Considerations for a 2010 Shave Purchase Sabbatical

[joshmpdx]

Gent's with the last week of entering the '09 Holiday season, i've been giving some thought to a sabbatical for purchasing any shave related products.

For over a year now i've bought and sold quite a bit of shave gear, learning what i like and progressing into straights. Now that i've found a range of world wide and renound products of which i have at least a 15 year supply of; i think it would be equally rewarding to get to know those products.

Do I want you to join me? yes!

Will we each have our own caveats? a resounding Yes!

For instance:

• I will want to purchase a razor for myself as a birthday gift
• B&B LE's - throughout the year B&B offers One-of-a-kind items we only have 1 opportunity to take advantage of
• Gifts - I will refuse to let others not have gift ideas for me.

I am only partially sold on this idea. however, i recently bought a bottle of Brut Aftershave that i doubt i'll ever use.
If i slip up and just NEED to pick up a NOS Le Grelot that pops up on Ebay, i know you'll be here to support me as well ...as will i for you if you choose to join in.

i would also like to be decidedly clear that this is not a sabbatical from B&B. It will be fantastic to chat with gents (who are potentially doing the same thing) about the items we've got and are happy or unhappy with throughout the year.

Lastly, is 2009 preparation for the 2010 purchase sabbatical.
Personally, i think i will need the following:

• a second tub of Omega shaving soap - one at the girlfriends house just may not last!
• a 3rd strop - in case of nick/cut disasters there will need to be a replacement available.
• 444 balm from www.vintagescent.com - 1 tube will last about 6 months. i use this everyday.
• a little boar brush - I can't have my curiosity killing me for a year
• The B&B LE '09 Kent Shave Brush - This will be paid for in '09 and received in '10, but should not go without a mention.

 

[JPM]

It's an interesting idea and I'd love to tell you I'm with you, but I'M NOT! I'm a newbie and still having too much fun acquiring things. Maybe I'll catch ya next year . . . or the year after that.

 

[kingfisher]

I could undoubtedly do it and still have product left over, and I'm not even a serious hoarder of soaps/creams like some of you are.

I have the following soaps in my den:
-About 50% of a VDH Deluxe puck
-A VDH Select puck with Penhaligon's Endymion and some AOS unscented cream mixed in it
-A puck of VDH Deluxe with Krissy's #15 milled into it
-A puck of MB Spicey Lime that is still 90% full

I have the following creams:
-An entire tub of GFT Lime that I just got in late November
-70% of a tube of Proraso
-65% of a tube of Florena
-95% of a tube of TRSC Sensitive
-90% of a bottle of KMF Key Limes

I have no doubt that the above will afford me an entire year's worth of shaves.

The only thing I really wanted to try before finishing anything else is a puck of The Bath House's Spanish Fig and Nutmeg soap.........

Hmmm......

Maybe I WILL join you. I know it would make my wife happy.

 

[xbostonirishx]

Maybe you should think of joining the penney pinchers group. They are a group here who are trying to kep their shaving cost down to under 100 for the year.

Honestly, Im at the point i could do it for nothing for the next year. Will I? I have no idea. I'm not a member of the group yet. I did just go about Four or five months without any purchases, and them BAMB! ADS come crawling back up again. Well they didn't crawl, they came back full force.

 

[joshmpdx]

i wouldn't recommend the purchase hiatus to a member who has the funds to continue doing some testing and exploring of products, it's just too much fun!

 

[TX Shane]

Due to recession woes (i.e., worried out of work wife), I cut my shaving acquisitions way down for most of 2009 and used up my remaining Musgo, Nancy Boy, a whole tube of Proraso, and all my remaining Gillette Swedes. Now that she's employed again and things are looking up, I've been buying a few new items and I have to say that there are still a lot of things I want to try, though I'm a little cautious now. Not sure what 2010 will bring.

 

[joshmpdx]

a potentially fun (potentially disastrous) way to do the hiatus program would be to seek out and pick up all you'll need.

for instance a year long kit:

• Razor
• Strop (or blades if that's your poison)
• 3 soaps (creams)
• 3 A/S's

 

[dpm802]

I'm being forced into a hiatus myself ... I recently moved from an apartment where I had a large bathroom all to myself, into a house where I'm sharing a small bathroom with 2 other guys.

So the bulk of my shave-gear is packed away into two cardboard boxes. I keep out my Tabac stuff, Burt's Bees soap, shave-cream, and ASB, Thayer's WH, and my 34G and Futur.

I keep my active stuff in a small bucket that I carry back and forth to the bathroom as needed. The rest of my stuff is accessible, but this is all I need for now.

Besides, until my roommate puts a water-softener on the plumbing, the water here is HORRIBLE. It smells funny, and has an oily feel to it. And the soaps and creams hardly lather up at all. I dare not use one of my brushes for fear it will be ruined.

