What draws you to a particular brand?

[RRGGMM]

By this time next week, I will have some new shaving gear, but the brands I am drawn to fall in a relatively narrow range. I have a Gillette Fatboy because that is what I borrowed from my Grandfather when I started shaving as a teen; otherwise, my razors are (or will be) either Above the Tie or Blackland. I use Semogue, Shavemac, and Simpsons brushes. My soaps are DR Harris, Saponificio Varesino, and Mitchell's Wool Fat in the original formula with tallow. My aftershave is either DR Harris or Saponificio Varesino.

For me, nostalgia for older brands plays a big part in what I like. I am also drawn to companies with high levels of customer service and transparency about their products. I also like made-in-the-USA or European and British products with a deep history. When I started wet shaving full-time in 2013, after researching here on B&B, I settled on Above the Tie for my first razor, a Semogue Owners Club badger brush, and Mitchell's Wool Fat for soap. I also purchased my refurbished Fatboy from ATT at the same time. All those brands fit my desire to use tried-and-true products that had stood the test of time, except ATT, a new company, when I placed my order. But ATT was well regarded here, and I was drawn to the look and quality of their razors. The soaps I use all fall into the nostalgic, well-regarded arena and the aftershaves. Blackland, like ATT when I started on this journey, has some forward-thinking products that I am drawn to, fabulous transparency and reputation, and I now own the ATT brand, which was a huge draw for me. Before I purchased my ATT X1 Slant razor, I strongly considered a Blackland Vector. After recently learning that my beloved Above the Tie closed, out of appreciation for Shane keeping the brand alive, I placed orders for Blackland razors.

I have researched dozens of well-regarded products on B&B that I will probably never purchase because the presentation, history, transparency, or some intangible doesn't resonate with me.

What are your considerations for new purchases? Are you strictly performance-oriented? Nostalgic? Shopping on price? I would love to hear what you consider before placing an order.

 

[euro]

That is a good question. I don't really care about branding but more about the quality of a product but some brands produce high quality products. Look at TOBS for an example, you can't go wrong with their shaving creams. When they release a new soap I buy it because I know it will be a good performer. Most of my purchases are blind buys, I don't trust the reviews on YouTube but I do trust the people here. Why? Because we don't get stuff for free to review so we will be much harsher and honest about a product. If you browse this forum long enough you know which blades are popular, which razors are well liked etc because they perform well.

I'm not a greedy person but if I can get (lets say) 100 Permasharps for 18 euro, while the local webshops sell them for 30+ euro then I'll get the ones for 18 euro and buy a couple 100 of them. I've seen webshops selling 200 Feathers for 120 euro! That is just insane because you can get them for 55-60 euro.

My local drugstore sells the Palmolive shaving cream, it's only 2 euro for a tube. My father used this shaving cream since the day I can remember, whenever I use this shaving cream it reminds me of him. It's a cheap shaving cream but it's a great performer too.

Sometimes when I browse this forum I see people mentioning a certain soap and that gets me BUY-curious , then I read more reviews of the product and when I had enough of the torture I simply order it online. Currently I'm planning to buy every single soap of Saponificio Varesino, Acca Kappa and Halsinger. FYI this will be a blind buy. Call me nuts, if I'm nuts then I blame it on this forum and all those enablers!!!

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I am interested mainly in vintage products and try to use them whenever possible, even if they may be 'inferior' to products currently in production. Where I use a modern product I try to choose a brand with a strong heritage and history, which still makes its products to the same high quality using traditional methods, and which employs workers in my own country offering them a fair wage and benefits. Unfortunately, these days I no longer have confidence in the claims made by some manufacturers that their products are made here in the UK, and that they are made to the same quality using traditional methods. I am becoming more cynical about everything stated by sellers or manufacturers, which probably says more about me than it does them. I have a large inventory of vintage supplies and I doubt I will buy anything which is currently in production for the foreseeable future.

 

[NorthernSoul]

I'm mostly interested in products that perform well and are enjoyable to use, without costing an excessive amount. I'd like to give everybody a chance, but that's not possible since there are so many products to choose from these days. You do have to narrow the field somehow, but It's not necessary to always chase after "the best" if what you have is working well already.

I like companies that have been around awhile and who really know what they doing. Honestly, I distrust marketing/branding as misleading, irrelevant and possibly deceptive. Appeals to snobbery and exclusivity turn me off, but would not prevent me from using a product if it was good and priced well.

This leads to some interesting combinations, like Feather blades in a vintage Gillette Tech with Haslinger soap and Semogue boar brush. I got the Feathers really cheap, BTW!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

On the whole, I am not a brand loyal person. Not just with shaving, but with all aspects of life. That said, I have developed some biases.

Vulfix/Simpson accounts for three quarters of all my shaving brushes. Victorinox/Wenger probably accounts for over half my pocket knives. Most of my tub soaps are Phoenix and Beau. My hairbrushes are either Kent or Denman. Also, if a company/brand ever gets in my bad book, it is very rarely forgiven, or allowed a second chance. If the only place I can buy something is on Amazon, I won't be buying it.

 

[musicman1951]

My main interest is quality of performance. I do sometimes wrestle with price, but I'm usually able to overcome that struggle. I saved for retirement for 45 years and sometimes it's hard to flick that switch into spending mode.

My absolute number one reason for placing an order is a pile of B&B posts singing the products praises to the heavens. "You people" have cost me a lot of money! I haven't tried everything, but after years of experimenting I have favorites: Semogue, MdC, SV and Thayer's are regular contributors to my morning routine. I am definitely willing to pay more for higher quality - nothing's too good for me (the motto I try to live up to).

 

[BigJ]

Great question!!

I ‘try’ products from a variety of manufacturers, but I concentrate my purchases on products from well-regarded artisans (for example Rudy Vey) andlor companies that have been around for some time (for example Haslinger).

 

[The Blackadder]

Last year my objective was to try new things, especially soaps. Now that I know what works for me, my next purchases (2025) will be based on performance. I already am a loyal fan of Saponificio Varesino

 

[Barney14]

I am not a collector, i have 2 razors both vintage 7o'clock OCs, 2 brushes for home and travel, both dscosmetics A2S synthetic, I only use Proraso cream, pre & aftershave until recently i only used GSBs but have now purchased more Russian blades, mainly Gillette.
This site has been invaluable over the years in me finding product that I like.

This year I will try Proraso blue instead of the green and try and get a few Sputnik blades.

Overall I am very happy with what I have, the razors cost me around £50 the pair and the brushes £40 the pair, which is cracking value considering the quality of the shaves.

 

[RRGGMM]

That is a good question. I don't really care about branding but more about the quality of a product but some brands produce high quality products. Look at TOBS for an example, you can't go wrong with their shaving creams. When they release a new soap I buy it because I know it will be a good performer. Most of my purchases are blind buys, I don't trust the reviews on YouTube but I do trust the people here. Why? Because we don't get stuff for free to review so we will be much harsher and honest about a product. If you browse this forum long enough you know which blades are popular, which razors are well liked etc because they perform well.

I'm not a greedy person but if I can get (lets say) 100 Permasharps for 18 euro, while the local webshops sell them for 30+ euro then I'll get the ones for 18 euro and buy a couple 100 of them. I've seen webshops selling 200 Feathers for 120 euro! That is just insane because you can get them for 55-60 euro.

My local drugstore sells the Palmolive shaving cream, it's only 2 euro for a tube. My father used this shaving cream since the day I can remember, whenever I use this shaving cream it reminds me of him. It's a cheap shaving cream but it's a great performer too.

Sometimes when I browse this forum I see people mentioning a certain soap and that gets me BUY-curious , then I read more reviews of the product and when I had enough of the torture I simply order it online. Currently I'm planning to buy every single soap of Saponificio Varesino, Acca Kappa and Halsinger. FYI this will be a blind buy. Call me nuts, if I'm nuts then I blame it on this forum and all those enablers!!!

All of my SV soaps and aftershaves were blind buys, and I love them all! You won't be disappointed.

 

[RRGGMM]

On the whole, I am not a brand loyal person. Not just with shaving, but with all aspects of life. That said, I have developed some biases.

Vulfix/Simpson accounts for three quarters of all my shaving brushes. Victorinox/Wenger probably accounts for over half my pocket knives. Most of my tub soaps are Phoenix and Beau. My hairbrushes are either Kent or Denman. Also, if a company/brand ever gets in my bad book, it is very rarely forgiven, or allowed a second chance. If the only place I can buy something is on Amazon, I won't be buying it.

I have several Benchmade pocket knives, and appreciate having a knife-bias!

 

[RRGGMM]

Great question!!

I ‘try’ products from a variety of manufacturers, but I concentrate my purchases on products from well-regarded artisans (for example Rudy Vey) andlor companies that have been around for some time (for example Haslinger).

