Love the shave lose the hobby?

After a couple of years of going "hobby wild" anyone else "just shave"?  I check this wonderful forum once a week; read a lot less, reply even less these days.

I always "just shaved", and see forums primarily as educational entities.  I tried different blades, soaps, creams, etc. over the past seven years, including three razors and three brushes.  That was done one at a time instead of having a large stash of stuff.  Having found items in each shaving gear category that combined give me consistently excellent shaves, there is little reason to search further.  In the future, I will simply use the very best of what was found.

There are a lot of folks on the forums who have large accumulations of shaving gear, find out what works best for them, get rid of all but the very best equipment, and then disappear from the forums.  For most people, it seems that the forums are primarily for learning and sharing that learning experience and knowledge gained.  At some point they have accomplished what they set out to do (learning a great new way to shave), and then move on to whatever interest or learning experience comes next in their lives.  There is only just so much to learn, and after that any additional time spent brings diminishing returns.  As you so astutely noted:

I love wet shaving but at some point.... just shave.

I agree completely.  Looking at the board membership statistics on the various forums, it looks like 90-95% of the total membership has done exactly that.  That is a good thing, not a bad thing, as it means they have passed the class.

Question is how to stay involved/interested in the forums.

Perhaps the answer is that people should stay involved in the forums, wetshaving or any other, only as long as they are interested in participating.  If that interest fades away, then why stay involved?  It is like taking a fun class in school.  Once the material has been learned and the skills involved mastered,  there is no point in repeating the course.  It is time to benefit from the knowledge gained, enjoy any friendships made and go forward in life.  For some of us, it also means sharing that knowledge in the offline world or going into the shaving products business.

After a couple of years of going "hobby wild" anyone else "just shave"?  I check this wonderful forum once a week; read a lot less, reply even less these days.

At the end of the day, how much more can a task like shaving advance?  Find a favorite razor, some good soaps, aftershaves, blades, and simply shave.

Thankfully, I'm not there yet.  

I'm too new at this to "just shave".    I have not even explored straights or SE razors (I have used an injector a couple of times)...and I only have one brush.  

I still plan my shaves ahead of time and shave in the afternoon because I can take my time and enjoy the experience.  

I still love love all my soaps and my aftershaves.   Since I bought (purposefully) so many of them, it takes many shaves to use the same product again, so I am not close to getting tired of any of the scents.  


Let the good times roll while they last...before shaving becomes a routine again.

For me, shaving is still very enjoyable. I don't anticipate that ever going back to the days of "damn, do I really have to shave?" The OP is opining that the initial thrill of wet shaving has subsided. As it has for me too. I still love my gear; enjoy my shaves, but my forum participation has waned and now I reserve most of my posts assisting new returnees to wet shaving with their questions.

Add me to this list of "I just shave".

I'd rather be doing almost anything than shaving.

I'd rather be doing almost anything than shaving.

Haha, if that's true, what are you doing here?

As far as acquiring things, it is for collecting purposes for me, at least for hardware like vintage razors. I enjoy having different and using razors that were a part of history, and in some cases, played a major role in the building of this country. And I can say that I really enjoy shaving, I haven't had any major purchases lately, and have been enjoying the variety they i have collected. But I am only just short of a year into it. Shaving has become a time of meditation/prayer for me, making it even more enjoyable. I'm thankful that I no longer drag myself into the bathroom to shave anymore, but I actually look forward to shaving, makes my mornings much less stressful. But i guess In the ends it is a "task", but I think you might as well make it an enjoyable one. Enjoy your shaves!

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I learned early on that I could not afford this as a hobby. Collecting brushes and razors and soaps and splashes is all very costly.

Half of my soaps are from winning PIFs. All but 2 of my razors are vintage. 85% of my blades were won in PIFs. Half my splashes are drugstore varieties...

The only real hobby aspect for me is the straight razors. I love having them. I love restoring them. I love honing them and polishing them and stripping them, and yes...I love shaving with them.

I've always collected knives and sharpened pieces of steel. I've always been the one my friends brought their pocket knives to for sharpening. I've always had a bunch of really sharp blades laying around the house. Straights are an extension or progression of that lifelong hobby.

Turning THAT into a lucrative hobby is my goal. Make a few bucks refining edges for people, and maybe sell a few razors along the way. It's not about creating a successful business. It's about maximizing my hobby by letting it pay for itself...

But as for shaving...I just shave. I still occasionally post SOTD photos, and I still appreciate the forum for its interactions but...it's just shaving. I've stopped with the YouTube, and the myriad of google plus groups and all the Facebook groups and drama...I stick around here because I like the majority of personalities here, but other than that...I shave and sharpen my blades...I'm happy...


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WyzeOne, Bruce is here because he wants to use great products to get the task done. Forums are where you find info on them.

It is just shaving after all. On another forum right now guys are pontificating on whether to bloom or pour water on a soap. Really?

I really enjoy 'just shaving', but I can also appreciate folks wanting to share new insights, ideas, and offerings, whatever they may be.
I only see it as a desire to connect to one another in a friendly way, if it is done respectfully. Furthermore, there is also the joy of helping new folks that have inquiries.  

For me, Celestino's answer says it all.

WyzeOne, Bruce is here because he wants to use great products to get the task done. Forums are where you find info on them.

It is just shaving after all. On another forum right now guys are pontificating on whether to bloom or pour water on a soap. Really?

I thought all Bruce ever uses is Haslinger and a Gillette Tech? Coulda fooled me...

WyzeOne, Bruce is here because he wants to use great products to get the task done. Forums are where you find info on them.

It is just shaving after all. On another forum right now guys are pontificating on whether to bloom or pour water on a soap. Really?

I thought all Bruce ever uses is Haslinger and a Gillette Tech? Coulda fooled me...

Nope. But I am using Haslinger for this year, that is no secret.

Since the OP asked who else is in the same mindset, I decided to post. I guess that was a mistake. Sorry to disrupt you with my post.