les24preludes
Forum GOD!
This is where it gets tricky.... Wayne just put a Timeless Bronze OC on the BST and you just OUGHT to buy this for £107 shipped. It needs strength to resist....
We all get here eventually
- Thread starter Wayne
- Start date
Wayne
Forum Sod
I will take a couple off you as way of recompense, it's the least I can do to apologise for leading you astray.
pjgh
Forum GOD!
Quick count (not including the ones in the loft) ... 85
S
Steve Bowles
Guest
Wonderful! Blue bowl is on its way.
Wayne
Forum Sod
Everything else isn’t needed and is overpriced. Perfect
pimple8
Forum GOD!
I don't get why most of you are surprised, Chris has been saying those things for quite a while. Even before his life chaning situations, he's been saying there are small differences in soaps, razors are not that big and to stop spending money on every new thing.
While he was TSE he bought tons of soaps and razors, did comparisons and reviews. When you try that many stuff you come to see the differences are smaller and smaller. Especially since the market really evolved. It's hard to find a bad artisan soaps these days.
For some time now, Chris would review a soap by talking more about the artisans and their personality than the product itself. He's been praising harrys and cartridges since he started shaving his head. He used razorock 400 brush in 9 of his 10 videos. So really, this was no surprise.
I saw this coming even though I liked his old and newer videos but there is no purpose in making new videos if there is no gear to review, no point in repeating yourself and chris started to do that and it was just a matter of time. That said I do believe its not just shaving, its other things in his life that took his interest and that is why he sees no joy in collecting and trying shaving stuff anymore. It hapens to a lot of people, they burn out, replace one hobby with another etc...it's all part of a cycle. It happened to busta, to nick shaves and some others.
Personally, I believe every man has to go trough the cycle himselfand enjoy in the whole journey. If I saw this video 2 years ago I still wouldnt give a rats ass and would still want to buy everything. You can only learn from your own experience. Also if it gives you joy, who cares if it costs too much, provides too little etc.... Thats why I dont agree with Chris to show this to newbs or to stop doing it. I don't likr the preaching approach.
After some experience in this myself, I do believe the differences in todays gear are minor, i do believe i can now get a good shave with a cart, i do believe brushes are overrated. But i enjoy my time in the bathroom, lathering sounds and feelings not to mention amazing variety of scents. So I buy as much as I like. I have 3 razors, 4 brushes and 30 soaps. I passed my worse addiction phase, i know what i like but and i enjoy in all of it and hopefully i will keep enjoying it in the future!
Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Tapatalk
While he was TSE he bought tons of soaps and razors, did comparisons and reviews. When you try that many stuff you come to see the differences are smaller and smaller. Especially since the market really evolved. It's hard to find a bad artisan soaps these days.
For some time now, Chris would review a soap by talking more about the artisans and their personality than the product itself. He's been praising harrys and cartridges since he started shaving his head. He used razorock 400 brush in 9 of his 10 videos. So really, this was no surprise.
I saw this coming even though I liked his old and newer videos but there is no purpose in making new videos if there is no gear to review, no point in repeating yourself and chris started to do that and it was just a matter of time. That said I do believe its not just shaving, its other things in his life that took his interest and that is why he sees no joy in collecting and trying shaving stuff anymore. It hapens to a lot of people, they burn out, replace one hobby with another etc...it's all part of a cycle. It happened to busta, to nick shaves and some others.
Personally, I believe every man has to go trough the cycle himselfand enjoy in the whole journey. If I saw this video 2 years ago I still wouldnt give a rats ass and would still want to buy everything. You can only learn from your own experience. Also if it gives you joy, who cares if it costs too much, provides too little etc.... Thats why I dont agree with Chris to show this to newbs or to stop doing it. I don't likr the preaching approach.
After some experience in this myself, I do believe the differences in todays gear are minor, i do believe i can now get a good shave with a cart, i do believe brushes are overrated. But i enjoy my time in the bathroom, lathering sounds and feelings not to mention amazing variety of scents. So I buy as much as I like. I have 3 razors, 4 brushes and 30 soaps. I passed my worse addiction phase, i know what i like but and i enjoy in all of it and hopefully i will keep enjoying it in the future!
Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Tapatalk
Last edited:
culcreuch
Forum GOD!
Yes but is the Black bowl better than the Blue Bowl.....or vice versa?Everything else isn’t needed and is overpriced. Perfect
Gairdner
Forum GOD!
The only soap I'll stretch to these days which is out of the budget bracket is Wickham's because of three things: wonderful performance, amazing scent, English artisan-made. I will be shifting a whole load of razors soon, many of which are vintage plus a few modern ones too. Brushes on the other hand....
I get what the fella is saying and agree with much of it but I also fully understand Wayne's position. If you like buying and collecting shaving paraphernalia, then go for it.
I'd quite happily shave away for the rest of my natural with a 34c, Gillette black blades, one of my own hand-carved brushes and a Godrej round. Add in Benjy's bay rum and a pot of Astral and it's job jobbed for me. The fun lies in the variety.
Have at it chaps.
I get what the fella is saying and agree with much of it but I also fully understand Wayne's position. If you like buying and collecting shaving paraphernalia, then go for it.
I'd quite happily shave away for the rest of my natural with a 34c, Gillette black blades, one of my own hand-carved brushes and a Godrej round. Add in Benjy's bay rum and a pot of Astral and it's job jobbed for me. The fun lies in the variety.
Have at it chaps.
Even though he was an advocate for an ever expanding den, I think it’s good that Chris was willing to tell us about his reevaluation of what is necessary for him. I still appreciate honest reviews from whoever makes the videos or posts that I read; it’s good for the community and the vendors as well.
Sometimes when I watch or have watched shaving videos I get that “kid in a candy store” feeling, or gotta have the newest, latest greatest thing, A few minutes/hours later, the ease it takes to push a “Buy now” button doesn’t make it any easier. J Additionally, the “limited release” stuff is a really effective way to move merchandise that adds to the mayhem.
I started out sharing with my Dad's DE, for a short while, then moved on to SE injectors, probably a Schick. As far as soaps go, it was brushless cream for years and then canned goo and back to brushless cream. Razor devolution digressed into disposables... carts. There were a lot fewer choices that I was aware of, and those were what was commonly available in the US.
Now, after 40 + years, I’ve come full circle and use either a DE or SE. However, the market has changed and the plethora of offerings is or can be way too enticing.
According to me, I don’t own too many razors, have enough soap to last a few generations and way too many brushes.
Admittedly, I like to buy things that I think are useful and interesting, All those pretty colors, shapes and scents are part of it. Generally, in an effort to support the expansion of a burgeoning collection, I try and convince myself that I am helping to support some artisans do their thing.
I see getting a little bit better grasp of reality on the horizon… just a couple more cool brushes! Hopefully I don’t run out of storage space before then.
I think my Dad never wandered from his old Gillette; maybe keeping it simple has its merits.
Sometimes when I watch or have watched shaving videos I get that “kid in a candy store” feeling, or gotta have the newest, latest greatest thing, A few minutes/hours later, the ease it takes to push a “Buy now” button doesn’t make it any easier. J Additionally, the “limited release” stuff is a really effective way to move merchandise that adds to the mayhem.
I started out sharing with my Dad's DE, for a short while, then moved on to SE injectors, probably a Schick. As far as soaps go, it was brushless cream for years and then canned goo and back to brushless cream. Razor devolution digressed into disposables... carts. There were a lot fewer choices that I was aware of, and those were what was commonly available in the US.
Now, after 40 + years, I’ve come full circle and use either a DE or SE. However, the market has changed and the plethora of offerings is or can be way too enticing.
According to me, I don’t own too many razors, have enough soap to last a few generations and way too many brushes.
Admittedly, I like to buy things that I think are useful and interesting, All those pretty colors, shapes and scents are part of it. Generally, in an effort to support the expansion of a burgeoning collection, I try and convince myself that I am helping to support some artisans do their thing.
I see getting a little bit better grasp of reality on the horizon… just a couple more cool brushes! Hopefully I don’t run out of storage space before then.
I think my Dad never wandered from his old Gillette; maybe keeping it simple has its merits.
fredyx
Forum GOD!
Let me tell you my wet shaving journey:
-I started my journey one year ago coming from electric shaving (both head and face). Wet shaving was cheaper (blades cost almost nothing and there are DE safety razor for few bucks), so I purchase my first 100 blades and a Yaqi DOC mellon head and handle, la Toja shaving stick (in Spain costs less than 2€) and I could have shaved with those tools the rest of my life, bu that's boooring to death, I see this as a short of hobby.
-Therefore I've bought vintage and modern DE and SE razors, shavettes and straight razors, but I know my limits, I will never buy a 300€ (nor even a 200€) piece of equipment.
-As part of the hobby, taking profit of my chemistry knowledge, I started making my own shaving soap ( I have an expanding number of formulas, from veggie soaps to lard and tallow soaps) and I also make my lotions. Therefore, I don't buy shaving soaps anymore (that money goes to other tools XD).
-As conclusion, I would like to say that this is a hobby and as such, it must be administered money-wisely (you can end expending big money in any other hobby).I don't see this as a quest for the perfect shaving brush, the perfect razor or the perfect soap, that's naive and stupid.
These are my two cents, gents.
