I am fairly new here but a long time wet shaver. I spent the morning sorting my latest buying addiction, DE razors. I typically use straights and have owned about 40 at one time. I finally thinned them down to the best of the best, collectable pieces with exceptional shaving results. I felt good when 40 thinned to maybe 20............then I tried a DE.
One lone Merkur HD. A while later I added 2 pretty Gillettes, one gold, one silver with matching handles. Then an aluminum version of the same one, then the same ones in travel size. Well then it was on to try other Merkurs (Randy Taylor ie probably grinning now) if the HD was working well why not the same handle in a slant bar. Might as well add the open comb to make a "set". Hmm, adjustables....maybe a Progress......cool razor, does a Futur shave better?......so on and so on. Now I ave about 20 DE razors all neatly lined in my shaving chest (machinist tol box) and go through the same daily routine of deciding which straight for my face and which DE to finish up my neck with.
I have learned a lot the past 3 months with this and now know what to target. Heavy weight razors with a certain style. They get used regularly and the others sit idle.
Thank goodness I didn;t get started with brushes too <g>. At least the DEs have been cheaper than the straights.
So, what phase are you in? The got to have everything now or have you slowed down and become selective? Does you selective side follow a similar path of nearly identical razors or random razors with one special trait?
Tony Miller
RAD never ends. What phase are you in?
RAD never ends. What phase are you in?
The Heirloom Razor Strop Co.
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com
Re: RAD never ends. What phase are you in?
Tony,Heirphoto wrote:I am fairly new here but a long time wet shaver. I spent the morning sorting my latest buying addiction, DE razors. I typically use straights and have owned about 40 at one time. I finally thinned them down to the best of the best, collectable pieces with exceptional shaving results. I felt good when 40 thinned to maybe 20............then I tried a DE.
One lone Merkur HD. A while later I added 2 pretty Gillettes, one gold, one silver with matching handles. Then an aluminum version of the same one, then the same ones in travel size. Well then it was on to try other Merkurs (Randy Taylor ie probably grinning now) if the HD was working well why not the same handle in a slant bar. Might as well add the open comb to make a "set". Hmm, adjustables....maybe a Progress......cool razor, does a Futur shave better?......so on and so on. Now I ave about 20 DE razors all neatly lined in my shaving chest (machinist tol box) and go through the same daily routine of deciding which straight for my face and which DE to finish up my neck with.
I have learned a lot the past 3 months with this and now know what to target. Heavy weight razors with a certain style. They get used regularly and the others sit idle.
Thank goodness I didn;t get started with brushes too <g>. At least the DEs have been cheaper than the straights.
So, what phase are you in? The got to have everything now or have you slowed down and become selective? Does you selective side follow a similar path of nearly identical razors or random razors with one special trait?
Tony Miller
The cheapest addiction of all of this is RBAD. Razor Blade Acquisition Disorder. That's when you are buying Feathers, Merkurs, Israeli Personna, "Swedish" Gillettes, ect in bulk! Ipicked up 150 blades this past week, and may have another 100 waiting on me when I get home. Makes sense...with all of thost straights sitting there!
Randy
"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." J. B. Books
-
northadams
- Mad Max
- Posts: 408
- Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 3:38 pm
- Location: Vermont
Tony, I feel your pain. Or is it joy? The latter I hope! With 6 brushes at present, settled on non or lightly colored creams (can't pry that Trumper & Coates Limes from my hands) & the Harris soap what else is there but RAD. The Merkurs were fine but I prefer the Gillettes and now have 5 of them. I am rooting for & hope one of our guys gets that 195 so we can hear all about it.
Max
Max
-
bernards66
- Duke of Silvertip!
- Posts: 27393
- Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:02 pm
Tony, Well, I'm pretty much where Max is at, but I continue to fight it. My main defense has been to not hook up to PayPal, and thus, I can't do much with Ebay, not directly, anyway. So far, this has kept things under control. Now, this statagem was of little use with brushes and products, as they are usually bought new, but regarding razors, it's worked pretty well. So long as I can not do Ebay, I'm pretty safe. But, if I ever hooked up PayPal, well, I have a pretty good idea of what would likely happen.
Regards,
Gordon
Regards,
Gordon
In the brief time I have been looking at razors on ebay, I have already accumulated way too many, and am now obsessing on gold ones. A relatively cheap sickness. As soon as I cross the threshold to paying over $25 for one razor, I'll be lost all over again...
Give us the luxuries, and we will forgo the necessities.
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
Dominic
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
Dominic
I'm at the end. I now have two DE's, a gold adjustable and a SuperSpeed; two injectors, one Schick adjustable and one non-adjustable and my old Edwin Jagger handled Sensor.
