Using Stuff Up

I'm on a little mission to use up some of my extra shaving stuff...

(Anything that didn't work for me or that I didn't like is already gone. And a few other things can probably be traded off. So I'm only working with an assortment of stuff I generally like and get good shaves with.)

I'm pretty much a one-razor-all-the-time guy, so that part is easy. Same with blades, though I have a few extra tucks of my second and third favorite brands I can use up.

I have a few creams that all work well for me, and over time, I think I'll use them up and only replace my favorites as needed.

The same will go for my drawer full of aftershaves... Use them up and only replace my favorites as needed.


Has anyone else tried to use up their stock and go in a more minimalist direction? How did it go?

That's what I'm trying to do now. If I never purchased another shaving related item I could easily go 5 years without making another purchase of anything, minus the possible AS purchase here and there, but only because it tends to go more rapidly than most anything else.

I'm using things up.

And I am an excalibur.

I'm doing the same with product... haven't bought anything for about 9 months.

I do enjoy a rotation of razors though, plus I have a couple dozen soaps and creams to plough through.

I'm in the process of doing that now. I am going to try not to buy anything new for the remainder of this year. I have about 10 creams/soaps and aftershaves. I have about 80 blades left. I think I should be ok

While not on a dedicated mission, I am trying to lower my supply to only products I really love. I used Castle Forbes exclusively for over a year in a longevity experiment and had no trouble as it's my favorite cream, but I do like a little variety now and again. I'm currently rotating three soaps and CF. I don't know that I'll go lower than that.

I'm not on a dedicated mission, however I'm trying to save money by not buying the next great thing and use up the scads of stuff I have on hand. I've used up some creams so far this year, still a lot of soaps to go through, some I haven't even unwrapped yet.

Only a few months into this, but I think after an aggressive acquisition phase, at least by my normal standards, I'm ready to use what I've got to "get to know things".

2 razors
2 brushes (1 probably retired)
3X100 blades plus what's left of a sample pack from tryablade
2 creams
4 soaps (including most of a case of arko)
Alum
1 ASB

Pretty sure I can go without purchases through 2017, maybe even 2018, other than ASB. Unless I drop my alum block, maybe I should purchase a backup.

I do think I've got at least one soap in the rotation that will continue to get purchased though, I can't believe how easy to use arko is, and how good the results are. So while I aim to use it up, it will most likely get replenished.

Go read the 3017 thread in the soap subforum. Sounds like that is what you are trying to do.

Whenever I try to use something up, I find I try to use up something that is not a favorite, and end up tiring of it a bit and switching back to something I like more... I have gotten rid of most everything I don't like, but some things I like better than others.

I like to think I'm more of a minimalist when it comes to shaving stuff. I haven't bought any new soaps or brushes since my last haul from Maggards several weeks ago. I plan to use the soaps and blades that I have now before I buy anymore. As to the razors...I still haven't found my "one and only" just yet. But that may change soon...for now I usually rotate 2-3 razors at a time.

It's a constant thing for me. I try to use up the stuff that I don't want to replace but then I keep buying more new stuff to try. I wonder if I'm better off putting everything else aside and using just the ones that are my absolute favorites or constantly trying to use everything else up to get to that point.

Like you, I've weeded the stuff that I don't care for and I'm using really great stuff every day, however it just feels like a never ending battle.

I have one razor
two brands of blade
four soaps
3 aftershaves
1 aftershave balm

I have enough to rotate and feel good about my face feel and smell, and keep it interesting. Now if something gets in the rotation that's new its often due to a birthday present or christmas.

My hero!! I would like (eventually) to get to this situation. I am still in accumulation mode!

I am certainly not a minimalist. However, I have decided to put all my soaps and creams (except duplicates) in my rotation and use them all. I found that I have so many unopened soaps and creams that have been sitting unused - sometimes for more than two years - and have decided not to add any (I hope) new stock.

A couple years ago I hit my peak as far as interest in shaving goes. I had multiple British Gillette Aristocrats, a Toggle, a Red Dot, Chubby 2 Super, multiple tubs of MdC, it was getting kind of ridiculous. When I found that my best shavers were plain NEWs and injectors, I started selling a lot of razors. I also thinned my brushes down to a few boars, one Duke 3 Best and the Plissoft. I still have a ton of soap, but I continue to use them all and it will keep for so long that I'm not worried about it. I get more enjoyment out of the shaving process itself now that I have figured out what works best for me and I don't have over 50 razors to choose from every day.

I can't imagine having this issue, as I'm far too "frugal" (read: cheap) to even buy more than one of something. I've have a VDH boar brush for about 2 years (the same one EVERYONE had when they started) that fell out of the handle. Rather than spend money on a new one, I superglued it back in, and kept going. I have a shave soap my son bought for me, and while I love the smell, it doesn't produce a lather at all (and I've had it since Father's Day last year and tried more water, less water, etc to no avail) and while I've been looking at getting a new soap, I just cannot bring myself to buy another one until it's dead and gone, which, at this rate, will probably be another year or so...

ackvil said:

...and have decided not to add any (I hope) new stock.

Click to expand...

Right!!??

sarimento1 said:

Right!!??

Click to expand...

Well, so much for not adding stuff. Just added a new razor to my collection.

Well, it looks like I'm not the only one who's trying to do this!

Wish me luck.