Thread: $1000 vs $50 shave

Ive been meaning to do this for a while now.

A noticing trend is for newcomers to think you can buy yourself a better shave. Surely more bucks spent equals BBS?
There's only one way to find out... Fiiiiight!!!

In the red corner....
Iwasaki Tamahaganae western
Kanayama 800000
Simpson's Manchurian Chubby 3
MDC
Weighing in at a whopping... well, I spent more than I would ever tell the wife.

In the blue corner....
Gotta Superfine 120
Homemade strop
LS Finest
Proraso
Weighing in at a miserly $50ish. The Gotta cost less than 2 pints of fine English ale.

I shaved half my fizzog with both set ups for a 2 pass shave. Both setups battled it out for supremacy but the odds were stacked against the $50 shave.

And the Winner is...

Unanimous decision, a draw!

No surprise really, some of our experienced members are constantly reminding us that you don't need to spend a lot of money to enjoy this sport, and right they are. It really does just come down to technique and practice. Sure it's nice to chase the perfect hone or have a shiny NOS razor du jour but many unknown Soligen and Sheffield razors can be had for tuppence and shave beautifully.
Remember to check out the BST there's always a few shave ready razors to be had for less than $50 that will shave just the same as one for $1000.

Mark

Excellent post!

(Though, I'd still like to have an Iwasaki Tamahaganae western grind razor.)

WHen I negotiate with an antique dealer over a found razor, I state up front that I am a straight razor shaver and not a collector. I think that automatically lowers the eventual price.

For my part, shaving with a restored beat up flea market find is what makes me happy. I can’t afford amassing a huge collection of expensive beauties for display. I don’t begrudge those who collect as a hobby, it’s just not for me.

As someone somewhere mentioned, a collectible is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Since I’m not collecting, my investment, while not trivial, is more manageable.

Originally Posted by DZEC

For my part, shaving with a restored beat up flea market find is what makes me happy. I can’t afford amassing a huge collection of expensive beauties for display. I don’t begrudge those who collect as a hobby, it’s just not for me.

My exact same thoughts and feelings

Originally Posted by Utopian

Excellent post!

(Though, I'd still like to have an Iwasaki Tamahaganae western grind razor.)

Thank you. I was lucky enough to find mine under half the price as the ones on EBay.

I would hate to think that someone feels they are missing out, take the Filarmonica the #14, it has always demanded the big bucks where as the #10 can be had for under $50. Same steel, same wonderful grinding, one is just a little vertically challenged. Side by side comparison is laughably similar.

I only have a Filly 13 and 14. Both shave fine even though both are ugly beaters that were cheap.

I have a small chunk of tamahaganae. Odds are that if I ever want one made of that I will have to make it myself some day way in the future.

Thanks for this post. It is so true! In the beginning, I thought better equipment would make for a better shave. It wasn't too long before I found my perfect razor, and it wasn't Top-of-the-line. This is so true it hurts. And the sooner someone comes to grips with it, the less money they will spend. In theory anyway. Until the rabbit hole opens up and...

If the new guy would listen, we try to beat this into their heads you need to learn the basics first, but most of newbie starts with the over compensating and were mean and picking on them if we try to tell them.

A decent soap, a decent cheap brush a decent strop and a shave ready starter razor, then learn how to shave and strop. But like you said, they think a high end razor will fix their terrible technique, oh and ignore that there could be someone to help. I have gotten to where I just don't even respond until they come around to logical thinking and not be the know it all.

Hard to convince them that it's not the razor. And that it needs someone to hone it other than them self or mr. knife sharpener. But it f they are half way intelligent, they come around, just some slower than others. Tc

One of my best shavers cost me about $15.

I would love to have a razor made by Lewis or one of the other skilled makers here on SRP though!