Who here is a minimalist

I think of myself as a minimalist also. Although, not as mini as before I found this joint!

For years I used:
1 razor - EJ DE87
1 soap - Williams
1 brush - VDH boar
1 blade brand - Wilkinson Sword (Wal-Mart)
1 Bowl - VDH (starter set)
1 After Shave - Mennen Skin Bracer

Now (after seeing and joining the B&B)
1 razor - RazoRock Jaws OC (love the EJ, but I'm lovin' the closer shaves with Jaws. B&B induced
1 soap - Williams......but I mix in either Speick or Real Shaving Co. cream) B&B induced
2 brushes - VDH boar + Semogue 620 boar....alternate every other day bought the 620 prior to finding the B&B
2 blade brands - Personna reds & Astra SPs.......Purchased 100 of each B&B induced due to Wal-Mart not carrying WS blades
1 bowl - VDH (starter set)
3 After Shaves - Pinaud Clubman, Pinaud Virgin Island Bay Rum & Thayers Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera. B&B induced

Only real difference now is that I check out thrift and antique stores looking for shave related stuff. Nice hobby.

minimalist shave den...er shelf.

I go through phases but as if late have found a very narrow bandwidth that works for me thus allowing me to avoid a LOT of razors. Uber aggressive razors are off my list as well as all open combs. Then there are certain cases I don't like or knurling patterns that I don't care for. All this took me awhile to figure out but am glad it was sooner than later.

Here's the inventory:

• About 50 Razors, including many vintage Gillette safeties; a vintage Merkur Progress that belonged to my father; a relatively new Merkur Futur; five vintage straight razors in working condition; four or five shavettes; a Weck WWII-era Navy Issue Sextoblade; a Feather AC; one original Gillette Sensor still in the package; two Sensor Excels (one unopened); one Gillette Mach 3 Turbo (unopened); one Gillette Fusion Pro Glide (unopened); several Bic disposables that I use when traveling. A Parker 96R is on the way, could be in today's mail.
• A rechargeable Braun electric shaver. My father gave it to me, because he received two in a shipping error. It was easier to take it than explain why I wasn't going to use it very much.
• One brush: A three year old VDH that I bought at Walgreens for about $8. I use it four or five times a week. It doesn't show any sign of wearing out soon.
• Two bowls: A stainless steel mixing bowl that I bought at a closeout store for $1.69, and a ceramic Chinese rice bowl that I bought at a Dollar Store for... $1.
• One open bar of Williams Mug Soap. It looks like it will last at least another two months at the rate I use it. One unopened VDH mug soap that I probably bought at the same time as the brush.
• 1/2 Tube each Neutrogena shave cream, regular and sensitive
• 1/2 Tube Everyman Jack, sensitive
• 1/2 Pump bottle Kiss My Face shave cream, pomegranate/grapefruit
• 1/3 Can Edge Gel, extra moisturizing. Had it for years.
• 1/2 Can Barbasol, sensitive. Had it for even more years than the Edge.
• 1 knurdle Body Shop Maca Root cream that I got as a sample. Probably 3 shaves' worth.
• 1/2 tube Palmolive brushless shave cream that I found recently in my late father's bathroom, along with one and a half bottles of Brut splash-on lotion, and a half bottle of Aqua Velva Ice Blue.
• 1/2 bottle Publix supermarket brand Witch Hazel.
• 1/2 bottle Walgreen's pharmacy brand after shave lotion.
• 3/4 large pump bottle Vaseline Intensive Care lotion. It's the only product I use every day, regardless of razor, blade, or other shaving product. I really can't use any scented shave products because of allergies and skin sensitivities, and my wife complains that they aggravate her allergies. Sigh...
• One toothbrush stand that I re-purposed for holding the razor or two in current use.
• Lotsa, lotsa, lotsa blades.

Minimalist? No. What can I say, I really, really like razors. The other stuff, ehh...

I never really felt a need to collect a bunch of razors, and as such, I only own two: a Parker 99R, and a GD 66 straight. I may replace the Parker at some point.

I like having good brushes, and I have 2: a Whipped Dog Silvertip, and a B&B Essential. I'm considering getting another boar brush, to avoid using it on consecutive days. I use the Essential a little more than the WD.

I use one brand of DE blade, Red IPs. They work well for me, and are cheap.

I use only one soap.....per day. This is where I have a bit of an obsession. currently, I have 10 different soaps in my rotation. I haven't bought anything in a while (and won't, until I start to use some things up), but I definitely like having different soap options.

I have 3 different ASBs, but two of them were sent in a holiday gift exchange from another user. I like them, but since they're both from Japan, Ilikely won't replace them, and will stick to Nivea.

So...almost a minimalist. Except for the soap. I really like soap.

I consider my self a minimalist I have:

- 200 Astra Blades
- 200 Permasharp Blades
- 100 Crystal IP blades
- Blade samplers

- Merkur 34C HD
- FaTip Piccolo

- Proraso Green and Red
- Proraso AS, Clubman Bayrum AS

- 2 Parker shavettes
- Dovo Straight razor

- Semogue 810 brush

As in a list it looks like something big but trust me it really isn't. I'm already happy I can save major bucks with DE shaving.

I am.

Two pazors (Weber & Weber)
Two spare razors heads (r41 & r89)
Two silvertip brushes
Two shaving soaps
Two shaving creams
Two AS balms
Two AS cologne
Two thousand blades

Sometimes have a little bit more or less shaving supply, but very rarely.

I only use mine one at a time! Huh? huh?

