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

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.
Kinda like my fellow golfers and their golf clubs, or fishing buddies and their fishing equipment….Or even my???? Oh well, you get the picture.😊😎
 
My journey was exploring a mix of vintage and modern razors, looking for one that stood out as excellent among the sea of "ok" and "decent" options. There was a category of stainless razors, with the top dog at the time being the Pils, but they were all definitively outside my budget. Then came a new player in the game, Weber Razors, making an all stainless razor (albeit with a DLC coated head) for a price that was only just a little above the average merkur razor, so I jumped on it.

The Weber DLC was instantly better than any of the razors I'd tried before it, and with that success emboldening me, I took the leap up into the high end stainless game when Tradere came along. At that time $150-ish (and later $180-ish for the SB) was a very high price for a new razor, so I was slightly apprehensive when putting my name on the list for the first production run of the OC. Boy did it ever pay off, though. Much like the Weber before it, the Tradere OC instantly eclipsed every other razor I'd ever tried. It also showed me the difference between cast razors and precision machined razors.

In the 10 years wince the Weber/Tradere revelations, I've expelled every vintage and non-stainless razor from my collection and never been even slightly tempted to look back. I did try the KCG razor when it came out, but only because I knew it would make a decent point of reference for discussing options with folk new to wet shaving going forward. I have since reduced my interest in razors to only include precision machined stainless razors. Even my original Weber DLC is now in a box awaiting it's turn to be posted in the BST.

My current collection is my two Traderes (gen 1 OC, and the SB), a RazoRock Game Changer with 4 plates (68 & 84 in both OC and SB), and a RazoRock Lupo with 2 plates (72 SB, 95 OC). The only razors currently on my radar for potential acquisition are Wolfman, Blackland, and if the stars ever align just right, maybe a Darwin.
 
I suppose I don't qualify to respond since I've only been wet shaving with DE razors for a few months, so I will reserve my opinion, but a long time member with much more experience than me posted something to the effect that technique is far more critical to getting a good shave than the tool. Further, he asserted that he could get a DFS or BBS shave with any razor.

I tend to agree. Certainly there are differences in weight, shave angle, and aggression, but once you find your niche, I believe you can stop the search and be happy, especially if you have tired of the search.

(OK, so I did give an opinion. 🙂)
 

Iridian

Cool and slimy
I took the leap up into the high end stainless game when Tradere came along. At that time $150-ish (and later $180-ish for the SB) was a very high price for a new razor, so I was slightly apprehensive when putting my name on the list for the first production run of the OC. Boy did it ever pay off, though.
Yeah, the Tradere is a bit more nowadays and importing to Europe costs me some extra on top. But I digress. I will check what you wrote about it and what others think of the Tradere OC. I like the head design and the 95mm handle length and design, the common 85mm are just that cm too short for my paw. 76mm handles are definitely not my thing.

My next likely razor is the Alpha Bandit though and disposable income compared to expenditures for other important things like flashlights and knives already show an alarming trend early in the month. Hrmpf.

Good to know you like the Tradere OC. I already found some more owners and digested their tidbits of information about it. 🤗
 

Iridian

Cool and slimy
I believe you can stop the search and be happy, especially if you have tired of the search.
Early on when wetshaving I didn't like my R89, read some forums, found the R41 and shaved on for years exclusively with it and Polsilver Super Iridium blades. My user name derives from them.

Well, if you happen to stumble upon a forum like B&B, you suddenly feel the need to try some other razors.

After a while it's suddenly the opposite, then there are only some razors left you have not tried/bought yet...^^
 
Yeah, the Tradere is a bit more nowadays and importing to Europe costs me some extra on top. But I digress. I will check what you wrote about it and what others think of the Tradere OC. I like the head design and the 95mm handle length and design, the common 85mm are just that cm too short for my paw. 76mm handles are definitely not my thing.

My next likely razor is the Alpha Bandit though and disposable income compared to expenditures for other important things like flashlights and knives already show an alarming trend early in the month. Hrmpf.

Good to know you like the Tradere OC. I already found some more owners and digested their tidbits of information about it. 🤗

The Tradere OC has been my go to razor for probably ~80-90% of my shaves for the last ten years. Honestly, one of the biggest reasons I've even been exploring RazoRock razors is just to have a good razor that I can travel with, when needed. Cause I will never ever risk my Traderes to the whims of airport/border security. It just happens that luckily they've also turned out to be great razors in their own right as well, hehe.
 
