Of course if Grandpa had internet access, plus the ability to order supplies from any vendor, anywhere in the world—and chat with other people about his hobbies—who knows if he would have succumbed to the allure of more stuff?
My grandpa also didn't have in-door plumbing for a considerable part of his life—and that necessarily doesn't mean I long for all the trappings of the simple life from yesteryear—which included an outhouse in the backyard.

Most people from that generation did not spend money unnecessarily, even if they could afford it, or get satisfaction from owning mounds of stuff. I think the same is true for most people today - the great majority do not acquire boatloads of whatever but instead only buy the items they need. Sure, there are guys who buy 10 razors and 300 soaps, just as there are women who have 50 pairs of shoes, not to mention fountain pen enthusiasts of both sexes who have 70 or 80 miscellaneous fountain pens. Our grandparent's generation, on the other hand, kept things in perspective. Their possessions were determined by their needs, and they did not need a ton of largely unused goods to have satisfying and happy lives. Sure, some of them collected things, but the collections, had a theme, reflected an in-depth interest and knowledge, and were kept within reasonable bounds. Their collections were not simply about raw materialism.

There was also the rebellion against the "more is better", and especially the "more is necessary", line of thought in the late 1960s. A similar trend can be seen in today's small house and back to the land movements, which seek a simpler, less complicated lifestyle of times past. One of the best things about traditional wetshaving is that it can fit in so well with such a lifestyle.

OK, I will get off my soapbox now, and will wander back at the end of July to see how the No Buy July pledge impacted people's shaves and lives. For the better, I hope!

I didn't understand most of this... doesn't seem to make sense...

Exaclty I just like a few Aftershaves fo the fact I use unscented soap. I need a little smcent somwwhere. So 3-4 AS and 2-3 Blades and I am good to go., and 2 soaps. A Rotation is good and fine but it does not need to be huge.

I too didn't set out to shave like my grandfather did, but just wanted to get away from annoying electric shavers and expensive cartridges. I found some wet shaving websites and was intrigued by this gentlemanly pursuit of pleasurable morning shaves. But as the spending got underway, I soon realized I was more at home applying what I had learned to finding good budget alternatives at local stores. I learned that I'm closer to my father and grandfather than I had thought, and I find contentment in that.