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Tell me the difference between Expensive razors and all the others?

I think I'm ready to respond now to my own question (I'm the OP of the thread):
After buying my first expensive razor a couple weeks ago (ATT Windsor SS .80), I can attest that it's not just the price that separates an expensive razor from a cheaper one. Superior build quality and a shave that sets it apart from my other razors. I've dialed it in already and I get the closest, smoothest & irritation free shave as compared to anything else I own (including my Lupo .72). Today i.e., 12 hours after a shave and it felt and looked like I had just shaved. Never with any other razor have I had these results. So yes, their definitely is a difference!
For me at least, it's worth the price paid.
So the bottom line for me is that you get what you pay for.
LRod
 

Dave himself

Wee Words of Wisdom
I think I'm ready to respond now to my own question (I'm the OP of the thread):
After buying my first expensive razor a couple weeks ago (ATT Windsor SS .80), I can attest that it's not just the price that separates an expensive razor from a cheaper one. Superior build quality and a shave that sets it apart from my other razors. I've dialed it in already and I get the closest, smoothest & irritation free shave as compared to anything else I own (including my Lupo .72). Today i.e., 12 hours after a shave and it felt and looked like I had just shaved. Never with any other razor have I had these results. So yes, their definitely is a difference!
For me at least, it's worth the price paid.
So the bottom line for me is that you get what you pay for.
LRod
So glad your new razor is working for you no matter what it cost. I hope you have many great shaves with it . Now WHERE ARE THE PICTURES 😛
 
Perhaps not an apt comparison, but it's said that something's worth is what another will pay for it. I have a few straights that cost significantly more than others. Am I paying for anything specific? Perhaps not.

Keeping it brief, a $200+ Bergischer Lowe certainly looks the part. Is it a better investmet than the Wade & Butcher I got on eBay for $7 shipped?

The difference? As Quaznoid said: "the price."
The difference? As Luvmysuper said: "yeah, what he said."

I couldn't agree more with any/either statement.

Does it make you feel good and you have the means? Buy it.
Does it make you feel good but you don't have the means? Buy it.
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
I think I'm ready to respond now to my own question (I'm the OP of the thread):
After buying my first expensive razor a couple weeks ago (ATT Windsor SS .80), I can attest that it's not just the price that separates an expensive razor from a cheaper one. Superior build quality and a shave that sets it apart from my other razors. I've dialed it in already and I get the closest, smoothest & irritation free shave as compared to anything else I own (including my Lupo .72). Today i.e., 12 hours after a shave and it felt and looked like I had just shaved. Never with any other razor have I had these results. So yes, their definitely is a difference!
For me at least, it's worth the price paid.
So the bottom line for me is that you get what you pay for.
LRod

See, what did I tell ya? I wasn't lying when I told you that our high end razors are worth the money. What you have noticed, is exactly what I have been saying this whole time. These high ends razors don't just cost a lot of money, to cost a lot of money. What they bring to the table is, high end CNC construction, superb build quality, high end materials used, and put together with absolute competence!

My TI95 is built with the same quality that you've gotten to experience, and it makes me very happy that you've gotten a chance to experience what a real quality razor is like. The only issue I am having, is because of the use of bad blades. At first I questioned if it was the blade I was using, but after several shaves, then I confirmed it!

Sometimes to dial in a new razor, one has to try different blades. Honestly, the whisker tugging should have been the indication, but I try to give known quality blades the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes I go overboard with the benefits of the doubts lol. But ya, Nacets are not the way to go for me, and when my new blades get here, I will finally be able to try out different blades in this thing.

Again, I am really happy that you've had a positive experience with your new razor in the end. And since yours used that different type of washer, yours really required its removal. Happy for you Rod, amazing stuff, and you are amazing too. Thanks for sharing your journey with all of us, much appreciated!

So glad your new razor is working for you no matter what it cost. I hope you have many great shaves with it . Now WHERE ARE THE PICTURES 😛

Dave is right, where's the pictures? Rod didn't think he was going to get away with not posting pictures was he? No no no no, SWCT wants his pictures. SWCT wants to drool over Rod's razor. What am I Golum from Lord Of The Rings? 😝
 
So glad your new razor is working for you no matter what it cost. I hope you have many great shaves with it . Now WHERE ARE THE PICTURES 😛
Here you go!
These are from the day I received it and I had posted them on my thread:

Post in thread 'I'm ready to order my first expensive razor, help me make a decision!!' I'm ready to order my first expensive razor, help me make a decision!! - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/im-ready-to-order-my-first-expensive-razor-help-me-make-a-decision.624859/post-11783650
 

Dave himself

Wee Words of Wisdom
Here you go!
These are from the day I received it and I had posted them on my thread:

Post in thread 'I'm ready to order my first expensive razor, help me make a decision!!' I'm ready to order my first expensive razor, help me make a decision!! - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/im-ready-to-order-my-first-expensive-razor-help-me-make-a-decision.624859/post-11783650
Sorry mate I missed them when you posted them the first time. That really is a beautiful razor looks worth every penny 😍. Oh and thanks for taking the time to post them again
 
