Hello A little story (and why I haven't been as active as before, but still enjoy it here). Funnies thing has happened to me. Or purists would call it the saddest thing. But here goes. 6 weeks ago or so, I had a stomach bug. I was vomit sick for 1 week and not well for another following. I'll spare you the details. I didn't shave much. I couldn't stand the idea of committing to a shave. It nauseated me, the thought alone, not the smell from the products. Eventually I got well again and started shaving on a daily basis. Still enjoying it as much as ever. But I never think about it anymore. I don't source the net for new products. I couldn't care less for multiple razors. I love my Weber and have sold of my other modern razors, except my first Merkur 15C. And I have a few vintage left, from Gillette and Star that I enjoy from time to time. Really really LOVE my Fatboy. But I don't need any more to the "Den". And that's the next thing, I've put Den in "", because I don't really have a Den and I don't want to. I have a shelf with my bowl, razor and brush (and 2 porcelain bowls with soaps in'em. But that's about it that I have on display and purely for practical reasons (the drying of the hardware). All the rest is hidden in the drawers and cabinets. Brushes? Oh my, I'll use the ones I have, and when they break down 1 after 1, I'll be content with only one in total. All I want in a brush is one that's nice to hold and feels good on the face. What I'm trying to say is, that all my AD's are _gone_. Gone like the good old days. Gone like the stray dog that was never seen again, gone like... yeah you get what I mean. But I don't understand why? Since I had that stomach bug, I couldn't have cared less about this hobby, but the joy of shaving "the right way" is still here 100%. My daily shaves consists of products that perform a function, not something that I rotate between for the fun of it. 1 razor, 1 brush, 1 soap, 1 ASB and so forth. Eventually I'll have used up all my collection of different soaps and creams, and then I'll be down to 1 or 2 that I'll keep using. Gone are the times when I just had to try a new soap. No, as long as I have my Arko, Palmolive and perhaps Tabac (to remind my grandpa) that's all I need. As long as I have my Weber that I can use and abuse and it'll still outlast me, then that's all I need. Am I the only one who shaves the traditional way, but have lost all interest in AD'ing and Den'ing?
Although I have 100+ razors and brushes in my collection I only shave with one safety razor, unless I am using a straight razor or shave testing a straight for someone else. I have two brushes that I use, one synthetic and one finest badger and I have been contempt with that for quite some time. I still will continue to collect/restore, but I have always only shaved with a select few. Once I found what worked best for me I had no need to try others. I cannot think of many vintage safety razors that I have not tested, I honestly have no urge to try the new model ones.
Martin, I don't believe you are the ONLY one here who is completely satisfied with the 'bare essentials' of wet-shaving. It is quite easy to get caught up in a purchasing frenzy—especially if one is new to the wet-shaving world. Look how many 'newbies' are stockpiling vintage Gillettes and soaps and....you get the idea. I believe we ALL reach a saturation point and begin to scale back. Sometimes the simple pleasures in life (a good shave!) can and should be enjoyed without overthinking the process ("which razor? which soap? which brush and blade today?") One problem is the very nature of shave forums. Most forums encourage us to try new products, they create both the desire and 'need' to expand our dens for the latest and greatest shaving product. If one can resist temptation and be content with what one has, the better off one may be. Lord knows, I keep trying to slow in inpouring of 'new' stuff into my own den—but so far, instead of a desired trickle of goods, a steady flow of razors, soaps, etc. continue to stream in. I wish I could blame everyone else, but in the end, I am responsible for this current situation. Enjoy the simple pleasures! You'll be much happier not having to constantly feed 'the shaving monster.'
I continue to move in that direction Martin. After all, it is shaving. I bought about 10 razors, pared down to 4 and then added a couple more impulse purchases to 7 or 8 and am moving back down to 4 with the idea that I will likely only use 1 for my face and 1 for my head and let the others become nostalgic pretties. As far as brushes, I have 3 in the species of boar, badger and horse. I am working on soaps, 1 at a time until each is gone before I start the next one. That doesn't mean that I don't like to look at the eye candy, think about the opinions of others regarding blade performance, ponder techniques for being more efficient and how to make a good lather. Bravo!
Clearly, you are still not completely well. I like a lot of variety with my soaps, but I've simplified everything else about my shave. So, each to his own.
I've basically been using the same brush for most of my shaves and it will have been 4 years in May. I use only 1 of my straights for about 90% of my shaves and started out this year to using 1 soap until its gone. I've been wanting to clear out a bunch of half used soaps. My point is you don't have to have a Den overflowing with products to enjoy this little hobby/grooming style we do daily. If what your using makes you happy, then you've succeeded.
It has happened to me over the past two months. I'm no longer out looking for vintage razors or new products. I only have a few vintage razors left now, gave most of them away. My Red Tip and Fat Boy are my two primary razors and I'm down to using Kiss My Face as my shave cream. I kind of rotate my hobbies and normally only have one at a time. Right now I'm back to my shooting and hunting hobby so it takes up most of my time. Don't get me wrong though, I still love my shave.