Shaving isn't as much fun as it used to be. So why keep buying more stuff if I can't enjoy it?

I will make exceptions, of course. The B&B LE '09 is one thing I can't let slip past. And I have my eye out for a few vintage razors that I would grab up. And I'm still trying to get my hands on some Tabac AS Balm. Come springtime, I'll be looking for the Spieck line, which is one of the only major brands I haven't tried yet.

All in all, I've got more than enough stuff for now. I'll rotate the brands as the seasons change and the weather gets warmer. And keep dreaming of the day I can get my own place again, and set things up the way a shave-den should be, with all my goodies on display and ready to use something different every day of the week.

 

[joshmpdx]

Folks, im seriously not sure if this is something i am going to be able to accomplish without significant support.

now, im not asking for a show of hands; just considering the considerations.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Josh,

The last time I took up one of your ideas I almost threw out my bowl of MWF in disgust...but here I am again, looking seriously at this idea. I've just completed (almost) a shave den clearout...and I dont want to buy more as I'm in to a new hobby, but I'm on this site more...

What to do? Follow Josh's idea and want to strangle him again at its conclusion or ignore this post

 

[dpm802]

I just thought of a loophole we can all slip through ... even though 2010 seems to be lining itself up as a year of Shaving PURCHASE Sabbatical, there seems to be no implied ban on TRADING.

I'm sitting on a pretty large collection of creams and blades and razors and brushes and what-not ... and there's still stuff that I want, as I'm sure you all have your own personal wish-list.

So instead of spending money, we could swap what we have around the community, and be able to experiment with new gear without actually having to lay out cold hard cash for it.

 

[joshmpdx]

David, fantastic idea!

i just sold enough gear to pick up the B&B LE '09 and am happy i did so!

also, loopholes are part of the game. consider you're own personal birthday an epic shave purchase day. and think of all the other little ways to keep you're self a happy in you're daily shaves.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

I just thought of a loophole we can all slip through ... even though 2010 seems to be lining itself up as a year of Shaving PURCHASE Sabbatical, there seems to be no implied ban on TRADING.

I'm sitting on a pretty large collection of creams and blades and razors and brushes and what-not ... and there's still stuff that I want, as I'm sure you all have your own personal wish-list.

So instead of spending money, we could swap what we have around the community, and be able to experiment with new gear without actually having to lay out cold hard cash for it.

I'm down! Good idea man...keeps us checking out new gear without spending.

I like it!

 

[joshmpdx]

Josh,

The last time I took up one of your ideas I almost threw out my bowl of MWF in disgust...but here I am again, looking seriously at this idea. I've just completed (almost) a shave den clearout...and I dont want to buy more as I'm in to a new hobby, but I'm on this site more...

What to do? Follow Josh's idea and want to strangle him again at its conclusion or ignore this post

Chris, i too haven't even so much as TOUCHED the MWF with a shave brush since that journey!

could we have made it through without support. im certain the answer is no.

and as much as i (think) id like to do the 2010 journey, i want to make sure you're finding ways to pick up the appropriate amount of shaving products to insure a favorable morning ...EVERY morning

 

[johnniegold]

Josh, I've been on this plan for most of 2009. Sold off so much excess in '09. Only significant purchases were a Tulip 2-band and a EJ Chatsworth razor and some replacing of a few fave products.

Overall, I have found it to be very gratifying. Using the same products for weeks at a time, learning all the different qualities of particular items and products.

I used to use different products every morning and might not return to them for months at a time. Not really conducive to really getting to know a product.

This concept is probably not for the newb or for people in the throes of being on the road to find out (I used to have a conveyor belt from the post office to my house ).

But for those who a have a stockist's supply of shaving products, this is a nice way to really get to know the products in your shave den.

Good luck to all who participate.

 

[SRock]

I've been working towards this premise for the past couple of months. I thinned out my shave brushes by selling and or PIFing about a dozen of them. I picked up a CH1 and T2 both in Two Band Super and will get the B&BLE (Maybe both) but all of my other transactions have been to round out what I like most (GFT Limes, Pen BB, Gentlemen's Best and some D.R. Harris) or get rid of what I don't want, need or use.

I'm going to TRY to operate this way as much as possible.

 

[Sullybob]

Josh, I think that this is a pretty good idea. I really only need (want, if the truth be told) a couple of items for next year. I need to put the finishing touches on my sharpening set up and I want to pick up a nice ASB, maybe Cade. I like David's idea of trading what you have for new products.

 

[chainfire]

I'm willing to give it a go. I'm finding I no longer need to find the next best piece of equipment - I've picked up about everything I want, but I may break here and there if there's a stupendious deal.

 

[beginish]

I am in for this as well. 2009 has been an insane period of acquisition. I reserve a purchase of Irisch Moos soap when it's available, but the purchase hiatus begins.

 

[azmark]

You'll be back