These high ends razors don't just cost a lot of money. What they bring to the table is, high end CNC construction, superb build quality, high end materials used, and put together with absolute competence!
None of these these qualities guarantee a great shave.
They give you, in most cases, a beautiful piece of hardware that is enjoyable to use and can give you pride of ownership.
Of course they can give you a great shave but not necessarily anything better than any decently put together item.
This site is full of people who have expensive razors but admit/confess that their Merkur 34c (or whatever) is the one they gravitate to because it gives them the best results.
Expensive razors can be magnificent and beautiful things to behold, but let’s not pretend they are necessarily “better” because, empirically, they are not.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I think I'm ready to respond now to my own question (I'm the OP of the thread):
After buying my first expensive razor a couple weeks ago (ATT Windsor SS .80), I can attest that it's not just the price that separates an expensive razor from a cheaper one. Superior build quality and a shave that sets it apart from my other razors. I've dialed it in already and I get the closest, smoothest & irritation free shave as compared to anything else I own (including my Lupo .72). Today i.e., 12 hours after a shave and it felt and looked like I had just shaved. Never with any other razor have I had these results. So yes, their definitely is a difference!
For me at least, it's worth the price paid.


Very good outcome for you. Congratulations.


So the bottom line for me is that you get what you pay for.
LRod


Having reasons to say this I'll say it a bit differently: Sometimes you get what you pay for.

When you do, celebrate. When you don't, you can sell the razor usually getting a decent portion of your money back.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

JWCowboy

Probably not Al Bundy
Last night I went to my neighborhood's luxury market restaurant, spent over $200 for dinner for four, and had the kind of experience which calls me to question why we didn't go to Captain D's.
Man I don't know where you're from but it must be the south ;) I grew up in Nashville and I will always love me some Captain D's
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
Very good outcome for you. Congratulations.





Having reasons to say this I'll say it a bit differently: Sometimes you get what you pay for.

When you do, celebrate. When you don't, you can sell the razor usually getting a decent portion of your money back.

Happy shaves,

Jim
I've sort of modified that say as well... You don't always get what you paid for, but you seldom get that for which you did not pay.

That said, shaving gear is a completely different thing, I think. I'm too new to know for sure. I still have a very narrow frame of reference. I know some here love the older vintage stuff you can pick up for a few dollars. Some of those collections add up to way more than I paid for my SE razors, but years of collection, ten or twenty dollars here and there, is less painful than a larger initial outlay of cash.

There are some bargains out there, esp. with brushes. The recommendations you gave me didn't cost a small fortune but are extremely enjoyable... I think they perform better than the cost would suggest.
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
Generalizations are great, but the interesting stuff may be some of the stuff that doesn't align with those generalizations. If a modern milling process utilizing computerized precision on high quality stainless is employed, the tolerances can be exceptional and uniform. If older processes with more variability are employed to cast Zamak, sometimes, through the luck of the draw, the end result may have similarly tight tolerances, but it will be a lucky and random occurrence. By virtue of not having the sunk costs of a high output assembly line, it is possible that a small artisan manufacturer may be able to tinker with design and undertake more frequent minor improving tweaks, but that doesn't mean they will. The evolution of Wolfman, Rocnel, ATT, etc. are positive examples. It it is far more likely that a high cost razor will be made from higher quality metal, with greater precision, and with state of the art details, but it it is possible all f those things may crop up in an inexpensive razor, just not as likely. The quality of the shave will be more of a function of the design (plus blade, user, etc.) as long as the tolerances are acceptable.
 
I've been harping on about the Gillette Super Blue ever since I got it, but I really do enjoy using it. It's a good thing that it's made using cheap materials, otherwise the feedback from the razor wouldn't be so pronounced. Granted, I grew up using el-cheapo BiC disposable razors that weigh next to nothing so I'm used to it.

The tech-based design has been refined and reduced to the bare minimum by a company that has over 120 years of experience in designing and manufacturing razors. It has been tested and used by tens if not hundreds of millions of men over eight decades. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. I don't think more expensive materials or super tight tolerance manufacturing methods would help it shave any better.

It doesn't mean I don't think there are better razors out there, but I'm just trying to point out that cheap, when done right, can be a very good thing.
 
It doesn't mean I don't think there are better razors out there, but I'm just trying to point out that cheap, when done right, can be a very good thing.
I'm waiting for this to arrive. Hopefully your statement applies:

 
I'm waiting for this to arrive. Hopefully your statement applies:

$45 for a razor like that made in small quantities by 1 person is absolutely wild. Imagine how low the price can be if it were mass manufactured. Gillette managed to do that with all brass razor designs.
 
Um, no. I have no idea what the little gizmo is, but I'm quite fine with a regular DE razor. Some need more time then others to get the feel/technique, but if its so particular that it will take weeks/months, and/or that one has to be incredibly careful with it, then, its not for me... and by extension, possibly not for other people. It's just one more thing to consider when looking at razor purchases. I'm quite happy with my "new' Slim, which took about a week to get the technique down from what I was using before (open comb, Parker 26C). My other razor is a Superspeed Flare, you can pretty much "swipe away with abandon"... I'd have to put effort into hurting myself with it.

So, what is the little blue gizmo thingy?
It's a Circlette. Made for women but I still shave with one once in a while for variety. I've got two if you want to try one.
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