Thread: $1000 vs $50 shave

Originally Posted by RezDog

That sums it up nicely Bob.

Ditto........

Well, Bob...

Originally Posted by BobH

Something like owning and driving a Grand Prix car with no experience does not make you a successful Grand Prix driver.

You make it sound too exciting. All razors are very much the same. I am old enough to have seen the Magic Hype of the Dubl Ducks. All I can say is a) the Solingen razor makers think they're ridiculous ("our apprentices made them, because the Americans would buy anything, really"), and b)

Originally Posted by BobH

you are getting good consistent shaves there are numerous ADs you can succumb to

And you should not. A disorder really is not something of which we should make fun. And even if (and that is, in my very humble opinion, a very big if), there are basically 5/8 and 6/8 razors to choose from. Anything narrower, or wider, than that requires a narrowly defined field of application.

Originally Posted by RobinK

Well, Bob...



You make it sound too exciting. All razors are very much the same. I am old enough to have seen the Magic Hype of the Dubl Ducks. All I can say is a) the Solingen razor makers think they're ridiculous ("our apprentices made them, because the Americans would buy anything, really"), and b)

And you should not. A disorder really is not something of which we should make fun. And even if (and that is, in my very humble opinion, a very big if), there are basically 5/8 and 6/8 razors to choose from. Anything narrower, or wider, than that requires a narrowly defined field of application.

Yes, I did make it sound too exciting but people think they are buying something special in hyped razor brands. It was possibly a poor analogy but points to a mindset.

People are free to spend their money or not on what they want even if it is part of an acquisition disorder. If you have the money and want to indulge who am I to argue. Personally, most of my razors are of the 5/8 to 6/8 size having learned through experience that larger and smaller sizes add nothing to my shaving experience. OTH others have found that they do. They are happy and so am I so in the end it makes no difference.

Bob

I agree 110% with everything y'all are saying and have finally realized I don't need but one blade.

Cut back to four blades in May. Maybe one of those will be the one..

Originally Posted by RezDog

Attachment 290037
I got a pair of these for about $35USD delivered. Lesser known name, no competition, I’m quite pleased with the quality and shave.

Candidius are good razors, have got a couple myself in horn scales.
Mark is spot on. Picked up a Bengall 5/8 for $2 when I started out, shaves as good as razors I have paid 100 times that for.

Originally Posted by RobinK

And you should not. A disorder really is not something of which we should make fun. And even if (and that is, in my very humble opinion, a very big if), there are basically 5/8 and 6/8 razors to choose from. Anything narrower, or wider, than that requires a narrowly defined field of application.

Your opinion is based on the fact that you look at it from a purely functional hair removing efficiency, which is how I look at cars and why I drive an Opel Astra station wagon that I bought as a clearance stock-car when the new model Astra came out 2 years ago, at a serious discount.

But if you look at it from an aesthetics point of view, I would much rather drive a Porche or a Lotus Elise. Not because they're more efficient by any measure (they're not). Some people have enough disposable money that the price is not a huge concern and they have a garage full of sports cars so that they can enjoy whichever one takes their fancy that day. At that point we have LONG passed the mark where we are talking about functional requirements for moving from A to B.

Originally Posted by RobinK

Well, Bob...



You make it sound too exciting. All razors are very much the same. I am old enough to have seen the Magic Hype of the Dubl Ducks. All I can say is a) the Solingen razor makers think they're ridiculous ("our apprentices made them, because the Americans would buy anything, really"), and b)

And you should not. A disorder really is not something of which we should make fun. And even if (and that is, in my very humble opinion, a very big if), there are basically 5/8 and 6/8 razors to choose from. Anything narrower, or wider, than that requires a narrowly defined field of application.

Thanks for your input Robink, you are the reason German razors aren't on my radar any more.
You got it right, literally a dime a dozen.
Japanese razors exclusively from now on, unless some ancient Sheffied pops up...

I started this thread to simply highlight to someone new that believing a high end razor/ brush will make their shaves better is wrong, only good practice can do this.

Robin is quite correct, a mass produced Solingen razor is all you will ever need. The grinding on my Gotta that I paid £5 for is perfect even though it was probably made in a sweat shop. And yes I jumped on the Filli bandwagon and paid a fair few quid when a no name Solingen #14 a would go for a fraction of the cost.
This is not just a daily task for me though but a hobby, this is why I have, amongst other customs, a Snail Forge. I got one not because it would shave any better than the mass produced Solingen razors but because I admire Brunos artistry and passion he has to making razors. This is also why I coveted the Iwasaki Tamahaganae, Shigeyoshi Iwasaki and his father dedicated their lives to producing the finest razor they could, and to me that makes all the difference.

Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

I started this thread to simply highlight to someone new that believing a high end razor/ brush will make their shaves better is wrong, only good practice can do this.

I think the discussion in this thread has been quite valuable. It highlights the different ways straight razor shavers can view their hobby.

Some of us are quite utilitarian in that we really only want to get our razors to the highest possible level of shave ready and take pride in that. At the other end of the spectrum are the avid collectors and historians who take pride in the aesthetics of the razors they own and love studying the history of their manufacture. In between are the creative makers and restorers amongst whom there is an amazing variation in skill and artistic orientation.

The various acquisition disorders we playfully refer to describe additional directions in which this hobby can take you: hones, strops, soaps, scales, ... It is all just a lot of fun and I enjoy scanning all the threads as they show new posts even though some don’t relate directly to my personal focus.

If I win the lottery, I’m sure I would dart down the rabbit hole of some other AD’s. Right now, I enjoy the level of restoration I am capable of with my finds while trying to grow my skills and knowledge and stay within my budget. That doesn’t prevent me from admiring the collections of other SRP members and the demonstration of their superior skills.

I think that is what differentiates a hobby from an obsession.

TBH, Some humans are happy with status quo. Basic needs and minimal possessions.
That's fine.
However, even those of us with modest means like some decadence in our lives in some way.
Some take lavish and exotic vacations. Some buy gold or stocks as they can.
Some pad the mattress. Lots of over-the-top pursuits for the regular guy.
Some collect everything and some concentrate on one area.

For someone to collect and be interested in something is a healthy occupation, IMO.
Particularly if it can be shared with others with similar interests.
I know lots of women with many thousands of dollars worth of sewing/craft things.
They meet and create. Trying to make their lives fuller by exercising their interests in full.

Razor collecting is but one such avenue. In my case, collecting and using is one form which I enjoy in addition to learning the history of these things.

So yes. The satisfaction of buying and maintaining one razor with one strop and one hone is great. So is trying every soap and shaving accessory out there. Indeed, the hone obsession is much different than the strop one. We have all flavors here.
Do what you want to. Life is too short to not be totally decadent in SOMETHING?

I love going to the tier 1 thread and reading about the guys running the gamut of soaps.
The hone of the day thread shows me things I would never have, yet it is fun to see them share their enjoyment. Roy and Benz and their Aladdin lamps are fun to see as is Nessmucks Pontiac and beaver-trapping. Glen's garden and Geezer's favorite spot in the park.

So with all our diversity we have one thing in common. We are straight razor guys.
Have fun! Enjoy! Celebrate each other.
JMO