What do you splurge on? and skimp on?

[corlay]

curious how other Members outfit their "dens".

What tools of the trade do you really spend for? and which are you more budget-conscious?

Razor, blades, brush, soap/cream, aftershave/balm, cologne/fragrance, other accessories (bowls, stands, etc)

I'm sure some Members don't "skimp" on anything: Wolfman razor, custom artisan made brush, the best triple-milled soaps, etc.
Other might not "splurge" on anything: Vintage Gillette Tech, simple boar brush, arko stick, etc.

I bet most are somewhere inbetween....

Me?
I think the only items I keep that would be considered "premium" are Soaps/Creams. and with a recent purchase, perhaps Razors...

Razors
Up until now, I'd say I'm somewhat budget-conscious? Pre-War Tech Fathandle, Fatip Lo Storto Original, Merkur Progress (got for a great sale price). But I'm slipping, and just ordered a Karve Christopher brass with a OC and SB plate yesterday.

Blades
Blades are relatively cheap all around, but I use some of the more expensive ones? (Balzano, Gillette Silver Blue) along with average-priced Astras and Personnas.

Brushes
I am totally satisfied with relatively inexpensive Omega and Semogue boars, but also have a few mid-tier Simpson Best (Berkeley, Commodore)

Soaps/Creams
I have a MdC (totally worth it!), and a DR Harris in wooden bowl on the way. and a few Officina Artigiana.
I also use plenty of lower-priced creams like Proraso, Cella, Speick, Mogno, etc. And like Fine soaps which are pretty reasonably priced.

Aftershaves/Balms
I like to match set with the soaps/creams I keep. These all seem to be priced about the same ($10-$16) except for the DR Harris which I'm still choking on the price a bit (~$40) and have not purchased (yet!)

Cologne/Fragrance
I don't use cologne/fragrance.

Accessories
I use cheap stuff. No fancy things here, except for a home-made storage rack.

 

[JackJ]

I've been trying all sorts of shaving products at the budget and mid price levels. Some represent amazing values (vintage tech razors, Razorock blue/green/gold/black label soaps, certain Clubman aftershaves); some not so much. At this point, with my den overflowing with products that perform really, really well, I'm certain I won't be splurging on the expensive razors or brushes, or boutique fragrances.

But I do plan on trying some more of the celebrated, expensive soaps: MdC, SV, T&H, in particular. I don't expect significantly better performance than from soaps I already own. But unlike $300 brushes and $500 razors, they intrigue me enough to find out what the fuss is about. Post pandemic I plan to make a pilgrimage to Maggard's so I can smell them all before laying out some serious cash.

And yes, samples are an option in the meantime.

 

[Timeclo]

Things I splurge on are razors, brushes, and soaps.
- Razors - Each one feels so different and unique. It's great to able to try vintage razors and modern razors to see what improvements and differences are there. So far I have enough razors to shave with but I wouldn't mind picking up couple more just to try them out (Maybe Red tip, Merica razors, etcs)

- Brushes - I love how they look. I enjoy how each knot feels different and unique on the face. I'm at the point where I tried most things that I like so I'll entertain new knots here and there. As for the artisan handles, I love how each one is crafted uniquely and serves as a art piece/souvenir from each artisan. I could buy brushes for days but I restrain myself for my own sanity.

- Soaps - I enjoy testing out different formulas and seeing how they create lather. But I do realize that every soap pretty much is slick so I just mainly go for the scents and ones not drying on my skin. I like EO scents so my eyes are more open to those options. I love citrus scents so if there are new options, I'll be looking at those.



Things I skimp on are Blades and Aftershaves.
- Blades - I know what I like which are about 3 brands of blades. I did splurge on blades at first to try out but I settled on my favorites. It's been probably more than a year since I bought blades and I'll only buy if I run out of my favorites.

- Aftershaves - I don't like the matching soap/AS sets because the scents become overpowering. I just use any aftershave I have to wrap up the shave. I have been buying more store aftershaves like Aqua Velva/Brut but those are relatively cheap compared to other options. I have 5-6 aftershaves and I'll be rotating through them.

 

[thombrogan]

For shaving/grooming stuff, there’s no greater treat than Arko on sale.

 

[Salty sailor]

Personal preference, I don’t skimp on anything.

Mule R41 twist or Merkur 41c
Merkur platinum blades, 7 shaves out of a blade.
Floris shaving soap
Kent BLK12 or Simpson Duke 3.
100g alum block
Geo Trumper skin food.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Lightcs1776]

I am very budget minded, so there is basically no splurging. The only loan I have these days is for a car for my wife (she has earned the privilege of driving something nice). I drive a rusting 2008 pickup, but I love the truck. That said, I don't go bottom of the barrel either. I like a good shave soap, such as Stirling, Captain's Choice, TOBS, etc. I like good blades, especially Nacets. If it were not for another member, I would have stuck with lower end Semogue brushes. I love the amazing straight razors some share on the forums, such Ralf Aust straight razors, especially ones with Demarcus blades, and I am content with that.

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[Vespasian]

I guess I never skimp or splurge. I've settled down to one vintage brush, one fatboy, GSB blades (3 shaves per blade,)a hand-made ceramic lather bowl, even a little art deco blade bank. A big jug of 4711 cologne for use was an AS. I guess I might be said to splurge on soaps: I have about 8 in rotation, and I replace as necessary; this includes 2 MdC soaps, but compared to my previous buying, this doesn't seem excessive.

 

[SharpieB]

I would say razors are the one shaving item that I really don’t splurge on. I have always used hand me down or antique store Gillettes that all cost under $15. I finally bought a Rockwell 6S last year that I love (just under $100), but I have no interest in a $500+ titanium razor. They are beautiful but just not my thing.

I also won’t spend more than about $25 for a tub of soap, bottle of AS splash or 100 blades. I have lots of each, but a $60 tub of soap is of no interest to me. I also like Feather blades, but I will not touch them unless they are deeply discounted.

My weakness lately is higher end brushes.

 

[pwill112]

I don't skimp on shaving stuff but I also don't have a lot of hobbies to spend money on.

 

[Jasper J.]

I didn't count, but I believe I have 100 razors.

 

[Dovo1695]

I own one straight razor that's worth more than I spent on my first car (NOS Iwasaki Tamahagane Western Straight). It's a piece of art that has never left it's box. Other than that, I use what works best. I'm down to a $7 RazoRock Tech II, a Game Changer 68, Mogno & Arko, a Shavemac badger and a 26mm RR Plissoft Monster.

 

[engblom]

At this moment I do not spend any extra money on shaving. In the past I have wasted money on razors but luckily it ended when I had tried about 30 razors and I found my RAD killer. That happened mid 2017 and since I have only bought one razor and then realized that I did not need it and that was when I totally quit having RAD. I never bought any razor over $100, so the splurge was spread on several razors rather than one a few expensive ones.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I have a few Simpson Manchurian brushes and also some numbered limited edition Semogue brushes which were quite expensive although I purchased them used or discounted on sale and have not paid more than £150 per brush. I have about a dozen razors which are all vintage, with values ranging from £20 to £200. I use whatever blades are on offer, currently Lord, Astra, and Feather. I have too many aftershaves but again these are all vintage items and mostly inexpensive Avon, various Shulton, etc. and I pay up to £15 per bottle depending on the rarity but usually around £5. I have a few vintage Faberge Brut items which are surprisingly expensive. I have few soaps - Shulton Old Spice, Faberge Brut, Goya Cedarwood, and Yardley, which I bought used or NOS, and MWF, Tabac which are cheap here in the UK.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

I don’t skimp on anything, except maybe brushes. I have a super Badger I paid $70 for and two synthetic brushes I paid $20 & $25 for. I love the $25 brush the best and if I buy another brush it will likely be the same brush with a different color handle.

I don’t buy razors anymore. I have a Rockwell and love it. I see nothing to gain by buying more razors.

I only buy Feather blades. The only other blade I would consider are BIC blades. But with 300 Feather blades and 400 more on the way I don’t see getting anymore blades unless they give them away.

Soaps and creams are an item I won’t skimp on, but I also don’t splurge. I’m pretty much a one soap shaver unless I stumble across something I like better. The Fat is what I use most of the time with an occasional fallback to Jermyn Street or one of the Stirling soaps. At $14 a puck, The Fat lasts a long time and seems a very inexpensive shave to me.

I don’t use aftershave, instead opting for an alum block and a good moisturizer.

EDT is where I spend most of my bucks. I use Kouros exclusively, which is what the LOTH likes. I’m sure you know the saying, Happy Wife, Happy Life. Kouros makes her happy when she catches a whiff.

 

[musicman1951]

The only thing I skimp on are razor stands. I spend $0 on razor stands.

 

[BigJ]

Interesting question!!

My approach comes down to utility rather than cost!

If I use and enjoy a product then it is not a ‘splurge.’ I enjoy my ‘daily driver’ (Wolfman), which ended up saving me $ as I stopped collecting and cleaned my den of other razors. I also enjoy using my growing list of brush, blade, splash and soap options! As LOTH explains this is by far the least ‘expensive’ hobby that I have ever had.

In contrast, if I don’t use and enjoy an item then it is a ‘splurge’ that is just wasting space! For example, a soap that does not perform should go in a PIF or in the bath.

Life is too short to waste any of my daily shaves!!

Works for me! Clearly YMMV.

 

[Contact_vs_Feedback]

In my brief time since I started wet shaving, I was introduced to the plethora of gears ranging from $0,10 to hundreds and I'm genuinely interested in experiencing a lot of them.

But, I live in a part of world where there aren't many DE/ SE wet shavers, where it'll be quite difficult to sell off or PIF the products that are extra or didn't suit me.

So, My Mantra for purchase -
I think thrice, empty basket twice and if it's still in the list then I buy it.

Even so, my purchase habits are :

Most splurged :

Razors : I have 2 RazoRock Stainless Steel razors and 2 Zamac head razors.
I don't believe in collecting razors, but I'd like to have atleast one of each type (Close comb, Open Comb, Slant, Adjustable, Curved) to know how it goes for me.

Total money spent on razor till date is about $ 200 total.
As nice they may shave and look, high end razors are not my cup of tea.

I'll probably worry about ruining/ scratching it more than enjoying it.

I'm a believer of the Law of diminishing returns.

Moderate money spent :

Soaps/ tubes : I have (and waiting for delivery) some 10-12 different soaps and a few ' staple shave tubes ' like Old Spice and Godrej.

This is the most difficult to control expense for me.

Money spent < $ 120

Good Balanced spending :

Brushes : I have recently purchased 2 boar brushes and one is on the way.
Locally, I've purchased 1 synthetic and 1 from RazoRock.

I'm really inexperienced in the brushes and I'm actually saving money to be able to purchase a few but really nice brushes.


Least money spent :

Blades : I haven't spent much on blades as I'm still going through the blade sample pack and apart from that, I have 100 of Gillette 7 O'clock Black, 100 Supermax Platinum Plus and about 50 Wilkinson Sword (India) blades.

Total spent on blades < $ 20

Aftershave Balm/ spray/ cream : I really love the Nivea Aftershave Balm and just for the variety I got Anherb Aftershave Conditioner and they both perform nicely.
I purchased Old Spice aftershave some 7 years ago, it's still good.

Total spent on aftershave < $ 20

As I write (in a way) this post, I've come to realise that I actually have good number of soaps to work with, and it'll be better to understand which kind/ scented soaps attract me more.

