Magic Number

[Cornellius]

In today’s age it’s never been easier to get any product you want dropped off at your door. The possibility for new shaving creams and other items are almost endless.

I find myself always wanting to try new shaving products, and for me my weakness is shaving creams.

Do people here have a magic number for how many shaving creams they allow themselves to have on hand at one time? If so what is your reasoning? (ie. Financial, clutter, a spouse who wouldn’t understand, etc.)

 

[ajkel64]

I have about 10 creams and soaps in my collection. I keep it roughly to these numbers mainly due to storage and usage. Creams and soaps seem to last me quite some time. If I had my own bathroom I would increase my numbers excessively. I share the bathroom with LOTH and therefore have very little real estate to deal with.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I want no more than two in the bathroom (at least one must suit me for use with straights), one in the travel kit, and one or two unopened spares in the drawer (again, one of which must be compatible with striaghts). However, this is the total for creams and soaps combined, not for creams alone ... and I currently favour soap.

I currently have one tube of cream and three samples, none of which give me a lather I'm happy with for straight shaving, but all are good enough for DE shaving. I'm still experimenting with them, but am not currently sold on any of them yet. I seem to get as good or better lather from soap, so my magic number for creams might end up being zero.

 

[Cornellius]

Those both sound like very reasonable numbers. I too have limited space in my current bathroom due to sharing it with the wife and the counter/storage space being small to begin with.

Although shaving creams and soaps are not generally expensive, I still don’t like to go too overboard and have too much excess. Currently I have 4 shaving creams:1 tub, 2 tubes, and a shaving stick I use for travel and face lathering.... and if we’re being technical I also have 2 sample size containers as well.

 

[Frozenshades]

Right now I have around 15 full size soaps and creams ranging from not yet used, to almost done. About half a dozen samples or so to use up. I'd say I'm at my max and won't be making any buys for a while until I use a few products up. Partially due to space, but also due to decision paralysis. Too many options makes deciding a chore. The fact that some (at least in my book) are seasonal lowers the number of options as well. Things like Stirling Christmas Eve and B&M First Snow get put in back in the warmer months, and conversely I doubt I'll be in the mood to grab the Iced Pineapple when it's snowing out.

 

[Gobucks01]

Soaps last toooooooooooooooooooo long ha ha. I have been rotating some every quarter and found wow I missed this soap. Same with AS.
I keep about 15 that is my space limit. I would build or buy a shelf to put more but my dear wife I am sure would not have that and I do not blame her ha ha.
The most important thing I do is stick to a 25 buck a month budget (also if some reward money unexpected like extra a lot of overtime at work or football contest winnings . ) But never more then that NEVER. I learned a life changing lesson from spending too much.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

If there is a number, I'm over it. I bought a lot of soaps and creams over a relatively short period...unware, it seems, about how long it takes to get through a puck, tub, or tube of cream. I'll be leaving soap and cream in my will.

 

[Gobucks01]

If there is a number, I'm over it. I bought a lot of soaps and creams over a relatively short period...unware, it seems, about how long it takes to get through a puck, tub, or tube of cream. I'll be leaving soap and cream in my will.

Too funny leaving in my will.Love it.

 

[Cornellius]

I like the idea of setting up a spending limit per month and not necessarily an item limit number.

Soaps last toooooooooooooooooooo long ha ha. I have been rotating some every quarter and found wow I missed this soap. Same with AS.
I keep about 15 that is my space limit. I would build or buy a shelf to put more but my dear wife I am sure would not have that and I do not blame her ha ha.
The most important thing I do is stick to a 25 buck a month budget (also if some reward money unexpected like extra a lot of overtime at work or football contest winnings . ) But never more then that NEVER. I learned a life changing lesson from spending too much.

And also it may be nice to have some seasonal rotators.

Does anyone else get decision fatigue if they give themselves so many different options? 12 soaps to choose from, 5 different blades, 6 aftershaves to choose between etc.?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Does anyone else get decision fatigue if they give themselves so many different options? 12 soaps to choose from, 5 different blades, 6 aftershaves to choose between etc.?

