Rico Suave's notes on the 2019 Shave Purchase Sabbatical

[Rico Suave]

1/10: Still in with no problem, have not even been tempted to buy anything.

I don't have an exact inventory of my soaps (don't really want to know) but I ballpark it at 30 tubs. Not remarkable by shave forum standards, but at 3 or 4 tubs per year that is nearly a decade of soap. It is time to start realizing some of those 'savings' that initially lured me away from carts and canned foam. Last year I joined the sabbatical, and flamed out. Second time is the charm ...

 

[Rico Suave]

By the way, in the unlikely event that any forum member happens to read this thread and wants to comment, please feel free.

 

[Clay S]

I only have around 10 soaps and creams, but that should be plenty, even though all are used to a greater or lesser degree. Best of luck on the sabbatical!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I have one open puck of soap, and three new ones in the drawer, one tube of cream, and a few samples and shave stick. I feel completely inundated, and your 30 or even Clay's 10 would drive me round the twist. The last two soaps were used from new, with very few detours to other products along the way, and both got thrown out before they were finished due to going awry.

The Mitchell's puck was on par for around 500 shaves, and conked out with around 50 or so shaves left to go. The next was a craft soap which gave me six months shaving before going bad. I have another of each in the drawer, plus a second tub of the other craft soap I started late last year. I reckon that's 3 year's soap, plus the samples I'm currently distracted with, which I expect to give me a few months of shaves, and the tube of cream which I want to use up before the end of the year. I might not even need to open another soap by the end of 2019 ... then there's still three new pucks in the drawer which will give around 800 shaves, plus a handful of shave sticks.

I'll be glad when I get back down to to one soap and a shave stick in the bathroom, and one or two pucks in the drawer.

Good luck on the sabbatical

 

[Rico Suave]

Gentlemen, thank you for stopping by, I appreciate it.

I'll be glad when I get back down to to one soap and a shave stick in the bathroom, and one or two pucks in the drawer

Your comment got me thinking about why I joined the sabbatical. My goal is not so much to have less stuff as to stop getting more. In my case, money is not an issue. My house is paid for, my wife and I are both working good jobs. Space is not an issue because we each have our own bathroom. I have a pretty good idea of what soaps and razors are available out there. I believe I have enough on hand to get great shaves and still enjoy a variety of soaps, razors, and blades. It is time to thoughtfully explore and master what gear I have.

My mental analogy is to a well stocked liquor cabinet. Say instead of 30 soaps I had 30 bottles, a nice variety of bourbon, scotch, etc. It would NOT be my goal to 3017 the bottles one after another. Instead I would sample them over time, comparing and contrasting, discovering my actual tastes. As soaps runs out (hah!) I imagine I'll eventually restock. I'd still like a variety, but I think 10 or so would be plenty. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

 

[Rico Suave]

First month is over, still in. Am working on killing a tub of Cade Rich cream, may be able to finish it this month. Have settled into a routine, enjoying the soaps and gear on hand. Putting a 4-inch Karve handle on a Feather ASD2 head has really been working out for me. The extra length, different heft have really made the ASD2 a sweet shaver for me.

 

[Rico Suave]

Just joined the FFFMM. Spent Jan/Feb shaving on the mild end (Feather AS-D2, Karve B and A plates) now it is time to switch it up and bust out the Asylum RX.