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Where are you at, collecting wise?

To many of us, shaving has become a passion, an obsession some may argue. Purchasing gear turns into accumulating a couple pieces which turns into a collection. Where are you folks at? Always searching...content...still looking for that unicorn?

For me, I have about a dozen straight razors and maybe a half dozen DEs. Picked up and unloaded dozens more since starting. I don't see myself picking up much more and really love the pieces I currently own. I can only think of maybe 2 or 3 pieces I'd pick up/hunt for in the near future, but I'm really content with where I am.
 

kelbro

Alfred Spatchcock
I'm moving towards the back side of collecting. Found what I liked. Found what I didn't like. Started selling/trading off all but a few and am enjoying my 'collection' even more since I get to know and get the most out of each of them.
 
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Nice timing for this thread. I just sent a 8/8 Koraat damascus blade and some ivory off to Alfredo to make custom scales, that razor will be that final one in my collection.

My collection center piece is a boxed seven day set of #14 stamped J.A. Henckels Twin Works Graef & Schmidt 5/8 razors in ivory. Alfredo did a complete restore, but one blade couldn't be salvaged. I assumed the search for the missing razor would stretch into years, but that simply wasn't the case. After several months I located an exact replacement, so the set is finally complete.

This last year I selected some of my favorite razors and had Alfredo rescale them in various woods. I wanted my razors to be unique and to leave my own personal mark on them (albeit through Alfredo). I think form follows function, but by adding an interesting set of scales it elevates a utilitarian tool to a functional piece of art.

Ill toss in a few token pictures and hopefully others will be able to enjoy them as well.
 
I am excited to have a few of the popular well thought of razors. I try to find the cheap way out. Example ..chipped mk31 with ivory for $20. A little work and I now have a ivory scaled straight that makes me happy. If the glorious day comes I wish to own a 7 day set. Meantime I have made a 7 day set of different Jr Torrey razors. Maybe time to find a nice box for them. I did set out to have a razor from each country I could find . I now have quite a few. This collecting has gotten out of hand.
 
I'm quite content with the about 90 razors I've got. I've sold and pifed quite a lot. Even so I still pick up a razor now and then. If the price is right and the historical and/or esthetical value is high I see no reason not to put a bid.
 
I am done collecting, my last razor is pretty special, it was given to me by a friend.

My last two were a TZ and an Ali's
 
Mine is never done as their is always room for one more...lol...but im happy with what i have. There are a couple very rare ones im searching out but not holding my breath for those...lol.
 
At the moment I am still collecting, but I think I'm close to the down hill slide of condensing my collection down to the best shavers and only watching out for the odd deal. Currently I am still scouring the Antique malls and thrift stores looking for large 8/8 Sheffield blades..... No luck thus far, only 7/8's.... Great idea for a thread BTW!


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Pretty much done on the acquisition(s) of "stuff". Really....no kidding!
Over the past 4-5 years, the inventory has grown to.....
Three DE razors. Need or want no more.

Plenty of brushes (not sure how many right now..25-30 maybe?).

All the straight razors I truly want (24 plus a GD lab rat)-with one exception.
I would truly like to find a primo C.V. Heljestrand; thumb notch in a 6/8.

Let's not even get into the cream/soap arena.....

Two strops. Tony Miller Notovan and a Herold Russian oil-tanned. No mas....

Two coticules, BBW, full sets of Arkansas (medium, hard, black surgical) and Naniwa synthetic (1k,3k,5k,8k, 12k) stones, and a Zulu Grey.

Done...
 
Pretty much done on the acquisition(s) of "stuff". Really....no kidding!
Over the past 4-5 years, the inventory has grown to.....
Three DE razors. Need or want no more.

Plenty of brushes (not sure how many right now..25-30 maybe?).

All the straight razors I truly want (24 plus a GD lab rat)-with one exception.
I would truly like to find a primo C.V. Heljestrand; thumb notch in a 6/8.

Let's not even get into the cream/soap arena.....

Two strops. Tony Miller Notovan and a Herold Russian oil-tanned. No mas....

Two coticules, BBW, full sets of Arkansas (medium, hard, black surgical) and Naniwa synthetic (1k,3k,5k,8k, 12k) stones, and a Zulu Grey.

Done...

That sounds like a good collection, and I wish that every straight razor shaver had a Heljestrand MK No.32.
 
I think for now I'm done but for a few that I would love to have in my collection. My collection has grown to at the moment forty one razors trying to stay under fifty.

Wonderedge, Puma, DORKO oh so close to fifty
 
I've actually refined my collecting habits with all things within the last 10 years. I've been collecting whiskeys for over a decade. When i was first getting into spirits, i would buy everything (general releases, seasonal releases, special bottlings), in multiples. I've now distilled my collecting (see what i did there?) to only buying and keeping what I like, the several barrels we buy from distillers every year and things that are epic.

I've applied the same to shaving, so my itch to collect has been tempered a bit.
 
I'm done. Except for the fancy new stuff from GD. Haven't bought any non gd/zy in several years. It's fun but after a while they all shave. Lol. I'm done with brushes hones and soap too. The collecting many times reinforces the hobby.
 
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