Yes!!!

Soap, I want two choices at an one time, but I don't mind having two more in the drawer to move onto once the first ones are finished. Any more than two is just complicating matters. I had three choices in there for the back end of last year - mainly used one, occasionally used the second, and the third was surplus to requirements, and sat there shrinking and yellowing.

Aftershave, lotion or balm is enough choice for me.

Brushes, two. One synthetic, one boar.

EdT, three. One bright and light for daytime, one mid toned for semi-formal, and one bassier one for night events.

Blades... gets tricky. Ignoring the test pile I'm working through, I've bought 6 or 7 DE blades in quantities of 25 or more, but I've also got straights and vintage hollow ground SE too.

 

[John Rose]

My soap limit is whatever fits in a basket, similar to one of these...

... and that can still fit inside a shelf compartment about an inch higher than the basket.

 

[Gobucks01]

I am sure this is silly and I am not alone but I do a daily rotation:
Menthol Monday
Tube time Tuesday
Whatever Wednesday
Do not have one for Thursday HELP ME HA HA.
Freeze Friday
Sample or seasonal Saturday
and Scale polish (for some reason I love me some Damper dragon Scale polish) Sunday

Silly but......

 

[Frozenshades]

Unless I go to shave and have a desire to use a specific product that day I'll usually shave with the same soap/cream for a few days in a row at a time before grabbing something else.

 

[johnwick]

I want no more than two in the bathroom (at least one must suit me for use with straights), one in the travel kit, and one or two unopened spares in the drawer (again, one of which must be compatible with striaghts). However, this is the total for creams and soaps combined, not for creams alone ... and I currently favour soap.

I currently have one tube of cream and three samples, none of which give me a lather I'm happy with for straight shaving, but all are good enough for DE shaving. I'm still experimenting with them, but am not currently sold on any of them yet. I seem to get as good or better lather from soap, so my magic number for creams might end up being zero.

Hi Al,

I don’t mean to disrupt the thread but I was wondering if you could share what properties, aspects, qualities etc. you’re looking for in a soap/cream for straight razor use. I’m not a straight guy myself but always wondered what you guys were looking for. For example, are you looking for the thick cushion that a veggie soap provides or more of a thinner, slick property a tallow provides?

Cheers!
John

 

[johnwick]

I like the idea of setting up a spending limit per month and not necessarily an item limit number.


And also it may be nice to have some seasonal rotators.

Does anyone else get decision fatigue if they give themselves so many different options? 12 soaps to choose from, 5 different blades, 6 aftershaves to choose between etc.?

Boy o boy... funny you mention that.

A few months ago I had a realization. Extreme clarity. I knew this shaving that was more than shaving. Maybe more than a hobby. Dare I say obsession? I found myself thinking at various points in the day what soap I’d be using tonight. What blade tomorrow, etc. Easy to find yourself in that conundrum with 40+ soaps going. Same for blades. Less razors thank goodness.

I’m kind of like @aimlesswonderer at this point. Or wishing I was him. I wish I had less decisions to make. But I’d miss all my choices after awhile.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Hi Al,

I don’t mean to disrupt the thread but I was wondering if you could share what properties, aspects, qualities etc. you’re looking for in a soap/cream for straight razor use. I’m not a straight guy myself but always wondered what you guys were looking for. For example, are you looking for the thick cushion that a veggie soap provides or more of a thinner, slick property a tallow provides?

Cheers!
John

Thin and slick, John. I'm a big believer that cushion ruins a shave, whatever razor I'm using, but slickness is critical on a straight. I can tolerate a lower level of slickness on DE than for a straight, but a straight shave must be slippery as the blades aren't coated like with disposable blades. Some products WILL give me the slipperiness I need, but I have to load heavily to get it, and some creams I was trying recently, lost their glide before they lost their cushion when thinning them down - so I got a cushioning lather with no lubrication - which is the worst of both worlds.

 

[johnwick]

Makes perfect sense Al [emoji106]. Thin and slick sounds like my Cella shaves. Love that stuff!