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.
As far as question 1 goes, I have been a razor collector for decades at this point. I've owned nearly all the razors I really wanted at some point. There isn't much you can do with a razor to make it different, as it's constrained by the blade size, shape, and flexibility. There is no modern DE razor that compares to the creativity of DE razor manufacturers pre-WW2. That's a hill I'll die on. Every razor removes hair, and there's a limited number of ways to achieve that using a DE blade. I find most modern razors to be beautifully finished and absolutely boring as far as design goes. So, yes, I've mastered shaving well enough to comfortably use ANY double edge razor, which kinda killed the RAD.

2. Not really. Not for DE razors anyways, though the shake sharp comes close to being a perfect razor. The Tedalus Essence is such a razor, though. Leaps and bounds better than any other shavette I've used, and it really pushes the boundaries of what modern machining is capable of, something I am not seeing much of in the modern DE razor market.

3. No. I never chased the "latest and greatest." If it's unusual enough, I'll try it. My Kickstarter Blackbirds were a lucky purchase, and fine shavers. My Model T, on the other hand, was a disappointment. Any of the Gillette adjustables are better razors than that one. I have gone through my "aquisition phase," and now go for years sometimes between razor purchases. My brother-in-law independently (no influence on my part) got into wet shaving and has developed a collection that is starting to rival mine (as far as quantity, if not in quality) in less than a year. He does own more modern stainless razors than I do, which has made for some fun testing.

For your last point, I've absolutely stopped chasing razors. If I spot one I like, I'll buy it, but I don't scour eBay every waking moment like I used to. At the same time, I couldn't restrict myself to only using a few razors. I use a razor until I get bored with it (usually about a month), then switch to a different one. I have no blade loyalty, so I'll switch from straight edge to shavette, to Rolls razor, to DE, Gem and injectors. For me, it's not about the shave. I can get a good shave with just about any razor. It's about the design of the razor. The more unusual, the more interesting the razor is to me.

I find the Shake sharp, Cooper MonoBilt, Davies Rythmic razor, Berkeley Custom Shaver, Valencia, Bohin, Stahley Live Blade, King oscillator razor or just about any other DE razor from the 1930's far more creative than anything coming out of the razor manufacturer's shops these days, and that is really depressing, since we could make better razors than our grandfathers, but continue crapping out 3 piece razors that are barely a technological step up from a 120 year old double ring.

Where I don't deviate much anymore is in my consumable products. I typically use the same blades, same brush, and the same few soaps and aftershaves. So yes, I have found my "grail" products that work better than anything else. My grail products are pretty much mostly "top shelf" quality stuff with cult followings. Better quality = longer lasting, so most of my purchases end up being cheaper in the long run over mid-tier soaps like Stirling and PAA. I'll probably get some kick back for saying that, but they absolutely are mid soaps. Anyone that thinks differently ought to try Saponifico Verisino soaps. Or Kiss my Face shaving cream for a more budget friendly option. I'm actually not sure if there is a cheaper shaving cream in cost per ounce.

Edit: One other thing. As time passes, I find I prefer more aggressive/efficient razors than I did when I was younger. Salt and pepper beards are tougher to shave through than a younger beard, and boy, wasn't that an unpleasant surprise when I discovered it.
 
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I re-thought the questions and sort of yes and my RAD ceased several years ago. Although I started out with a 34C, I quickly segued to only vintage (mainly Gillette) and I still have a nice collection in the 40+ range that I relish. I learned early on that for the most part, a razor is a razor, and chasing the holly grail was never my intent. I'm a collector (hobby) and just enjoyed aquiring and using vintage and appreciated them for what they were. Beautiful specimens from a different time. I've shaved with them all at least once and yes some shave better than others, but as always YMMV. Some of my favorites (but I love them all) 06 Single Ring, 1919 Big Fellow, Goodwill #162, 34 Aristocrat, NEW SC, Red Tip Rocket, 41 Ranger Tech and Schick New Double Edge Razor (pre-Krona). If I had to pick the smoothest and closest shaving razor in my collection it would be a plastic Simplex three-piece military razor circa 1942-44 - European theatre (Honest). You can't make this stuff up.
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#2 camp here. I have tried a bunch of different razors and I finally landed on one that works great for me. Granted it’s the winning/Henson design which is quite different in my opinion than the others I’ve tried. I kept chasing different razors and always had similar results up until trying the Winning razor. The rest will probably land on the BST shortly. It has.been a fun ride though, reading reviews and deciding which razor to try next, with all the anticipation of the next razor being the one that works. Ymmv
 
Well, I've had a large number of razors at one point. Many styles, makes and countries of origin. It was fun for a while. There were some very good razors and some that were just for display etc. I got to a point where I just said enough was enough. I sold them off on eBay and the various shaving sites. I got down to 6. Then there were a few new offerings that really appealed to me. So now I'm up to 13. The last one is the razor I truly love above all else. The Lambda Athena. Beautiful, efficient and wonderfully manufactured and finished. The other razors are used as well because I really like the rest and enjoy shaving with them. So for me, I have found my grail razor, but I still continue to use the others because they still give me the pleasure of great shaves and the enjoyment of shaving. I might buy other razors but that may or may not happen. I find for myself, that design and looks tended to drive my last purchases.
 
I seek a "representative sample" of DE razors, from a variety of countries. I've always been interested in the world beyond my own country's borders, and would stare at maps as a child. I seek razors from around the world that are vintage, rare but not too rare, and have been commented on, at least somewhat positively, by at least one online user, preferably more. I don't seek the ultimate shaving experience, just razors that have "that certain something", whether that be it's heavy weight, solid build quality or an interesting design characteristic. I avoid razors that seem a bit too faddish or foolish looking. I keep whatever I buy, so I'm careful with the initial purchase. Some countries like Britain, France and Germany get to have 20 or more examples within my collection. Others like Italy, Spain, and Sweden get to have 10 or so. Denmark, Japan, Argentina and Switzerland are limited to 5 each. My approach did evolve over time, it took a while for me to figure out what I wanted to do. This approach is quirky I know. Perhaps it goes against the grain of the more purist collector. For example, I'm not concerned with having original packaging. And I only have a handful of Gillette's. But, this approach has worked for me. I've had massive amounts of fun and have learned an awful lot. At this point, there's only a few more spaces left. I like the search, and am not in a hurry to finish the collection. I think that my main point is this: It helps to know what you're trying to achieve, and putting some boundaries on the treasure hunt from the beginning, if you can.
 
Now that is an interesting thread.

On question No.1:
I always like the small details that matter, and have never thought all of them razors just do one thing and have slight variations and all. I have a combination of a very sensitive skin and super tough black whiskers. Many tools / blades / creams don't work with me. So it is the details that matter.

On question No.2:
I have never had a holy grail razor. Have a huge number of razors, but the whole concept of the holy grail is not to my liking. Same with blades. I hate it when they start asking me which my favourite blade is. I don't have one. Just use a blade in a particular razor to get good shave. The pairing is important. Doesn't mean I don't have blades that I don't like.

But back to razors. For more than 10 years I looked at those Progress razors and was thinking of buying one. Well around the 11th year I finally bought one. And this is the razor that surpassed everything I have use before. There is the possibility nothing will be better for me. And I have used many many razors. Even things that scream "Worst shaver in the world" when you look at them. Mind you with the spares I have currently 250+ razors.
But buying the Progress didn't stop me from buying more razors. As a matter of fact I bought at least 40 since then.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
I hate it when they start asking me which my favourite
I don’t like this question either. Especially with guitars. People ask me constantly which is my favorite. My standard answer is that if I had a favorite, I would have one, and not 80. I play them all. They are all different. It’s the same with razors. Each one offers something unique and enjoyable. Even if it’s just the pedigree or history of the razor, and not the shave qualities. But mostly it’s the shave experience that I seek. Each razor has its own performance qualities and/or shave feel. So that makes each one unique. But I have been slowing down dramatically in my razor buying. I have probably reached a plateau where finding a new razor to buy that ticks an unticked box is far and few between. I still look a lot. I just buy much less frequently. Will it even get to the point where I buy zero razors in a year? I doubt it will ever get to that.
 
I am maybe a little different in my RAD. I found the perfect razor first. I have the Holy Grail. The Festher ASD2 is perfect for me. It solved every issue I had 100%
However, that in itself caused my current Rad.
I want to get razors as good as mine but different. I certainly want one of e ery major design. Also I must have a matching stand for display. I need a slant. And adjustable and a single edge.
I just bought an open comb Tatara open comb with a stand cause it's of the same quality but open comb and has a nice stand.
I am thinking I will get a vector eventually. So cool looking. Also want Rex Konsol for slant.
Idk what adjustable I want. Well yeah I do. I want a sailor, but yikes. Omg. Maybe some day.
I loke that unlike my funko pop collection these do t lose value when taken out of the box. They hold value relatively well. Particularly if purchased used. And they are kinda indestructible.
Also I can use them.

When I saw how beautiful the Feather looked in its stand on the counter I got Rad and have bought my second razor.
I will try to keep it to one razor per category, but I sure have expensive taste.
 
Interesting questions from the OP. I never really caught the disease (RAD and similar) but I still have 10 razors. For me, however, it was pretty much always about Gillettes and trying to pick up ones I remembered from my early shaving days and one or two that I'd never tried but wanted to (adjustables). I did allow myself two modern razors over the past years when I'd read about them online while shopping for shaving soaps/creams. I owned about 5-6 razors for at least 15-20 years and the other ones were over the past 10ish years. One, was last week (a 1963 Slim). I've gone a bit overboard with soaps and creams in the past but have a manageable number now, I think. But I was never in the hunt for the latest and greatest ______. Same with guns, cameras, guitars, fishing, telescopes/eyepieces, binoculars and on and on. I wanted, from as soon as I had enough money to indulge my desires, things that were among the best but I never upgraded. Get good stuff that meets your needs and done. I'm a quality product guy but not an upgrader guy.
 
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?
First and importantly, I am a daily shaver and with experience and practice can generally receive a DFS or better shave with each of my razors.

I am now in Camp 2. Almost all of my shaves at home are with my Blackland Ti Blackbird. On occasion I will use other razors largely for sentimental purposes. For example, I use an A4 Red Tip on my late wife’s birthday as that coincides with her birth quarter. I may use a Ball End Old Type or a Goodwill 164 on my late parents’ anniversary and I may pull out my C4 Flare Tip Superspeed on my birthday next month.

My out of town travel kit currently has a SS Blackbird SB but at various times contained an ATT Atlas M1 and a Timeless Titanium 0.68.

I often spend a Saturday night at a friend’s house and have a travel kit there. Currently the kit includes a Gem MMOC, an H2 Travel Tech and a New SC.

I like the occasional variety but Ti Blackbird is my grail razor and I would be happy if that was the only razor I owned.

It was a journey that I’m glad I took. My first everyday razor was a Timeless Titanium 0.68, followed by a Blackland Tradere SB and then a SS Blackbird. The Tradere was special and might have been my last razor had I not wanted to try the SS Blackbird. I expected to send the SS back within the 30 day period and only made the purchase after being encouraged by Shane and his assurance that his satisfaction or return policy was part of his business model. No razor ever shaved my difficult throat and under jaw area like the Blackbird. From the first shave I knew the Blackbird was my grail razor. These forums introduced me to the idea of a Titanium Blackbird. Same unbelievable shave and a nimbleness that made it even better.

What makes this interesting is that if I had started with a Blackbird, it would not have been my grail razor as my technique was not sufficiently developed. The years of learning technique and experiencing different razors made it possible for me to acquire my grail razor.
 
I suppose that I’m in the #1 and #3 camp.

I believe that you need to try a few things to ensure that your using the right equipment and don’t have a dud in your hands. After that it’s down to you to learn to use that equipment to the best effect. You can’t buy a perfect shave just like you can’t buy a scratch round of golf. The tools can only do so much. You need to know how to use them.

I’ve gone through all of the AD’s looking for the perfect shave. I don’t believe in a grail razor. There are good razors and not so good razors. I get the results I’m looking for from all of my razors. That’s why I keep them. It’s a simple pass or fail for me.

I want a close comfortable shave every time. If the equipment is on the fancy that’s fine with me too. I don’t expect that there’s anything earth shattering left to discover in the wet shaving world. I’m sure that I’ll still pick up a few things here and there out of interest but I don’t want to find myself buried in clutter. I have what works for me.
 
Going from disposable plastic razors to my Grandfather's DE was a revelation.
It was a real step change in my daily routine!

I became interested in seeing what/if any advantages other razor types (SE, injectors) offered
in comparison and pursued a better than user versions for my journey. Going back and
forth from one type to the other (or on recommendation) looking for an effortless, BBS, super long lasting shave.

It's easy to get carried away if the funds are available until you figure out most of what's out
there is just variation of a theme. There's only so many ways to mount a particular shape of
blade, to angle a razor head, to knurl a handle..

If you get lucky enough to find a razor/blade/soap combo that tics off most boxes on your list of
nirvana shaves consider yourself well served, and stick with it.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
What makes this interesting is that if I had started with a Blackbird, it would not have been my grail razor as my technique was not sufficiently developed. The years of learning technique and experiencing different razors made it possible for me to acquire my grail razor.
True this. I got a first run blackbird from the original kickstarter. Even though it shaved me so close, I got irritation and weepers. I had already been wet shaving for years at that point, but in hindsight, my technique was still not ready. After hoping for years that I would grow into this razor, I eventually sold it. Then at some point my technique evolved. I knew it evolved. It was one of those light switch moments, and I was acutely aware of it when it happened. My shave results changed greatly for the better. And I was able to use razors that I otherwise could not use effectively before that moment. I could turn my adjustables up to the max and use them comfortably. I knew that I needed another blackbird. That was obvious. I regretted selling that first one. It was a rare black oxide first run model with both base plates. It was before they rounded out the safety bar. You could almost cut yourself with that razor when there was no blade installed. Anyways, I then got a Brassbird with both plates, and the shaves were sublime. So, you are probably correct in your statement. It was true for me.
 
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