I swear that some of those SOTD guys are really like Stanley Kubrick's still photographers. Tripods and klieg lights and whatnot.
Why does it come off as a 300 dollar razor is the only answer?
- Thread starter Chickencutlets
- Start date
My three most used razors are the Simple Clean Shave razor, the Leaf Twig, and Game Changer 68OC. 45-67 bucks.
The Henson is 70 and the new version of the winning razor is 75. All are great choices and will last a lifetime.(maybe not the Twig)
- Thread starter
- #63
I’m liking the game changer a lot. The Winning looks interesting.
I don't think a more expensive razor necessarily shaves better for everyone. One has to find a good fit for oneself. For some people a $15 or $50 razor will work better than a $500 razor. Just because it costs more doesn't mean it is better. But for others a $300 razor works best. I'm glad we've got so many great options at all price points!
I am in the market in the coming months for a 1948-9 English Aristocrat Junior and a 1941 Ranger Tech.
Both are not cheap. Expecting to spend £80 at least on the Junior and three figures on the Ranger.
I could get a pretty decent modern for that sum, but the vintages just appeal to my mind and soul.
I also need to get an A-17A watch and the early 60's GG13 to compliment my A-11 Bulova and Elgin variants. I get them specially made and they are superb replicas.
And we may need to replace 2 tents. Hobbies are expensive. I also have a beer budget that needs to be met.
Priorities, priorities!
I agree that there are some superb sub-£100 modern razor options out there now, which is fantastic for everyone.
Both are not cheap. Expecting to spend £80 at least on the Junior and three figures on the Ranger.
I could get a pretty decent modern for that sum, but the vintages just appeal to my mind and soul.
I also need to get an A-17A watch and the early 60's GG13 to compliment my A-11 Bulova and Elgin variants. I get them specially made and they are superb replicas.
And we may need to replace 2 tents. Hobbies are expensive. I also have a beer budget that needs to be met.
Priorities, priorities!
I agree that there are some superb sub-£100 modern razor options out there now, which is fantastic for everyone.
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My next two razors that I am not going to buy are:
Zafirro Iridium
Tedalus Velocity-ONE, little bit cheaper compared to the Zafirro.
But I all about choices and options....we are lucky..
For me, I certainly do not need a high end razor.
Want and affordable...YMMV.
If you CNC'em, they will come...
BFX
Hey we are hobbyists..collectors..either being treated for RAD or not...
Have fun...
"What's in your wallet?"
Zafirro Iridium
Tedalus Velocity-ONE, little bit cheaper compared to the Zafirro.
But I all about choices and options....we are lucky..
For me, I certainly do not need a high end razor.
Want and affordable...YMMV.
If you CNC'em, they will come...
BFX
Hey we are hobbyists..collectors..either being treated for RAD or not...
Have fun...
"What's in your wallet?"
Messygoon
Abandoned By Gypsies.
When B&B posts lead to deeper thoughts, they become favorites. Like this post.
Acquiring shave gear had become an obsession. Stopped it cold-turkey. Reflection led to a rediscovery of the simple joy of shaving.
Stashed away now are 2 Rex Ambassadors, a never-used Wolfman, two vintage unused slants... the hoard goes on and on. Embarrassing, really. Yet the daily drivers are all sub-$100 razors (Rockwell 6S, well-used vintage Gillettes, a Schick Krona, a Frankenrazor Muhle Rocha birch + Timeless aluminum scalloped head).
The takeaway was this... the razor hunt was unfulfilling. Yet mixing and matching a few razors, well-chosen soaps (Arko!, Haslinger Shalfmilch, Canada, Stirling, SV, MdC, Pre de Provence 63, Cella Crema da Barba) and inexpensive balms has allowed the joy to return.
Acquiring shave gear had become an obsession. Stopped it cold-turkey. Reflection led to a rediscovery of the simple joy of shaving.
Stashed away now are 2 Rex Ambassadors, a never-used Wolfman, two vintage unused slants... the hoard goes on and on. Embarrassing, really. Yet the daily drivers are all sub-$100 razors (Rockwell 6S, well-used vintage Gillettes, a Schick Krona, a Frankenrazor Muhle Rocha birch + Timeless aluminum scalloped head).
