High end razors worth the hype?

[sg01fc]

To me, the expensive high end stuff isn't worth it. There used to be a time in my life where I thought high end stuff was worth it, but I've since gotten over that. What matters is functionality in my mind.
You could make this argument for anything. Change razors to cars. Does an expensive car make a difference over a cheap car? It depends on your view. If you are using the car to get from A to B, then no. If you have a different view on the purpose of the car you may think otherwise. Yes, you can get creature comforts or performance out of higher end cars, but is it necessary? Sometimes higher price cars are just higher price because of the brand name, but may not actually be better than something much cheaper.
So now, back to razors. I've never spent more than $65 for a razor. That $65 razor did not shave as efficiently or comfortably as a $10 Gillette tech. It also have me more weepers. I've tried three $55 razors, and while they performed better than the $65 razor they didn't all work for me as a daily shaver. All this is to say that I'm trying to get to one razor that I can use daily that is functional, comfortable and efficient. I think I may have found it with the game changer .68. Even though I consider $55 for a razor expensive, if it is the only one I have to buy until I die it will be well worth the cost.
As for my order of preference and what works for me, my current list in order of functionality would be the GC .68, Gillette tech Prewar, Razorock SLOC, Rockwell 6c, Razorock Mamba, timeless aluminum. The ones I've tried that don't work for me as a daily are the GC.84 (any), Fatip Grande, Parker variant, Razorock old type, and timeless aluminum IF I also shave through the (I can get through weekdays with it).
So full circle, if you are strictly speaking of functionality, I can't say that for me a high end razor is worth it. If I were a collector or if my experience was definitive that a higher cost razor always means a better shave, my answer may be different.
Just my opinion, and I respect the opinions of those that feel differently.

 

[Steinmetzify]

To me, the expensive high end stuff isn't worth it. There used to be a time in my life where I thought high end stuff was worth it, but I've since gotten over that. What matters is functionality in my mind.
You could make this argument for anything. Change razors to cars. Does an expensive car make a difference over a cheap car? It depends on your view. If you are using the car to get from A to B, then no. If you have a different view on the purpose of the car you may think otherwise. Yes, you can get creature comforts or performance out of higher end cars, but is it necessary? Sometimes higher price cars are just higher price because of the brand name, but may not actually be better than something much cheaper.
So now, back to razors. I've never spent more than $65 for a razor. That $65 razor did not shave as efficiently or comfortably as a $10 Gillette tech. It also have me more weepers. I've tried three $55 razors, and while they performed better than the $65 razor they didn't all work for me as a daily shaver. All this is to say that I'm trying to get to one razor that I can use daily that is functional, comfortable and efficient. I think I may have found it with the game changer .68. Even though I consider $55 for a razor expensive, if it is the only one I have to buy until I die it will be well worth the cost.
As for my order of preference and what works for me, my current list in order of functionality would be the GC .68, Gillette tech Prewar, Razorock SLOC, Rockwell 6c, Razorock Mamba, timeless aluminum. The ones I've tried that don't work for me as a daily are the GC.84 (any), Fatip Grande, Parker variant, Razorock old type, and timeless aluminum IF I also shave through the (I can get through weekdays with it).
So full circle, if you are strictly speaking of functionality, I can't say that for me a high end razor is worth it. If I were a collector or if my experience was definitive that a higher cost razor always means a better shave, my answer may be different.
Just my opinion, and I respect the opinions of those that feel differently.

Interesting viewpoint.

I agree that functionality is number 1 for me, with razors and most everything else.

For the car analogy, I have a friend that handles my investments; he grew up in Lithuania with doctors for parents. The one thing that he told me that always interested me was that there wasn’t a middle class there when he was growing up, and if you were fortunate enough to have money, you drove a Mercedes Benz, as the roads were terrible and the Benzes were the only ones that could take the abuse.

Other things for me that are worth it as high end items are the things that have to function AND last, which include clothes and garbage bags, among other things.

I have a $240 shirt, I’ve had it for 6 years and it still looks 90% of the way it did when I bought it. My kid brother buys 20 packs of shirts at whatever store you get those at, and does so several times per year. They fray and die and my shirt is still working well. Over the last 6 years he’s spent more on literally hundreds of shirts than I did for one. High end item wins.

Garbage bags are worth $ to me, as cheap ones rip and don’t hold as much. Higher end item wins.

Same goes for my #1 razor, Blackland Blackbird. It’s SS, it’ll outlive me, it gives me EXACTLY the shave I want with zero compromise every time, and I use it daily. For me, higher end item wins.


I’d say without a doubt a higher end razor is totally worth it

Respecting other people’s views, but for me, I can’t get that shave with a $10 razor.

