Shaving Equipment Hierarchy

I have come to the conclusion that different categories of shaving equipment matter more than others for me.  Let me explain.  When you look at the broad essential categories within the shaving ritual they are:  Razor, Blade, Brush, Soap/Cream.   Blades, Soaps/Creams, and Brushes don't matter that much in my routine as long as they are first tier in performance for me.  These end up being fairly broad groupings.  Razors are a different animal.  I like Wolfmans, and a couple of H&S Razors.  That's it.  Curious what others think.  I bring this up because I was considering making the effort to obtain a Varlet and I don't think it matters too much to me as far as the shaving experience.

With enough planning, work and finesse, I can get a passable shave with pretty much any razor.

I can not get a decent shave with anything other than a good to excellent shave soap.

Razors for me, then soap.  Day in and day out I need to use a quality razor I've learned to use to get the shave I like.  When I switch razors, I need to use it a few times to get back to my groove.  After a time trying a number of different soaps, I have learned that some give me the shave and aftershave feeling I want.  For a long time, I was using pre-shave options.  No longer, I've found certain soaps give me as good or better shaves without the pre-shave options.

Inerstin post

Blade
Soap
Razor
Brush

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Inerstin post

Blade
Soap
Razor
Brush

Sent from my SM-A536U using Tapatalk

Ditto.

Enjoying the responses.
My ranking:
1. Razor


7. Cream/Soap
8. Blade
9. Brush

Thanks for the responses.



Thanks.

Depends:
If type of razor (straight, DE, SE or cart) a factor:
Soap
Razor
Blade
AS
Brush

If type of razor (straight, DE, SE or cart) fixed:
Soap
Blade
AS
Razor
Brush

Soap
Razor+blade combo
Brush

in this order for me. I am keeping razor and blade as a single unit rather than two different objects.

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I concur with Blade being #1. It's the blade that shaves you not the razor.
#2 Soap. Good prep is vital for the blade to work most efficiently.
#3-#4 Tie. Razor/Brush. These, to me, are aesthetics pure and simple. I can get a great lather from a paint brush and with enough practice, a good blade attached to a popsicle stick.

I concur with Blade being #1. It's the blade that shaves you not the razor.
#2 Soap. Good prep is vital for the blade to work most efficiently.
#3-#4 Tie. Razor/Brush. These, to me, are aesthetics pure and simple. I can get a great lather from a paint brush and with enough practice, a good blade attached to a popsicle stick.

Razors have a decidedly different character between and within types. Surely, even within types and brands you will concede that a Wolfman WR2 in 0,95 is decidedly different than a WR2 in 1,75? Or that a WR1 in 0,54 is decidedly different from a WR1 in 0,96 or WR2 in1,35? And surely the delta between shaving characteristics of stiff bladed AC and Gem single edges are vastly different from DEs? Straights exist on another planet altogether.

Not to be argumentative Primo, as you a sharp guy, but differ in my perspective RE the impact of razor characteristics