Perceived value of high end brushes

Nisse said:
oomph as in energy, vitality, enthusiasm
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I agree, when one comes on a forum as a relative beginner to the hobby your head is filled with questions about soaps, brushes, razors et al'. You are thirsty for knowledge and throw yourself into the forum with gusto. People will have seen this with me and I've seen it with others, this gives long standing members the opportunity to help others but once you have been on a while you no longer need to ask those questions so if nothing new comes out forums can go quiet for longer standing members. This is not a criticism in any way just the way it is sometimes.
 
wayne mattison said:
I agree, when one comes on a forum as a relative beginner to the hobby your head is filled with questions about soaps, brushes, razors et al'. You are thirsty for knowledge and throw yourself into the forum with gusto. People will have seen this with me and I've seen it with others, this gives long standing members the opportunity to help others but once you have been on a while you no longer need to ask those questions so if nothing new comes out forums can go quiet for longer standing members. This is not a criticism in any way just the way it is sometimes.
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I agree with what you say but as a long standing member you can now as you quite offen do give advice to those who are thirsty for knowledge and that must give you a certain amount of satisfaction .:) P.
 
Blademonkey said:
I agree with what you say but as a long standing member you can now as you quite offen do give advice to those who are thirsty for knowledge and that must give you a certain amount of satisfaction .:) P.
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I quite often get a can't be arsed feeling over some topics these days, like 'MWF is rubbish' threads and such like. I just think 'I've given my opinions on that one too many times now, I just can't be bothered'. I do force myself every now and then through a sense of civic duty.
 
As with many things there is a cost / benefit ratio and where that line is is largely down to the consumer. There is also a point where diminishing returns kicks in, and the very human trait of simply finding something desirable irrespective of whether it's measurably better at its job.

Stainless steel razors are a case in point, does my ATT shave ten times better than my Fatip? No. Not even close. It's arguably not even more durable in any sense that matters when shaving. Do I enjoy it and find it worth the money, yes. It makes no sense but there it is.
 
Count of Undolpho said:
I quite often get a can't be arsed feeling over some topics these days, like 'MWF is rubbish' threads and such like. I just think 'I've given my opinions on that one too many times now, I just can't be bothered'. I do force myself every now and then through a sense of civic duty.
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Yes, I understand. Some of the threads like MWF is rubbish are sometimes posted to evoke a reaction and I have just about learned to steer clear of these threads now. :) P.
 
I have used brushes across the spectrum. I loved my Plissons, Simpsons and Rooneys. Some of the cheap stuff was rubbish. Some not. Fact is that like most products you can get great performance for modest outlay. My New Forest brushes were made often from hair of the highest available quality. And handles were made from the same material used by the top brands. My prices were low because by limiting the scale of the business, overheads were minimal. I don't think any of my top end brushes were really worth their prices. But I still enjoyed buying and owning them. For a while. My only non New Forest brush is one from Trumpers which I have kept in memory of a London TSR get together a few years ago.
 
Part of being human is to appreciate things constructed and styled way beyond anything required for their basic function - simply for their own sake. That's why we have cathedrals and supercars and designer handbags and Michelin star eateries when a fish supper would do - because of the way they make us feel. High end brushes - more of the same...and quite lovely things they are
 
An interesting thread.
My personal opinion and experience.....
I own two beautiful Shavemac brushes that I love, are they value for money? IMHO they are not, I mean, my skin isn't educated enough to notice much difference, if any, between a Stirling fine badger or a Maseto and a Shavemac Silvertip Unique knot. On the other hand, my eyes certainly can see the difference. So why do I own these brushes? I'd say the reason is what I call "The Forum effect" For all the tips that I have picked up from shaving forums, there are many that have helped make my shaving experience a very enjoyable one and some being excellent value for money, however, others such as discovering Shavemac brushes and desiring them have not made much difference to the overal experience BUT they are nice to have if you can afford them. I can apply the same reasoning to owning 4 ATT razors, they are nice to have but I could get similar quality shaves with a £30 razor.
 
Obelix said:
Price, always affect the perception of value. You can see this very often in Amazon, where the same razor, is sold rebranded with 4 different brands, ranging from 8 to 30 EUR. You read the opinion of the guy who bought the 30 EUR rebranded version and he mentions "excellent quality, excellent value to price ratio!". You go read the review of the same razor at 8 EUR and you see "well, for 8 EUR one can't complain. It's a cheap chinese razor, but works well".

Same thing easily goes for brushes. Badgers, especially when you start, are automatically "soooo much better", since the "boars are cheap". "I started with a 10$ Omega, so now i want to go to a decent badger brush". It's no coincidence that wetshavers that abbandon badgers for boars, are seasoned wetshavers that after trying and paying for every famous badger out there, decided that the cheap boar wasn't that bad after all. If boars were as rare as badgers, boar brushes would also be more expensive. Luckily for some of us, pigs are common.

This said, there is the law of diminishing returns in all products, but, in hobbies or collectors, it usually isn't about wetshaving so much, as is about the thrill of adding "one more to the collection" or "have a more prestigious brush". Emotional satisfaction, adds value to the object and also boosts physical satisfaction too.
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Harley Davidson motor cycles are an example I think of perceived value over actual value. From an engineering standpoint they are dinosaurs but people happily buy them in large numbers.
 
William Dobson said:
Harley Davidson motor cycles are an example I think of perceived value over actual value. From an engineering standpoint they are dinosaurs but people happily buy them in large numbers.
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Maybe also because people want a motorbike they can understand?

I mean, my computerised Honda is very reliable and probably is great on the emission values, but it's far away from the CB750 that I actually understood (though the CDI spoiled that already).

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Pitralon forever - Real pens have a nib - If it doesn't tick, it's not a watch.
 
Eeyore68 said:
Maybe also because people want a motorbike they can understand?

I mean, my computerised Honda is very reliable and probably is great on the emission values, but it's far away from the CB750 that I actually understood (though the CDI spoiled that already).

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Pitralon forever - Real pens have a nib - If it doesn't tick, it's not a watch.
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Excellent point: although with the electronic fuel injection it is now more likely to leave you along the side of the road than it's carbureted predecessors. Pitralon, real pens with nibs and many mechanical watches could also be considered good examples of real value. The Honda CB750 was right up there, also. Sweet bike.
 
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