid the government will catch on eventually,I don't think they approve of that ,but maybe your on to something....

I stopped tracking how much I spent after 1K was gone in the first 30 days of this thing of ours.

What I try to do, which my wife may not always understand, is spend money on things that at least hold their value. That way, should something bad happen financially, I might be able to liquidate my stuff in a pinch.

When you consider that I came to this hobby after establishing a good guitar acquisition syndrome (GAS rather than GAD), she doesn't really notice the razors or brushes moving in and out of the house. She likes the soap. Her beef is more about time spent on this board and the sound of honing. But I digress...

I have a guitar that I paid about $2500 bucks for. Sounds crazy until you realize that, if I really had to, I could sell that guitar for $3,500 in less than 48 hours. I have a Boker Red Injun that I paid $20 for. I sanded and buffed it out myself, and it's about a 7 out of 10. I'm betting I could move it for more than $20 on this board in a similar time frame. So, all of these things are relative and up to your individual situation. The important thing to remember is that everything, EVERYTHING, in life is about balance. Make sure your maintaining that in your home first and it will spread throughout your life.

Besides, what are you going to do with your money? Leave it to your kids?? Ha!

--David