That's it, that's enough, don't need anymore, don't want anymore.
'till the next sale.
Cliff
That's it, that's enough, don't need anymore, don't want anymore.
'till the next sale.
Cliff
"Everything that can be invented, has been invented."
-Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.
-Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.
I had been puttering along just fine with a Merkur Classic Open Comb, but then I bought a Gillette Fatboy Adjustable from one of the members here. Then I bought a regular Gillette Adjustable from another member. Now I've decided I want a Merkur HD, one of those kick-ass Muhle Pinsel open-comb razors featured on another current thread, a Progress, and a Feather Artist Club injector straight. I would say if I amassed that lot of stuff, I would gladly retire from the RAD business.
By the way, in addition to coveting razors, I've also just discovered that you can greatly mod a razor by sticking a shim beneath the blade to increase the blade gap. I've turned my mild-mannered Merkur into a shaving monster this way.
By the way, in addition to coveting razors, I've also just discovered that you can greatly mod a razor by sticking a shim beneath the blade to increase the blade gap. I've turned my mild-mannered Merkur into a shaving monster this way.
Doug
-
SupaDongzu
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 11:38 am
- Location: London
- Contact:
Okay, I've gotta step in here and put my two cents in.
I bought my Merkur HD about six months ago, and I haven't bought anything brush or razor related since (unless you count blades). I've purchased little tubs of different soaps and creams (only a couple, and each item was less than $5 individually) but in general part of the point of this exercise for me was to cut down on costs.
So I love the wetshaving thing here, but RAD seems like something that happens to Other People.
It may help that I can't stand ebay or ordering things on-line.
I bought my Merkur HD about six months ago, and I haven't bought anything brush or razor related since (unless you count blades). I've purchased little tubs of different soaps and creams (only a couple, and each item was less than $5 individually) but in general part of the point of this exercise for me was to cut down on costs.
So I love the wetshaving thing here, but RAD seems like something that happens to Other People.
It may help that I can't stand ebay or ordering things on-line.
"If, as they say, God spanked the town
for being over frisky,
why did He burn the churches down
and save Hotaling's whisky?"
-- San Francisco Earthquake rhyme, 1906
for being over frisky,
why did He burn the churches down
and save Hotaling's whisky?"
-- San Francisco Earthquake rhyme, 1906
I started with a Feather Prebeau and quickly progressed to the Artist Club. Then I found this forum and started hearing great things about DE's. So I began with the Merkur HD which is still my favorite razor to this day. But soon after I decided that I had to get a Merkur 1904 because of its beautiful handle. It turned out to be noticeable lighter than the HD so I don't like it as much. The next phase was the adjustables. I didn't like any of the modern looking Merkurs so I went for a Gillette Fatboy. Now, I pretty much set with the stuff that I plan to use.
Thus begins my collection phase
These are just razors that I just want to buy and hang on to. Not necessarily for the purpose of reselling for a profit but just for the joy of having it in my collection. Some of my targets include the Toggle and 195. But lately I've been having desires for a limited edition straight razor, mainly the TI Pierre Thiers Hand Forged edition. I've collected many things from antique jades, to watches, fountain pens, and shoes but wetshaving is probably the one interest that can hold my attention the longest since it has so many different components (soaps, creams, razors, blades, brushes,...it never ends).
Marc
Thus begins my collection phase These are just razors that I just want to buy and hang on to. Not necessarily for the purpose of reselling for a profit but just for the joy of having it in my collection. Some of my targets include the Toggle and 195. But lately I've been having desires for a limited edition straight razor, mainly the TI Pierre Thiers Hand Forged edition. I've collected many things from antique jades, to watches, fountain pens, and shoes but wetshaving is probably the one interest that can hold my attention the longest since it has so many different components (soaps, creams, razors, blades, brushes,...it never ends).
Marc
Marc,
I have the Pierre Thiers limited razor and it is very nice. It has an odd curve to the spine that makes stropping a bit unusualy but if you go slowly it works. I have been adding various limited Thiers- Issard razors to my straight collection and won some German DE's I was after on ebay. Guess I can thin out some of my simple 3 piece Gillettes now to make room.
Tony
I have the Pierre Thiers limited razor and it is very nice. It has an odd curve to the spine that makes stropping a bit unusualy but if you go slowly it works. I have been adding various limited Thiers- Issard razors to my straight collection and won some German DE's I was after on ebay. Guess I can thin out some of my simple 3 piece Gillettes now to make room.
Tony
The Heirloom Razor Strop Co.
