Even though most of my money has gone into razors, I've yet to cross the $100 barrier. So I'd say I'm a common man shaver--Gillettes, Schicks, and Merkurs, mass market soaps and creams, inexpensive boar, badger, and synthetic brushes, drug store and barbershop aftershaves, and discount store colognes. If I veer into niche in any area, it's my search for NOS and vintage razor blades.
Are you a common man shaver or a niche shaver?
- Thread starter naughtilus
- Start date
I have a fairly expensive razor (Rex) and I like artisan soaps, but my aftershave collection is all from the drug store. I like that just-left-the-barbers-chair experience and high end fragrances don't fit with that. I guess that puts me in the common category.
Minimalist:
one mass produced razor head with fairly expensive handle;
matching silvertip;
one hi-end soap;
hundred Personnas.
No fragrance for me at all at any time. Scentless post-shave - mass produced cream.
one mass produced razor head with fairly expensive handle;
matching silvertip;
one hi-end soap;
hundred Personnas.
No fragrance for me at all at any time. Scentless post-shave - mass produced cream.
I guess I am a bit of both. I am not buying the latest and greatest as soon as they hit the market, but I have bought and used some. Barrister & Mann, Declaration Grooming, Wholly Kaw, Martin de Candre, Simpsons, Rex Ambassador, Karve CB. I do not need them to get a good shave, but it is a nice experience. This does not prevent me from enjoying shaving with a Fatip or a 34c, Arko and a boar brush. I wouldn't replace any of them. Does that make me a niche shaver turning to a common one? Time will tell...
I like products that work for me, and the cheaper, the better. My $20 Slim, Nacet blades, vintage or synthetic bushes, <$15 soaps with stellar performance and vintage AS make me happy. My super-sweet in-laws bought me a $75 Italian soap. It’s nice and I enjoy it, but it’s not 4x better than B&M, and certainly not 35x better than Arko!
I'm in the middle camp because while I like the value products that perform well, I tend to get a lot of them. I don't believe any thing I own is over $60 but if you combine everything I own, that could result in a pretty big headache. Slowly, I'm learning to enjoy what I have and possibly save some money doing so. We'll see how it goes. 
I'm another one that is likely to fall squarely into neither camp. I do love a Tech, and have several, but my favorite is the elusive Hybrid Tech, perhaps because it IS elusive.
I have but a few soaps, and the most expensive of them is about 19 bucks a tub, so I guess as far as soaps go I'm kind of utilitarian.
I have some rare and expensive razors, including not only the Hybrid Tech already mentioned but also an early iKon copy of the Pils razor (of which only 80 were made), an iKon S3S, and an original iKon SBS in brass, not to mention my Everready Streamline. But right now I'm really getting into shavettes, and just ordered a Feather SS in the folding style (not that expensive, really, as I didn't go for the wood scales or for the much more expensive Feather DX).
Again, squarely in between.
Not wealthy or haughty enough to be a "niche" shaver, but not really wanting to be a "common man" shaver, either.
I have but a few soaps, and the most expensive of them is about 19 bucks a tub, so I guess as far as soaps go I'm kind of utilitarian.
I have some rare and expensive razors, including not only the Hybrid Tech already mentioned but also an early iKon copy of the Pils razor (of which only 80 were made), an iKon S3S, and an original iKon SBS in brass, not to mention my Everready Streamline. But right now I'm really getting into shavettes, and just ordered a Feather SS in the folding style (not that expensive, really, as I didn't go for the wood scales or for the much more expensive Feather DX).
Again, squarely in between.
Not wealthy or haughty enough to be a "niche" shaver, but not really wanting to be a "common man" shaver, either.
- Thread starter
- #28
I could have bought 1 premium Manchurian badger Chubby instead of 6 Best badgers. Niche shavers go with Less is More. Common man shavers will buy 15+ vintage razors instead of 1 Rex Ambassador. Does the Rex shave better than a Slim Adjustable?
In between for sure, although I lean towards Niche. I prefer niche hardware but not too picky about brushes or soaps.
Everyone is in a different situation.
I spent some money on some things that I don’t need/like, but now I know.
Why should I care what another man does with his money?
I spent some money on some things that I don’t need/like, but now I know.
Why should I care what another man does with his money?
I feel that I am in the common man camp as I use straights mostly, I have one DE an EJ89. I have never paid more than £99 for a razor. I only have around 6 soaps and none of more than £30. I have 7 brushes mostly Yaqi and Omega neither of which are considered expensive.
