Why Couldn't Be . . .?

[Obie]

Ladies and gentlemen:

Life is a barrel of missed opportunities: people you didn't meet even though you could have, restaurants you didn't dine at even though you could have. For instance, last year I came across a Gillette Aristocrat double edge razor in almost mint condition, reasonably priced, and didn't buy it. Don't ask me why. I still brood over that missed opportunity.

Life is also a sequence of things that could have been and should have been but were not. At a flea market last year I came across a straight razor that instantly grabbed my attention. It was inside a glass display case along with other objects, and it was marked $40. Even though the scales looked perfect and I had a gut feeling the blade would be a treasure, I moved on. Why I don't know. I had the money. I still think about it: what if it was a great razor? It could have been a bust, too, but at least I should have asked to see the razor.

Another time I came across a Henckel with gorgeous scales, original, if I remember, and almost jumped out of my britches. Oh dear, dear, but the 5/8" blade looked as if it had been snack food for a chipmunk with a big chunk missing from the middle of the cutting edge. Why could it not have been in a good shape? Well, I brood over that, too.

Last week at an antique shop I landed a sparkling 5/8" H. Boker "King Cutter" — the vintage and not the new model — and grabbed it. The blade looks new. The scales are perfect, although not original — they are the yellow acrylic wood-effect scales seen on the Shumate.

In the same case there was a Bengal. My tongue parachuted to my toes with my streak of luck. I opened the razor. For heaven's sake. The scales looked good, but the blade was a 4/8" with heavy hone marks. It could have been a 5/8" and in good shave and should have been, but it wasn't. The only reaction I had was to curse the world — in Assyrian. I'm not all that fond of the 4/8" blade, although I have several, including a Wostenholm Spanish point and a Hess round point.

So go missed opportunities and circumstances in which things could have been and should have been but were not.

Have you experienced similar circumstances? Thanks.

Regards,

Obie

[ats200]

Interesting post, I find things like this happen to me very frequently and in my young age I've made a couple decisions. I'm going to act on any reasonable opportunity, small or large. And I've also decided I want to eliminate as much 'stress' as possible; I just don't allow myself to dwell on things that cannot be changed. I'm taking on a very optimistic lifestyle where I hope that even with small things, I can't look at them as missed chances because nothing good will really ever come from it.

In the case of finding things that look like they're going to be gold and end up being nothing to write home about, I think that's a good thing. It keeps ya going! If all of them were perfect, there wouldn't be as much excitement looking for these great shavers.

[Joed]

To be honest, in my younger days, yes but not with shaving items. Today, not so much and defiantly not with shaving items if the budget allows and the item is priced to somewhere close to my estimate. To go through life w/o regret is near impossible and hind sight is always 20/20. At the moment of decision we feel the path we take is the best direction. Later, on second thought we discover reasons why our choice should have been different. I find my worst decisions came when I was in a rush, frustrated w/ something or distracted. If I have the time and state of mind to give proper depth of thought to decisions the chance of regret is greatly reduced. Then again, sometimes we just can't win for losing.

[Stubear]

I try not to dwell on missed opportunities and focus on the next one!

All I do know is I've been outbid on eBay more times than I care to count...!

[thebigspendur]

I collect watches and especially ones from Japan and we all lament the dollar-Yen ratio and all the models that are unaffordable now. Back when I was in the Navy and spent quite a while in Japan the exchange rate was 360 yen to the dollar not the 80 or so it is now. Of course then I didn't know a watch from a cabbage. I did get a very nice Nikon Stereo Microscope though which I still use to this day mostly for you guessed it-razors..

[johnmrson]

I spotted a beautiful Robert Williams custom for sale in the classifieds here a few months ago. Instead of just hitting the Buy It Now button, I flicked to the next razor and kept browsing the razors for sale. Once I'd finished looking at all the new offerings I came to the realisation that I really wanted the Robert Williams so quickly went back to the listing to buy it and someone had beaten me to it. It was marked as sold. I'll regret that one for a long time I think.

[AlanII]

The only one that springs to mind (I'm sure there are others), not razor related, was in a second hand bookshop where I found a first English edition of 'Cotton Comes to Harlem' by Chester Himes. I had the cash on me but still had other family things to do and didn't feel good about putting all the financial burden on my wife's purse. At the end of the day, we hadn't spent too much and the wherewithal was still there, my wife, also a fan and fully aware of the beauty of what I'd passed on, suggested I go back to the shop and close the deal but, our then young children had had enough and so I said no, still a two hour journey home and all that. Two hours later, home again and we both were bemoaning the lack in our bookshelf and resolved to return the next week on the off chance that it was still there. Of course, you know by now that some other lucky person had already spotted it and done what I should have. One of my few genuine regrets, most of the time, a mistake made in life just opens doors to other lines that all lead inexorably to the present, best not to regret but learn. I have yet to bump into that (or similar) opportunity again.

[str8fencer]

I came across a W&B chopper in original tortoiseshell scales on an online auction once, both the scales and the blade looked to be in good condition. I tend to smipe so as not to push the prices, and also don't trust my precious to programs so I do them manually. Well, as you might have guessed I missed it - I fell asleep after dinner waiting for it. It went for far less than what I would have offered.

Another time, in the beautiful city of Prague, I saw this enchanting lady in a green dress - but I guess, I digress
(sorry 'bout that, lol)

[stimpy52]

Seems to me the world could use some more Assyrian cursing. I've completely run out of English profanity.

[MickR]

Well, there was this Japanese girl once, Yuka. Chemistry was there. I could have, maybe even should have. The Gentleman in me said No, the Devil in me (and her) said Yes. The Gentleman won out and now I will always wonder.


Mick