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you ever feel guilty with all the gear you have? razors, blades etc etc

'Wet shaving' has become a kind of 'lifestyle' for many. An identity, or part of one. I think about how it was for my father, grandfather and before, to them it was just something men did to keep tidy, not a chore, but not a pleasantry either which is what gets lost in all the nostalgia. No one was too fussed about whether their brush was best or super badger or boar, what brand of blades, reading the ingredients on the soap to check if it's tallow based.

I became a 'wet shaver' because I like the simplicity of shaving in the old way. I appreciate a sharp blade, a good soap, a good brush as much as the next man but the idea of collecting these things, having a shelf of soap (many which sit barely used for months and years), another for brushes, looking forward to soap base 2.2.1, it's a bit nauseating tbh. The image has become more important than reality, guys with burly beards using straights and expensive soaps to simply touch up the lines, men pontificating about how great a blade feels while sporting goatees and a moustache. Like a dentist with rotten teeth telling you yours are dirty.

I get why this has happened. How many people here actually had the opportunity to sit by their father or grandfather, with his brush, bowl and razor, and to be taught? How many, having been fortunate enough to experience such, actually appreciated it at the time? For people of my generation, most of our fathers were probably using canned foam, disposables or electric shavers.

The 'rediscovery' of traditional shaving has spawned all sorts of novelty, as such resurrections of past ways always do and the real things we can learn from that past are obscured behind it.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Not really a guilty feeling, I had a strategy at first to save some money cutting my own hair and no more buying cartridge razors & goo and buy new gear as you save with traditional wet shaving. I did not save any money in 4 years but plowed it into this hobby that keep myself sane after some surgeries. So I'm kind of broke even with spending & saving money at this moment and enjoyed it a lot. My kids will inherit a whole lot of razors and brushes............. but I told them how to sell them if they want.
I do not have to buy any more soaps or razors or blades or brushes.....for the next 4 + years if I don't want to but every once in awhile I like something I would like to try.(I have enough grail razors) Really its a perception for your wants and needs and there is smart ways to shave and enjoy it and maybe save a few bucks if a person wants to or not! Sure learned a lot and enjoyed it over the last 4 years.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
No, .... not one ounce of guilt. I've worked hard all my life and I truly enjoy the luxuries of our wonderful hobby.
My only real problem with all my stuff is that I REALLY need to downsize, as I'm not getting any healthier, or younger.

Guilt? POSSIBLY that is the wrong descriptor for me. Better would be regret? And I REALLY try not to live with regret.

So to assuage my "conscience"? I will be having some huge PIFs soonish. Lol, I can't sell anything, as almost everything I have was a gift from some kind soul on here!

But yeah, maybe I think too much?

I mean, if I have too much stuff, I feel like I'm cheating some starving kid in Africa out of an Arko sandwich or something... Hard to put into werds, doggone!
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
My only real problem with all my stuff is that I REALLY need to downsize, as I'm not getting any healthier, or younger.

Guilt? POSSIBLY that is the wrong descriptor for me. Better would be regret? And I REALLY try not to live with regret.

So to assuage my "conscience"? I will be having some huge PIFs soonish. Lol, I can't sell anything, as almost everything I have was a gift from some kind soul on here!

But yeah, maybe I think too much?

I mean, if I have too much stuff, I feel like I'm cheating some starving kid in Africa out of an Arko sandwich or something... Hard to put into werds, doggone!

If you think you may have been overly blessed by the Shaving Fairy, try to do a couple of PIFs spaced over a small amount of time to newer members of things you look at and say "I really don't use that as often as I do X", where X is not a major favorite, but something mid-scale for you.
It's much easier to pick things off one or two at a time instead of agonizing over a large and complex PIF.
Don't do it if it's just to assuage any feelings of "gift guilt", because you will regret it later.
 
hey people so I was wondering you ever feel guilty with all the gear you have? razors, blades etc etc

I'm not gonna lie I sometimes feel lie it's just too much and then sometimes I'm like look you save so much money not going barbers etc for head shaves just enjoy it

I don't know of any of you can relate to this sort of inner struggle?

I'm not saying I've got the most gear etc but I'm just way it's just OTT no doubt but its kinda addictive too,

Let's face it most shaving gear is brought online so it's like so easy couple of clicks and worse it's on your smartphone a few taps and the deed is done 😬
Guilty? No. Shaving is by far one of the cheapest hobbies Ive ever had and my collecton of gear is a lot smaller now than it used to be.
 
