What's new

High end razors worth the hype?

If it's a genuinely exceptional product of it's kind*, unique, with higher skill and better materials invested, then yes.

If it's a pimped up cheapie made in a mass production factory, rehash of old designs, with a lot of marketing and brand behind it to boost perceived value, then no.

*I say of its kind because we need to compare apples to apples. You can buy a whole luxurious 50lbs metal espresso machine for the same price as a pocket sized 'high-end' razor with no movable parts, often just 3 in total.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys. Money is no issue but id like to have bought something nice.

Im very happy with the razors i have thought.

Just wanted to hear your thoughts before i spend $200 +


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Then I would point you in the direction of anything other than vintage Gillette razors...unless you were looking at those made in England.
 
Price is objective and easily measured.

Value or ‘worth’ is another matter, that is totally in the eye of the beholder.

For me a ‘high-end’ razor was worth the $ because it is something that I enjoy most every day. And in the overall scheme of things it was still a bargain compared to other hobbies (fishing stuff, boats, cars, etc.)!

YMMV and it should!
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Having a razor that gives me a great shave, is more important to me than what the materials and production methods are. Unfortunately there's no way to know how it will shave you before you get one, which makes it akin to paying a vast sum for a pair of handmade shoes, without knowing whether or not they'll fit you. As I already get great shaves with standard razors, I personally see no reason to take the gamble.
 
At the risk of being entirely unhelpful, I'm reminded of something my Dad always used to say...

A thing is worth exactly as much as someone is willing to pay for it.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
At the risk of being entirely unhelpful, I'm reminded of something my Dad always used to say...

A thing is worth exactly as much as someone is willing to pay for it.
Nope. You are helpful, as your dad was absolutely right.
 
It depends on which razors you're looking at. In my opinion the very best razors made on the planet are made by Wolfman. To me the WR2 razors are worth the price that is being charged for them. Are they the best value, absolutely not, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better razor in terms of machine quality and performance.

What you'll find with a nice higher end stainless steel razor is exceptional built quality. It'll open and close smoothly and feel like a precision surgical tool in your hand. The better ones will be more efficient while still being exceptionally smooth and comfortable to shave with.

As to whether you want to shell out $600 or more of your hard earned cash to get one is up to you. Personally I see it as an item that I can use daily for the next 50 years. It'll give me some joy every time I use it so for me it's worth it. There aren't a lot of hobbies where most can afford to buy the very best out there. If your hobby was performance automobiles you might be several million dollars to afford the very best that there is. For the cost of a half dozen nice meals I can have an item that'll give me 15 minutes of enjoyment every morning for the rest of my life.

My Grandfather would tell me "if you buy the best tool you can afford and you take care of it then you'll have something truly special. Something that will serve you well your entire life. If you buy crap then you'll always have crap".

For some it's worth it, for others not so much. For some spending the money on a vacation or a really nice meal would give them memories that would bring them joy. Others might think of shaving as a mundane task that we all have to do and not want to spend some extra money to make it much more enjoyable.

It just depends on what you want to spend your money on and what gives you enjoyment.
 
Ive tried a lot of razors over the past few years and never spent more than $80 on a DE razor but ive always thought about buying a nice high end razor.

Are they worth the hype?

Any recommendations?

Looking at the Blackland Dart and the timeless.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Worth the hype for me.

Blackland Blackbird is an amazing razor and gives me the best shaves I’ve ever had right out of the box.

Nothing else I’ve tried comes close for my face.

Also tried two different Timeless razors, a Karve and a Blackland Dart. Dart came closest to the BB for me.

All of the above are great razors and were well worth the $ for me to try out.
 
It's an expensive hobby because almost everything is subjective...

Just above me you will see great praise for the blackbird. If you then search the forum you'll see people it didn't work for. They had to try it to know. If you then search their posts, you'll see everything else they tried over the years, hopefully including them finding something good for them.