The takeaway was this... the razor hunt was unfulfilling. Yet mixing and matching a few razors, well-chosen soaps (Arko!, Haslinger Shalfmilch, Canada, Stirling, SV, MdC, Pre de Provence 63, Cella Crema da Barba) and inexpensive balms has allowed the joy to return.
I have the old Winning and still like it. I bet the new one is even better. The Merica is also really good IMO.
I would say it is justified to spend $300 on a razor if you need a titanium one because you will be shaving at Mach 1 or faster. I am a slow shaver so my $30 brass razors suffice 
But regarding the subject matter, it just comes down to personal preference and priorities. Every time I am tempted to break my Grume pledge, I always ask myself "will XYZ product make you happier and feel more fulfilled long after you break open the packaging and the acquisition excitement has passed". Most of the time the answer is "no, not really" so than I say why spend the money. Again, it is all relative to your needs and wants, priorities and financial means. My $30 expenditure may correlate to someone else's $300 because they can.
But regarding the subject matter, it just comes down to personal preference and priorities. Every time I am tempted to break my Grume pledge, I always ask myself "will XYZ product make you happier and feel more fulfilled long after you break open the packaging and the acquisition excitement has passed". Most of the time the answer is "no, not really" so than I say why spend the money. Again, it is all relative to your needs and wants, priorities and financial means. My $30 expenditure may correlate to someone else's $300 because they can.
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OP has a valid point. My first razor was an EJ DE89 that was like $25 or $30. If I'd never found B&B, I'd still be happily using that as my only razor. But thanks to B&B, I have an extensive collection of vintage and modern razors. I own razors that range from $5 up to $250, but if I'm honest with myself--expensive razors don't shave better although they often look better. The cost of small-run manufacturing costs more than mass-manufacturing which is really most of what you're paying for. The stainless steel and hand polishing are only a few more dollars per razor.
We've a recent related thread in the DE razor Forum where there was a lot of great discussion on the topic. Reality is there's a really wide range of preferences here from quality razors for $10-$15 to collectables for $100's of dollars or more.
My bottom line posted in this thread is that one can get a great razor with preferred (YMMV here) blade geometry, grip and weight for a very reasonable price. My three razors (Weishi Long Handle, King C. Gillette and new Razorock Adjust (rebranded Baili) all cost less than $15.
Does Cost Matter?
I splurged on a Schick Krona of eBay. $8 w free shipping. Added 100 Gillette platinums for $10. All set for the year unless the krona craps out. Not sure how that will happen unless I run over it with my truck, which is unlikely.
www.badgerandblade.com
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Yaqi Knight Helmet
Wolfman Guerrilla Aluminum .99
FYI: The Knight Helmet is aggressive. Just because I'm mentioning it doesn't mean I'm recommending it.
And if you go to the track you save a fortune on tires and maintenance...
The old Winning is indeed a great razor. It was only supplanted by the Simple Clean Razor for me because the SCR seems to tolerate a larger choice of blades. If you stick to one blade that's a moot point though. I still place the old Winning above the much loved Henson.
I would add, in my own limited experience, at the $100 price point, the Green Cult 2.0 should be considered. There are a few different base plate options from which to choose. I preferred the Level 2, after trying Levels 1, 2, and 3. I didn’t try Level 4 and I know they were planning on releasing OC options.
There is always an 80/20 rule. Good enough to get the job done versus an exquisite experience. Until neck and back surgery stopped me I raced (club level) motorcycles and cars. The best driver can win with the least car until they encounter an equivalent driver in a better car. A better car, to a point, can help a new driver learn more easily and avoid developing bad habits or scaring themselves out of the sport. Your always trading off the effort and cost to get that next fraction of a percent better when your skill (or ambition) begins to approach the limit of your tools. As you improve you notice more subtlety to the tools, your skills, and where to apply them. I used my Triumph 675 at Roebling Road and my Ducati 1098 at Barber. My three favorite razors are my Pils, 37C, and my new YPM Winning. My three favorite blades are the Treet Carbon Black Beauty, any Dorco, and the AccuTec Lab blues. A beginner needs something inexpensive, predictable, forgiving but rewards skill improvement. MERKUR 34C, Muhle R89, RR LUPO, dscosmetic DS S9, and their like. A forgiving blade that also rewards skill development Astra Plat, Dorco, maybe Derby Premium (prefer USTA but can be harder to find).
