(10-01-2016, 05:10 AM)steeleshaves Wrote: After a couple of years of going "hobby wild" anyone else "just shave"?
There are three parts to this hardware, software, and the overall philosophy. First the Hardware.
Hardware is easily collectible. I got no issue with this. This is what hobbyists do. They don't need to make money on it, many hobbyists - any hobby - collect "stuff" to just collect. And that's fine. Go for it. So when I see 50 brushes and people hunting in auctions or estate sales for any hardware - its all cool. I would hardly call it an investment (in general) but think its fine.
IMO, one razor is fine. One brush is fine. Everything can be an extension of that. Maybe you got a brush for face lathering and another for bowl lathering but its all cool. And yes, I have ZERO intention of buying any other shaving hardware,. An accessory like a bowl or scuttle - maybe, but they are inexpensive.
The second part of this is consumables, which by definition, one consumes whether they be pre-shave preparation, soaps/creams, or aftershave/cologne.
I suspect the aftershave/cologne with alcohol are preserved forever and that’s fine. If they are not going to go bad, so be it. Collect away. OTH, soaps and creams, IMO – IN MY OPINION – it’s a bit much to have more than one can use in say five years. STUFF HAPPENS. Creams can harden. Scents can be dissipating, and although I don’t know for a fact, I presume tallow can rot. I can believe hard soaps last longer.
Classic elite products are well known. The vast majority of consumers who actually use the products will not argue that products like ADP, ABC, Nuavia, SMN, C&S, etc are not elite products. The same vast majority won’t argue about others like CF, XPEC, the Three Ts, Proraso, Tabac and a few others in their respective price ranges. If some new gold standard appears, we’ll know without having to try everything. Crowd sourcing is a marvelous thing. While some artisan products get some play in virtual circles, I think the last product that was universally praised about in the entire virtual sphere is Nuavia.
IMO 5 or 6 is ideal. 10 – 12 is a stretch. I can see the point of having variety but once you get beyond a dozen, you’re now pushing it into obsession. A dozen represents maybe a $250 - $500 investment depending upon the product. 100 represents a MAGNITUDE greater and thousands of dollars of product one might never be able to use. Of course, if that’s how one wants to spend disposable income, so be it. But I doubt that is for the average person who just wants to get a job done, the job being … as you indicate. Once I use up some stuff, it will not be replaced and I will reduce down to about 6, spread between winter and summer stuff.
The last part is the philosophical part and perhaps what you were getting at.
At the end of the day, how much more can a task like shaving advance?
Some might not like this answer but it is what it is. I suspect that the vast majority of men view shaving as a tedious, mundane waste of time. It’s just something that needs to be done – do it and be done with it. People got schedules to meet, places to go. Now if the task itself can be made more pleasant, who wouldn’t like that? But to glorify it?
Not so much. If you ask a cross section of ALL men who shave, I believe the majority will think it a bit tedious. Who looks forward to scraping a sharp object across their face, hoping you don’t bleed? Then splashing alcohol on it to sting. Sounds masochistic to me.
I’ve thought about this before and wondered if our grandfathers or great grandfathers would sit around talking about all this stuff because it is a bit weird. You talk about watching youtube and the like. Do you think they all got around the local bar and shot the breeze discussing different blades and splashes? Uh NO.
Being alive prior to when cartridges and disposables predominated, I can assure you NOBODY sat around talking about what blade to buy or soap to use. Or I can rephrase,
I can never remember anyone ever discussing the subject – ever. You bought whatever was in the store. Period.
At the Holiday season, you might splurge on some Old Spice packaged in a holiday theme at a department store or get a fancy Avon bottle as a gift or some other aftershave/ cologne – maybe English Leather, Hai Karate, or other products one might not normally buy beyond what was bought at the grocery store. I can even remember Soap on a Rope! But, in general, you didn’t have a real conversation with "the guys over a beer" and talk about brushes, blades, and soap. It just didn't happen. And I find the youtube videos strange. I understand a generation never learned how to shave. So they had to be taught by Mantic and others. OK, its educational.
So yeah, just shave, get the task done. Once you find what you like – you’re good. No need to buy anything else other than to replace what is consumed.
I'll admit, that's me. I get obsessed with something and just want to get as much as possible of it until I'm sick of it... sadly that doesn't seem to apply to pop though...