My only real problem with all my stuff is that I REALLY need to downsize, as I'm not getting any healthier, or younger.

Guilt? POSSIBLY that is the wrong descriptor for me. Better would be regret? And I REALLY try not to live with regret.

So to assuage my "conscience"? I will be having some huge PIFs soonish. Lol, I can't sell anything, as almost everything I have was a gift from some kind soul on here!

But yeah, maybe I think too much?

I mean, if I have too much stuff, I feel like I'm cheating some starving kid in Africa out of an Arko sandwich or something... Hard to put into werds, doggone!
I’ve never heard any of your “friends” here accuse you of thinking too much. Let me be the first! Best to you with your health etc.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I’ve never heard any of your “friends” here accuse you of thinking too much. Let me be the first! Best to you with your health etc.
Thank you my friend.

You are correct: with friends like mine, who needs enemas?

I crack myself up with nurse jokes once in awhile...
 
If you think you may have been overly blessed by the Shaving Fairy, try to do a couple of PIFs spaced over a small amount of time to newer members of things you look at and say "I really don't use that as often as I do X", where X is not a major favorite, but something mid-scale for you.
It's much easier to pick things off one or two at a time instead of agonizing over a large and complex PIF.
Don't do it if it's just to assuage any feelings of "gift guilt", because you will regret it later.

+1 Have never regretted giving something away with a PIF.
 
So many, will lean one way over a preferred thing, while being very frugal in others.
I’ve noticed that as well. Or they top out with a couple items. Like soaps and matching/ complimenting aftershaves. Or in my case it’s Gillette techs and soaps. I did go a little over board on some custom scented ASB back in March or April but that was only because there was a possibility that the place I get them from would shut down (fortunately new owners were found). As to feeling guilty about all of the shaving stuff my answer is no
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
I’ve noticed that as well. Or they top out with a couple items. Like soaps and matching/ complimenting aftershaves. Or in my case it’s Gillette techs and soaps. I did go a little over board on some custom scented ASB back in March or April but that was only because there was a possibility that the place I get them from would shut down (fortunately new owners were found). As to feeling guilty about all of the shaving stuff my answer is no

I haven't decided yet, if it's a pleasure to pick today's aftershave for my shave, from my 200 AS's; or if it's a chore, or bondage, to have to decide and pick out, a single aftershave from my 200 AS's. :)

If one tires of their 200 brushes, you can easily sell and PIF away. Same with razors and soaps. But liquid aftershaves? Most of them drugstore AS's? Modern & vintage alike, but still drugstore aftershaves? I can't sell them all and recoup any money and in 10 years, I don't know anyone who wants them.

Paying postage on 200 PIF's, would be as costly as it was collecting them. :)
 
All the gear I have is 1 main DE, 1 backup, a brush I no longer use (because I recently switched to hand-to-face lathering), several hundred blades, 1 soap, 2 creams. I figure I will use up most of the disposable stuff by the end of the year.
I don't consider my gear excessive and I feel no guilt. I wish I had bought quality from the get-go instead of buying and returning or disposing of gear every year from 2013 til 2020, but there is no way you can obtain the required experience to make such sound decisions without trying out for yourself. Also the majority of current lifetime-warranty razors didn't go into mass production until a couple of years ago, so when I started in 2013 I had the choice between Feather All-Stainless (risky, since expensive and I was clueless), Fatip (I had the V1 Piccolo, which felt like playing Resident Evil before hitting the bed) and the run-of-the-mill pot metal/plastic DE razors. From my current experience, I know I would have liked the AS-D1 and saved money and trouble.
 
I haven't decided yet, if it's a pleasure to pick today's aftershave for my shave, from my 200 AS's; or if it's a chore, or bondage, to have to decide and pick out, a single aftershave from my 200 AS's. :)

If one tires of their 200 brushes, you can easily sell and PIF away. Same with razors and soaps. But liquid aftershaves? Most of them drugstore AS's? Modern & vintage alike, but still drugstore aftershaves? I can't sell them all and recoup any money and in 10 years, I don't know anyone who wants them.

Paying postage on 200 PIF's, would be as costly as it was collecting them. :)
just take a shower in your aftershaves, guaranteed to come out smelling great lool 😂 😂 😂
 
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