I can relate, a bit. I'm "new" to the kind of wet shaving places like this promote, and I'll never go back. But I'm not interested in stockpiling so many soaps, creams, razors, brushes, etc., etc., that I'd never get through them all or enjoy them all in my lifetime. I have a straight and a DE. I want one more of each, decent quality, as backup, and I'm done. As far as soaps and creams go, there are 3 locally that I use. C.O. Bigelow, VDH, Deluxe and The Real Shave Co. I try to stock those in decent quantity. As long as I've got them, I'm good to go. I will probably try a puck or tube of some of the other offerings discussed often here every now and then, but I won't be stocking up on them anytime soon. I'd like to get a decent silvertip and a horse hair, just to see what the differences are, but I'll never have 10 or 20 brushes. I still need to find the right blade for me as far as the DE goes, but once I find it, I'll buy that in bulk, and as long as they're still produced and retain good QC I'll stick with them. I enjoy the process of shaving, but I'm not looking to have a huge den with tons of stuff on display, or taking up every corner of the bathroom. Not my style. Besides, my wallet is not big enough to sustain the appetite I would end up with if I don't keep a tight reign on things.
I know what you're saying Martin. Nothing wrong with finding what makes you happy and sticking with it. I'm pretty lucky that the things I've found that work well for me aren't expensive at all. A Gillette Tech or a Schick injector could easily be my only razor. I do like a little variety once in a while but I tend to use stuff for a week or two at a time and I'm switching things less and less often the longer I do this.
Martin, I hope you are feeling better now. No, you are not the only one. There have been a number of wetshavers who said the same thing. After buying large numbers of blades, soaps, razors, etc., they get rid of most of it and keep only a few favorites. That is a good thing, not a bad thing. It means that their shaving has evolved from a hobby into a permanent and regular part of their life. Their lives are thus enriched and they look forward to shaving. AD-ing and denning are part of a learning process for some individuals, and usually not a permanent state. As feeltheburn noted, it is all about what makes you happy. If The Shave Den has helped you in that process, then the forum has done its job well. That is why the forum is here. It seems you have learned well and graduated with wetshaving honors. I have been going through something similar. Although I never had the space or inclination to have an AD, I have tried out a bunch of different blades and soaps. That process is now becoming something of a chore, so I will stop soon and use the blades and soaps that work best. Perhaps that is also part of the learning process.
Mine burned out some time ago. Back at Thanksgiving I started on 6 months worth of beard (which is now gone but was nice to have this past winter). Before that I was down to normally using a '48 Super Speed and whatever blade I happened to fancy. Since I've mowed off the beard I've started changing things up again...I'll break out the Rolls when I want a superclose shave...maybe the Ever Ready SE...a three-piece frankenrazor...or the Hydro-magic just to shake things up. Soap, cream, foam? Makes no difference anymore, I use all three. So I'm now down to a select handful of razors, tons of blades, and exactly one brush. I have lost all interest in going out and hunting up more just for the fun of the hunt. If I happen to come by something at a good price, that's different, but I don't go out of my way. So my shaving routine is now pretty...well...routine. So no, you're not alone. PS Stress of an upcoming move out of state that's been in the works for a few years also tends to reset one's priorities. That's what I'm looking at now, so it's also a factor: how much crap do I actually want to pack up and haul with me that I don't even use now?
I did no shave November as a chance to grow a mustache because mine gross so slow. Now I only shave high on my cheeks and my lower neck. I've kind of lost most interest in it. I've been working in restoring the few straights I already have and bought some DR Harris because it was on sale and I've wanted that. I'm with you though, I think I'm done my crazy acquisition phase.
Mine's boar too...I tried several badgers and they're nice, but just a bit too floppy for me. I prefer boar's typical stiffness.
Hi everyone. Sorry for my late response, but work and kids got in the way. I've read all you posts with great pleasure and I'm pleased to know I'm not the only one who "only" enjoys the shave. What I don't understand though, is that it took a stomach bug to loose my AD's? Coincidence? Perhaps. Funny thing is, that when I started out I was shocked on the high prices on the razors (the Merkur 15C was chosen because it was the cheapest I could find at the time). Not a month later and I was hauling in like a madman. On some level, it has always irritated me, because I'm quite simple. Less is better and I always strive to simplify things. So I've always been annoyed on why I couldn't settle. Modern razor-wise it started with my Weber. Vintage it was my FH Tech and Fatboy that made me stop there. Good thing is, that it's saving me money - what I looked for in the first place. The journey has been expensive, fun and very enlightening. I don't regret any buys (well maybe a few ) , but I now know a lot more on what's up and down in this field. So where did I end up? With less than before, but still something to choose from. Here's my daily kit: Weber SS Bulldog Astra SP (so far, I'm still trying many of my sample blades to see if some are better in the Weber) Shavemac Silvertip knot in custom handle Arko SS (grated stick) Bulldog Men after shave balm Bulldog Men face wash Bulldog Men face moisturizer Bulldog Men face scrub Bulldog Men body wash Bulldog Men deodorant Steve Woodhead mug I don't think I could have gotten here without TSD. There's been so much help here. I've really learned a lot and now I think it's time for me to lean back and give something back where I can.
It's because you stopped reading shaving forums, really. They create dependency. A shave is only really only a shave.
Yeah, that could be. I wasn't really online at the time. But still, I still don't have the AD's now I'm online again?
Yeah Martin, I'm about where you are but not as completely truncated. I have no plans for new purchases and haven't been actively looking for supplies. I have a few years worth of blades and at least another year's worth of soaps and 4 razors that I love. I've sold all my HW at this point and am slowing using up my SW. I do want to make my own AS, but that is mainly in an attempt to keep from buying more crap; if I can make my own it seems more self sufficient. I think what happens to some of us, even though it took 3 years in my case, is that we figure out what we like and have tried damn near every variety and nuance and determine that we're good with what we have moving forward. I don't hate you and I applaud your new found position of not consuming and generating waste just for their own sake. Glad you are feeling well again.