It's a good thing that I joined GRUME, otherwise it's quite alarming that now I can list out atleast 10 websites in 6 different Countries that ship to my address and I want a lot of products from each of them - The Madness !

Let's see, how long I don't blink and avoid purchasing some gorgeous shaving soaps, oof !

 

[Tanuki]

I don't skimp, but my splurges are mostly on multiples of everyman products: barber shop AS (Pinaud, Gabel, Stephan), common vintage razors (ASR, Gillette, restorable SRs), shave sticks, boar brushes. I try to use everything I own, but the multiples add up.

For my total spend, I certainly could have bought three of each from the top price tier: DE razors, SE razors, custom SRs, brushes, soaps, bowls, AS. While I certainly understand the joy of a beautiful kit and the serenity of a shave routine, wild hunting and variety are the spice for me, so I would be bored to simply buy beautiful new stuff online and use it every day.

Karve and RazoRock CNC are about as high end as I have gone in new razors. (I'll pretend I can't see my Rigarazor.)

I give a fair amount of gear away, so that might be seen as a splurge.

 

[Sacky84]

I'll go ahead and preface this by being real with myself and know I'm not skimping on anything. HOWEVER I'm not willing to spend the SUPER premium required for some products. (Wolfman, and maybe even Simpson special editions)

Razors
The wifey bought me a Feather AS-D2 while I was deployed and it's my most expensive piece. Since then I've bought a few old Gillette razors and have another on the way. Flare tip SS K-1, NDC gold fat handle tech, and on the way is a silver ball handle tech that I'm unsure of the date code. I don't need any more razors but I do like the idea of collecting the vintage Gillettes. Total of about $200 spent on razors so far. Even though I've spent that much, I feel like this is the category that I could skimp on no problem. The vintage Gillettes are real nice!

Blades
Like you said, these are relatively cheap. I bought a 100 pack of Astra SP when I first started, a couple of sample packs, and a 100 pack of Nacets after I tried most everything. Total of about $35. Feels skimpy but these are still premium.

Brushes
I am now completely obsessed with high quality badger. RIP my bank account! I just got a Tulip 3 and Emperor 3 in super, as well as a Duke 2 in best. I already had a Muhle STF, SOC Boar, Zenith B2, and Special in best. I have my eyes on M&F, Paladin, Thater and more high end Simpsons. Even though my purchases lately were all heavily discounted on Amazon, moving forward I will try harder to support businesses that need my money more than Amazon. Double RIP for my accounts!

Soaps/Creams
I used some Christmas cash to buy a couple of D R Harris bowl/soap/aftershave sets. At $80 for each set, that is probably the limit for me. I had to find out for myself if the premium price was warranted. It mostly isn't, however I'm a sucker for genuinely classy looking ****. This is genuinely classy looking **** and makes for awesome counter-top presentation pieces for my future den!

Aftershaves/Balms
See above, I generally get a soap and a/s combo for the matching scent.

Cologne/Fragrance
Getting into them, but still mostly just use aftershave for my scents. I'll splash some on mid day if I need a pick-me-up.

Accessories
Captain's Choice lather bowl and have a Timeless lather bowl at work. I prefer the Timeless. No stands for my razors or brushes.

 

[1Vader]

Used to splurge when I was new to the hobby, but now not anymore, specially with what happened last year. I never sell any of my stuff so I still get to enjoy whatever I splurged on previously.

Razors
Happy with RR Lupo. Been my razor for more than a year.

Blades
Gillette Silver Blue or Polsilver

Brushes
I'm happy with my black synthetic. Been using this for a year.

Soaps/Creams
I love nicely presented soaps like Nuavia, C&S etc but I'm mainly using artisan soaps right now.

Aftershaves/Balms
This I enjoy the most, scents are still kind of my hobby.

Accessories
I have some bowls but I don't use them. I'm a face latherer. The only accessory that I use everyday is my razor and brush stand.

I didn't spend anything last year, so zero splurging. I doubt I'll be spending as much again in the hobby.