Different Styles of shaving guys

KeenDogg · Aug 2, 2015

Are there guys out there that just go for the finest shaving things or guys that go for the average things as far as collections go? I'd like to consider myself a blue collar kind of guy and I am gravitating toward old spice mugs and ever-ready brushes, for example. Thoughts?

MrBryant · Aug 2, 2015

I feel that I fit into the "working class" or "blue collar" category...mostly because I am indeed working class...

In being working class I have had to purchase tools ( I am a machinist) and I learned early on to "cry once" when buying tools. Meaning go ahead and get the good stuff, not the fancy stuff with useless bells and whistles, but the good stuff that will last you a lifetime (and often has a lifetime warranty). If you buy the cheap stuff, yeah, you have it for now but it may not perform as well or it could break after a couple of uses wherein you will have to buy (cry) again, possibly creating an endless cycle of replacing said tool.Or when the cheap stuff breaks you end up buying the good stuff and have wasted your money on garbage.

My point being: I don't feel I need the fanciest shaving gear but I'll be sure to get something that is of good ( not "okay", not "decent" but good or better) quality. I like the vintage stuff and may eventually end up with some but I don't see a need to(personally) have "collection" of shaving paraphernalia just like I don't see a need for me to have a collection of toenail clippers or toilet plungers they are tools that serve a single specific purpose and that is all.

I understand collectors of DE shaving gear to a certain extent, everyone has their hobbies and I don't see anything wrong with it. I respect the art and still hope to master it but I don't think a med cabinet full of razors will help that (a med cabinet full of alum blocks and styptic pencils would benefit me the most). I played a vintage Gretsch white falcon guitar once and I still couldn't solo for crap....

djh · Aug 2, 2015

Have a look through the Shave Of The Day Sub-Forum. There you will find a great selection of whatver the membership are using on any given day.

BSAGuy · Aug 2, 2015

There are collector niches for everyone. Some guys go for one product line, some guys only collect top tier stuff in cases and shippers. Some guys only look for gear that they can use daily.

dpm802 · Aug 2, 2015

If we're talking about collections, I go for the finer things. There's no point in having a collection that's filled with common-place gear.

I'll shave with just about anything, from cheap drugstore products to the finest, rare and expensive ASLs, soaps and creams. But my collectibles drawer contains the cream of the crop from all my ADs, and if I come across something that's NOS and/or discontinued, it remains in pristine and unopened condition.

DaltonGang · Aug 2, 2015

KeenDogg said:
Are there guys out there that just go for the finest shaving things or guys that go for the average things as far as collections go? I'd like to consider myself a blue collar kind of guy and I am gravitating toward old spice mugs and ever-ready brushes, for example. Thoughts?

Blue collar, white collar, it doesn't make any difference. Some of the better shaving razors do no cost that much, as far as vintage goes. As for the most expensive razors and products go, it seems to be, well, no comment.. I've tried expensive razors, expensive brushes, and expensive creams and soaps. I have many razors, but like Gillette Fat Boy razors the most, for shaving. I tend to use Arko mixed with essential oils, and Prorasso the most. Both not expensive, yet superb in performance.
Try many, keep the ones you like, and don't get caught up with the whole, expensive means better thought.

Cash_Stronomer · Aug 2, 2015

I can't say I collect anything in particular, but I like my bathroom and a lot of my other areas to give that feel of being i the 40's or 50's. So I'll just pick up whatever's in good shape from around the time frame. Bottles, razor's, radios, whatever.

Tulkinghorn · Aug 2, 2015

For hardware, I like well made nice things that I can pay for once and then enjoy using every day, preferably for the rest of my life. So I can see myself someday treating myself to one special razor (like maybe an excellent-condition Gillette Aristocrat or something along those lines) and making it my daily shaver ever after. For consumables, I prefer to stick with the simplest, cheapest thing that works for me and is readily available from local sources so that I don't have to worry about stockpiling it or remembering to order it online. So I'm currently trying to settle on either Van der Hagen or Col. Conk Bay Rum soap, both of which I can pick up at local stores I go to anyway and are cheap enough. Once I settle on one, that's probably what I'll use all the time, unless Mrs. Tulkinghorn or someone starts giving me fancier soaps as gifts. Back in my earlier days of wet shaving, I normally used Williams soap, which I liked and which I could then get cheaply at most any drugstore.

