Buying for the sake of it

wayne_m

wayne_m

Joined
Saturday January 9, 2016
I'm still in the 'Buying for the sake of having it' stage of the hobby. I can't help myself. I try to resist buying soaps and stuff when I know that I have more than I will ever need on my shelf. I try not to buy but sometimes the urge to own something over rules the need to own it. I probably have 400 blades, 3 brushes, 4 razors and approx 10 soaps. In the grand scheme of things I know it isn't a lot but to anyone outside the hobby it flippin well is a lot of stuff. Where are you in your journey?
 
wayne mattison said:
I'm still in the 'Buying for the sake of having it' stage of the hobby. I can't help myself. I try to resist buying soaps and stuff when I know that I have more than I will ever need on my shelf. I try not to buy but sometimes the urge to own something over rules the need to own it. I probably have 400 blades, 3 brushes, 4 razors and approx 10 soaps. In the grand scheme of things I know it isn't a lot but to anyone outside the hobby it flippin well is a lot of stuff. Where are you in your journey?
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I feel your pain :D
I have a very similar stock and I don't want to buy anymore. A good reminder is to see people selling stuff hardly used.... that is not what I want to do anyway. BUT I keep browsing :(

On the razor front, I'm one ATT S1 base plate away from where I want to be. I feel no interest in buying anything else. I know already that at some point I'd like to try a straight razor but I'm glad that I feel no desire to own a SE or vintage DE razor....

On the soaps department.... when I shave with the Tabac, I always think.... I don't need anything else. I do enjoy the scents of others so I have more than I need.

As for blades.... I'm planning to live until I'm 157 years old :p

After shaves, I can rely on my Paco Rabanne for another 40 years and be very happy :D
Brushes, maybe I'd like to have 5 max, like razors, one of each, 1 classic, 1 adjustable, 1 open comb, 1 slant and, 1 slant and OC at the same time.... only because I have one already ;) otherwise 4 would be sufficient.
 
I'm just a wee bit ahead of you, Wayne. I've got 3 razors I use (5 total), 5 brushes that are the same synth-wise with different type handles and colours for variety, and more soaps and creams that I'll use in 2 years. I've stopped buying because I can't use anymore than what I have. My S1, Progress, and 1950 SE Injecto-Matic are enough.
 
I have bought many things, but that was to try things out.
Experiment and see what things are like.
I am now at the point where I have decided on 4 or 5 soaps which means the rest won't get out of the cupboard.
So I will sell the rest.
But I enjoyed trying different ones, I am very pleased with the ones I have left.

Same with razors. Many were so cheap that how could you not give them a try.
Again, though, I won't be keeping loads.
But it would be difficult to settle on what you want without trying loads of razors and razor/ blade combos.

I am thinking I will keep a couple of DEs (not sure which yet) but I prefer SEs at the moment,
so I will keep a couple of those that shave the best and then I will try SE wedges and straights.


I have my brush that I like now as well.

I am not saying I won't buy anything else, I am enjoying the journey.
But I aim to have a core of stuff.

You don't seem to have enough in most people's view on TSR.
 
i totally agree, when i started out i went mad for soaps and blades and the like, had a ridiculously complex prep, but as you get more experienced i found that i couldn't "buy" a great shave. i use a couple of straights, parker shavette for travel and 3 soaps in my "rotation" now, simplicity is the key for me these days.
 
wayne mattison said:
I'm still in the 'Buying for the sake of having it' stage of the hobby. I can't help myself. I try to resist buying soaps and stuff when I know that I have more than I will ever need on my shelf. I try not to buy but sometimes the urge to own something over rules the need to own it. I probably have 400 blades, 3 brushes, 4 razors and approx 10 soaps. In the grand scheme of things I know it isn't a lot but to anyone outside the hobby it flippin well is a lot of stuff. Where are you in your journey?
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My wife is scathing in her response to my "collection". "What man needs 3 razors and 5 brushes?" She's continually asking. When I show her photos of some of the shaving dens where guys like @Nishy and @Bechet have dozens of razors, brushes, soaps, etc, she is convinced that we're all gay. I just put on a sun dress and flounce out the door.
 