 

[jmudrick]

To answer the OP directly for me the Blackland Dart was "worth it", the Timeless Bronze was as well. Do I enjoy shaving with them more than my $40 or $50 Shake Sharps? They shave great but no I don't, but obviously I take other things into account, looks, feel, materials, style.... In contrast the Blackbird and Timeless 95 were not worth it because I didn't get enough shaving enjoyment out of them to justify the cost. I have no problem knowing that others consider them 100x better for them than anything else they might own. My H&S N075.. which was more expensive...a tougher call but yeah it's got enough going for it that I feel the expense justified, which doesn't mean I like it better than my Shake Sharps either.

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[ShavingPanda]

I think high end razors are a concept of value. Only the owner can determine whether the razor is of value to them.

Some people get into wetshaving to save money, if that is the primary goal, then a $200-$500 razor is not of value. A $5 razor or vintage razor is more of value. Some folks become collectors where snagging a rare razor for $500 may be of value to acquire that razor. Some people make it into a hobby, where spending $250 for a razor that shaves well and made of high quality materials is of value.

Personally, I got into wetshaving to save money on cartridges then it became a hobby (so no savings thus far...but soon!). I don't spend money on any other hobbies really, so a splurge on a nice razor that performs well is of value to me. That said, the last two years, anything purchased (more or less) needs to be funded by selling gear.

I started with finding and buying as many vintage Gillettes as I could. This provided an opportunity to try a wide range of razors. In recent years, I explored modern razors.

I think the great thing about vintage razors is there is a wide variety to try for good value in the mild to medium price range. I attribute this to Gillette making razors to accommodate the vast majority of daily shavers. Modern razors I think have a lot of options depending on what you like but also have a significant ramp up in blade feel and efficiency compared to vintage.

So I think think high-end razors can be worth the hype if you think it's valuable to splash out some more cash, but understanding or knowing what your preferred razor type is or not afraid of experimenting to find what best suits your preferred shave. For example, I enjoy blade feel and efficiency, so the Blackbird to me is worth the cost, the Gillette New Improved and New Deluxe are worth the price for me; however a mild razor with no blade feel for $500 is not worth it to me.

To each their own, but I think modern offers slightly more options for materials and blade geometry.

 

[FireDragon76]

I won't pay more than $40-50 for a razor just on principle.

 

[Timeclo]

I won't pay more than $40-50 for a razor just on principle.

Same. I'd say my limit is now 30 because I already have so many great razors. One of my favorite is Gillette Slim Twist that I got for a whole dollar.

 

[FarmerTan]

I have an excellent shaver called a "Jing Li" as I recall that I believe I paid USD 1.67 for.

For reference, I have a Razorock German 37 Slant that I believe I paid $20 for, and a 1959 Gillette Fatboy that I gave $15 for. I consider both of those razors "high end" as far as performance goes. I'll likely not be buying any more razors. Why?

The best razor I have right now is no longer being made: it was gifted me by @Tanuki. It's a Gillette New Long Comb. I put a handle from a 1962 Tech on it and as @nemo told me it would, it performs flawlessly. It makes me a better shaver than I am. Incredibly close shaves with whatever blades I've fed it so far.

I'll not probably buy any more razors, but I'll definitely be entering PIF's for them, as my mother may have raised some homely children, but she didn't raise any dummies!

 

[Hannah's Dad]

I think high end razors are a concept of value. Only the owner can determine whether the razor is of value to them.

Some people get into wetshaving to save money, if that is the primary goal, then a $200-$500 razor is not of value. A $5 razor or vintage razor is more of value. Some folks become collectors where snagging a rare razor for $500 may be of value to acquire that razor. Some people make it into a hobby, where spending $250 for a razor that shaves well and made of high quality materials is of value.

Personally, I got into wetshaving to save money on cartridges then it became a hobby (so no savings thus far...but soon!). I don't spend money on any other hobbies really, so a splurge on a nice razor that performs well is of value to me. That said, the last two years, anything purchased (more or less) needs to be funded by selling gear.

I started with finding and buying as many vintage Gillettes as I could. This provided an opportunity to try a wide range of razors. In recent years, I explored modern razors.

I think the great thing about vintage razors is there is a wide variety to try for good value in the mild to medium price range. I attribute this to Gillette making razors to accommodate the vast majority of daily shavers. Modern razors I think have a lot of options depending on what you like but also have a significant ramp up in blade feel and efficiency compared to vintage.

So I think think high-end razors can be worth the hype if you think it's valuable to splash out some more cash, but understanding or knowing what your preferred razor type is or not afraid of experimenting to find what best suits your preferred shave. For example, I enjoy blade feel and efficiency, so the Blackbird to me is worth the cost, the Gillette New Improved and New Deluxe are worth the price for me; however a mild razor with no blade feel for $500 is not worth it to me.

