A thought on taste and change

Bezoar

Bezoar

Messages
1,538
Since I have been using a real razor again, I wanted very specific vintage razors to have. The use wasn't paramount, just to have, to posess to make me "equal" with every faceless person on these forums.
It wasn't hard to get to that status really of hoarder of specific items. A lot of items have been given god like status on forums and in blogs, that one feels compelled to pursue these beasts of shavingdom down for ourselves. But its rather pointless.

The other day looking at razors on line, I went through Valet Autostrops on ebay and etsy, and reading on them something came over me. RAD was dead.. at least for the double edge world.

I have great DE razors. fatboy, 41/46 aristocrat, 46 ranger head super speed, gold super adjustable, and numerous techs.

I had lusted after a milady tech, and a ranger tech. But I realized that as I was buying genuine un opened English made Valet blades and a near mint autostrop, that I had no purchase rage for that milady tech, which currently resides at 10.50 minus case on ebay, or for the used toggles currently listed at 120$.

Sure I have interest in them as historical items, and as razors, but I have no want, self made or media inflicted to buy them. I can tell myself it would be nice to say I have that toggle or milady tech, and that I could have gotten them for a 10th of what they normally sell for..

But I see no point in trying to get them. They do nothing that my ww2 contract tech doesn't. and there is no way they would shave better or smoother then my travel tech does.

So how does one cope when they no longer have interest in getting in line with everyone else for the latest greatest fad?
 
I cope by just getting more slants and upgrading the quality of my straightcollection. Basically, I got focus. I'm glad I tried a lot of SE's, and some of the DE-classics, but I'm just as glad I no longer have to have tried all the others.
 
Can't help on this one I'm afraid. I've never really been aware of any specific razors to which all these faceless collectors out there aspire. Just individual models which ring the bell for different shavers. I do get a lot of fun just reading about other peoples experiences with kit, however it doesn't really make me envious of what they've got. So I'm fortunate I guess in never really having been aware of what the latest, greatest fad is, far less wanting to get in line for it.

JohnnyO. o/
 
My way is by not having the disposable income to be able to buy them. And what little money I can afford I then compare the price of said razor to what I could usefully do with the money. I do this with all my purchases. Having little money helps :)

I also focus on buying the best I can afford in a certain razor sector. EG I have a RazoRock Black Hawk, thats my SE Pro Feather razor requirements ticked off so no need for an over priced jewel piece that still basically does the same job. I've a R41 thats my open comb ticked off.

That said if I fall across a bargain like when I got a Tech for £1.20 then all good. I always put a cheeky low bid on a auction and sometimes you get a nice surprise.

I call it "shaving on a shoestring" at least compared to some. I'd love a Fatboy or Slim Adjustable but I just can't justify the cost. So I've bought an adjustable with a broken adjuster for £5 and I'm trying to repair it.
 
I live to my pocket. Do I get pangs of jealousy when a Ferrari zooms past? Hell yeah! But that car isn't for my pocket. I don't care for vintage razors. A new stainless DE or SE get's me excited but I don't chase after them any more. If a new razor is released I'm not too bothered about owning it.
 
I like to see what others own & want to purchase but as for myself I'm not interested in collecting shaving brushes,soaps different types of razors.
Once I get my next custom made then that's me done for good with buying razors.I love EDT,aftershave/splashes,so will continually buy those.
 
Fortunately the vintage collectables don't really interest me.

I've got a few razors, but none expensive. Same goes for my brushes.

I'd love to have a nice stainless steel DE, but at the moment there's more important things that sort of money needs to be spent on.

I enjoy using the razors I do have and also enjoy seeing/reading about what everyone else uses.

No need to feel jealous.
 
a lot of vintage razors have cult followings. some of which at times seems to be just people trying to create a market so they can sell off their unwanted slims....

A lot of the time one can feel the pressure for the new razors coming out. On some internet spots they get so much hype that one is given the impression to buy one to "stay relevant" on the forums.
 
I do agree with your latter point. Sometimes a razor is virtually sold out before it is released due to the hype built up around it from the various forums. That makes it very difficult to acquire one, then if you don't get one you have to suffer the indignity of being one of those who don't own one when all the shave of the day photos come in the day after release. Luckily for our American friends most new razors come out over the pond so not only do they cost around half after customs and currency changes they are easier to get on the waiting lists for.
 
I figure it makes sense to collect razors you actually want to shave with unless you're operating a museum. Thus after accumulating enough SE and injectors to determine I preferred them to pricier DEs I sold off most all the DEs. I don't need to HAVE a Fatboy just to have a Fatboy if a $10 Schick or Autostrop gives me a better shave (and an Autostrop in fine condition looks as cool as anything with Gillette on it). My shave den - - which is a bathroom not a living room - - can reasonably accommodate 25-30 razors, no reason to acquire any more to have them sit in a drawer.
 
e4 fat boy
69 gold super adjustable
46 super speed ranger variant
my techs..

razors that really cant be beaten by any of the DE razors coming out today. Really no way that a 3-400$ stainless steel limited edition DE razor can beat them. MEATING them is a possibility I admit could happen, but for that much price difference why bother?

There is a reason why you can find a fatboy that has been used for a continuous 40 years, and find 300$ stainless "must have super razors" being sold off after maybe 20 shaves on all the forums.
 
I'm pretty new with de razors well if I'm honest I've used the same one for the best part of 20 years just grabbing a pack of whatever blades the local chemist had in stock.My razor is a bit scabby and worn now so I thought I'd look around and see.what's out there.It's mainly the different types that have caught my interest. ie closed comb'adjustable 'open comb.slant etc..So I've got a closed comb'an adjustable and my new open comb'I'm going to pick up a slant and a duel one with comb on one side and bar on the other then that's me honest.sammy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom