Why I hate "which razor is better" posts

PolSilver. Fatboy. 'nuff said.

 

Well, that's just a little too cynical. Just ask Fuzzy.

 

Winner! We can close the thread

 

Are you trying to get a brick thrown at you? Cause that's how you get a brick thrown at you!

 

thats cool..

 

i agree...

 

The issue with that is that a really raw rookie, to quote my 9th grade algebra teacher, may not "Know enough to know what to know." Before they take their first step, they're basically asking us to point them in a reasonable direction. After they take their first step (EJ, Merkur, Muhle, Maggard, etc.) they get a feel for what they like and dislike and can go from there.

 

I think your approach is perfect, but it strikes me as only being practical with people you personally interact with, friends, family, co-workers, and so on. Online, it's too easy for someone to be there with his hand out, and then disappear with the loaner.

 

A reasonable direction is here are things to consider...not you should buy xxx/the best is xxx.

I'm sorry, anyone who is aware that the market gives them choices ought to know there is no one right answer. And experienced people on the forum ought to give better advice , ie help people understand why there are diferences among shaving gear.

 

Agreed. That's the way I would answer such a question. But then, my daughters (one of whom is a professor at a local college) are constantly accusing me of lecturing too much and being too pedantic.

 

Let's consider how the internet has changed how people learn about items. I, too have been guilty of doing an internet search asking: What is the best...let's say washing machine. One is redirected to review websites, such as Consumer Reports, etc. I think it's fair to say that a washing machine, or snow blower can be reviewed and/or recommended using objective results; Clothes get cleaner, uses less water, throws the snow farther, etc.
So now we have cultivated a populace, old and young, who have come to rely on the internet to answer all of their questions. The big difference here is the nature of our hobby. I think we can all agree that not every razor, blade, brush, etc. will be regarded the same by each individual. We all have read or used the acronym YMMV. We know this. Newbies don't. How we react to their questions is what really matters and what might or might not encourage someone to stick with our hobby. The least we can do for them is, as some have already very adroitly pointed out, is to encourage them to discover what works best for them.

This is good advice

 

I read it all, Charlie. Very eloquent. Thank you for taking the time.

 

Razors:

It's all technique based. "Better" is a myth used to sell higher price point and margin products. I get the same results from all of them. Heck, I've even seen guys glue DE blades to Popsicle sticks and get a DFS! There hasn't been any real innovation in razors for fifty years.

Products:

Shoot for the moon! This is the fun area of wet shaving, largely subjective and up to the taste of the user.

Forums:

Confuse newbies badly, and leave many with the feeling that "razor collecting" and "shaving" are the same. They're not. In fact, I see many guys sentence themselves to a never ending rotation of mediocrity because they weren't told my first point strongly enough. The answer to a poor shave isn't more razors, it's skill mastery.

 

almost on a case by case basis. many questions i have encountered have different meanings depending on situation and language barrier..sometimes i have to explain how something works in order for them to understand in their own way.

 

100% agree.

100% agree. (are you sensing a pattern here? I better be careful, lest I be labeled a "Bama Fan" )

Possibly. I might add that it really depends on which Forum. When I was a I would receive helpful, cynical, and on one particular forum, disdainful responses. When I taught voice at a University, every semester, I would have to start at the very beginning again with my vocal newbies, often enduring infantile questions. We experienced shavers on the forum have two choices: embrace and strive to educate (not all will be receptive) or ignore.
Each must make their own choice. Being an educator is a commitment.

 

But the internet has not changed the fact that there is no best washing machine either. That is why Consumer Reports always precedes their ratings with an article about what is being reviewed. What criteria they use, explain features, trade offs, etc.
Front load machines are generally more efficient than top load. Also more prone to mildew and bad smells. (Always the #1 complaint.) A stainless steel drum costs more up front, but will outlive the machine. Enameled steel is cheaper, but can rust and stain clothes if the enamel gets chipped. The number ratings that they give are useless if you don't read the article and learn for youself what you are looking for in a washing machine.

 

I was simply trying to make a comparison. Perhaps I made the wrong choice.

 

I started traditional shaving in order to get a better shave and my OCD nature lead me to seak out the 'best' DE. On other shaving sites, they are always hyping the latest and greatest and claiming they found the new holy grail or a "RAD killer. I found the style of razor I prefer and many people prefer a different style. Then I moved to straight razors, with straights there is little talk about what is the best razor.

My experience is that if the steel is good it is the honing that matters. Once you have a good edge is all up to having a good, wet, slick lather and your skills. In the end if the steel is good and the honing is good a $15 blade will shave just as good as a $1,500 blade. So why do I have so many straights? Well, they all look different and cool. Like art, the beauty of the razor is also subjective.

 

I like the fact you're stating all this. Razor collecting, and collecting hand crafted straights is a perfectly wonderful hobby!

 

I take the approach that answering the same newbie question for the thousandth time is just as easy as writing the nasty "this is what the search button is about." I definitely fall into the educator camp too! (30DC originator)