To each their own, but I think modern offers slightly more options for materials and blade geometry.

Outstanding input.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Value is subjective.



There have been threads where it was argued that high end razors included only the very expensive brands. I've forgotten why or exactly what the price points were, but I left the discussions because it seemed elitist and snobby to me and also because I had nothing else to contribute. My only remotely high end safety razors cost under $200 retail. While I consider my ATT razors high end (and like them), to others they're not high end because they didn't cost enough and because they're not jewelry.



I have a Blackland Blackbird (from the BST). Is it high end? It's not a razor I like. It shaves well enough and is smooth enough except I find it quite prone to jumping up out of nowhere and biting me pretty badly. That sort of aggression doesn't appeal to me one little bit. Is it a great razor for other gentlemen? They say it is, and I have no reason to doubt them. Is it high end? That's subjective.



There are straight razors at just about any price point you can imagine. Probably my most high end straight and certainly my most costly straight is this Dorko. It's an excellent razor. When it hit the market new it was, I believe, considered high end (although there were and still are other razors even more expensive; custom, etc.). I acquired the Dorko NOS and still factory sharp. I was lucky to get it at auction at the bottom of its price range. It is very good looking and wide and has very nice scales. Does it shave better than some of my properly honed eBay specials. No, it does not.

I have zero objection to people buying whatever they want. It's their money. I love looking at the jewelry razor photos whether safety razors or straight razors. I can't say the $500 + safety razors aren't superior to the razors I own because I've not used any of them nor am I planning to.

I'm also not really planning to buy many more razors. Perhaps NOS straights. Perhaps a Merkur slant. Perhaps the Fatip Slant. Perhaps nothing. I have, if anything, too many razors and too much money tied up in the them. Yet I know gentlemen who make my little collection look dinky and substandard.



I think, too, that it's a subjective value judgement to say other people are elitist and/or snobs. There's no objective standard, right? Still, most everything we talk about on B&B is First World so maybe we're all just various levels of elitist snobs.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Sonoftakis]

Can a Kia get you from A to B as a Mercedes S600 could? Yes. The difference is in the details.

Many people are satisfied with the Kia. It does the job. Others prefer the Mercedes. It does the job too only the details are a lot better.

In the end, it's a personal choice.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Can a Kia get you from A to B as a Mercedes S600 could? Yes. The difference is in the details.

Many people are satisfied with the Kia. It does the job. Others prefer the Mercedes. It does the job too only the details are a lot better.

In the end, it's a personal choice.

For the car analogy, I have a friend that handles my investments; he grew up in Lithuania with doctors for parents. The one thing that he told me that always interested me was that there wasn’t a middle class there when he was growing up, and if you were fortunate enough to have money, you drove a Mercedes Benz, as the roads were terrible and the Benzes were the only ones that could take the abuse.

Other things for me that are worth it as high end items are the things that have to function AND last, which include clothes and garbage bags, among other things.

I have a $240 shirt, I’ve had it for 6 years and it still looks 90% of the way it did when I bought it. My kid brother buys 20 packs of shirts at whatever store you get those at, and does so several times per year. They fray and die and my shirt is still working well. Over the last 6 years he’s spent more on literally hundreds of shirts than I did for one. High end item wins.

Garbage bags are worth $ to me, as cheap ones rip and don’t hold as much. Higher end item wins.

Same goes for my #1 razor, Blackland Blackbird. It’s SS, it’ll outlive me, it gives me EXACTLY the shave I want with zero compromise every time, and I use it daily. For me, higher end item wins.

I’d say without a doubt a higher end razor is totally worth it

Respecting other people’s views, but for me, I can’t get that shave with a $10 razor.

I'm not sure the comparison stands up very well. Vehicles can be subjected to far more abuse. Still, nobody can argue with your statement that you can't get with a $10 razor the shave you can with a Blackbird. How could anyone other than you evaluate that?

I have relatives who live in an area of California where the roads are horrible. I've been there numerous times. The roads are worse than anywhere else I've been including 2nd and 3rd world countries. Anyway, they tell me that many vehicles simply won't stand up to the roads. One vehicle which will is the vastly over-engineered and very expensive Toyota Land Cruiser, but there are others which also will particularly some of the better trucks none of which are inexpensive.

I used to have a Land Cruiser and loved it, but I prefer my Highlander and know my wife's RAV4 is probably just as good as an A-B vehicle. Where I live the roads are pretty decent.

My face and yours are unlikely to require the over-engineering of a Mercedes or Land Cruiser.