I have a Haslinger puck that came as a freebie with another purchase and it has been a great soap.

 

[njpaddy]

All my current shave gear will outlive me, but sometimes I just get bored with what works and want to try something different.

 

[Bosh Hog]

When talking blades, I think the Russian made blades are tops. There is definitely something special about them. But… I do like to try new stuff and there are other good blades out there. Soaps… I go nuts on soaps. Just to hard to stick to just one brand. Razors on the other hand, have quite a few but I am a and a huge fan of the Razorock 6 s. I just can’t find a better razor.

 

[BobbyB]

Being a minimalist, once I find item(s) that work well, I stick with them. The old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", applies to me.

 

[Lockback]

I'd like to say that I'm not brand conscious ... but I'd be lying. Brands have to earn their keep with me. I don't fall for a brand just because they have slick ads or whatever. But if I buy a product from a brand and I like that product, I'll likely reward that brand with more purchases in the future, particularly if they offer great value.
Examples: I've had really good luck with Honda and Toyota cars. Great reliability, which is tantamount to me. So I have two Toyotas in my garage. Because I trust the brand. They do things right.
Guitars? Yamaha.
Electronics? Sony.
I've had great luck with them all.
When I got into traditional shaving, I figured Gillette was still The Brand and, to some degree, I was right, at least when it comes to blades. Yes, Gillette blades have turned out to be my favorites, although Lord and Treet and Derby also offer decent products. But when push comes to shove, I do prefer Gillette Perma-Sharps and Nacets and P&G Astra SP's and Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdges.
As for razors, I'm a little less brand conscious, as I've bought from several companies: Razorock (Italian Barber), Rockwell, Leaf, Pearl ... all have provided me with really good razors. And I'd buy from each of those again.
When it comes to soaps, I confess a loyalty to Stirling Soap because I love their service and their value. That doesn't mean I don't buy other soaps - I do- but I confess they're the Go To company for me when it comes to trying a new soap. They offer sample sizes for a very reasonable price and their service is always outstanding.
So brands do matter to me most of the time. But that loyalty does have to be earned. I was a BMW motorcycle guy for years but had a bad experience and never went back.

 

[RRGGMM]

When talking blades, I think the Russian made blades are tops. There is definitely something special about them. But… I do like to try new stuff and there are other good blades out there. Soaps… I go nuts on soaps. Just to hard to stick to just one brand. Razors on the other hand, have quite a few but I am a and a huge fan of the Razorock 6 s. I just can’t find a better razor.

I don't think I have any Russian blades, but I have so many DE blades I might! My stereo amplifier is tube-based, and for a while, I was on Svetlana kick for the El-34 power tubes. They sounded great, but I kept blowing them, while the Chinese EL-34s worked well and lasted forever. My preamp tubes are NOS Sylvania. That is the extent of my dabbling with Russian hardware. Oh, and I have an ex-wife from Pyatigorsk, Russia!

 

[Jubejubilee]

I’m a sucker for cool packaging, cool fonts, interesting themes, intriguing sounding product names, beautiful objects. If it’s within my budget and it catches my eye, I’m probably gonna order it.

 

[OldSaw]

Since getting a couple of Henson razors I don’t use anything else. That’s it, they really are that good. Once I get a mild in titanium I’ll probably never buy another razor again. The draw? Perfect shaves.

For lathering, I like Tabac with tallow and have quite a bit stocked up. Also Santa Maria Novella. I have a few oddballs laying around, like Taylor’s and some vintage Williams but rarely use anything other than Tabac and SMN. The draw? My face loves it. What more can I say?

Blades would be Feather. I have hundreds and will probably buy a couple hundred more when those run out. The draw? Consistency, sharpness, quality.

 

[RRGGMM]

Since getting a couple of Henson razors I don’t use anything else. That’s it, they really are that good. Once I get a mild in titanium I’ll probably never buy another razor again. The draw? Perfect shaves.

For lathering, I like Tabac with tallow and have quite a bit stocked up. Also Santa Maria Novella. I have a few oddballs laying around, like Taylor’s and some vintage Williams but rarely use anything other than Tabac and SMN. The draw? My face loves it. What more can I say?

Blades would be Feather. I have hundreds and will probably buy a couple hundred more when those run out. The draw? Consistency, sharpness, quality.

After a decade of using only Feather, I've been trying some different DE blades. I'll admit that I like many DE blade options out there but I have never had a bad shave with Feather blades, and now that includes artisan club single-edge blades.