When is the next razor the last razor? When is the dragon chased?

[Sethology]

Ever since I began wetshaving I've found myself ever chasing the dragon. Not only that, my skin or my hair or perhaps my preferences ever seem to evolve. I used to favor very aggressive razors. But eventually I realized a sore face is not the mark of a good shave. Of late I've favored mild razors, extremely mild. I use setting 2 on my osprey and my slants gather dust currently.

Still I wonder, is this the pinnacle? What if something else is better for my skin or hair type?

I have bought numerous razors and sold them only to buy them again. I find I almost forget what they were like and am curious again. Yet lately I'm thinking there is no perfect tool and that it's best to just stick with one that gives you a pretty darn good shave and master it. It helps that my osprey is adjustable. And yet now I'm looking at the ti osprey, the karve bison, etc. Where does it end? Should it end? When do you all say "enough is enough" and just use what yuh got? On that note, what razors clamp better than an osprey? I've yet to find one, but having sold all my others I'm now wondering again

 

[Manye]

Never!!! Can’t catch that dragon

 

[Teejaywiththegoodhair]

I’ve bought expensive razors I’ve bought lots of vintage razors and I’ve bought middle of the road razors. The chase doesn’t end until you’re happy. If you’re getting an effortless bbs why are you looking for something else? It’s the little hit of dopamine and enjoying your hobby that keeps you chasing.

 

[thombrogan]

You are always going to miss out on something. If you get the latest razor, you’ll miss out on getting better with your current toys.

 

[Iridian]

I always run out of money and might never reach the stage that I have all razors I am interested in before new ones are released.

Edit: The quest for the one grail razor is IMO indeed doomed. It is more a thing of people convincing themselves that one razor is their one perfect razor.

But I believe the perfect razor can change with mood, stubble length, technique and over time.

I could try to find the perfect shoe for running. But I do run trails, streets, hiking... there are different shoes for different needs and moods.

I think shaving is more about finding a moment of zen or something close to it, which is to a large part not equipment related at all.

 

[Kaldane]

The next razor is always the last razor. But when that becomes the new razor, there's a new next razor...

Looking for "the one" is futile. I'll be happy settling down with the hundred or so that seem to work for me.

 

[Shaun asleep]

I buy and sell stuff all the time. It's actually a bad idea. I recognise your remarks about wondering what the razor you let go shaved like. Its annoying and I have caught myself looking at razors that I have owned in the past but let go. Never really end up buying them, as it would be a pretty silly expenditure.

I'm trying to cool down myself and be less impulsieve in buying razors. I did just buy a vintage PAL razor, but that was so cheap, it doesn't really count.

I also believe the hunt is part of the thrill. And nowadays I can be happy just looking up info and finding reasons not to buy rather than the other way around.

As has been said, I dont believe in a grail razor. I do believe in settling with and enjoying what you have.

 

[BobbyB]

I might be the proverbial 'wrench in the machinery' but Draco feels my King C. Gillette (shaving) and Van der Hagen (buffing) are all that I need. And, I do not feel it would be wise to argue with my shave den's dragon mascot.

 

[WThomas0814]

When you have 8-10 razors that give you excellent shaves, but find yourself always reaching for one in particular. This is when you have found YOUR perfect razor.

Of course, when it happened to me, I bought two more of them with different finishes/metals….

 

[Chef455]

Lambda Athena. Done.

 

[Edgelord]

The way I see it… even in times of austerity… you still can look for the things that you collect at garage/estate sale and flea market prices.

I bought a flare tip and an Old Spice mug yesterday for $5. Let’s say that I had to account for gasoline… I could still go to the sales in walking distance.

Two things that you learn early in collecting anything… 1. Get very picky very fast, or you will have a collection of junk and projects. And 2. Save your money for the uncommon things. In our purview… modern razors, good software, and uncommon vintage. Not very far into collecting vintage razors you will see that spending real money on Techs, SuperSpeeds, GEMs, Schick injectors… all the common stuff… is not prudent. Save the lion’s share of your budget for the harder to find stuff. For example, I have not run into an Aristocrat in good condition yet. I might drop some money on one of those. I really cannot imagine finding a cheap Athena. I was happy to drop the coin on my Athena.

I am about to go to a funeral instead of a rummage sale at a retirement community… I wonder what I would have found.