1 brush
1 Soap (not über)
1 scuttle (only 1)
1 razor

does that count

I have a Merkur 23C, a stand, a badger brush, a bowl and a razor bank. I have four or five types of blades just because I am new to wet shaving and I'm trying out different blades to discover what I like. I have a puck of col. conk that came with my razor and then I bought what seems to be a lifetime of VDH soap because it was on clearance at a store. I don't know if that classifies me as a minimalist but I'm definitely short quite a bit of the fancy stuff some of you guys proudly own.

I enjoy my variety of razors too much to go minimalist. However, I would love to cut my soaps down to about 5 (currently about 40).

I will never win the minimalist award: I'm a sucker for all the enablers on this wonderful forum.

3 razors
Merkur Progress
34c
37c slant

3 brushes. (1 Omega, 2 TGN)

2 soaps MWF and VDH

1 cream Proaso

1 scuttle.

2 After shave splashes,1 balm.

I can't be a minimalist. The best start to my morning is opening the cabinet and deciding what the soap and scent if the day is going to be. It all depends on my mood. It's like saying I only drink beer. Sometimes I prefer a fine whiskey and when I am lounging by the pool, even a fruity drink finds a way to my hand. Variety boys, its a short life.

I'd say with confidence that I'm a minimalist.

At Home (Weekend Shaving):

• 40's Gillette SuperSpeed
• Van Der Hagen Deluxe Shave Kit (Boar Brush, Bowl, Soap)
• Van Der Hagen Glycerin Soap in Old Spice Mug
• Witch Hazel
• Aqua Velva Cool Blue

At Work (M-F Shaving)

• EJ DE89
• RazoRock Sandalwood
• EJ Boar Brush
• Nivea Balm

And a 60 blade sample pack that is shared between the 2 locations. I'm fairly content with the current gear. Although I will be adding Tabac and a couple samples of Stirling when the RazoRock runs dry.

I'm still in the experimentation phase, mostly when it comes to consumables. I have one razor and one brush. Other than about 8 sample pucks of Stirling, I only have VDH, Proraso Red, and Mike's Natural Hungarian Lavender. I have quite a few different blades that I'm trying, but will probably end up using somewhere between 1 and 3 different blades once I find my favorites. Probably just one.

Not very minimalist here I have four de's a scuttle 1 wdg brush and 4 somes and 100 atsra sps oh and bayrum as. But I will say this much I use one soap till its finished does that count?

Philosophically a minimalist here and ethically an anti-enabler. For me, we do a possible disservice to newbies and lurkers whenever we nudge each other in the ribs and smile over our little inside joke that AD's are part of this game. No criticism here of anyone not a minimalist or suffering an AD or two: if you want/need 40 soaps/creams and 15 razors and 10 brushes, no skin off my back. But many posters here also say they want to show cartridge/canned foam shavers the true light.... not something I'm into personally. Nor am I one who would say or do anything to discourage someone from trying our passion.
But if I were into conversions, K.I.S.S. would certainly be my guiding philosophy ... I'd want any newcomer to remain a happy and contented member of our fraternity by encouraging a VERY modest and measured approach, with as few permutations and variables as possible.
Once a newer shaver gets past 2-3 guaranteed to lather creams, one or two NEW (not vintage) razors, a reasonable badger brush or two, and a few less controversial blade choices, there is a real risk confusion and/or disillusionment will soon follow.
Vintage razors, soaps, straight razors, scuttles and all those fragrance choices and aftershaves may or not follow once the newbie feels totally comfortable with the basics.
A lurker scanning some threads here, perhaps trying to determine whether to stick his toe in the water, might possibly conclude only full body immersion, not a single toe, is the preferred course. Much too much emphasis on acquisition, IMHO, versus "old fashion" one measured step at a time thinking.
Not meaning to offend anyone, and certainly not intending to sound condescending, but there I said it. Possible food for thought, though adding these comments in a thread on "minimalism" may be preaching to the converted.

A quandary has been answered. How do you keep a thread about minimalism alive? Answer; By adding more minimalists.

Add me to the list. I currently have three soaps, soon to be two. I want to get to one, and the perfect soap to me would be one that was always replaced by the same soap. Aftershave is Nivea AS Balm followed by generic witch hazel. One daily boar brush and a synthetic I use for travel.

I'm a minimalist to an extent. throughout my lifestyle I try to be minimal not just in shaving. Right now I've got a TOBS sandalwood, bowl, brush, AS and razor and strop. However... I have three razors. My desk and everything though has a printer, light, and computer. But with my girlfriends stuff... it doesn't look minimal haha. But back to shaving. I don't think it is entirely necessary to have seven different soaps at a time. But it is kind of nice to have some variety. As for multiple razors, I like it because I don't have to worry about honing anything at 6 am if I have an extra one

I'm on the minimalist end of the scale. While I have a small collection of razors, I don't consider myself a collector. I still buy and sell on occasion, but I don't see the total number growing.

Here's the stocklist:
- Six Razors, I like some variety. All Gillette, these date from 1906-1920-ish
- Two brushes. (I really think you need to alternate so they can dry out).
- About 100 blade mix of Sharks, Astras and samples I'm working through. Un-opened 100 Carton of Astra SP.
- Puck of Arko, couple pucks of Williams collecting dust.

Oh, and I'm waiting on a Shavette I ordered awhile ago.

I don't use cologne or after shave. Once in awhile I'll pick up a bottle of Thayer's, and I've got a bottle of skin lotion, couldn't tell you the brand off hand.

Was looking for some spare high-end audio cable and stumbled across a misplaced rubbermaid box of soaps and razors and such. When one's misplaced overflow is itself not minimalist, the conclusion is pretty clear. I'm doomed.

But, once I make my choice of blade, razor, software and technique... I am suddenly a minimalist for the duration of the shave... There is only one blade edge that matters, one lather that matters. Does that count?