Getting back to the points in the OP... That is because they know PLANofMAN has a plan, man. Why not simply give them a succinct and honest answer? "Which razor is better, A or B?" I found razor A to work better than razor B. Preferences vary among individuals, so you might find razor B to work better than razor A. or I have used razor A and like it, but I have never used razor B. For that reason, I can't really say which one is better. If you join the forum, you will probably find people who have used both, and can provide sage advice. Easy peasy, and also an opportunity to recruit new Shave Den members. Many of the popular reviewers get free stuff from the vendors to review. Some also receive payment from YouTube, so it's not like they are not compensated.
True, but individuals just starting out have no way of knowing that. Recommending a razor that has given good results for many others is likely to give good results for the person asking the questions. It is not an absolute guarantee, but one that has a reasonably good chance of success. Your mileage may vary, but that does not mean it will always vary. It is more a matter of giving initial guidance for further research, rather than identifying the ne plus ultra of razors.
i agree..what works for some will work for others..i knew nothing of de when i started, even after 30+ years of carts. so i asked the question. whats the best gillette...30 +razors later,...still looking ..
Well! I think choosing a razor is all about the journey of experiencing different razors, yeah reading the reviews of the razors helps to determine the least razors but there are many good razors out there, today I believe experiencing the razors would only give you the best option of choosing the best razor for you, here's are my Best Straight Razors
It's true that you can't tell someone which razor is best for him, but I think it's a safe bet to advise him to begin with a mild one. When a newbie asks me for advice about what gear to buy first, I'll recommend an unaggressive, inexpensive razor like one of RazoRock's offerings, and one of their synthetic brushes. And since I love to introduce people to the joys of wet-shaving, I'll give him a tub of good soap like Stirling and a variety of blades to try, along with some instruction in proper technique. Then I'll write on a piece of paper the names of online businesses that sell shaving gear like Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Magard's, and Smallflower Apothecary, as well as some good forums like this one. Then if he contracts my fever and spends four figures on gear, I'll give him the name of my psychiatrist.
I agree with this. The journey is the only way to know for sure what works for you and what doesn't. 31 razors later and having narrowed down my favorites I feel good that if I want to sell those that don't see much action, I can probably get my money back or even make some money on them. But as it relates to the "Best Razor" threads, there is some use for them as you said. For someone who is still in the process of trying out different hardware, a newb can get some valuable information from people's reviews and comments if they are detailed enough so that they can reveal a similar perspective to the reader. I know that once I had an idea of what I liked and what I didn't, I could get an idea about a product by reading several detailed reviews so that when I actually bought the thing, my own results were somewhat predictable. But you are correct in one sense. Anyone who takes someone elses word that something is the "best" and then acquires that item with the expectation that it will be the best for them as well, is in for a surprise. It's really no different than reading reviews of restaurants on TripAdvisor. Or of products on Amazon. You as the reader need to be able to pick out those reviews that are actually meaningful and pick out the relevant info from those reviews that fit your own needs and perspectives. In the end, I found these kinds of threads to be helpful, though far from definitive, if that makes any sense.
You're 100% Right My Friend! I remember my shaving journey is all started from Electric Shavers and Down to now happily using the Straight Razor! Quite a Journey
I'm afraid that if you were to gather together a group of us, it would become a discussion of our favorite razors, blades, soaps, etc. etc.
That and knowing when you have found what you are looking for. For some, the journey is the goal, or at least a major part of it, in which case it makes sense to continue on. For others, an excellent, affordable shave is the only goal, in which case it makes sense to stop when the goal has been reached. I was in the latter category, and found the excellent shaves two weeks after starting out. The rest of my journey, some 12 years worth, was a waste of time. It is not a total loss, though, as it was also a lesson learned.
I've searched for a better razor than the one I started shaving with, The Gillette Slim, and later the Super Adjustable but it was its equal and of late, the Weber PH. These 3 give me the best shaves out of the 52 that I own. No one can answer, the question of what razor is best for another man. He can only say what razor is best for himself. An even harder question to answer, would be. What Razor AND Blade Combination is Best?
Well you ain't no fun. I've always been a fan of giving someone I disagrees with a piece of my mind, and when someone asks my opinion? I give em another piece of my mind.