-I started my journey one year ago coming from electric shaving (both head and face). Wet shaving was cheaper (blades cost almost nothing and there are DE safety razor for few bucks), so I purchase my first 100 blades and a Yaqi DOC mellon head and handle, la Toja shaving stick (in Spain costs less than 2€) and I could have shaved with those tools the rest of my life, bu that's boooring to death, I see this as a short of hobby.
-Therefore I've bought vintage and modern DE and SE razors, shavettes and straight razors, but I know my limits, I will never buy a 300€ (nor even a 200€) piece of equipment.
-As part of the hobby, taking profit of my chemistry knowledge, I started making my own shaving soap ( I have an expanding number of formulas, from veggie soaps to lard and tallow soaps) and I also make my lotions. Therefore, I don't buy shaving soaps anymore (that money goes to other tools XD).
-As conclusion, I would like to say that this is a hobby and as such, it must be administered money-wisely (you can end expending big money in any other hobby).I don't see this as a quest for the perfect shaving brush, the perfect razor or the perfect soap, that's naive and stupid.
These are my two cents, gents.
Last edited:
Fidelis
Forum GOD!
As others stated before, the way Chris videos were going wasn't surprising.
Indeed he stated a while before, that money doesn't buy a good shave and that a lot of low priced stuff does the job as good, as the quite expensive one.
In parts I can agree to his statements.
But, in example, the de razors that gives me the best shaves are razors reaching from around 100 to 300 euros.
I still own a Merkur, a Mühle, but no, they don't shave better, for me.
Reason is my type of skin combined with dark, thick, wiry stubble. Funnily, though I have sensitive and very dry skin, more aggressive razors work better for me as I need less passes and strokes and less pressure to get a good result. But of course, that's me.
I took my journey from milder to the high aggressive razors, due to I needed time to develop a better technique.
The razors I use now, I couldn't have used 2 years before, without shredding my face.
Therefore I own a bunch of razors that show in themselves the different stages of my journey.
I plan to shrink this amount significantly, as I'm not a collector.
Maybe I could have avoided buying some of these, but I admit also that trying stuff, hunting for it can be a great fun too.
And also, I enjoy using razors that feel and look finely, made with excellent craftsmanship.
Therefore I don't see all this money wasted.
I can agree to his point that it could make sense to buy at the beginning one solid, affordable razor to learn and later one adjustable to improve further and to learn which level of aggression is the right one.
This way, a beginner might safe some money.
(Still, there are OCs, SEs, slants that might also be much to the liking of this beginner. So it doesn't might be that easy
)
Regarding his point on soaps and then using Martin de Candre, I don't agree.
Good quality soaps do better for me and I tried low priced and expensive stuff in numbers.
Especially Martin de Candre goes a long way, making the 200g puck less expensive than it might seem on the first glance.
Yes, 60 Dollars isn't cheap, but you get a high quality product, that works very good and lasts a long time. Many creams are in comparison much more "overpriced".
Brushes, ok, I settled on synthetics.
They do just very nice for me, need really not much maintenance to keep them properly and are mostly really affordable.
I own 18 of these and at least for the moment, that's all I need (to be more exact, this is of course more than I ever need).
I still own some high end badgers and some good boar brushes, but honestly, I don't use them anymore.
If I can say that I wasted money, than it is here.
And it seems more easy to invest a lot of money in a high end badger (or in several) than even in most razors, if I look at the prices for a Manchurian badger at Simpsons in example.
But then again, if you get a great experience in using these, who am I to judge.
So, in parts he may be right, there's not much reason or logic in buying lots of expensive (sometimes very expensive), high end gear and in permanently trying to find the newest even more perfect razor/brush/soap.
On the other hand, as I wrote in another thread before, this is about refinement.
Refinement in a part of life, which many men just endure as a daily chore, unpleasant and time consuming.
And making this a hobby, we find pleasure in it and enjoyable variety or at least making it a comfortable daily experience.
Not a too bad thing.
Indeed he stated a while before, that money doesn't buy a good shave and that a lot of low priced stuff does the job as good, as the quite expensive one.
In parts I can agree to his statements.
But, in example, the de razors that gives me the best shaves are razors reaching from around 100 to 300 euros.
I still own a Merkur, a Mühle, but no, they don't shave better, for me.
Reason is my type of skin combined with dark, thick, wiry stubble. Funnily, though I have sensitive and very dry skin, more aggressive razors work better for me as I need less passes and strokes and less pressure to get a good result. But of course, that's me.
I took my journey from milder to the high aggressive razors, due to I needed time to develop a better technique.
The razors I use now, I couldn't have used 2 years before, without shredding my face.
Therefore I own a bunch of razors that show in themselves the different stages of my journey.
I plan to shrink this amount significantly, as I'm not a collector.
Maybe I could have avoided buying some of these, but I admit also that trying stuff, hunting for it can be a great fun too.
And also, I enjoy using razors that feel and look finely, made with excellent craftsmanship.
Therefore I don't see all this money wasted.
I can agree to his point that it could make sense to buy at the beginning one solid, affordable razor to learn and later one adjustable to improve further and to learn which level of aggression is the right one.
This way, a beginner might safe some money.
(Still, there are OCs, SEs, slants that might also be much to the liking of this beginner. So it doesn't might be that easy
)Regarding his point on soaps and then using Martin de Candre, I don't agree.
Good quality soaps do better for me and I tried low priced and expensive stuff in numbers.
Especially Martin de Candre goes a long way, making the 200g puck less expensive than it might seem on the first glance.
Yes, 60 Dollars isn't cheap, but you get a high quality product, that works very good and lasts a long time. Many creams are in comparison much more "overpriced".
Brushes, ok, I settled on synthetics.
They do just very nice for me, need really not much maintenance to keep them properly and are mostly really affordable.
I own 18 of these and at least for the moment, that's all I need (to be more exact, this is of course more than I ever need
). I still own some high end badgers and some good boar brushes, but honestly, I don't use them anymore.
If I can say that I wasted money, than it is here.
And it seems more easy to invest a lot of money in a high end badger (or in several) than even in most razors, if I look at the prices for a Manchurian badger at Simpsons in example.
But then again, if you get a great experience in using these, who am I to judge.
So, in parts he may be right, there's not much reason or logic in buying lots of expensive (sometimes very expensive), high end gear and in permanently trying to find the newest even more perfect razor/brush/soap.
On the other hand, as I wrote in another thread before, this is about refinement.
Refinement in a part of life, which many men just endure as a daily chore, unpleasant and time consuming.
And making this a hobby, we find pleasure in it and enjoyable variety or at least making it a comfortable daily experience.
Not a too bad thing.
Randomangle
Über Bum
I’m off to Body Shop tomorrow. 
Dule083
Forum GOD!
I am agree and not agree. I have around 40 DE razors 3 SE and 4 straight. Only 3 modern, all rest are vintage. Do i need 40 razors ? NO!!! Did Chris open my eyes? Not be ridiculous.
I know all the time that I will be just fine with 3-4 razors. BUT its hobby, its pleasure, its story behind this vintage masterpieces. Like my comic collection, my knife collection, or my any other collection. And most magic thing (atliest for me) i can pick razor by my day and mooth. Its day for Bigfellow, day for hoffritz, and one day its Leresche mooth. Call me crazy, but as cloth can reflect your mooth, razor can also and to give you as much pleasure. I not justify not one my buy, I want it, I do it, and today i have pleasure to play with my toys, and discover they stories. Who need black powder gun. 500€ for something without any real use? (well atliest for those who not see what they van do from close range). Yes Good damn. Its pleasure. Life is too short we sould enjoy in something.
Same shaving with all? Chris try Olaf Rassmusen please. its clear dieference for me between EJ and them in qulity rezult and all. which. After Olaf i newer was jumping around bathroom after AS, like after R41 or having totaly impersonal shaving. I spend money and time, on my razors. Yep lot money and much more time. Did I do that again in blink of the eye. YOU CAN BET!!!!!
Bur Chris have perfectly right in one thing. Not chase for everything new. Everyone should find his perfect match, I have 4 brushes and , its enough for me.
Soaps i have 5-6 favorits, they alwayse in my then, if I can get something good,i will not jump over. lf priorities not suffering why to hall not buy.
i am tired , go to shaving
I know all the time that I will be just fine with 3-4 razors. BUT its hobby, its pleasure, its story behind this vintage masterpieces. Like my comic collection, my knife collection, or my any other collection. And most magic thing (atliest for me) i can pick razor by my day and mooth. Its day for Bigfellow, day for hoffritz, and one day its Leresche mooth. Call me crazy, but as cloth can reflect your mooth, razor can also and to give you as much pleasure. I not justify not one my buy, I want it, I do it, and today i have pleasure to play with my toys, and discover they stories. Who need black powder gun. 500€ for something without any real use? (well atliest for those who not see what they van do from close range). Yes Good damn. Its pleasure. Life is too short we sould enjoy in something.
Same shaving with all? Chris try Olaf Rassmusen please. its clear dieference for me between EJ and them in qulity rezult and all. which. After Olaf i newer was jumping around bathroom after AS, like after R41 or having totaly impersonal shaving. I spend money and time, on my razors. Yep lot money and much more time. Did I do that again in blink of the eye. YOU CAN BET!!!!!
Bur Chris have perfectly right in one thing. Not chase for everything new. Everyone should find his perfect match, I have 4 brushes and , its enough for me.
Soaps i have 5-6 favorits, they alwayse in my then, if I can get something good,i will not jump over. lf priorities not suffering why to hall not buy.
i am tired , go to shaving