Stones though, well I have a few quids worth of them, not Jnats just synthetics but quite a bunch of them.
This thread got me thinking though. Compared to what our forefathers used to shave with then I have a staggering amount of kit. I have around thirty straights some of which, John and William Ragg ivory handle scales, wouldn't have been cheap. I honestly don't know how many stones I have, the last two I bought I haven't even got around to trying yet!
I guess the common man back in the day would have only had a fraction of this stuff.
So I don't know now which camp I fit into.
Stones though, well I have a few quids worth of them, not Jnats just synthetics but quite a bunch of them.
This thread got me thinking though. Compared to what our forefathers used to shave with then I have a staggering amount of kit. I have around thirty straights some of which, John and William Ragg ivory handle scales, wouldn't have been cheap. I honestly don't know how many stones I have, the last two I bought I haven't even got around to trying yet!
I guess the common man back in the day would have only had a fraction of this stuff.
So I don't know now which camp I fit into.
Not sure what camp I would fall into. I don't think I spend huge amounts of money on equipment. But I do like items that are well made, not for their price tag but their quality. Sometimes those aren't real expensive products either. Its also kind of hard to decipher what other people think is well priced or extravagant. But at the end of the day this is a hobby for most people here and a hobby is something you are supposed to enjoy. Whether it is a 20 dollar razor or a 1500 dollar razor.
So I guess I answered my own question with whatever floats your boat.
So I guess I answered my own question with whatever floats your boat.
Being a broke college student I would say I'm a common man shaver. Can't go wrong with an Astra SP, some proraso red and a splash of Skin Bracer
From a new wetshaver friend "That proraso is a huge step up from my can cream. And the razor doesn't clog!"
Even the cheap option is decadent compared to the normal disposable and cream. I gotta agree with him.
Even the cheap option is decadent compared to the normal disposable and cream. I gotta agree with him.
I'd say I'm in the middle but lean more towards common. I think the most expensive razor I ever bought was a Gillette Rocket that I bought for $35. I've never used a Merkur razor either. The best modern razor I've used was a Feather Popular that I bought for $10 from Amazon Prime. My absolute favorite razor is the Schick Krona and I have a second one on the way as we speak. As for creams and soaps, I use common man stuff. I've had samples of MdC before and I liked the soap. Just not enough to spend the money on it. But you can never get me to stop using Ingram, Godrej, Palmolive sticks, Palmolive cream, Arko sticks, Arko cream, Barbasol, or Mike's. I think the most expensive aftershave I have is Myrsol Emulsion. But other than that, I use drugstore finds, Fine, and Barbon.
Can't answer your last question, I'm in the Rex pass around but it won't get here for months. Meanwhile, what do you call it when your razor rotation is two Gillette adjustables and a Gem Micromatic?
- Thread starter
- #37
Not sure where I fall. I like nicer more expensive items, but also enjoy lower priced goods. This adds enough variety to keep me happy.
I will say that none of my items are considered "user" grade. At least in my eyes. What can I say, I am a simple minded man. I like nice shiny things.
I will say that none of my items are considered "user" grade. At least in my eyes. What can I say, I am a simple minded man. I like nice shiny things.
I tend to disfavor dichotomies, but I guess both.
My Wolfman razor and MdC probably put me in the high end category (I purchased the Wolfman back when they were around $155). My SOC TSN LE was around $60 as I recall - definitely not on the high end for brushes. Thayer WH is cheap, but the smelly stuff is cheaper.
All blades are cheap.
So if you use a $200+ brush my normal $60-$70 brushes are pretty cheap. If you use a $15 brush mine are pretty expensive.
I'll add that I have the usual collection of razors (my Tech was $35) and have used almost all of the cheaper creams and soaps. None of that stuff worked as well as my current setup.
My Wolfman razor and MdC probably put me in the high end category (I purchased the Wolfman back when they were around $155). My SOC TSN LE was around $60 as I recall - definitely not on the high end for brushes. Thayer WH is cheap, but the smelly stuff is cheaper.
All blades are cheap.
So if you use a $200+ brush my normal $60-$70 brushes are pretty cheap. If you use a $15 brush mine are pretty expensive.
I'll add that I have the usual collection of razors (my Tech was $35) and have used almost all of the cheaper creams and soaps. None of that stuff worked as well as my current setup.
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