Razor rotation?? How many? What types??

So I should know this but I dont,
I have about 30 straights . The whole gamut for a Junior.
Vintage. Current production. Wedges, Full and Half Hollow.
How do YOU group yours for current rotation?
Problem, I seem to use the same razors, (Old Beaters) saving my good razors for Special Occasions.
How do you make up your current rotation? How many? Mix types .ie wedges NOS Vintage......
Input and advise appreciated
How long in rotation?? Razors in rotation?? Wedges rotation. Mix and match ie Fullow hollow, and wedge, current production with vintage.???

Input is greatly appreciated

No rotation for me, I may think I have something in mind and decide differently at the last second.

One of the reasons your razor chest idea is so cool...open a few drawers and pick up what I feel like.;)

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Originally Posted by Phrank

No rotation for me, I may think I have something in mind and decide differently at the last second.

One of the reasons your razor chest idea is so cool...open a few drawers and pick up what I feel like.;)

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Yes Sir But you have respectfully stated, a 'Museum Quality Collection of brushes and razors" do you not feel like someone is getting missed??

I just pick what I feel like using. I had thought I would rotate through all my razors (I stopped buying razors a while back), but I just never got around to it. Maybe as a summer project I will go through them and rehone as needed.

I have 4 vintage that stay on line. I rotate them whenever a new razor comes into my possession or I get a new finisher, then I break out razors to test the finisher.

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Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

Yes Sir But you have respectfully stated, a 'Museum Quality Collection of brushes and razors" do you not feel like someone is getting missed??

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I have developed a pretty good method of shaving where I never put the razor down, I always place it somewhere I have set for this purpose. Also make sure I'm set up and aware not to do any tap dings.

Other than that, if I decide to use any of my, what I consider, prize razors, I just go ahead and use them without any thought, I figure if I give them any more trepidation, I'm just that much more likely to ding the thing! :D

I usually have 4 available. I grab the one that strikes my fancy at the time. I rotate one or two each month.

I have a similar amount of razors in rotation as you do. They are a mix of beaters and decent razors of various grinds, sizes and steels. I just start at one end and go to the other and repeat. Monkey with the edges when necessary.

Bob

I have a few and will grab whichever grabs my eye. That assumes all myine are shaveready for my face. If not, a couple stones at the sink cure the problem.
~Richard

I currently have 28 in rotation. I have them in a fountain pen case designed to hold 26 pens. They are a mix of antique, vintage and current production. All blade types represented. They are ordered to switch things up every day with blade size/type except for the end of the rotation is about a weeks worth of Robesons. I adhere to a strict order moving left to right across the top of the box then drop to the drawer below. That ensures that all the razor taking up space in my bathroom are useful. If one falls from favor, it is replaced with one from a display of about 10 and usually sold.

I have around 25 razors in rotation. I just kind of go through them methodically these days but I'll use the same one a week or so or more until I tire of it and then go on to the next.

I used to decide in the morning which brush, soap, and razor to use. I shave at around 4:30am everyday. The decisions were getting to take too long as the rotation of razors and especially soaps grew.

Now I have a two week rotation line up in no particular order just made a list a decided it in half. Works well for me. I don't see the same razor again for 14 days and by then I miss it. I also have a couple as stand bys in case I just don't feel like one on a particular morning.

Brushes and soaps I now pick for three to four day blocks. Keeps things from getting messy before my coffee.

I rotate through 5 straights.
Boker SS St Louis 6/8
Genco Grant 9/16
51 The Victor 6/8
Germania Cutlery The Oxford Razor 5/8
JR Torrey 9/16

I try to rotate them evenly, but there are times when I want to shave with a particular one that day. I do not resist that urge.

I've got quite a few. Unless I'm dialing one in I'll generally shave with a different one every day. I just look at the herd and wait for one to call to me.

I usually have about 30 razors in my collection, and 20 razors in my usual rotation. I pick whatever the mood calls the morning of. The 10 or so I use less are typically the ones that have more historical value, usually with precious scales etc. Great shavers nonetheless, but I seem to be less inclined to use them as often.

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Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

Yes Sir But you have respectfully stated, a 'Museum Quality Collection of brushes and razors" do you not feel like someone is getting missed??

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I always feel like I am missing some. :)

I have about 15 ready to go. Over the last year, I've really only used 3 or 4, ergo: I have too many razors.

Like many here I have about two dozen, but I try to use them all at least once every 6 months or so. Mine are all vintage and I group them into 5/8, 6/8 and "old" - meaning wedges and other old blades by Barlow, Rodgers, Heiffor etc. To choose a razor for shaving I first decide on size and then on maker. Factors such as sharpness and smoothness also play a role - they're all sharp but some aren't so smooth :hmmm:

For 2 weeks out of 3 I have one razor available to me. On the other week I have a choice of 3 but usually use the same two.

