Contemplating getting out of the "RAD race"....a couple of questions

[Noodles]

Not addressing your questions/categories…I went through a bunch of razors before essentially settling on two: Masamune and medium aluminum Henson. It became a very marginal gain game and those two, fairly mild and paired with very sharp blades, worked best. A bunch of high end modern and vintage Gillettes have been sold since. Of those, the only two that were under consideration to keep were a Wolfman WR2 (too efficient for my face) and a Fatboy.

 

[never-stop-learning]

OK, so I started traditional shaving back in 2009 and got a case of RAD that has persisted for many years; lately I've been thinking about curing it, or getting out of the FOMO phase, at least, and I have a few questions. If you are a newbie, or a person who has ever only owned one or two razors, no offense, but you are not my target audience. Here are my questions.

1) Has anybody on this site ever bought and tried a ton of razors and then one day come to the realization that, although there are certainly differences among them and that one can certainly develop favorites over time, or favorite types of razors, that in the long run, every new razor that comes out is nothing more than a slightly differently designed machine to hold a DE blade to your face for the purpose of removing stubble? And that, therefore, they are actually more ALIKE than they are DIFFERENT? And, therefore, that any brand new razor that comes out onto the market is highly unlikely to be that significantly different from razors you already have? That maybe there isn't really one "magical" razor that will be the best razor you ever tried? And finally, because of all these things, there really isn't any point in buying the latest one, no matter how much people say it is the best razor ever made?

2) Has anybody on this site, conversely, gone through a bunch of razors hoping to find the holy grail, and continued to buy the latest/greatest at whatever expense, and then, maybe surprisingly even to yourself, actually FOUND the "holy grail"? I mean found a razor that was leaps and bounds better than any you had ever purchased before, and that worked so well for you that you thought to yourself that it was unlikely that any future razor, no matter how awesome, could ever be better?

3) Has anybody on this site ever gone through the acquisition phase of RAD over the course of years, for example, trying each new "greatest razor ever" as they came out, and then suddenly realized that not only were the new razors NOT your holy grail, but that a razor you already had, maybe even one you had neglected for a while, was actually your holy grail? In other words, that the best razor for you was already in your possession, but you just hadn't realized it yet?

Last, but not least: Did anybody who could answer "yes" to any of the above questions actually stop chasing new razors and settle in with the one or two or three that you thought were best for you?


Thanks in advance.


P.S. I apologize that the thread title promises two questions but the post actually contains three. I thought I was only going to ask two but then another one arose. And I'm not sure how to change the thread title.

The Alpha Big Dogs are my favorite razors. I could easily live with just my Alpha Big Dogs (especially the Vector). Yes, I would sneak some of my Big Dogs in there too. I like variety.

I continue to buy razors because I'm curious and because it's fun.

 

[Phoenixkh]

The Alpha Big Dogs are my favorite razors. I could easily live with just my Alpha Big Dogs (especially the Vector). Yes, I would sneak some of my Big Dogs in there too. I like variety.

I continue to buy razors because I'm curious and because it's fun.

David,

And I, for one, appreciate your efforts. Your journal and posts in other threads help keep me informed as to what's out there.

I thank you...

I've alluded to it earlier. I'm in an odd place.. Sort of an emotional let down, I think. Other than the three brushes on their way here, I don't have any new purchases on the horizon.. new equipment, that is. I am looking at another scentless soap. I've been on a buying frenzy for the past couple months but that's over now.

I'm sure this will pass in time. I'm not sure what path this passing will take. <eg>

 

[never-stop-learning]

David,

And I, for one, appreciate your efforts. Your journal and posts in other threads help keep me informed as to what's out there.

I thank you...

I've alluded to it earlier. I'm in an odd place.. Sort of an emotional let down, I think. Other than the three brushes on their way here, I don't have any new purchases on the horizon.. new equipment, that is. I am looking at another scentless soap. I've been on a buying frenzy for the past couple months but that's over now.

I'm sure this will pass in time. I'm not sure what path this passing will take. <eg>

You are most welcome.

Before I joined B&B in August of 2019, I had one razor, one brush, one soap and one brand of blades. That's what I shaved with every day for years.

When I joined B&B, it amazed me how much neat stuff was available. And off the deep end I went.

Believe me, my friend, when I tell you that my frenzied "Acquisition Disorder Rate" has slowed tremendously from when I first joined B&B. Now, I try to take a more strategic view when purchasing new stuff.

Eventually, I see a Tradere in my future. @BradWorld and I seem to like a lot of the same razors and he insists that the Tradere is right in my wheelhouse, so.....

Probably eventually also end up with Polished Ti versions of the Vector and the Blackbird.

But, really, the urge is not even remotely overwhelming. The shaves I'm getting with my Alpha Big Dog razors and my Big Dog razors are so great that I'm not super motivated right now. Been grabbing a couple of reasonably priced razors that I find interesting - always looking for that "giant killer".

 

[HDSledge]

OK, so I started traditional shaving back in 2009 and got a case of RAD that has persisted for many years; lately I've been thinking about curing it, or getting out of the FOMO phase, at least, and I have a few questions. If you are a newbie, or a person who has ever only owned one or two razors, no offense, but you are not my target audience. Here are my questions.

1) Has anybody on this site ever bought and tried a ton of razors and then one day come to the realization that, although there are certainly differences among them and that one can certainly develop favorites over time, or favorite types of razors, that in the long run, every new razor that comes out is nothing more than a slightly differently designed machine to hold a DE blade to your face for the purpose of removing stubble? And that, therefore, they are actually more ALIKE than they are DIFFERENT? And, therefore, that any brand new razor that comes out onto the market is highly unlikely to be that significantly different from razors you already have? That maybe there isn't really one "magical" razor that will be the best razor you ever tried? And finally, because of all these things, there really isn't any point in buying the latest one, no matter how much people say it is the best razor ever made?

2) Has anybody on this site, conversely, gone through a bunch of razors hoping to find the holy grail, and continued to buy the latest/greatest at whatever expense, and then, maybe surprisingly even to yourself, actually FOUND the "holy grail"? I mean found a razor that was leaps and bounds better than any you had ever purchased before, and that worked so well for you that you thought to yourself that it was unlikely that any future razor, no matter how awesome, could ever be better?

3) Has anybody on this site ever gone through the acquisition phase of RAD over the course of years, for example, trying each new "greatest razor ever" as they came out, and then suddenly realized that not only were the new razors NOT your holy grail, but that a razor you already had, maybe even one you had neglected for a while, was actually your holy grail? In other words, that the best razor for you was already in your possession, but you just hadn't realized it yet?

Last, but not least: Did anybody who could answer "yes" to any of the above questions actually stop chasing new razors and settle in with the one or two or three that you thought were best for you?


Thanks in advance.


P.S. I apologize that the thread title promises two questions but the post actually contains three. I thought I was only going to ask two but then another one arose. And I'm not sure how to change the thread title.

It is actually 8 questions.
For me:
1. Yes, agree, agree, disagree (I found the magic one), depends.
2. Yes.
3. No.
4. Yes. But that doesn't mean I won't chase one or two more in the future.

 

[kingfisher]

It is actually 8 questions.
For me:
1. Yes, agree, agree, disagree (I found the magic one), depends.
2. Yes.
3. No.
4. Yes. But that doesn't mean I won't chase one or two more in the future.

Well, you can't just leave us hanging. Anybody who answers yes to question 2 has to tell us what razor it was that prompted the yes answer.

 

[Chef455]

#2 for me. I do feel that my RAD after initially getting into DE razors and finding B&B was a necessary part of my journey. I started with a Van Der Hagen from the grocery store and found you all here and thanks to some help and guidance from the community managed to fall into a neat couple rabbit holes.

Then there was a flurry of razors, nothing crazy, it all started with a Merkur 34c then an EJ de89, practical newbie acquisitions. But I read about slants, needed to try one, hello 39c. Techs are magic you say, need a couple. Fat Boy fan boys, red tip junkies, black beauties, slims. You name it I was bidding on it. Gamechanger gonna change my game, let's see. Rockwell 6c, EJ 3 one 6, always on the lookout for something in an antique store. You get me.

Then a couple things came together.

#1 was a British aluminum tech that I found and paid $4 for.

#2 was a SS Timeless .68 solid bar that I nabbed off the BST.

I really can't reach for anything other than these two razors with the absolute confidence that I'm going to get a great shave.

So I stopped there. I have a few pretties that I keep around fir the sake of variety, Timeless bronze, Slim Arisocrat and a few others that mean something but otherwise I've sold or PIFed the others and, at least for the time being, have no desire to chase down the next best thing.

 

[ShavingPanda]

I think I fall into the question 2 camp.

I started wet shaving to shave money on carts (hahah). I used an Edwin Jagger for about 6 months, then my wife dragged me to a garage sale and bought a vintage razor for $2 or $5. That kicked off the thrill of the hunt and trying new things.

I tried quite a few vintage offerings for a couple years. At one point having 60 to 80 razors. Two to three years ago, I transitioned interest to modern razors. Got lucky on two Wolfman drops (one being my 0.86 OC WR1).

I got caught up in the latest and greatest for a bit. A modern offering was toted as very good, the best yet! I had to have one but realized that it may not be for me, but no, I had to have it and sold a handful of razors to fund the purchase, one of which was a Blackland Blackbird. The newest razor wasn't for me, and regretted selling the bird. I only regretted selling it (since replaced with a brassbird) and a Double Ring.

I realized with a big rotation, it was taking to long to get back to enjoying razors I owned. So my mind shifted from chasing a better shaver, to enjoy the ones I love. I still like the idea of dabbling to test and experiment, such as a Tradere OC or Ti Blackbird or high gapped WR2.

Here's my core rotation that's in my shave shelf and constantly enjoyed. I realized these provide good variety and are the best I've found for me so far.

I enjoy participating in the shave banter with a great community.

 

[ShavingPanda]

Unless this is a PIF, then I'm in!

 

[ojisanbeer]

Can I say yes: ....
Anyway, I'm between 1 and 2.
I'm not as experienced as you guys
I've tried over 30 different razors and for me the double-edged razors are generally the same, I've been a believer in AC safety razors.

I recently got a blackbird from blackland and was impressed, it is still one of the best, albeit somewhat refined since 2015, which is amazing!
At the same time, I picked up my RR wunderbar and Old Gillette No. 16, which I had left behind, and they are being re-evaluated and will probably go to friends and new people.

I tell myself that perhaps with blackbird and vector my journey will take a break for a while.

Just sayin: ...... I know from experience that polished finishes slip, and I didn't like it, so I got the machine finish. I'm happy with the grip, but it's not much fun to look at.
Stupidly, I'm wondering if I should get a polished finish as well, silly me

That's what hobbies and life are all about.
enjoy

 

[BradWorld]

Eventually, I see a Tradere in my future. @BradWorld and I seem to like a lot of the same razors and he insists that the Tradere is right in my wheelhouse, so.....

Tradere OC…. The SB version is likely too mild for both of us. The Tradere OC was the RAD killer for me. Smooth and highly efficient. Plus that big clunky razor just does it for me. Smoother and more efficient than the Wolfman WR2 1.15. I love the weight and balance. The shave experience is quite joyful. The shave results are top tier for me, with no drama, no irritation, no leaking of the red stuff. It just works and is a complete pleasure to use. Since I have gotten it, I haven’t bought a razor over $20. And I passed up on my turn for a Wolfman razor when my number came up. So that’s a start. We will see what happens.

To answer the main question, I have found an arsenal of about two-dozen razors that simply fill all the slots. They collectively take care of every itch. There is no one razor for me that will do it all. It takes the collection to satisfy my needs, and I rotate through them.

 

[kingfisher]

The Tradere is really nice. I, too, like all those flat-blade, chunky razors. They just work for me.

 

[HDSledge]

Well, you can't just leave us hanging. Anybody who answers yes to question 2 has to tell us what razor it was that prompted the yes answer.

 

[Inverted]

Here is the problem...

Wet shaving is a hobby. Similar to pomade lovers, it transcends the simple necessity of grooming. Most people simply shave for hygiene, or because of grooming requirements for work, etc., and don't even think about it as anything other than simply utilitarian.

Wet shaving is a cheap and fun hobby to really dive into. I go in and out of the world of wet shaving, having taken an almost two-year break after simply getting tired of it. I sold all my razors, most of my soaps and brushes, only keeping a couple of things. Now I am back and I think I have spent close to 500 bucks over June and July buying a bunch of stuff again and getting back into it. I bought 6 razors over the course of a week and I am already having to tell myself to chill because honestly the gratification I get from small purchases like you find in this hobby, is fleeting at best.

I am already telling myself to calm down, chill out enjoy what I have, and even sell what I don't like and curb the desire to want to collect simply to collect for the sake of collecting.

I will also say, and this is going to be unpopular, but the community of wet shaving is a tiny bit, full of crap. We all want to critique and dissect razors and blades and while there is some variation in combinations, I think we get into our own heads and make it more technical and complicated than it needs to be, and we do that to justify buying everything.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Every so often, over the past 5 months, I've considered trying the other AC razors out there, but based on reviews I've seen here, I don't think I'd get a better shave from any of them.. equal? probably... different? assuredly.... The only two that sometimes peak my interest are the Vector and the General V2. I almost bought a General V2 head here on BST a few weeks ago but let it pass.

So for now, RAD isn't a concern.

 

[100pctFragranceFree]

None of the above for me.

Yeah, RAD feels a bit like an addiction, but it's certainly not out of control. Seeing what's out there. Learning about the value. Being swayed by reviews. Fighting off being swayed by reviews. (lol)

Sure, I have a great razor I could use for the rest of my life and be satisfied. But why deny myself all the fun, excitement, and camaraderie that goes along with it?

 

[LRod]

You all are getting me closer to the Tradere OC!
I've been eyeing it for a while and had even opened a thread for opinions. My #1 now is my Above the Tie Windsor .80 SSRH.
It's pretty much perfect but of course RAD always comes into play. I guess 2 expensive razors wouldn't be bad though since all my other ones are sub $80 razors.
I hate love this forum!

 

[Phoenixkh]

You all are getting me closer to the Tradere OC!
I've been eyeing it for a while and had even opened a thread for opinions. My #1 now is my Above the Tie Windsor .80 SSRH.
It's pretty much perfect but of course RAD always comes into play. I guess 2 expensive razors wouldn't be bad though since all my other ones are sub $80 razors.
I hate love this forum!

LRod,

There a couple people whose opinions I have come to value who just love their Traderes. A couple of them have the whole family of Blackland razors and believe their Tradere is the best from among them. As they say... YMMV and all that.

 

[BradWorld]

You all are getting me closer to the Tradere OC!
I've been eyeing it for a while and had even opened a thread for opinions. My #1 now is my Above the Tie Windsor .80 SSRH.
It's pretty much perfect but of course RAD always comes into play. I guess 2 expensive razors wouldn't be bad though since all my other ones are sub $80 razors.
I hate love this forum!

Well, the Tradere OC came after 4 Wolfmans, 6 Charcoal Goods, 4 Timeless, 3 other Blacklands, and dozens of other top shelf razors. And the Tradere OC has been my number 1 since I got it.

 

[100pctFragranceFree]

With all due respect to kingfisher. (I know you're being sincere.) When I see this post I hear Frank Sinatra singing.

And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friends, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway