Equipment snobs eat your heart out

[sbogill]

Availing one's self of those advancements isn't snobbery, it's using progress advantageously.

Let me start by saying that I’ve watched a lot of your videos over time and I’ve been greatly entertained. I consider myself a fan. There is however something I think you lose sight of. Once a shave gets to a certain level of good anything better than that doesn’t mean much. It’s just vanity at that point. I never needed heirloom quality stones to get as good of a shave as I wanted/needed. Then again you could just have freakishly sensitive skin because I’ve heard you speak negatively about stones in your videos that I and many other people never had issues with. I give mad props to the guy in the video for getting it done under such rudimentary conditions. What could that guy do if he had some proper gear. I thought it was a fun video.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Razors come into play too.

If I take a 13 degree razor... it's a lot harder to distinguish how close a Thuri shave is vs an inferior stone. On a 17 degree razor... becomes a lot more noticeable. And of course angle isn't the only variable, but it's probably the most obvious one. It goes beyond razors to to soap, brush, prep, frequency, beard characteristics, etc.
If my lather is absolutely top notch, that coticule comfort edge becomes less important than if I'm using some thrown together lather with a subpar soap.

It goes on and on.

 

[Jay21]

Certainly, long ago people didn't have access to things we take for granted today.

For large portions of the world, this is still the case. They do the best they can with what they have with very little money in their pockets. I’m sure the barber in the video would love a better stone if given the choice of having one. But, it comes down to access. If one would even be available in his community, could he even afford it? There are plenty of places in this world where basic necessities of life—clean water, food, shelter—are not a guarantee. So then how could things we take for granted? There’s not a Maggard Razors or Pasteur’s this guy can simply walk into and upgrade his gear, even if he had the money.

 

[Gamma]

There is however something I think you lose sight of. Once a shave gets to a certain level of good anything better than that doesn’t mean much. It’s just vanity at that point.

I'll agree that the video was fun. I watch all of that type of content when it comes into my feed.
Personally, I give props to anyone getting any job done; in this case, most of my props go to whoever did the editing.
No gear snobs in my house, and no hearts being eaten eaten here either.

Truthfully, I haven't lost sight of anything. I've said it a million times, "once a blade cuts flush, and once a blade cuts flush effortlessly, there is no way to cut flusher with less effort". I've posted that here on B&B numerous times also. Still, that doesn't stop myself or anyone else for looking for another flavor, or feel, or style to work with. What someone else wants or needs though, that has no bearing on what I or anyone else needs or wants. My continued interest and appreciation for hones, stones, and shaving stuff comes from being interested, knowledgeable, and having the resources to explore. If someone feels a need to hang a negative connotation on that, fine by me, it only speaks to who they are as a person.

Looking around, we see a lot of people feeling a lot of different ways about different stones, and I am no different. I don't judge based on my skin sensitivity. I judge stones using other methods. Firstly, I usually look into the geology/mineralogy; make up and particle size are not the only story but the laws of physics apply always. Next up, is how they polish on various steels I use for comparing, how their striations compare under a microscope, their feedback, how well they develop the edge, how well they cut, how well the apex forms, and so on. There are some other things that go on too, but that's the basic jist of it. I share what I think and I"m not afraid to have my own opinions or having the majority not agree. Whether or not someone likes to shave off stone X or not is irrelevant to me, if I like it or I don't like it, I'll say so, and why, without caring what "many other people" have to say about it.

Conceptually, if there is a good shave then there can be a better shave. Where the 'certain level of good' mentioned is exactly is likely not going to be in the same place for everyone. When someone says something 'doesn't mean much' to them, it just might mean the world of difference for another. If someone gets good shaves off a cheap barber hone, that's great; but it doesn't mean anyone has to. Not subscribing to using a barber hone because it's good enough, and wanting to see if there is a better shave to be had, is normal for most of us.

 

[Gamma]

There’s not a Maggard Razors or Pasteur’s this guy can simply walk into and upgrade his gear, even if he had the money.

The title of the thread references 'Gear Snobs".
The point I was trying to make via the paragraph you excluded 99% of was that owning better tools and achieving better results isn't snobbery.

 

[sbogill]

I judge stones using other methods Firstly, I usually look into the geology/mineralogy; make up and particle size are not the only story but the laws of physics apply always.

Awesome. The criteria I use to judge a hone are 1. does the edge produced by it tug my whiskers 2. does it irritate my skin and 3. does it take the hair off cleanly.

Conceptually, if there is a good shave then there can be a better shave.

No doubt but once you achieve a certain level of good the difference after that becomes moot. I agree with your assertion that the level of good it takes to get there is different for different people.

 

[Christian1212]

The DE/safety razor guys told me all straight razor users are gear snobs (joking). If someone comes to me just looking for a better shave than cartridge razors I'm suggest DE razors. I think today people are straight razor shaving as more of a hobby and that is when you are suppose to have fun with cool gear.

 

[sbogill]

The point I was trying to make via the paragraph you excluded 99% of was that owning better tools and achieving better results isn't snobbery.

It was just meant to be a fun and entertaining post. I thought other people would enjoy seeing it. It was meant to be a poke at us here in the west who get so wrapped up in gear selection while this guy in Pakistan is getting the job done with a shoestring shaving kit by virtue of his mad skills. I think that’s awesome.

 

[natto]

@sbogill
I like this thread.

I like to watch such craftsmen over the world. Or how to get a job done, with minimal equipment.

And every good craftsmen will know his buisiness, what tools are available, and which fit his needs. His shaves are good. If not, a better barber would take his buisiness.

So if his shaves are good, what does that mean to me? You got me thinking.

 

[J B Addis]

And every good craftsmen will know his buisiness, what tools are available, and which fit his needs. His shaves are good. If not, a better barber would take his buisiness.

Or, every other barber in the neighborhood uses a similar set up and the customer base doesn't realize it can be done better, and couldn't afford to subsidize better equipment even if they wanted to.

It's a technically successful shave in the sense that the hair is gone at the end, but, although I couldn't say for sure unless I tried that specific razor with that specific edge, my experience leads me to believe that it would not be up to my standard for comfort and thus not a "good" shave.

 

[albsat]

Interesting videos. People may have forgotten that there are countries were people must live with 1 usd per day.

This experienced barber had 2 straights and a shavette in the video. Probably the shavette has more cost for him to use it due to the blade.

 

[JPO]

Lets ask Forrest Gump

Well, you see, it's like when Forrest Gump was runnin' across the country and all them other folks were just sittin' on their porches watchin' him go by. Every other barber in the neighborhood might be usin' the same ol' setup, and the customers might not even realize there's a better way to shave. It's like they're stuck in a box of chocolates and ain't even knowin' they got options!

Now, sure, technically, the hair's gone at the end of the shave, but let me tell ya, it's like runnin' with shoes that don't fit quite right. It might technically get you down the road, but you ain't gonna enjoy the journey much. And me, well, I've been down enough roads to know what I like, and I reckon I wouldn't be too keen on a shave that don't meet my comfort standards. It's like tryin' to eat a box of chocolates when you know there's a better batch out there somewhere.

Now, some folks might say, "Oh, this stone's good enough," but not me! I'm like a dog with a bone, I wanna see if there's a better shave to be had, a better edge to be found. Shavin's a journey, my friend, and I'm runnin' down that road like Forrest Gump himself, 'cause you never know what kinda adventure lies ahead!