I am taking a break from chasing the dragon.

And I hope he notices...

I'd say 99% of us got into this little hobby of ours to defy "The Man" and his overpriced carts. Once in there are just so many cool things to try we know we arent saving a dime but its fun to chase the dragon because once you exhaust the spectrum of blades, and a few brushes, and a few razors, and the limitless current choices of soaps....and then start mixing and matching all of the possible combinations, it is truly staggering.

I am a vintage razor guy so I have my regulars and special razors there, but that has slowed. You can only get your hands on so many without resorting to the auction site, which makes me cherish what I have, and what I have owned all that more. So this aspect is more niche at this point.

I am a utilitarian with brushes and know better that to start down that path so I am very satisfied with the vintage handled newly knotted brushes I do have.

And so goes the rabbit hole of soaps. I was a rabid purchaser of new and unique scents, mostly from the big soapers, and some from the good factories. TABAC, Arko, Derby, Cella, Proraso, vintage Williams and yes, about 3 new full mugs of Old Spice. I like the big name soapers more than the factory stuff but I think I am done chasing the dragon of the one off, one of the kind, seasonal only soaps. Not to mention the various makes and models of the soap base that makes the next model defunct the last one.

I guess you could say it hit me at once. I was enjoying a shave with Mike's orange, cedarwood, and black pepper when it dawned on me. This soap was given to me by an awesome member here DFS that I wont name (unless he names himself), but of all the soaps I have ever had, I never had one from this maker. And the maker, he has been around a while, makes an awesome product, A good reputation, and doesnt have various bases and versions or LEs that I need to keep up with. His stock fluctuates, but even that is reliable. So I asked myself why do I continue to seek out increasingly ever more expensive soaps of unknown scent descriptions when my current stock of 3-4 artisans, and 4-6 factory soaps might do just fine? One thing I am starting to notice is price creep. Some soapers are starting to tickle the term expensive in their seasonal offerings, LEs, and newer bases and scents. When you look back at the person you were when you started this journey (like I did) you have to ask yourself "Self, is that 4 oz soap really worth 25 bucks"? When every iteration is a dollar or 2 more, and every scent more and more expensive to make, do I really value it that much? Especially given the fact that perfectly serviceable and simple soaps from the same maker are discontinued in search of the Grand Dragon of shave soaps?

So that takes me back to Mike's and other soapers like him that superfat their soaps, make simple no-nonsense shave products year after year with rock steady consistency. I think in the 5-6 yrs when I finally get through my back log of perfectly serviceable, but already discontinued soaps, these 3-4 soapers will still be there making the same Orange and Cedarwood, Electric Sheep, and #13 shave soap....with the various factory offering always available to me if I choose.

I dont need a lesson in economics or inflation. I get it. This is about me and my observations about myself and soap. But I really felt I had to put this out there. Some will scoff, others may agree and continue on their journey. Either way, I will leave it to others to chase the dragon for a while.

I really like the way you spoke your mind. Thank your for sharing.

I can understand your view for sure. But as a side point. Though you may not have been saving much money compared to buying cartridges. The quality of the products and variety of scents is vastly superior to what you would experience otherwise. That's essentially what keeps me somewhat interested. I don't buy the 99th clone of aventus or green irish tweed. Instead I look for something unique that he artisan is bringing in both ingredients and scent qualities. That's what keeps me interested personally.

I agree. I've got more soaps/creams than I could possibly use in two lifetimes. Enough blades for the next 30-50 years. If brushes never wore out, I already have my two favorites (Varlet & Brad Sears custom) but I have over a dozen others in rotation. I'm cutting back when I get a chance, but I could easily reduce my stash by half with no reduction in quality.
I need a break.

This is a familiar story. Been there myself a few times. We get caught up in the frenzy and spend like drunken sailors. One day we wake up and see the horde that'll NEVER get used up in our lifetime and it's sobering to say the least. Then we "reduce" the den. Some stay on this wagon, some fall back off.  
Vis-a-vis Mike's, I COMPLETELY agree. One of the best, rock-solid, reliable artisans (and I use that term intentionally) we have in our hobby. There are others of course, but Mike is, imo, at the top of the list.  Now I am going to go visit his site and see what's in stock.

Good read and I agree. That said I'm grateful for every shaver that wants to experiment and push the envelope and pay for mfgs new products. I think it keeps pumping life into our shaving world. This'd be a pretty boring forum if we all settled in to a one brush/soap/razor routine even if I personally don't "chase the dragon". I have what I like but love to read about what's working well for others.

Thanks for the mention. No. 13 is just a rock solid, no nonsense shave soap.


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I like your post and thanks for sharing your experience. I also agree with your view of Mike’s products. I’ve been all around the world (literally and figuratively) and tried many soaps. At the end of the day, all roads lead to:
Mike’s.

I literally went almost broke buying stuff that I felt like I HAD TO HAVE. I do enjoy the hobby, but it took a real financial slap in the face to wake me up. You're in good company.

I've found there's a balance to be struck. Of course it also depends on how you look at shaving. Is it a hobby or necessity?

As it's turned in to more of a hobby or meditation for me, part of it is just finding what works for me. That again balanced against budget and space limitations.

I started with an R89, SilverTip Fibre brush and Proraso soap. That did me well for the first year. Then a started to wonder, maybe I'd enjoy a bit better of a soap, did my due diligence and after a lot of research decided to try Tallow and Steel. For me that was love at first try, and so the last year have been very happy to use it exclusively.

Then I started to consider razors, and again after a lot of research, moved to Fatip, Again, the difference in performance was night and day for me, and it's a razor I can afford. I'd love to try the expensive options out there, but it's just not realistic for me at this time.

Finally, it's now time for brushes. And thanks to the new rise in synthetics, it's affordable to try. Even so I sill work very hard to not buy every option out there.
But after using the STF for nearly 2 years, getting a new breed synthetic has honestly revolutionized my shaving more than I could have possibly believed.

So, yes, endless chasing isn't necessary at all for those like myself who have neither the space or the budget, or who, just don't like to be wasteful. But sticking to just one thing forever can also lead to a subpar experience. Judicious upgrades, with the help of the amazing resources we have in today's forums can make help keep the inner hoarder at bay.