I kind of agree. Back when I started, pretty much the most expensive razor you could buy was a Merkur Futur or a Feather AC razor. ADs still flourished, but it wasn't really about gear - everyone had basically the same limited options for gear - but about the shared experience of learning to shave with these tools that most people regarded as utterly anachronistic.
How things change! I too have noticed (not so much here, but certainly elsewhere) that when new people ask for advice, they sometimes get told to buy $200 or $300 dollar razors. It makes me wonder how the folks who make those recomendations are living, that they consider that a normal type of purchase decision for a complete newbie. It wouldn't have happened a decade ago, because razors in that kind of price category didn't exist!
There seems to be a tendency on hobby forums of all kinds for the conversation around equipment to gradually become dominated by well-off retirees with healthy levels of disposable income. They gravitate towards the most expensive options that the market can supply, and thus having collections of these luxury goods comes to be seen as normal and perhaps even an entry requirement for hobby participants, while the less expensive options start to be perceived as inadequate by comparison. I don't say that the owners of the expensive gear deliberately promote this outlook, but it seems to be an inevitable consequence.
You can see this effect seeping into the attitudes and assumptions of new shavers too. I once had a butting of heads with a guy who sounded like a relative newbie with a stable full of titanium, who basically insisted that any razor that isn't a high end CNC razor with covered blade tabs will be an inferior "garbage" shaver with "crap" tolerances and not worth their time. I pointed out to them that they were dismissing the first 115 years of DE razor production, and effectively saying that they would be unable to use any DE razor that wasn't manufactured within the past 5 years, which was more of a reflection on their own abilities and prejudices than the razors that were used and appreciated by millions. They didn't like that, but hopefully it demonstrated to them what an arrogant and elitist ******* they were coming across as.
I am not really sure what my point is, only to say that the shaving hobby seems to have become somewhat dominated by a slew of boutique razor manufacturers, and therefore it's become more about the acquisition and discussion of expensive stuff than it was 10-15 years ago. You could even say that there is just more discussion of stuff overall, since the number of options in all categories has exploded. It's good that here, there are still plenty of members who want to discuss more affordable and accessible products, and shower praise on vintage razors (although these are certainly no longer the bargains they once were).
Back when all razors were relatively affordable, this hobby was a brotherhood for gentlemen of all means and backgrounds. The explosion of expensive, jewellery razors has changed the landscape somewhat, but thankfully it hasn't turned it into something that excludes people whose budgets can't accommodate the "new normal" that these luxury goods have created. At least not yet!
Long may it continue! I personally love to see SOTD shots from guys in less developed countries who are having to scrape together a wet shaving kit from whatever cheap gear they can get their hands on - how much more meaningful and interesting than a carefully curated photograph from someone with a stable of $300 dollar razors and a shelf of expensive badgers! And having said that, on my next shave I am going to try and resurrect that "cheapshaver" thread from a couple of months back.
Edit: Weird that the forum won't let me say ******* but it does let me say crap. See? I said it again!
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I should have added in my post, often the "best" cars/bikes were owned by the worst drivers. Your equipment should never be more than a little bit better than your skill level, else you won't learn.
This time last year I was searching for vintage brush handles to salvage and came across a lot that included this 100+ year old Gillette "Old" style, in this excellent condition along with two pre-war Techs. For what I paid for the lot, this Gillette "Old" was about $5, and boy howdy it performs as efficiently as any razor, modern or vintage tool I have used.
- Thread starter
- #80
The old is a razor I purchased that came with a crack in the handle so I never really got to try it. I do however have a Merkur 1904 open comb that visually looks the same and is an excellent shaver!
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