Its Quiet Out There....Too Quiet?

Limited editions may have burned me out on shaving supplies entirely. Brushes with some slight difference in handle and hair - boy, did I fall for the B&B Limited Edition Eagle hype back in the day. Limited edition soaps/aftershaves, I never could figure out why they were limited edition because it's not like the last of the vetiver was used up. I have no idea if there are limited edition DE blades but it would not surprise me one bit.

At some point I started looking inward and realized that most common products are already excellent. When many of us old timers entered the hobby, we were somehow happy with old Superspeeds, Van der Hagen soap (or maybe an exotic import like DR Harris or Taylor of Old Bond Street), Tweezerman brushes (what I used exclusively for over a year!), whatever decent blades we could get, etc.

I was watching an old episode of Penn & Teller's Showtime show about "The Best" - people wanting to acquire the very best products - and one person they talked to put it this way. You buy a really nice car, the first week it's the best car you've ever driven. The second week, it's still a damn good car. Eventually it just becomes your car and there isn't anything all that special about it.

And so one formerly big spender (I do not want to know how much I spent on razors and brushes but it's significant) just dropped out of the market. Eventually I'll have to buy soap but those who have seen my thread in the Soaps and Creams forum know how long that will be.

For some, LEs and SEs are worthwhile just for the thrill or variety factor. Fair enough in my book. As for me, I’ll buy a few of them, but not nearly to every one. As I get older, I lean more towards off-the-shelf items.

For some, LEs and SEs are worthwhile just for the thrill or variety factor.  Fair enough in my book. As for me, I’ll buy a few of them, but not nearly to every one. As I get older, I lean more towards off-the-shelf items.

Depends on the product. I have a few of the Semogue LE brushes - the badger/boar mixed knots - and as far as I can tell, the only difference is the handle, and the handles are pretty similar. This isn't to say they aren't good brushes, just that there's a lot of "same-y" for what was branded as being limited.

It's something that may have made sense the first time they produced a mixed hair brush, just to test the waters, but once that was successful, you may as well add it to the lineup (as they eventually did, it appears.)

For some, LEs and SEs are worthwhile just for the thrill or variety factor.  Fair enough in my book. As for me, I’ll buy a few of them, but not nearly to every one. As I get older, I lean more towards off-the-shelf items.

Depends on the product. I have a few of the Semogue LE brushes - the badger/boar mixed knots - and as far as I can tell, the only difference is the handle, and the handles are pretty similar. This isn't to say they aren't good brushes, just that there's a lot of "same-y" for what was branded as being limited.

It's something that may have made sense the first time they produced a mixed hair brush, just to test the waters, but once that was successful, you may as well add it to the lineup (as they eventually did, it appears.)

I know where you're coming from - its the triumph of hope over experience. The sales pitches are very enticing but when you receive the item, its just like the countless other items you already have. I've stepped back but man the tug is still there to try the next new best thing.

I know where you're coming from - its the triumph of hope over experience.  The sales pitches are very enticing but when you receive the item, its just like the countless other items you already have.  I've stepped back but man the tug is still there to try the next new best thing.

The very reason I don't come here often

It's odd to read threads about the best soaps and not recognizing a single one. I remember when MdC was the best soap on planet Earth.

I know where you're coming from - its the triumph of hope over experience.  The sales pitches are very enticing but when you receive the item, its just like the countless other items you already have.  I've stepped back but man the tug is still there to try the next new best thing.

The very reason I don't come here often  

It's odd to read threads about the best soaps and not recognizing a single one. I remember when MdC was the best soap on planet Earth.

I know, I just posted on another excellent newcomer Murphy and McNeil. I probably wouldn't have even considered buying it if I hadn't read about it here.