We're lucky for the choices we have
... We're unlucky for the vast variation on how a razor works from person to person... Yet we're lucky for the BST forum, lol. [emoji16]

Personally, I like to keep it below $100-ish for a razor. Though I have thought about branching out, I have kept myself in check so far.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 
My best razors by far are the artisan made premium razors. For me, the others can't even begin to compare, so I do think they are worth it. Hard to go wrong with timeless :)
 
Only you can decide if it is worth it.

For me,my vintage razors have always provided better shaves than modern ones.
If you have razors you are happy with, save your money.
 
Im reminded of the guy who said:

"I am too poor to afford cheap stuff."

With many current brands you're always on the merry go round....looking for
a little better this or that. Often that involves buying brand x, then selling at
a $50-$100 loss and repeating frequently.

I firmly consider Wolfman to be the best razor in the world (that I've used) ...if you find the
gap that is just right for you. Once you hit that spot, you can forget about everything else.
 
That's so interesting and I love the variety of human preferences! By contrast, I am the guy who would much prefer to spend $200-$500 for one amazing "destination" razor that I will use and cherish for life and just never consider using another razor again. I will have "my" razor checked off and won't ever have to worry about that part again. It will be my "constant" then I can actually have fun experimenting with a variety of blades, brushes, soaps,.... Consequently, I am currently looking at a Timeless razor, myself!

At the very same time, I find it fascinating that others like you, and my wife, are the kind of folks that find it exciting to have a wide variety of items for a given cost as opposed to one premier item. They say variety is the spice of life! Enjoy it!

Cheers!

I tend to agree with you but also caution you. In this hobby of ours, the “destination” can and for many us does change. It is just how frequently the destination changes that distinguishes us. Many of my razors could have been the last one, and my collection is now modestly less than a dozen.

There is no question that my Timeless Titanium is a razor that could easily have been my last purchase, but somehow I purchased a Janus due to arrive in January. I tried to purchase a Wolfman almost every day for two years and have now given up. I just looked at the new Charcoal Goods razors that became available this week and resisted the temptation for now. Chances are good that I will again purchase another “destination” razor, and that is ok.

Does a Rolex do a better job of keeping time than a $25 quartz watch? Probably (definitely) not. Is a Rolex worth the premium? To many people it is, to others it is not.

My best advice after 62 years on this planet, is to not pass up buying something you prefer (and can afford) for the better deal. Ultimately that will be a purchase you regret and wasted money when you buy what you really wanted.

A second piece of advice, this is a forum of enablers and standard advice on most any choice is to buy all of your choices.
 
I tend to agree with you but also caution you. In this hobby of ours, the “destination” can and for many us does change. It is just how frequently the destination changes that distinguishes us. Many of my razors could have been the last one, and my collection is now modestly less than a dozen.

There is no question that my Timeless Titanium is a razor that could easily have been my last purchase, but somehow I purchased a Janus due to arrive in January. I tried to purchase a Wolfman almost every day for two years and have now given up. I just looked at the new Charcoal Goods razors that became available this week and resisted the temptation for now. Chances are good that I will again purchase another “destination” razor, and that is ok.

Does a Rolex do a better job of keeping time than a $25 quartz watch? Probably (definitely) not. Is a Rolex worth the premium? To many people it is, to others it is not.

My best advice after 62 years on this planet, is to not pass up buying something you prefer (and can afford) for the better deal. Ultimately that will be a purchase you regret and wasted money when you buy what you really wanted.

A second piece of advice, this is a forum of enablers and standard advice on most any choice is to buy all of your choices.
Second time since my post I saw Timeless mentioned. That was the one I most recently considered, too. Lol.

I might need to consider it some more. The 'specs' are confusing to me, though. If I were to jump in with a Timeless, I would need to do some research... I'm a mild shaver (Rockwell 2-3). That time to research is my weapon to combat impulse buying. [emoji16]

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 
Top Bottom