The Art of Shaving (no, not that one)

[crocto]

I keep a notebook. Slowly I am deciding what gets a permanent place in the rotation.

exactly. though for me its not about permanent. its just about saying i liked this or didn't like this and here's why. so if i liked the truefitt & hill stuff maybe i should try the almond next time around. so i've only got 1 cream going at a time but i have an idea of what i want to try next when i use that up.

 

[40boy]

You need a plan, that's all. Give yourself say, one year.
Buy and experiment to your hearts content, with the goal of having a regular rotation of products after one year.
Whether it be for example the totally minimalist one razor, one blade type, one soap, one brush, and one after shave, or a comfortable working rotation of say 3 of each type of product. Or some other reasonable combination(s).
Whatever your wallet, storage capabilities and Wife can tolerate

Face it, 95% percent of the high-end wetshaving products are "worth having" but realistically, you can't use them all.

After one year, make a decision on which ones fit your comfort levels and stick to them.

(now if I could only follow my own advice)

 

[Samouraï]

Speaking as a painter, i'm sure you had been to an Artist's studio. If so you must have noticed that among myriad of brushes, paint tubes, canvas rolls and easels of many sizes there are also many things that artists hoards for either future use or inspiration.
I think an artist master his trade surrounded with its tools so they are available on his whim.

except there is only one canvas, and im only interested in painting a single style perfectly. i'm not against multiple razors if they serve a utilitarian purpose. i am only against the act of collecting for enjoyment rather than perfecting the act of shaving for enjoyment.

it might not have been the best simile, in hindsight, but it still applies on some level. everything in a painter's studio has a purpose if it is necessary for the propagation of his art. the difference between shaving and painting is that i would whittle shaving down to a singular, precise act--to achieve grace with a razor, and the painter expands outward to express creativity (this is a sweeping statement, i know, and it may not be wholly correct).

i only meant the act of holding a razor or a brush in one's hand should reach a peak of gracefulness. i see the entire act of shaving as something more akin to yoga or meditation.

 

[Southside]

As a newbie, I find I'm most attracted to new soaps and creams, that have an excellent lather and a nice, pleasing manly scent. So I now have amassed 5 different soaps/creams, not terrible, but more than I expected. I'm trying to find, cheaply, what works best for me and my own situation. Thus far, Proraso seems to be the winner at my house for cream, and TOBS is the soap champ.

I'm tremendously happy with my razor, Merkur 38C, and the Red Personna blades. I would like 1 really nice Silvertip brush, but for now I'm content with my AOS badger brush that my father gave me. I really love my 2 Pinaud aftershaves and see no reason to buy others for now.

I enjoy shaving more, and I find it to be relaxing now instead of a pain in the ***. But I was hoping to accomplish that, AND save money, and be more environmentally friendly all at once.