 

[musicman1951]

I believe it was just about 9 years ago when I purchased my Wolfman WR1. There was some luck involved: falling into a good blade gap for me and getting in on the ground floor when James was not well known yet (I believe I paid $155 USD).

I've used it virtually every day I'm home since then (unless I'm experimenting with travel razor selection). Is it the perfect razor for me? I imagine that's a stretch. Is there a better razor out there? Maybe. (WR2?). But I'm very happy with my luck and the search is over.

 

[Rico Suave]

My recommendation is to take up a new and expensive hobby. Soon you'll be lusting after new cameras/musical instruments/motorcycles/guns/etc that you can't afford instead of razor that you can't afford. That way your dissatisfaction will be part of the new hobby, and you'll be happy (or at least not unhappy) shaving with your current gear.

 

[AshleyC]

This question caused me to consider what I have. Looking at them, if memory serves, I only have 3 razors that cost more than $100, with my Timeless Bronze .78 OC still the most expensive I own. The other two being an eBay Fatboy and the Yaqi Ultima.

In the $50-$100 range falls my GC, Yaqi Bohemia, Merkur Futur & Progress, Vikings Blade The Emperor, and maybe my Soviet Super Adjustable clone I ordered from Ukraine. And my other Fatboy.

Everything else is under $50. Mostly FAR under $50. Antique store/flea market finds.

This does not strike me as a ruinously expensive obsession requiring family intervention or a 12 step program. Or even "gentlemanly restraint". I think my restraint has been reasonable.

 

[spacemonkey42]

Totally agreed, there is no perfect razor. But I'm going to say - do whatever you enjoy and works for your budget - there isn't a wrong way. Perfecting your technique with one razor is a noble cause. Buying, trying, and selling razors helps you learn what you like and hone technique - whatever I lose on the sale, call it a rental fee. Working your way through all the blades is a great experiment. Having a ton of soap scents and bases is luxurious aromatherapy.

Me? I am building a top tier of a handful of razors. I've tried quite a few that did not at all agree with me and they moved on. I've kept some others that I want to play with more, we'll see if they stay. Then I have some for random times when I get bored and want to shave with something else.

 

[Brutus]

Q.: “When is the next razor the last razor? When is the dragon chased?”​

A.: On the day when you finally saddle your unicorn and ride into the sunset…
(Which is at the point where two parallels meet.)


It’s the journey that matters, not the destination.



B.

 

[Ravenonrock]

I will continue to look for straight razors that interest me. It may be a particular grind I’m after, or scales made with a rare material. Sometimes it’s a restoration project that might appeal to me, or a pristine example of a vintage maker that is a favourite. I like shaving with a variety of razors and am much more selective now than when I began acquiring razors for practice honing. I like the collecting aspect, and in that sense, I’m still looking.

 

[psfred]

At the moment I'd be happy forever with a Gillette Fatboy and Personal blades -- especially if I could find some Israeli Reds.

But you can do whatever you want, there are no rules! I suspect someday you will discover that you have been using a single razor and blade combo without thinking about it, and that will be the last one. Or you may not, lol.

Anything is better than suffering with an electric razor or lousy cartridges and canned foam....

 

[Phoenixkh]

I'm enjoying my three families of razors:

1. Bronze, Brass and Gold plated modern CNC
2. Stainless-Steel and Titanium modern CNC
3. Vintage Gillette, Souplex and Schick Injector

It didn't take me long to realize, I wanted a few nice razors in AC and DE formats. I'm with the majority... For me, there is no one single razor that will cause me to sell off all the other razors I have. I like being able to choose from a group of razors that all give me great shaves. That's what I do unless I'm doing some sort of experiment. I don't shave every day but I do think about the next shave.... Which razor will I use next?.... with which blade? I only have a few choices there.... 3 AC blades and 6 DE blades. I do have some other DE blades in small quantities that I pull out every now and then, but only 6 in larger quantities that are known and tested for my face and whiskers.

The rest of the shave is more set... I'm using one soap until it's gone... 3017-like. I rotate a few brushes for pre-shave and lathering, one group for each. Pre-shave and post-shave routines are set.

 

[lancre]

Q.: “When is the next razor the last razor? When is the dragon chased?”​

I always tell myself the next razor is the last one. But when I get that one, there's always another "next one".
Luckily, razors are a lot cheaper to collect than cars or guitars.

Like @AshleyC , I've kept away from the really pricey stuff. I've only broken the $100 mark twice.
One of my favorite razors is a gold post-war BET that I got for $7.00