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com
Tony, I recalled reading from Straight Razor Place (I actually came across several of your helpful posts while researching this razor) about the razor's odd curve which may make it difficult for stropping and honing. This isn't my concern at first because the Feathers are the closest things I've ever used to an actual straight. I certainly would not try my hand out at honing and stropping with such an expensive blade therefore I'll keep it in my collection for at least some time until I've surpassed the learning curve. For my first traditional straight I've got my eyes on a beautiful Dovo with a mother of pearl handle.
Now my true concern is whether I can actually keep something without using it. Based on my past collecting habits I have always used everything that I've bought no matter how rare or expensive it is. So I figure eventually I'll have to use it. Do you use yours on a regular basis? How does it compare with your other limited editions?
Marc
Now my true concern is whether I can actually keep something without using it. Based on my past collecting habits I have always used everything that I've bought no matter how rare or expensive it is. So I figure eventually I'll have to use it. Do you use yours on a regular basis? How does it compare with your other limited editions?
Marc
Marc,
I use my Thiers Hand Forged about once a week. I have maybe 20 starights, 10 of which are various TI limited models.
As a shaver it is excellent but I don't feel that it is technically any different than any other top end TI razor. The pricey ones shave better of course because the have a slightly better steel and a full hollow ground "singing" blade. The lesser TIs (if you can call them lesser) have a different grind and that is probably the only thing that accounts for the shaving difference.
The value of the Thiers hand Forged over the others is mainly it's collectable value. There were only so many made and can never be more.
TI has other limteds too, some created new in order to be collectables while others are from ols supplies of special balnks no longer forged.
The "Leaf & Vine" and "Covered Tang" models are examples. They no longer have the dies for these and once gone there will be no more.
All of the TI's have been proven shavers.
Tony
I use my Thiers Hand Forged about once a week. I have maybe 20 starights, 10 of which are various TI limited models.
As a shaver it is excellent but I don't feel that it is technically any different than any other top end TI razor. The pricey ones shave better of course because the have a slightly better steel and a full hollow ground "singing" blade. The lesser TIs (if you can call them lesser) have a different grind and that is probably the only thing that accounts for the shaving difference.
The value of the Thiers hand Forged over the others is mainly it's collectable value. There were only so many made and can never be more.
TI has other limteds too, some created new in order to be collectables while others are from ols supplies of special balnks no longer forged.
The "Leaf & Vine" and "Covered Tang" models are examples. They no longer have the dies for these and once gone there will be no more.
All of the TI's have been proven shavers.
Tony
The Heirloom Razor Strop Co.
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com
-
Sam
- M'Learned Friend
- Posts: 12017
- Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:13 am
- Location: memphis, tennessee
- Contact:
Well, I think I have run the full gamut. I started switching about 3 years ago, maybe a tad longer, from the Mach 3 Turbo and got a Merkur Vision. I had a hell of a learning curve. I then went and got a Merkur slant bar, wanting closer. I then went to straights, from Dave Francis to a Lynn Abrams razor, acquired a Puma, a Dovo Bismarck, a TI bison horn, the SRP Club razor, other ones, and the Feather Straight.
I found that the regular straights all tended to pull a bit, and while I received great cheek shaves, the long length of the blade prevented me from going cross-ways and getting close. I did try the 45 degree angle. I always had to touch up with a DE. I then found the Feather straight did not pull, it was like a silent thief taking my whiskers!!! However, it was not as aurally pleasing as a regular straight. It made my neck shaves better, but I did receive more frequent nicks. My wife insisted I not use it. She said she could not tell a difference in the shaves I received using a straight, a Feather Straignt or the Merkur Vision.
I have sold all my razors other than a Merkur Vision and the slant bar. I use nothing but Feather Razors. Since this Vision is a newer model to me, i am relearning it. My shaves on the cheeks are just about every day as close as with the Feather Straight.
Sam
I found that the regular straights all tended to pull a bit, and while I received great cheek shaves, the long length of the blade prevented me from going cross-ways and getting close. I did try the 45 degree angle. I always had to touch up with a DE. I then found the Feather straight did not pull, it was like a silent thief taking my whiskers!!! However, it was not as aurally pleasing as a regular straight. It made my neck shaves better, but I did receive more frequent nicks. My wife insisted I not use it. She said she could not tell a difference in the shaves I received using a straight, a Feather Straignt or the Merkur Vision.
I have sold all my razors other than a Merkur Vision and the slant bar. I use nothing but Feather Razors. Since this Vision is a newer model to me, i am relearning it. My shaves on the cheeks are just about every day as close as with the Feather Straight.
Sam