WHY HAVE A ROTATION?

[vacman]

I read how most members have a rotation of razors, soaps, blades, etc. What puzzles me is why? I find a difference from one product to another and once I've found the combination which gives me the best results, I don't understand why I would settle for less by rotating a lesser performing item into a rotation? Now I do have many items which don't perform as well as my favorites, & I occasionally use them because I have to get rid of them....but, 99% of the time, I go with my favorites.

Vacman

 

[ScottChapin]

With the blades and razors, I don’t think there’s an empirical answer. It’s just fun. You would think that once a magical combination is found, you would stick with it.

I would say you could make an argument that you would use an aggressive setup for critical shaves, but not stick with it to give your face a break.

As for soaps and such, there are differences in fragrances which change up the experience. Of course, there’s making changes in quest of the holy grail.

For years, I used the same hardware and software daily. I’ve just about decided to go electric when camping...dread the thought.


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[BigJ]

I agree with not using products that do not perform. If a product does not perform it gets PIFed.

These days, I have (mostly) settled on:
1 razor at home (Wolfman WR1/WRH2 handle)
1 brand of soap (Haslinger's with 8 excellent options)
Top-tier blade rotation (Personna reds, Personna labs, GSB, Nacet and Astra SP)
Top-tier brush rotation (6 Simpsons badger options, with occasional use of a Muhle or old boar)
AS (have too many to count!)

Does this make me a minimalist? Almost a minimalist? Someone with minimalist tendencies?

 

[xxvaleria]

Variety, comparison, experimentation, curiosity.

 

[jar_]

I find I can get the same results with many, many, many different products.

 

[Lightcs1776]

I don't have a rotation of razors, and generally don't rotate blades. However, I change soaps based on the moment. Sometimes I want a sandalwood, sometimes a cedar, and often a pine (Stirling Ozarks is my favorite scent). I wouldn't want to stick with just one soap.

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[slybrewguy]

I've lately been getting down to frequently used items and nothing else. My picky skin, thick hair, and wife's sensitive nose mean most of the time products fail for me unfortunately. I've gotten to a point where I've grown very tired of spending $30-$50 on a soap/cream and aftershave set and ending up with a skin reaction and my wife telling me how she hates the scent haha.

As far as razors and blades I run into the same things. Tried so many with little success that it starting to make RAD frustrating and not exciting.

I'm basically down to the following:

RR German 37 + Maggard MR11 handle
PAA BOCS
Astra SP blades
Gillette Guard handle + carts

Omega S Brushes (currently 22mm + 24mm)
Proraso White cream (occasionally soap)
Proraso Red cream (occasionally soap)
Cremo original shaving cream
Barbasol/Foamy (I always have a can of something around)

RR American Barber splash
Proraso Green splash
AV Ice Blue splash
AV Musk splash

Not to say I won't try new things ever but I've been getting better with impulse purchases.

 

[Billski]

I go along with @vacman . I don't have a rotation.

And according to his avatar, he's an old guy. He ought to know.

 

[jar_]

My daughter was like that for a long, long time. She found out she liked Vienna Sausages and would gladly eat them for every meal.

I do rotate brushes and fountain pens and razors but the last two without a pattern so it is more just the joy of variety and I even go so far as to eat different things for meals.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Variety is the spice of life. Eating filet mignon everyday would get boring to most people after a while. I have a few soaps that I consider my favorite, but I also have creams that I like. I love the smell of certain soaps during certain times of the year. Here in Michigan, the summers can be brutally hot and humid, and the winters can be bitter cold and dry as a bone. So, I like to have different soaps and creams that interest me and cater to what the elements will throw at my skin from day to day.

 

[Ad Astra]

Avoiding boredom. The task itself never changes, why not change how?


AA

 

[RSC]

I use the same razor and brush 99 percent of the time, and don't change blades very often. Sometimes I change the aftershave and soap or cream, either because I get bored with the fragrance or it seems like a fragrance would be a better match for the time of year. I don't have a lot of these hanging around, though. One cream currently, no soaps, and three aftershaves, one of which is a balm, just because I heard good things about it and wanted to try a balm.

When it comes to things hanging around, razors and blades are a different story, even though I don't rotate them.

 

[OtterLunacy]

Variety is the spice of life? Most folks chasing the "perfect gear" are likely to end up with quite a few items, 90% of which work "well enough" or better. Unless they sell, PIF, or toss the sufficiently functional stuff it has to be used! Even the truly hardcore folks are likely to find several products that perform at roughly the same level. As a hypothetical example, consider three soap bases/lines that all perform wonderfully, yet have some minor differences:
Soap A has slickness and protection that's just a hair above the rest.
Soap B has a post shave that's a few hairs above the rest.
Soap C is super easy to lather, slightly cheaper, and has a few scents in the line that you crave.

Is there a reason why you have to pick one of these? Or couldn't you keep all of them and keep rotating between them? C might be a good "daily driver," A is great for when you need to really push for that BBS, and B might get a lot of use during the driest months of the year.

 

[Bobcat]

Because we enjoy variety, the spice of life! With that said, I don't have ANY soaps, brushes, blades, or aftershaves that are not excellent performers.......and I have many. Different strokes............

 

[bberg100]

I guess I could use a Mach III and Edge every day, always a perfect BBS. Boring. Everyday is a different shave, a different experience.

 

[Ron R]

If it is just utilitarian why should we chase the golden goose of shaving products if you are getting reasonable results with what you have.
But if I did not experiment and read these excellent questions and answers you could not narrow the field of products to the ultimate shaving procedural experience were I think I like to end up. I do like a little variety myself!

 

[robertj298]

It is the challenge of finding the right combination of blade, soap or cream and technique for each razor and being able to master all your razors.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

I like blue shirts, but not seven days a week. I like crab cakes, just not everyday. Same with shaving kit.

 

[FarmerTan]

My acquisition disorder is mostly with chasing after scents. All other aspects of this "hobby" of mine I seem to be able to control. I know which razor shaves me best, I know which blade shaves me closest, but the ADD child in me must be satisfied in some way, so it is the AS/ Cologne.

 

[slybrewguy]

Some of the most awesome generations to ever call themselves Americans used a tech and Williams soap or a superspeed and barbasol their entire lives and everything was just fine. That, of course, is a generalization but you get what I mean.