Collecting to distraction!

I'll come right out and say it - I have almost every known shaving AD! This is good, right? I get to try interesting combinations of razors, blades, soaps, creams, brushes, aftershaves, etc. Good!

Or is it?

Not all my brushes are equivalent - I really prefer one of my Plissons to all the others. However, since I use all my brushes, that means I don't use the one I like best as much as I should.

In the same way, I don't use my favourite straight razor as much as I would like, and I don't use my favourite soap (Mike's Barbershop) every day (which is what I'd do if I had nothing else to distract me).

So basically the wide selection I have comes with a price - it distracts me from the enjoyment of the items I like best.

While this is a hobby, shaving also serves a purpose - to get an enjoyable, close, comfortable shave every day. That's done best if we use only the items that work best for us, but a vast selection can sometimes make that hard to do....especially if you're like me and you don't like to see things sitting around unused.

I've tried to ruthlessly cut my collection down, but I always find reasons to keep things around.

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It's a losing battle. I give up.............for now. Someday, I hope to have my AD's under control. I think that if that happens, I'll still enjoy my hobby, and I'll really enjoy the items that 'make the grade'.

Yohann, you have hit the old nail right on the head, as they say.

But oh my, ain't it fun.

It's definitely a tradeoff, balancing the "purpose," as you say, versus the enjoyment of variety.

Ah, but it is better than only having a single can of goo and one multi-blade cartridge razor!

Yohann, the breadth of my various collections leads to periodic "rediscovery" cycles that I really enjoy. My recent dusting of my Tabac shave soap is a good example.

One soap, one razor, one brush? Booooring!

The only thing left for me is a perfect brush. I could happily live with:
Razor - 6/8 1/4 hollow Wacker and my Hoffritz slant
Blade - Feather
Cream - Green Proraso
AS - Proraso splash and Proraso liquid cream (used as a balm)
Brush - No clue, but probably boar
Now that I tthink about it, I'd like a smaller shave mug made... lol

As they say "variety is the spice of life." It certainly seems to ring true with wet shaving!

(04-30-2012, 09:43 AM)Johnny Wrote: Yohann, you have hit the old nail right on the head, as they say.

But oh my, ain't it fun.

+1 Well said, both of you!

The logic - if you can call it so - for me is that the next soap / brush / blade / razor I try might be better than the current favorite.

Well, maybe more an excuse than a logical argument. But I'm enjoying every shave

(04-30-2012, 10:49 AM)WegianWarrior Wrote: Well, maybe more an excuse than a logical argument...

+1

(04-30-2012, 10:49 AM)WegianWarrior Wrote: Well, maybe more an excuse than a logical argument. ....

+2

(04-30-2012, 09:38 AM)yohannrjm Wrote: I'll come right out and say it - I have almost every known shaving AD! This is good, right? I get to try interesting combinations of razors, blades, soaps, creams, brushes, aftershaves, etc. Good!

Or is it?

You are the only one who can answer that question. Are you happy or unhappy with the status quo?

(04-30-2012, 11:35 AM)Tbone Wrote:

(04-30-2012, 09:38 AM)yohannrjm Wrote: I'll come right out and say it - I have almost every known shaving AD! This is good, right? I get to try interesting combinations of razors, blades, soaps, creams, brushes, aftershaves, etc. Good!

Or is it?

You are the only one who can answer that question. Are you happy or unhappy with the status quo?

Depends on the day. I sometimes look longingly at my Livi and my Plisson and wish it was their turn in the rotation. I have things set up so that I use them at least once a week, but I sometimes wish they came around more often.

Most times, I'm happy with the variety in the den. I think the real issue is that I cannot let something sit unused for any length of time. Given the size of my shave den, this means that some items I really like only come around every 6 months or so.

The only way for me to make it all better is to drastically cut down on the size of the den...........that's harder to do than it sounds.

Your post is why I don't have a set rotation. It's also probably why I haven't really collected brushes or razors. I have one each of badger and horse, and two boars. Each is different and ready to be used for different moods/soaps/etc. I have two razors, and don't really need more than one.

Soaps and creams are a different story, but they are all different, too, and I can use whichever seems like fun at shave time.

It seems to me if I used my favorite every day I would eventually grow bored with it and I'd forget why I find it special in the first place.

(04-30-2012, 11:42 AM)yohannrjm Wrote: Depends on the day. I sometimes look longingly at my Livi and my Plisson and wish it was their turn in the rotation. I have things set up so that I use them at least once a week, but I sometimes wish they came around more often.

Most times, I'm happy with the variety in the den. I think the real issue is that I cannot let something sit unused for any length of time. Given the size of my shave den, this means that some items I really like only come around every 6 months or so.

The only way for me to make it all better is to drastically cut down on the size of the den...........that's harder to do than it sounds.

I know exactly what you mean about not having unused items around, and feel the same way. In my case, it is not a problem because I don't acquire the extra things in the first place. Two razors, two brushes, one or two soaps or creams and aftershave. That's it.

If you find it hard to get rid of all the excess inventory at once, why not get rid of a little bit at a time? Eventually you will be down to the best part, which you keep. It is rather like the process of distilling a fine cognac.

Yohann, you have found your 'soulmate' of shaving stuff so congratulations to you! But, we lonely souls are constantly searching for our dream combos. Trying different flowers like a bee working for honey is a beautiful process in itself.
When I am in front of my shave nook and trying to decide what to use for the shave of the day, I feel like a sultan picking next girl from his harem. Well, I hate to be a hyopocrite, it feels damn good!

Excellent post!
I have this same condition and even though it's great to have the variety and the enjoyment that comes from it, I too insist on using every bit of my arsenal and will not exclude anything, even if it takes awhile to get around to using it.
While my den is not as extensive as many here, I think doing this can actually detract from getting the best shave possible on a daily basis.

If I use a razor/blade/brush/soap combo and it's really meshing, I still feel the need to move on, sometimes to the exclusion of the excellent shave that I had been getting until I hit that stride again with the new combo that I'm currently using.

I guess it's a trade off and just a conscious decision that I,(we) are making because after all, this has become more than just daily grooming for us.

I feel somewhat overwhelmed above four of anything. Variety is nice but some regularity/structure makes it more enjoyable for me.

I feel the bug of all the AD just like you, Yohann. The only thing that is keeping it in check is that SWMBO holds the checkbook so all purchases have to go through her first. For me this is a good thing.