How much gear is your “ideal”?

If I were starting all over again, this is how I'd build my den from products that are, with one exception, easily available:

Razors (2)

• Rockwell 6S Adjustable Stainless Steel
  
• Edwin Jagger DE89
  

Great list of soaps...although now i want to try a few more that weren't on my "wish-list" . Your soap descriptions in the daily soap thread are truly fantastic. But I've wondered in the past what razor(s) you were using...nice to see you have one of the best razors

I haven't gone too far down the hole on a lot of gear. As I am fairly early on (barely in my second year?) so my biggest AD is probably just soaps.

I did buy a few cheaper razors I didn't like, and subsequently passed forward. No regrets there. Got to try a slant and an OC, which made the small price worth it.

Still the two Razors I have I am quite happy with (as of today, February 19... Lol). So if I started over, I'd still procure the Karve CB (A, B, C plates). I'd probably also want the Rockwell 6c as a backup / changeup from time to time. Oops, I also have a cheap Baili TTO for travel. I'd still buy one for that purpose. For $10, I'm not going to cry if a TSA agent absconds with it. Lol.

Brushes... I only have 5 now? Have 2 on order. So 7 is a good number. It's a full week rotation, provides variety, and plenty of backup as they die (hopefully years and years from now). I know for sure I like synthetic brushes... But I found that out immediately. I'm lucky, I guess.

Blades... I only have large amounts of the ones I really like. Even that is huge... 100-150 each max. I'm happy there. Ideally I like having a few hundred for safety sake.

Soaps... Ugh. I have bought a lot. Ditched some. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have gone softer here. Still, it has been (is still) a fun ride. So can I really complain? Nah. I'd nonetheless, tell myself to try samples, not whole tubs at first. Find my favorite type of soaps (fougere? Bay Rum? Fruit? Mentholated? Etc ). Then be more specific. Also have a limit.. maybe 10 max.

I should add that I don't regret my acquisitions. After all, how was I to know what I like without trying out a whole bunch of stuff? I see this activity of shaving as one that is experienced in phases. The first phase is the Discovery phase where you first learn about classic wet shaving and just have to try everything out there in search of that perfect shave. I'd say that the Learning phase is embedded into Discovery phase because most of us are still learning while trying out everything in creation. But once you've tried everything and your curiosity has abated, I think you then enter the Satisfaction phase. It is during this phase that the selling or giving away or pifing of gear takes place and the shaver settles on a small number of implements and software. that doesn't mean all purchasing of new creams or soaps stops. But buying every soap or cream in creation no longer takes place and any new acquisitions are highly selective. That's it. Two phases. KISS.

I'm curious what razors you use? I'd assume those two listed... Any others regularly?

Also, where on the adjustable scale of the Rockwell would you put the DE89... What plate is it most like?

Thanks.

Good morning, mrdoug! I use the Rockwell almost every day. If it's been less than 24 hours since my last shave, I'll use baseplate 3. If it's been over 24 hours, I'll use baseplate 4. The Edwin Jagger is reserved for travel or for an occasional summer shave when I want a razor that's very light on the skin. The DE89 is about a 3.5 on the Rockwell baseplate scale, not as easy as a 3, but not as efficient as a 4. That's it for razors. Though I've had one or two others, they've either gone into cold storage or they've been given away.

Right Now I have:

73 Soaps or creams
18 Aftershaves
3 Preshave
25 brushes
25 Safety Razors
6 Straight Razors
4 Strops
3 Honing Stones

Ideally, I would have:

25 Soaps/Creams
Only Art of shaving and Barrister's Reserve Aftershaves
1 or no preshave
10 Brushes
10 Safety Razors
3 Straight Razors
1 Strop
No Hone

If you are living in the SF Bay Area and want to buy good products for CHEAP, holler at me.

Ideally. This is actually what I'm moving toward. I'm not too far off, with the exception of some classic DEs that I don't personally enjoy, but keep around in case my son does when he gets old enough.

I'd limit to 7 razors (because that's how many my rack is built to hold. I'd probably bump that to 10 if I was building a new rack. Mostly DE, with one GEM, one AC, and one injector.

10 brushes, because my current brush shelf holds 9, plus 1 for travel. All synth, with 'maybe' one Silvertip.

Blades would be Perma-Sharp Supers, Feathers, GEM PTFE, Feather Pro Super AC, and Chinese Schick Injectors.

Soaps and Aftershaves would be limited to 10 sets. Enough for variety, but not enough to get overwhelmed.

I should add that I don't regret my acquisitions.  After all, how was I to know what I like without trying out a whole bunch of stuff?  I see this activity of shaving as one that is experienced in phases.  The first phase is the Discovery phase where you first learn about classic wet shaving and just have to try everything out there in search of that perfect shave.  I'd say that the Learning phase is embedded into Discovery phase because most of us are still learning while trying out everything in creation.  But once you've tried everything and your curiosity has abated, I think you then enter the Satisfaction phase.  It is during this phase that the selling or giving away or pifing of gear takes place and the shaver settles on a small number of implements and software.  that doesn't mean all purchasing of new creams or soaps stops.  But buying every soap or cream in creation no longer takes place and any new acquisitions are highly selective.  That's it.  Two phases.  KISS.