Not saying people should not drive an AMC Mercedes if they can afford one and want one. I just need to win the lottery. Needing a Mercedes is different from wanting and/or needing a Wolfman. Does anybody need a Wolfman? I really can't say they don't, but...

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Erchy]

I think im going to change the thread name to “show off your high end razors”

[emoji1787][emoji1787]



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[GaryTha]

I think im going to change the thread name to “show off your high end razors”

[emoji1787][emoji1787]



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[Tanuki]

I have an excellent shaver called a "Jing Li" as I recall that I believe I paid USD 1.67 for.

For reference, I have a Razorock German 37 Slant that I believe I paid $20 for, and a 1959 Gillette Fatboy that I gave $15 for. I consider both of those razors "high end" as far as performance goes. I'll likely not be buying any more razors. Why?

The best razor I have right now is no longer being made: it was gifted me by @Tanuki. It's a Gillette New Long Comb. I put a handle from a 1962 Tech on it and as @nemo told me it would, it performs flawlessly. It makes me a better shaver than I am. Incredibly close shaves with whatever blades I've fed it so far.

I'll not probably buy any more razors, but I'll definitely be entering PIF's for them, as my mother may have raised some homely children, but she didn't raise any dummies!

That NEW LC cost me less than $15. Of course, you did need to put a “new” Tech handle on it! Once you start customizing it gets expensive!

Can a Kia get you from A to B as a Mercedes S600 could? Yes. The difference is in the details.

Many people are satisfied with the Kia. It does the job. Others prefer the Mercedes. It does the job too only the details are a lot better.

In the end, it's a personal choice.

Ahh, but can a Mercedes S600 hold a week’s worth of ski gear and still have room to sleep in the back on the trek between resorts? And can you laugh off the dents received in snowy parking lots frequented by young gentlemen of erratic driving habits? Try a 20 yr old minivan! A definite high-end safari wagon.

I have relatives who live in an area of California where the roads are horrible. I've been there numerous times. The roads are worse than anywhere else I've been including 2nd and 3rd world countries. Anyway, they tell me that many vehicles simply won't stand up to the roads. One vehicle which will is the vastly over-engineered and very expensive Toyota Land Cruiser, but there are others which also will particularly some of the better trucks none of which are inexpensive.

I used to have a Land Cruiser and loved it, but I prefer my Highlander and know my wife's RAV4 is probably just as good as an A-B vehicle. Where I live the roads are pretty decent.

I also use it on forest roads that are as bad as any road navigable with 2wd and highway ground clearance. Go slow and when it is busted or used up, get a replacement for the price of a bunch of suspension work. Cheaper than any new pickup.

So save your money by avoiding expensive razors, cars, and trucks. Then you can blow the wad and complicate your life with a huge collection of razors. And ski passes.

 

[EmreMusovi]

I have a rex, a feather ac dx, a asylum evolution, a rocca And a rocnel elite

All cost me about 1.250 usd. Which will serve me And my sons Maybe Their sons through lifetime.

So Answer is yes. They Worth it


Tapatalk kullanarak iPhone aracılığıyla gönderildi

 

[juno]

I have found that modern boutique razors, "high end" or not, are more fiddly and troublesome than vintage razors in general. I have many vintage Gillette, Schick, and GEM etc that do not require multiple baseplates, gap, or blade exposure worries or concerns. Honestly, how much would a new production fat boy cost today? A lot, apparently. In my opinion, many high end razors of today are more trouble than they are worth. Buy 5 baseplates until one is maybe close to being satisfying. Or buy multiple razors with varying gaps etc. Want a GEM style? Three piece only. Definitely not one piece. And guess what? Whatever IS available pales in comparison in terms of design and performance. What I see today are diminishing returns. Twist to opens are junk. Three piece are just attempting to reinvent, or even COPY the wheel to no real level of substance in terms of improvement. Materials? Sure. Performance? Not so much.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Each face is different. Techniques are different. Razor preferences are different.

For some folks, these needs are met by vintage razors.

For some, by reasonably priced current razors.

For some, by high priced, high end razors.

All are correct, for that shaver.

YMMV.

 

[Shavemd]

For me I believe the answer is Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I am just grateful that we are now in a time when so many options exist for us wet shavers"s, whether it be a $5 Gillete tech or a $750 High polished Wolfman

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I think I'm going to change the thread name to “show off your high end razors”

In your honor, a thread was created. It will be fun to see the beauties.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[FarmerTan]

That NEW LC cost me less than $15. Of course, you did need to put a “new” Tech handle on it! Once you start customizing it gets expensive!



To be honest, I didn't "need" to swap handles, the ball was a little loose, but I just used it that way until about a week or so ago. I think I will switch it back because it looks off being "silver and gold" lol.

It really does rival anything else I've tried, which is admittedly limited by my cheapskate ways....