Anyone had RAD then gone minimalist?

[mjclark]

One thing I love about RAD is that anything you don't like you can trade on.
I've amassed a load of SEs, DEs, shavettes, straights and blades and for some time was shaving with different combo everyday.
But then I picked up a NOS Pal Injectomatic set and liked it so much that I shaved with it exclusively for six days.
Now it feels like it's time to consolidate and get to really know and really enjoy my favourite razors.
So from tomorrow morning it"s the Pearl SS-04 with a 7 OC Indian Green every day til that blade gets tired.

 

[OMEN]

I have four DEs and use them all for different reasons. My Merkurs (34C & Futur) have Feathers, my R89 Personna Super, and my EJ DE89 has a Gillette 7 Yellow. I am considering either an Ikon or Feather razor but I would then have to give up a razor. I don't know why but that's what my mind keeps telling me. It's also telling me to adopt kittens.

 

[Gissy]

I don't buy much anymore, but witch postage prices from Norway I will most likely keep my hardware around. I tried selliong a brush once, but when I gave an ok price I almost lost money on the sale. I must admit I still buy more softwear than I manage to use up too so I guess the den still grows. It grows much more slowly than before though.

 

[DrAwkward]

No. I'm taking a break from RAD (GRUC 2013) and I expect my ADs will be under control after that, but I like a lot of variety.

 

[Trek2100]

No, never. Must have more, more, more. Now if I were a hermit living in the mountains in a log cabin with no internet or mail,in a wheelchair then, maybe.

 

[conroygc]

Yes. I had over 40 straights and safety razors, I sold almost all of them. Now I'm down to one safety (slim adjustable) and a couple of straights. Whoever send the things you own end up owning you was correct.
2.5 years later I'm still working through all of the soap, aftershave and cologne I bought. I bet I won't have to buy anything for another two years.

 

[California Cajun]

Hi All!
Just wondering if anyone has had a bad case of RAD, then decided to go minimalist?
One razor, one make of blade, one soap or cream etc?
Being satisfied with your current shaving equipment must be a great feeling.
Would that be Nirvana?

To dream ... the impossible dream ...
To fight ... the unbeatable foe ...
To bear ... with unbearable sorrow ...
To run ... where the brave dare not go ...

 

[Legion]

Yep, that's me. One brush, one DE, one straight, one soap...

Did it over a year ago and haven't looked back. I still own a "collection", but it is boxed up in storage. I no longer have a rotation. But it took me several years to be satisfied that I had tried enough stuff to know what I like.

 

[StanStill]

Well I can see how DE shaving could easily spiral into RAD, because I have spent an unusual amount of time window shopping on the internet in the last 4 months. I just got my second razor and its so much better that I want to get rid of my last one because I know I won't use it again.

I guess this isn't the site for minimalists really.

 

[ryno2292]

I've got myself kind of under control. I've either sold, or given away, some of my stuff, but I still have more than I need. I've done a pretty good job of not buying anything new, and quite honestly I use the same setup more often than not.

 

[Ron Scott]

I don't have just one of each item but I'm pretty minimalist.

I'm more attracted to shaving with a DE than the buying/collecting of shave equipment and supplies.

 

[Uncle Brian]

I only had a mild case of RAD ... peaked at about 15 razors or so with 4 soaps and a few hundred blades. I had DE, SE and a straight. I'm now down to a minimal setup and my shaves are much better for it.

1943 Schick E3 Injector razor
Some 80 odd personna blades
Aussie Palmolive shave cream
Same beat up and cracked boar brush i started with.
Pottery bowl from a thrift shop
Alum and some moisturizer

DONE

Of course YMMV mate.

 

[chilliman64]

I had a crazy first twelve months of wetshaving. I haven't counted up my razors but I estimate it to be around 80 (DE/SE/straight).

lately I have been considering selling some of them off but I'm not committed to it just yet.

I will never get down to just one razor, which is funny really because before wetshaving I shaved for 15 yrs or more with just a Mach3. even though I owned a very good electric during most of that period it rarely got used.

I'm going through the process of getting my gun licence - is there a GAD?

 

[weizemanner]

I had a crazy first twelve months of wetshaving. I haven't counted up my razors but I estimate it to be around 80 (DE/SE/straight).

lately I have been considering selling some of them off but I'm not committed to it just yet.

I will never get down to just one razor, which is funny really because before wetshaving I shaved for 15 yrs or more with just a Mach3. even though I owned a very good electric during most of that period it rarely got used.

I'm going through the process of getting my gun licence - is there a GAD?

Yes. A few people I know are currently focusing on buying guns and gun accessories to the point that they don't have money for other parts of thier lives... like bills. Can't blame them, I understand AD, and GAD is way more expensive than RAD. Like my rad kicked in at an antique store the other day "ooh, a fatboy and a 51 superspeed, I'll pay 4 bucks for that", while my friend payed 425 for a new scope thingy...

I don't mind my RAD. I try to only pay for things that are less than what they are selling for on ebay. I figure with goodwill throwing throwing them away, people dropping them, relatives throwing them away, rust, honewear... Every year there are less and less vintage razors. So I don't see the price dropping like beanie babies did. I feel like it is sound investment. Not to mention, I use them in advertising my business so it's all good come tax time.

 

[twitch182]

While my ideal setup isn't minimalist, it's trending in that direction.

Razors: Custom 7 day set from Robert Williams, shavette w/ astra blades for travel
Brush: Omega Pro 48
Soap: DR Harris Marlborough, MdC, Czech and Speake Oxford and Cambridge, +1 other soap
Aftershave: DR Harris Marlborough, DR Harris Bay Rum, Speick
Cologne: John Varvatos, DR Harris Marlborough, Vintage Old Spice
Strop: Tony Miller 3"
StonesMT 1000, DMT 8000, Coticle

I'm in the process of selling/giving away all my extra razors that the wife doesn't use. I have a bunch of soap that I plan on 3017ing and then settling on just the four listed above.

 

[CanuckShaver]

I've tried half a dozen razor and have settled on the Aristocrat for my daily use with the Weber PH once or twice a month. The rest has been sold. My go to blade is the Personna lab although I still have a few brands from previous purchase that won't be replaced when gone.

 

[Howie]

My entire reason to start using soaps, brushes, and finally a DE razor was to go on the cheap. I've always wet shaved using some can of goop going empty and varying sorts of substandard disposable razors. Both were never ending expensive money pits.

I don't plan on having more then one DE razor.
I don't plan on having more then one brush.
I've stocked up on plenty of soaps and a few creams to perhaps last a lifetime.

I'll admit that After Shaves are a weakness for me. I currently have about a dozen.

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

I was there for a long while. I used to use a Red Tip and an Early Tech in a two-pass shave every day. Then, I got into all sorts of things. Not as much as most, so my RAD was mild. But now, I am so satisfied with how my last acqusition, a Fasan Double Slant, shaves that I am getting rid most everything I picked up while trying different things.

So, the daily shave has been for two months now, and will continue to be:

Fasan Double Slant razor
Personna Blue blades (or the equivalent med preps)
Basic boar brush
Vintage Oster tallow soap mixed with Carden Farms glycerine soap
Lubriderm lotion as AS.

I will keep one other Slant as a travel razor and my original Early Tech I started with in 1976. I will also keep my Grandfather's 102a Old Type and my Dad's Late Tech. Those for sentimental reasons as opposed to shaving much with.

Some razors, blades, soaps and brushes I have already passed on to friends wanting to try them out. The rest will likely wind up on the BST.

I will not be trying out any more razors or blades. Soaps. Well, I have several pucks of that Oster, so don't need anything else tallow. I don't think that Carden Farms, which is local, will be stopping their soap making any time soon. So, that covers the glycerine I want to add to increase the slickness.

I think I am all set.

Stan

 

[OneBadBadger]

I've considered it, granted, my den would probably be considered minimalist to most people. But I spend hours and hours and hours on here and websites looking at products.

 

[OMEN]

I lied. My 5th razor is on order. Executive Shaving found me a brand new Ikon Closed so I ordered it as it was the last one. I also fashioned a razor storage box out of an old headphone box. The flaps are magnetic and even have mini compartments inside so I can keep blades in there.