August West · Aug 2, 2015

...I contain multitudes.

Ceri · Aug 2, 2015

there's also using stuff out of sheer cussedness - I've suffered many a nick from trying to prove others wrong... and I still maintain you can get a decent shave out of a Techmatic

GoneRetroInOH · Aug 2, 2015

I am familiar with enthusiasts who shell out $200 or more for some latest thing from Above the Tie, but I am not one of them. My experience has been that there are a lot of intriguing surprises in the $1.00 to $7.50 range, including razors, creams, soaps, brushes, blades, and fragrances. Remember this was supposed to save money. I get a lot more utility from finding nicely functional bargains than I would from having the most expensive toys.

jcs266 · Aug 2, 2015

MrBryant said:
I feel that I fit into the "working class" or "blue collar" category...mostly because I am indeed working class...

In being working class I have had to purchase tools ( I am a machinist) and I learned early on to "cry once" when buying tools. Meaning go ahead and get the good stuff, not the fancy stuff with useless bells and whistles, but the good stuff that will last you a lifetime (and often has a lifetime warranty). If you buy the cheap stuff, yeah, you have it for now but it may not perform as well or it could break after a couple of uses wherein you will have to buy (cry) again, possibly creating an endless cycle of replacing said tool.Or when the cheap stuff breaks you end up buying the good stuff and have wasted your money on garbage.

My point being: I don't feel I need the fanciest shaving gear but I'll be sure to get something that is of good ( not "okay", not "decent" but good or better) quality. I like the vintage stuff and may eventually end up with some but I don't see a need to(personally) have "collection" of shaving paraphernalia just like I don't see a need for me to have a collection of toenail clippers or toilet plungers they are tools that serve a single specific purpose and that is all.

I understand collectors of DE shaving gear to a certain extent, everyone has their hobbies and I don't see anything wrong with it. I respect the art and still hope to master it but I don't think a med cabinet full of razors will help that (a med cabinet full of alum blocks and styptic pencils would benefit me the most). I played a vintage Gretsch white falcon guitar once and I still couldn't solo for crap....

Very well said. This describes me to a "T". Cry once is my motto. I experimented with a couple other DE razors prior, but quickly settled on the ATT Kronos and haven't touched another razor. I gave away the first razor I had but kept my '55 Super Speed for nostalgic reasons, though I rarely use it. The ATT is my go-to 99.5% of the time, 7 days a week. It was expensive, but in it I've found The One. Same with my brush. I now have a very fine brush and have zero interest in anything else. So that's it - and now it's just replacing blades and soaps as needed and an ear-to-ear smile every day as I enjoy that morning ritual... :lol:

BigJ · Aug 3, 2015

+1. The point is to buy tools that will work for you.

In some things I go "top drawer." For example I have a Wolfman SS razor, but I use and enjoy it most every day. I also appreciate the feel of badger, but go with Simpson's best rather than the "collector grades", because Simpson's is best on my face, and handles that work in my hand (such as the Duke 2 which is a real working brush IMO).

In other things I go "main stream" or less expensive. For example I use Pinaud, Old Spice, and Lucky Tiger because I really like these products. They perform as well, or better, for me than much more expensive products. Same with blades, where I prefer Personna Reds or Astras to more expensive blades like Feathers.

Roklok · Aug 4, 2015

I prefer vintage Gillette razors. Fatboys are my favorite followed by the 1940s Super Speeds. Lots of good buys on Ebay. Some people think they are too expensive. A late 50s Fatboy cost $1.95 new. That is about $64 in today's dollars taking inflation into account. Lots of decent Fatboys in that price range. Same can be said for all the old Gillette DE razors.

BigJ · Aug 4, 2015

BSAGuy said:
There are collector niches for everyone. Some guys go for one product line, some guys only collect top tier stuff in cases and shippers. Some guys only look for gear that they can use daily.

+1. Agree with your assessment. The only rule is to be civil, lots of room for folks with different goals IMO. :001_cool:

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Different Styles of shaving guys

KeenDogg

Slays On Fleek - For Rizz

MrBryant

djh

BSAGuy

dpm802

DaltonGang

Cash_Stronomer

Tulkinghorn

August West

Ceri

GoneRetroInOH

jcs266

BigJ

Roklok

BigJ

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