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Originally Posted by edhewitt

For 2 weeks out of 3 I have one razor available to me. On the other week I have a choice of 3 but usually use the same two.

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Ed, I had no idea you were such a minimalist. I feel guilty now for taking the Platypus razor home from WA:(

I keep about 20 in a rotation that does vary depending on several factors usually related to travel.

Like some, I pick the soap and brush the afternoon before and strop up the next razor. All is ready to go for the 7am shave.

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Originally Posted by Maladroit

Ed, I had no idea you were such a minimalist. I feel guilty now for taking the Platypus razor home from WA:(

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Its all good, despite having quite a selection of creams and a soap cauldron (mess of left over bits of soap all in one bowl)Attachment 184530 for two weeks out of three i pretty much only use omega.
at home I have about 4 soaps but mainly use omega there too and occasionally MDC
and I only have one strop to use at work and one for home.

Pretty much just typing to hear my own voice here, but:

I have my first 2 secured, and a third one on the way. I figure I'll pick my favorite of the three, then send the other 2 to someone on here to hone. From what I can tell this comparing and contrasting is the best way to learn; that and I'm a collector by nature. Anyone else collect pennies? I digress...

As indicated in another thread, I have less razors than suits in rotation... and don't even get me started on shirts or ties.

All my straight razors are antique, from several countries (Belgium, France, UK, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Russia). I could already make a "7 nations weekly set" or two. I could also definitely shave every day with a different razor for more than a whole month, but I tend to pick old Sheffield razors most of the time. I'd even say that 4 razors (2 W&B, one B Winks and the celebrated fine india steel razor) see most of the action.

30? In rotation ?? Wow I got 4 straights only so it's easy for me to rotate them. Just acquired a fatboy recently and that is in rotation as well.

Hello ! My name is john and i'm a razor addict. Wow just started a thread thinking my rotation was kind of big at a dozen ! I see now I fit in just fine with the rest of you razor addicts !lol
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...psnsuehjwa.jpg

I have six razors, usually pick the one that wants to shave me that day. But I try to not use the same one twice.

I feel like a kid walking into my very own Ice cream shop. Its a huge blessing. But I choose Butter Pecan at least once a week. and maybe 10 other flavors over the course of a month. Then I see 19 flavors that I love and miss, and I swear its my next days choice. Then its back to Butter Pecan. I wondered if those of you with more extensive collections have a method to your madness to give equal face time to all. Or am I just regular abnormal and pick my go to dozen?
We have a science to honing, stropping and other rituals of the Shave.
Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing a daily rotation memo. Sounds like its a free for all and in that case I fit in.
And yes my razors talk to me too.

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Originally Posted by edhewitt

Its all good, despite having quite a selection of creams and a soap cauldron (mess of left over bits of soap all in one bowl)Attachment 184530 for two weeks out of three i pretty much only use omega.
at home I have about 4 soaps but mainly use omega there too and occasionally MDC
and I only have one strop to use at work and one for home.

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I am equally a cheapskate I have the same tub of crude. But I never dip into it, I just add then leave uncovered so it all condenses. Thank-you for letting me know I am not alone in the madness,

I have 10 now, with 7 in what I planned as a rotation. But some days, like today, when I open my storage box, one calls my name. When that happens I go with it, because, well, why not?!?

I used to have a rotation. Now I have an infestation.

In fact I guess I do have a rotation - there's about 10 razors out in my bathroom at any one time. The rest are in storage boxes in the storage room. However, I've found that over time I rotate less and fixate more. So for example the one I am shaving with at the moment is the one I've been using every day (more or less) for several months now.

In terms of how I group them, I'm a basic fellow really and only have 2 groupings: "can be shaved with" and "needs honing".

James.

I have 3 personal razors. I just pick one unless I have a newly finished razor that needs testing.

I shave with each new blade once before sending it to the customer, to verify that it is shaveready, and to feel how it handles.

I have a dozen, I use them all. At one point, I was a one razor and one spare guy (you never know when you're going to drop something or get it banged against a faucet - hopefully never, but I always kept a spare because of it).

I almost never hone a razor. When i was a one razor guy, I honed my one razor about once every 120-180 shaves due to using a real vintage linen and good smooth horse leather. Now that I've got a dozen razors, I haven't rehoned one since their initial.

I started out with cheap razors, and now I have a pile of razors that were what I consider to be expensive, it's funny how that happens, and I plan to continue to shave with all of them. The only thing that will get me to trim down the pile will be if any of them actually corrode before I get to them again. I do a week at a time with them. Familiarity is nice, and if I had to go back to one razor, I could go to any one of them and sell the rest and be happy just because you can really go to town with a razor that you're familiar with.