This is where I am at. It wasn't that I bought every new razor/soap/brush, but there are a TON of different things to try in many different combinations. I've now tried soap with/without tallow etc. I've now tried different brushes of all types. I've tried a ton of razors of different types. Now I know what I like, and what I want to get rid of. Soaps are easy to get rid of for me. The razors are harder to get rid of for me. I still have my DE89 even though I never use it because it was my first DE and I keep it for sentimental reasons.

I should add that I don't regret my acquisitions.  After all, how was I to know what I like without trying out a whole bunch of stuff?  I see this activity of shaving as one that is experienced in phases.  The first phase is the Discovery phase where you first learn about classic wet shaving and just have to try everything out there in search of that perfect shave.  I'd say that the Learning phase is embedded into Discovery phase because most of us are still learning while trying out everything in creation.  But once you've tried everything and your curiosity has abated, I think you then enter the Satisfaction phase.  It is during this phase that the selling or giving away or pifing of gear takes place and the shaver settles on a small number of implements and software.  that doesn't mean all purchasing of new creams or soaps stops.  But buying every soap or cream in creation no longer takes place and any new acquisitions are highly selective.  That's it.  Two phases.  KISS.

This is where I am at.  It wasn't that I bought every new razor/soap/brush, but there are a TON of different things to try in many different  combinations.  I've now tried soap with/without tallow etc.  I've now tried different brushes of all types.  I've tried a ton of razors of different types.  Now I know what I like, and what I want to get rid of.  Soaps are easy to get rid of for me.  The razors are harder to get rid of for me.  I still have my DE89 even though I never use it because it was my first DE and I keep it for sentimental reasons.

I totally hear you. I haven't sold one single razor yet. I know I should, especially since they are sitting in a plastic bin under the guest bedroom bed. But for now, they are out of sight yet I know that if I have a hankering to try one of them again, I can. I too still have the first razor I ever had, which is a DE89 handle with a Razorock head that is their DE89 copy. I use it as my travel razor now. At this point I won't get rid of any soaps or creams. I'll just use them until they are gone and won't replace the ones that don't wow me. I'm at about 45 total of creams and soaps combined right now and anticipate that I can reduce that overall count down to around 25 through attrition.

How much gear is my ideal? Hmmm, well, ALL OF IT.

In actuality I could neck things back to very little and be fine but I know me. Without a "project" I become unmanageable in my wife's eyes. Shaving is awesome because I have to be engaged in it every day anyway so I may as well be polishing and whittling and experimenting to scratch the tinker itch. I like the history of things and shaving has that! In fact our new artisans and mfgs are writing new chapters daily. All my kids are grown so I've more free time and disposable income than was available in the past. But if I were to whittle down this would be my list:

Razors: Gillette New Long Comb. Picked up my first one on a business trip to PA years ago and now own 4 of them.
Brushes: A 28 mm boar/badger combo my son built and gifted to me. A 24 mm 2 band badger in an Peerless vintage handle that I reknotted. A huge 28 mm tuxedo knot set in an old acetate barber-style handle I picked up in MO a couple years back and reknotted. And finally a barber-style Dubl Duck I stuffed a 24mm Omega boar into.
Soaps: vintage AOS Sandalwood. L'Occitane Cade (memory thing). Stirling Scots Pine. B&M First Snow.
Blades: Pol Silver, Permasharp, Feather.

That said, I have zero plans of doing that! I love certain soap makers and the work they do. B&M has the most eclectic scents and great base! Stirling is the O Line of shavedom giving great value in a great soap with enough scents for anyone to find several they like. Mystic Waters, Shannon's, DR Harris, Vintage Trumpers, WSP, and the list goes on! Razors both high and low are amazingly great (but it's hard to beat the Jagger DE89). Brushes? Aww, Brushes. I love em all with the exception of horse. Add to that my son now makes a ton and brushes are bristling all over my home.

But things have changed over time. I don't seek out razors for me anymore but still find and fix vintage to keep my hands busy. I don't actively seek vintage brush handles anymore but when one catches my eye I'm ready for a restore. I feel zero need to expand my soap stocks into new vendors wares as I know who I like and can't imagine the new soaps being any better. Most my sons and daughters shave using the old method and cart stuff off when they come see me and mom. Stuff they otherwise wouldn't fit into their kid-infested budgets. They like something? They can have it. Additionally I like to put together shaving packets for gifts to friends and extended family and that culls the herd. Man I dig this hobby!

In terms of quantity, I think 3 items from each category (razor, brush, soap, aftershave, blades) is perfect for me. Just enough variety and combinations to keep things interesting, but not so much that things go unused or things get cluttered, both in the cabinets and in your mind.