The Search for The Holy Grail

[Goblin]

I am curious. I wonder how many folks here are still on the quest for The Holy Grail? That perfect combination of razor, blade, brush and soap that means your wandering days are over. Are you still searching for perfection despite 20 years in the game, or have you accepted that you are doomed to a shaving future that is ruled by shallow, transigent infatuations!?

Me? Well, I have been around the block a few times and I am not sure that monogamy is in my nature. I have had more than my share of razors and brushes and I have enjoyed a lot of them....I still do. I mean, I can see myself settling down at some point, as long as that means settling down with about ten different sets of gear for use on different days!

In addition to your views on "shaving monogamy", I am also curious to know how long you have been involved in the traditional shaving hobby? I suspect that most of us plan to settle down when we first begin to explore this hobby, but I know that many folks find the amount of variety on offer is just too spicy and enticing...or perhaps that's just me.

Edit: This was initially meant to be a poll, but after posting it I realised that the analogies (and the language) might be a little too "19th Century Paris"...Let's keep it PG!

 

[Tirvine]

I have been shaving this was since the middle of the 1960s. It has small hobby like aspects but is really more of an evolving interest. Badger and Blade took me in very short order through Merkur, Edwin Jagger, Feather, and Above the Tie razors and through a few soaps and creams. I now sit squarely on Above the Tie, Kent, Personna Lab Blue, and Martin de Candre. I feel no urge to change. As regards aftershaves, I am fine using 4711, but my favorite is Acqua di Selva. All the others are behind me.

 

[Alum Ladd]

I don't do Medeval Christian legend, but If you mean have you found a way to get good shaves then yes.

It's called technique. I was, thinking about it now probably ploughing away on that for decades, with my old Bic Sensitives, some pass directions I have been using for decades, I just didn't percieve it as technique. Just avoiding too much facial damage and getting a reasonably satisfactory result.

So when I picked up the old DE shaving kink, (which is just an extensive of my deep love for all things vintage) I already had somewhat of a toolkit. So I found DE shaving to be fairly easy to transitition to.

So I can pick up pretty much any razor now, and be pretty sure of a sweet result.

Lathering and brush work is over egged as a skill too, often. It ain't that hard to get a good lather.

Face lathering and arko! help greatly in this.

 

[DalShaver]

No Holy Grail here, no Excalibur, nor a golden child sent to save shavers around the world from ingrown hairs and nicks. For razors, it's only an aesthetic appreciation which kept me from stopping after acquiring my first DE razor. Soaps smell nice, and most work fine. Same for aftershaves.

If I had to settle on one combo though, just to keep things from getting completely foolish, it would be my DE89 (birthday gift from the missus), an Omega boar (any one, I don't care which), Arko and Aqua Velva. That would shave this homely mug,and get me on to the business of the day.

 

[Goblin]

I don't do Medeval Christian legend, but If you mean have you found a way to get good shaves then yes.

It's more about finding that one razor, one blade, and one brush, and one soap, that means you are no longer interested in trying anything else. You know, deep down, that there's nothing else out there that could be better and you are done with experimenting. The ADs are finished, for good.

A new fancy, synthetic knot? Not interested.

A new artisan soap base? Not interested.

A new razor from your favourite maker? Not interested.

It's called technique.

Face lathering and arko! help greatly in this.

Sounds like you are pretty much there!

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Similar questions was asked a month ago:

Razor & Blade combo Holy Grail. Quest over.

I still a beginer in so many ways. Have any of you gents found a combination of a razor and a blade, when used together, caused an epiphany of 'wow it doesnt get any better than this', now my daily driver will be this razor, and I can go stock up on 100 of these blades'. . If so what is that...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Alum Ladd]

It's more about finding that one razor, and one brush, and one soap, that means you are no longer interested in trying anything else. You know, deep down, that there's nothing else out there that could be better and you are done with experimenting. The ADs are finished, for good.

A new fancy, synthetic knot? Not interested.

A new artisan soap base? Not interested.

A new razor from your favourite maker? Not interested.

Indeed! I just add a small caveat in that I acquired a small but interesting group of vintages almost exclusively because of the designs, and the range of eras that I could encompass when I was in that kind of shaving mood.

I can be mentally anywhere between the 1920's and 60's and have a razor to fit that mystical time travelling mood thing I am afflicted with.

However, at no time was I entertaining any serious illusions that somehow, a 1953 English Rocket HD would propel me upwards into a low-earth orbit of shave improvement.

I just needed a razor that matched my mood if I happened to catch Genevieve (film) - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevieve_(film) on the Telly for the 184th time. Fits the time frame. Although McKim and Claverhouse, being middle class, could probably afford an Aristocrat.

However I do have a 1948 No. 21 Aristocrat, so that's Genevieve covered.


Same if I'm reading Orwell's 1984. A Flat Bottom Tech fits that period if I'm imagining I'm reading a first edition.

Same vibe with the US "Pre-war" Tech etc. Just fill in the historical blank and I will inhabit it.

One razor that I would like is the 1941 Ranger Tech. I find that razor really poignant because of it's period of introduction and short sales life. I believe it sold the most in the last quarter of 1941. Strong stuff.

The wonderful Wilko synthetic brush (only £1.50!!! on clearance at the moment for pitys sake get a couple now!!) is my go to brush now. I only have 5. I know how to use a brush. The Wilky is a lovely synethetic so I am under no illusions a more expensive brush will give me a better lather. It won't.

Arko! needs no justification.

 

[Goblin]

Similar questions was asked a month ago:

You know, I thought that but when I started typing the title it didn't show in the "Has this been discussed" bit, so I went ahead and did it anyway.

Ultimately, almost everything has been discussed before at some point. It still illicited a couple of thoughtful responses so it was worth it!

 

[Goblin]

The wonderful Wilko synthetic brush (only £1.50!!! on clearance at the moment for pitys sake get a couple now!!)

Given my short arms and long pockets, I can't possibly resist an exhortation like that when such a bargain is on offer....plus I looked online and it't now a mere £1.25. I need to go near a Wilko this time next week so hopefully they will have some on the shelves.

 

[Buttercup]

Ultimately, almost everything has been discussed before at some point. It still illicited a couple of thoughtful responses so it was worth it!

I could not agree more with you, @Goblin!

B&B is a community of individuals. The individuals become a community by interacting and sharing their thoughts and opinions. It is how we get to know each other.

If only original ideas and never before discussed thoughts were permitted...it would be a pretty quiet place and not much of a community.

 

[Quaznoid]

I wholeheartedly agree with Alum Ladd: it’s about the technique. Master that and a good shave can be had with any razor. Without it, there is no silver bullet of a razor that will take you to the promised land.
I do have an appreciation for vintage Gillettes and Schicks and I might buy one from time to time if the price is right. Those companies were inventing the wheel everytime, not copying (for the most part) a proven product like modern manufacturers. And to have churned out such well made razors in mass production is almost miraculous. That they can be had to day in great condition at low prices makes vintage the obvious choice.

 

[luvmysuper]

I could not agree more with you, @Goblin!

B&B is a community of individuals. The individuals become a community by interacting and sharing their thoughts and opinions. It is how we get to know each other.

If only original ideas and never before discussed thoughts were permitted...it would be a pretty quiet place and not much of a community.

Very true!
However, as most items have indeed been discussed previously, it can be helpful when members provide links to similar topics as a means of providing additional information.
Barring a specific display of rudeness, such posts with links should be taken as a source of additional information rather than any desire to silence questions!

 

[Buttercup]

Very true!
However, as most items have indeed been discussed previously, it can be helpful when members provide links to similar topics as a means of providing additional information.
Barring a specific display of rudeness, such posts with links should be taken as a source of additional information rather than any desire to silence questions!

True enough, Phil...great point!

However, when one posts 10-12 links or more and then posts again with even more links...I'm not sure I would feel the same. I've seen this done and with new members, not to me. I would think this would discourage a member from participating.

 

[Goblin]

Barring a specific display of rudeness, such posts with links should be taken as a source of additional information rather than any desire to silence questions!

Quite so, and I didn't mean to sound short in my response to @HoosierTrooper, for 'twas not my intention, rather to acknowledge that I wondered if I had seen such a thread recently but the forum didn't flag it to me.

 

[luvmysuper]

True enough, Phil...great point!

However, when one posts 10-12 links or more and then posts again with even more links...I'm not sure I would feel the same. I've seen this done and with new members, not to me. I would think this would discourage a member from participating.

As mentioned, members should view links as a courtesy providing additional information. I've done so myself, and I assure you it was not intended to quash discourse. If someone does suggest that someone should search and NOT ASK A QUESTION, please report it and we will take action!

Quite so, and I didn't mean to sound short in my response to @HoosierTrooper, for 'twas not my intention, rather to acknowledge that I wondered if I had seen such a thread recently but the forum didn't flag it to me.

I don't think anyone interpreted your post as anything other than as you say. I certainly didn't. The related posts section is limited in its reliability, and a question may be asked in a thousand different ways, often making a search frustrating and fruitless.
The fact that you were unable to find the answer shows how helpful the link provided could be!

 

[BigJ]

I don't do Medeval Christian legend, but If you mean have you found a way to get good shaves then yes.

It's called technique. I was, thinking about it now probably ploughing away on that for decades, with my old Bic Sensitives, some pass directions I have been using for decades, I just didn't percieve it as technique. Just avoiding too much facial damage and getting a reasonably satisfactory result.

So when I picked up the old DE shaving kink, (which is just an extensive of my deep love for all things vintage) I already had somewhat of a toolkit. So I found DE shaving to be fairly easy to transitition to.

So I can pick up pretty much any razor now, and be pretty sure of a sweet result.

Lathering and brush work is over egged as a skill too, often. It ain't that hard to get a good lather.

Face lathering and arko! help greatly in this.

+1! Yes indeed! Technique trumps everything IME!!

 

[kingfisher]

I keep thinking that such a thing exists, but after 14 years of shaving this way I'm not sure I believe it anymore.

I think there is a phenomenon that takes place in this hobby that is very similar to something I have found in one of my other main hobbies, golf. It works like this: generally speaking, if you borrow your friend's driver, you tend to hit it very well, much better than you hit your current driver.

But if you go and actually buy the driver, over time the magic begins to wear off, and you hit it about the same as you hit your old driver.

But the thing is, it's really a lather/rinse/repeat situation, because if you borrow yet a different driver, you will again hit it much better. But then if you buy it after that, the mojo usually goes away.

I think it's the same for razors, once your technique is reasonably sound. Sure, some might fit your style of shaving better than others, but almost always the new razor you just bought will be better. For a while. And then it begins to revert to the mean.

So while i do think that some razors work really well for some people, I don't really believe that there is such a thing as a 'holy grail' razor. I think that for every person, there are any number of razors that would fit your style and perform about the same.

Maybe the real secret to a 'holy grail' razor is to just decide on one that you like, and then continue to choose it as your best, day after day.

When I was a teenager I asked my father how anybody could ever get married, how anybody could say in their mind or their heart that any particular woman was the 'best' for them, given that their are so many women in the world. His answer was that, even after 35 years of marriage, he 'chose' my mother every day. You don't just choose her once, he said, rather you choose her again and again, day after day.

If one really wanted to narrow down their razors to just one, their 'holy grail,' as it were, perhaps they would, in essence, really be doing the same thing. Saying, deliberately, that this is the razor they choose to be the best for them, and then just continuing to make that choice every single shave.

 

[foppy]

My search for the One has led, inadvertently, to my enjoyment of the Many.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I keep thinking that such a thing exists, but after 14 years of shaving this way I'm not sure I believe it anymore.

I think there is a phenomenon that takes place in this hobby that is very similar to something I have found in one of my other main hobbies, golf. It works like this: generally speaking, if you borrow your friend's driver, you tend to hit it very well, much better than you hit your current driver.

But if you go and actually buy the driver, over time the magic begins to wear off, and you hit it about the same as you hit your old driver.

But the thing is, it's really a lather/rinse/repeat situation, because if you borrow yet a different driver, you will again hit it much better. But then if you buy it after that, the mojo usually goes away.

I think it's the same for razors, once your technique is reasonably sound. Sure, some might fit your style of shaving better than others, but almost always the new razor you just bought will be better. For a while. And then it begins to revert to the mean.

So while i do think that some razors work really well for some people, I don't really believe that there is such a thing as a 'holy grail' razor. I think that for every person, there are any number of razors that would fit your style and perform about the same.

Maybe the real secret to a 'holy grail' razor is to just decide on one that you like, and then continue to choose it as your best, day after day.

When I was a teenager I asked my father how anybody could ever get married, how anybody could say in their mind or their heart that any particular woman was the 'best' for them, given that their are so many women in the world. His answer was that, even after 35 years of marriage, he 'chose' my mother every day. You don't just choose her once, he said, rather you choose her again and again, day after day.

If one really wanted to narrow down their razors to just one, their 'holy grail,' as it were, perhaps they would, in essence, really be doing the same thing. Saying, deliberately, that this is the razor they choose to be the best for them, and then just continuing to make that choice every single shave.

I think sometimes it’s not just that a razor suits you better, it’s that the way the razor shaves helped you make a breakthrough in your technique. Something clicked. I’m sure that’s happened to me.

I’m not a golfist so I can’t say if this also applies to hitting a tiny ball with a long stick. As a heckler I’ve found that if you tell a golfist to keep their eye on the ball and concentrate on their follow-through they will usually hit better shots regardless of which stick they have. But perhaps there’s more to it than that.

 

[huck1680]

I have found the one razor I could stay with for the rest of my shaving days, the Lambda Athena. Efficient, mild, well-balanced and BEAUTIFUL. However, I have other razors I really enjoy using as well. So I won't be getting rid of anything soon. As far as soaps and brushes, I like different soaps for the scents and the lathering. Brushes...I have 6 in my rotation and that's pretty much where I'll stay. I know there are those who have found their combo and will stay with that...I, like so many others, enjoy the variety I have.