Is minimalism ever trending?

[Tokyospike]

The main problem i see with that club, is that there is no definition of the club. You can buy 100 different soaps and still pretend you are minimalist.

Ha ha ha. Yes, I know. I estimate it will be another 8-12 months before I get down to 2 or 3 soaps and 3 or 4 AS. And probably one razor. But I have SAD, so it's not easy . . .

 

[Boring Euroshaver]

Ha ha ha. Yes, I know. I estimate it will be another 8-12 months before I get down to 2 or 3 soaps and 3 or 4 AS. And probably one razor. But I have SAD, so it's not easy . . .

I think i will not be able to get down to only 2 soaps ever. Right now i have 10 different soaps/cream types. I have only tried 3. I like them all, but if i had to choose based on scent, i would for sure buy again the 2 out of 3. So even if i hate the subsequent 7, i can't go lower than 2. But, on the bright side, they are all sub 5EUR creams. So, maybe i don't fit the minimalist club. But i could fit the "Frugal luxury" or "Frugal variety" Club, that doesn't exist.

 

[Haggises]

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[Chevy Novacaine]

My plan is to get to the point where I use the same things every single day, I'm just in the process right now of narrowing things down. I think this time next year I should be in a solid routine with little to no variance, except maybe alternating soap/aftershave with the season.

 

[jeff2011]

I don't golf. I don't drink excessively. My vices are extraordinarily few...or at least I like to think so. So, I enjoy shaving supplies. I would love to be minimalist ....but I still go thru periods where new and shiny stuff catches my eye and I can't resist. Even then it my splurges are less than a round of golf. That being said, I tend to sell the extras after a month or so as it drives me nuts. I am currently at about 6 soaps/creams and a/s, 8 razors and 6 brushes. I want more and have a PayPal balance.....and I am resisting with the thought of paring things down a bit more. I am quite happy with my brushes, I could easily be pleased with 3 total, I have 3 soaps and aftershaves I really like and will keep replenishing.....the razor is the hard part. Haven't found one I really love for daily use so the quest continues

 

[paintflinger]

I'm pretty sure that minimalizing the minimalism is the way to go.

 

[AlgebraicMirror]

Just wondering if the KISS approach ever gets "in". One razor, one brush, one soap, one blade type, one splash? Or is buying out the store still the thing.

I'm working toward it, not there yet.

It is a chicken and egg problem. You can't do just one of everything unless you've bought out the store to make sure you've found THE one blade, THE one soap, etc.

I tend towards just using a single set of products at any given time (my philosophy: why rotate in anything less than the absolute best you've found?), but I also have a quote a bit of gear from my quest to find the best, and I occasionally get more to see if there is something else is like better. Right now it is the Ming Shi 2000s with Fine soap, but I haven't tried an SE yet...

 

[G.W.]

"Minimalism"

I recognize all the letters, but I don't think I've ever seen 'em arranged in that order before.

 

[SGWB]

I was a minimalist for more than 25 years. One razor, one brush, and one soap at a time. That was when I hated shaving. But eventually I learned to enjoy shaving. Now I have seven razors, three brushes (and a few restoration projects), and more soaps and creams than I care to enumerate. I don't think I'm ever going to be minimalism again.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Historical perspective: Great Gramps and Grandfather would be mighty puzzled by all this. In olden days, before newfangled consumption became a widespread disease, men owned a razor and a brush and a hunk of ivory soap. The very notion of owning a dozen brushes would have been as goofy as a walk-in closet or having a dozen wives. And shaving was not a hobby. It was just grooming. LOL

 

[Hoka Hey]

Historical perspective: Great Gramps and Grandfather would be mighty puzzled by all this. In olden days, before newfangled consumption became a widespread disease, men owned a razor and a brush and a hunk of ivory soap. The very notion of owning a dozen brushes would have been as goofy as a walk-in closet or having a dozen wives. And shaving was not a hobby. It was just grooming. LOL

I don't know. My Grandad had a huge pickle jar full of pocket knives. I got to pick one out every summer.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I too was a minimalist for most of the past 40 years...one razor, one brush, one puck of Williams at a time. Shaving was a chore to be avoided by growing a winter beard, and definitely no shaving on weekends or holidays. I will never be a shaving minimalist, but I have found my groove with a few preferred items of shaving delight. My father and his father would have a good laugh at what I have accumulated in shaving gear. Though I also know they would appreciate my striving for the perfect combination of razor, soap and brush.

 

[Ricksplace]

I work hard. I like buying shaving stuff. I like using it. I like giving it away.

This.
Except I'm retired and don't work anymore.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

I don't know. My Grandad had a huge pickle jar full of pocket knives. I got to pick one out every summer.

Hoka Hey, what a sweet memory!

Nevertheless, pre 1947 it would have been a very rare gent who had a "collection" of razors, brushes, soaps. In a world occupied with just making a living, raising families, surviving a depression, and fighting a world war, there were other things to do. But back then a barbershop shave was common enough.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Historical perspective: Great Gramps and Grandfather would be mighty puzzled by all this. And shaving was not a hobby. It was just grooming. LOL

I find the vast majority of people in my life are still puzzled by all of this!

 

[razorhead63]

I am working on using up most of what I have. Probably will take several months, like with the soaps and creams. Then I plan on using Proraso soaps as a staple, and perhaps one good cream that I like. I have 5 brushes, 4 are cheap 10 dollar ones, boar and badger. I bought this many as backup brushes to minimize the wear on them. For blades I have enough to last close to 20 yes worth. I plan on buying some more for a lifetime supply, as I'm 51 now... Got lots of razors, I use the Tech mostly... And will use it as the only razor from now on... Anyways I'm working on it... Sorry for the unminimal post, I was on a rant!!

 

[Kreator82]

I usually buy a few items, use them up, then order more. I'm almost done with my current soap, then I have a half of a puck of another, and then I'm out of soap. In this case I just ordered a tub of Proraso Red, so now I can rest easy that I won't run out, but I don't over buy and have too much that I'm not using.

 

[slybrewguy]

I mentioned before about my (sorta) minimalism but I'm really working on more of what I like to call my "core den" or a purely functional collection. My other hobby is playing drums, one in which most people will use these giant 80s hair metal looking kits and fill their house with so many drums it looks like you walked into a guitar center store. I play live in 3 different bands and my kit consists of 2-3 drums and 1-2 cymbals, I also own a "back up" snare drum just in case. I get the job done every time.

Back to shaving...My issue is, I do get bouts of severe RAD/GAS but have a long family history of very picky weird skin. In my 3~ years of traditional shaving I've tried well over 30 different razors, 15+ different blades, 20+ different soaps and creams, and easily 20 different aftershave products. Out of all of them I've found I pretty much can only use my PAA Bakelite slant w/ Astra sp or my 37c w/ feathers and either way no more then 2 shaves on a blade, can only use arko, proraso white, or barbasol, and can only use alcohol based aftershave splashes (no balms) with no oils or moisturizing properties of any sort. Basically my "minimalism" has come from deciding to embrace my picky skin instead of fighting it.

I have thick, dark hair, but extremely sensitive, oily, pale skin so I max out at 2 passes + touch ups in terms of my sensitivity but could use 10+ passes in all directions and still feel and see stubble somewhere. My facial hair grows in all different directions, even circles in some spots, as well as extending behind my ears, almost up to my eyes, and as far down as my collar bones. I look like the damn wolf man when I let it all go! But I digress...

My point with that rant is that I became so tired of finding a cool item, reading all about it, getting excited, buying it on impulse, then ultimately being disappointed and PIF or BST it that I basically said "screw it, comfortable consistent shaves are more important" and just now try to stick with what works.

I have a few items I would like to have as shelf pieces one day (gold Gillette anything with a purple lined case, Valencia slant, hoffritz travel slant, for example) but am no longer in any rush to find them as what really has been bringing a smile to my face lately is grabbing trusted items off my shelf and knowing ahead of time I'll have a great shave, not blowing money to be disappointed.

Ok, I'll let someone else have the floor now

 

[.soap.]

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[jcs266]

Daily for well over two years now... One razor. One brush. Two soaps (I alternate now and then between Williams and VDH). I have 4 or 5 aftershaves - all the classics: Old Spice, Skin Bracer, Clubman, Aqua Velva.

Blades? Anymore I'm using up the few different brands I have from my early experimentation days and trending towards the GSB as being my "official" blade and leaving it at that.

Personally I prefer to keep things real simple. In the beginning months I tried various things to dial in on what I liked, now I'm sticking with those things and enjoying great shaves daily. It's really not complicated!