I've got more than enough to keep me going for years,some of which haven't been touched since they were bought.Won't be getting anything else until I'm asked what i want for Christmas
 
Buy smart and your hobby becomes a good investment. Certain straights and DE razors have increased in value since I purchased them. My greatest investment included 12 straights for £50 at an auction, worth around £200 or more in today's market.

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Steve Bowles said:
My wife is scathing in her response to my "collection". "What man needs 3 razors and 5 brushes?" She's continually asking. When I show her photos of some of the shaving dens where guys like @Nishy and @Bechet have dozens of razors, brushes, soaps, etc, she is convinced that we're all gay. I just put on a sun dress and flounce out the door.
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I haven't showed the other half other den pictures, simply because one day I might be at that level. Your giving her a loaded gun to point at your head!

I guess I'm lucky in that my other half understands my hobby and if she freaked out over brushes and razors I can't imagine what it would be like over something serious. I often show her TSR threads, she 'likes' several members, get her involved, that way she is more likely to understand.

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I still remenber when I started 8 years ago with only a Merkur HD, an 8 € badger brush from Muhle (really bad), Gillette Bleu blades (universally availlable in France) bought in a supermarket and a tube of white Proraso. My goal was to save money and to shave in a cool manner.

At that time I managed to only buy blades sample packs from the US and a 2nd hand Slim razor from Ebay. It lasted 4 years like that with just renewing the white Proraso (still the paraben version:eek:) after 2 years. In addition, it must be said that in 2008, the offer of artisan soaps was scarce, and most of the availlable razors were vintage, Muhle/EJ, Parker and Merkur.

Later, while moving house, I lost the head of my Merkur HD, thus I had to reach the Merkur customer service. In the meantime, I had to shave so I join a French forum (I was registered with B&B, albeit only lurking), it revives the urge to try new things (soaps, razors, brush) and I renewed all my hardware and software ...

That said, since then I strive not to hoard shaving material ; in order to do so, I try to limit my budget to less than 30 €/year, buying mostly cheapy stuffs (creams, soaps, AS, razors), allowing myself one artisan soap a year and exceptionnally a good piece (e.g. Digress).

In my opinion, the urge to buy is just a phase, like in any new passion once the novelty gone, the urge to buy will settle.;)
 
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I think the difficulties arise on two fronts. Firstly if the bug bites and secondly 'upgrading' is a personal perception. I find this perception influenced, as to whether your in the camp of 'wet shaving to save money' or 'luxury wet shaving'.

My first expensive badger having used a vulfix 404 and EJ super badger for 6 months was an Omega silvertip.

This brush was extremely soft on the tips but flopped over like an alcoholic at the end of a night. The bug did not bite.

Then I researched and through using several badgers; understood what I wanted from a brush. With a little help I bought a Paladin Chief from a fellow TSR member. The bug bit and it bit hard. The price and quality, labelled this as a luxury brush. The brush improved my wet shaving experience no end. At the same time I bought a M&F beehive blonde badger which was awful. Lesson learnt and one reason I do the group buys to help others appreciate a good high end brush.

I have had the same experiences with aftershaves, EDT, soaps and razors.

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I have 16 SRs & 2 Hollow Ground Blade SEs..Around a Dozen Injectors & a Haul of NOS Injector Blades..And of Course My Stones & Lapping Film for Honing..:)

I had around 90 SEs at One Time & I Recently Trimmed My Collection Down to Buy My SRs, Strops & Stones..90 Razors was Like a Crazy amount of Buying for the Sake of it..I did enjoy using them Tho...There isn't Many Vintage SEs or Injectors that haven't went through my Hands..:p

In Fact..I am Gonna Compile a Guide Book for Injectors..:D

Billy
 
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