What type of a collector are you?

[Walid]

Hey Gents,

What do you collect? (mention approximate size of collection if you want)

I found that many folks collect different things.

1. There are those who are interested in Soaps and aftershaves
2. There are those who are razor hoarders and collect up 361 slants while holding about 7 multiplex razors and much more stuff. I am not singling anyone here
3. Collect for Aesthetic (beautiful clean sets)
4. Collect Weird razors
5. Collect Patents
6. Collect new stuff and non vintage.

etc..

Obviously most of us are combination of the above combination of the above.

Please post pics if you can

 

[efsk]

I must admit identifying as 2, except with different numbers Some I have in display-cases, but the bulk in drawers.
Will add some pics later

 

[efsk]

Top Needle-Point and variants, bottom Valencia

Top Mulcuto and Neo-Gam/Neo-Lux, bottom ladies razors and Collins

Benz and in the rear Bartalli superslant

Swivelheads and balljoints

Assorted razors in a drawer

Assorted razors missing a case in a drawer

 

[Walid]

I must admit identifying as 2, except with different numbers Some I have in display-cases, but the bulk in drawers.
Will add some pics later

I started as a hoarder with no direction. Now I put the brakes on and decided that my collection needs an objective.
I am compiling a list of razors that will be added to my collection and the shape they have to be in when purchased. This helps me budget accordingly and gives me a sense of direction.

What good is a collection if didn't have also a meaning. Why would I collect? To brag? I decided that it would be to learn and understand how a particular human activity evolved and why it evolved into a certain direction.

Also what good is a collection if I can't see it displayed beautifully. That brings another challenge and expense as well. Displays are not cheap.

All this in mind, I believe my collection will not exceed 300 razors. Right now am at about 150 and it will take me about 15 years to reach the 300 mark. As the razors am looking to acquire are rather not very common.

 

[efsk]

Putting a number on the endresult is impossible. Regardless of how much you know about razors, you will discover some that will fit your collection that you've never heard about. My latest slant-purchase falls in that category: wasn't on my wishlist because I didn't know it existed. Then you get variations: razors can change over generations, the Merkur 37 is now in its fourth iteration, so there's several of those. I've 8 Mvltiplex because they are all different.
In my case, I've also developed subcollections. Slants will be the center of the collection, but slowly other things crawl in and start to grow. For instance, I tried a Gibbs because the head has so much similarities to that of a Peroni balljoint razor, which I have because balljoint means you can slant it. There's now 12 Gibbs in the collection. Leresche because they produced Valencia, and then you immediately get Kirby as these were produced there as well.

 

[Walid]

Top Needle-Point and variants, bottom Valencia

Top Mulcuto and Neo-Gam/Neo-Lux, bottom ladies razors and Collins

Benz and in the rear Bartalli superslant

Swivelheads and balljoints

Assorted razors in a drawer

Assorted razors missing a case in a drawer

Where are the Tins and the Multiplexes, you showed some in this forum before. I would put the prized possessions in display.

I am waiting for some razors to come in and will post some pics in here.

1. Plantagenet
2. Charm
3. Reelwatch
4. Holt's
5. Tedco
6. Tiffin

 

[Walid]

Putting a number on the endresult is impossible. Regardless of how much you know about razors, you will discover some that will fit your collection that you've never heard about. My latest slant-purchase falls in that category: wasn't on my wishlist because I didn't know it existed. Then you get variations: razors can change over generations, the Merkur 37 is now in its fourth iteration, so there's several of those. I've 8 Mvltiplex because they are all different.
In my case, I've also developed subcollections. Slants will be the center of the collection, but slowly other things crawl in and start to grow. For instance, I tried a Gibbs because the head has so much similarities to that of a Peroni balljoint razor, which I have because balljoint means you can slant it. There's now 12 Gibbs in the collection. Leresche because they produced Valencia, and then you immediately get Kirby as these were produced there as well.

I see what you mean, I thought initially 100 razors will be enough variation and now after acquiring much more knowledge and almost every book about vintage razors I thought 250 will be a good point. And now am at 300 and also added vintage soaps, vintage razor catalogues. It's just I don't wanna hoard razors, it's not healthy. Mainly when you're looking for the rare and expensive ones.

I talked to a few collectors who have been collecting for 30+ years. They reached a conclusion that they will need to downsize their collection and keep a core that they will cherich in a good display to enjoy their journey. Some have a large collection that they made into a museum (Renzo Jardella).

The money spent collecting over the years is outrageous. Some is justified and some is not. If you spend 600$ on an antique Roman razor BC era or early AD then that is understandable and your collection will have a historical meaning and value. But if you collect every variation of the same company bakelite razor slant or not then I would say it's a waste.

Same thing is plaguing Gillette collectors, It's no longer about the razor, it's about the box. They are technically collecting Razor boxes not razors. They even get infatuated with the cardboard of the box and sometimes the shipper box. Madness if you ask me. Some of those cardboard boxes are in a very bad shape and unsightly.

 

[efsk]

Where are the Tins and the Multiplexes, you showed some in this forum before. I would put the prized possessions in display.

There's twelve cases as I've shown in the first pics

 

[efsk]

Some of those cardboard boxes are in a very bad shape and unsightly.

That's here upgrading comes in. I get a rare razor in a battered shipper or in bad razor condition because it belongs in the collection. Then, when I find a better looking one, I will get that one to replace it with.

 

[Walid]

There's twelve cases as I've shown in the first pics

Weird, only six made it. Is the forum putting a cap on the number of pics per message?

 

[efsk]

No, you have to replace "as" with "like". Made an error with my English there.

 

[Walid]

No, you have to replace "as" with "like". Made an error with my English there.

Well, that's what we want to see, the other cases then. Unless they're not ready to be shown.

 

[Walid]

 

[Walid]

That's here upgrading comes in. I get a rare razor in a battered shipper or in bad razor condition because it belongs in the collection. Then, when I find a better looking one, I will get that one to replace it with.

Fair and makes sense. I never chase the cardboard box but sometimes they come with a razor nd became part o the package.

 

[ehv]

I have a lot of razors more then I will ever use. But I don't want to call myself a collector. A collector builds a collection, is knowledgeable. I just like to look around and I'm curious to try out stuff.

 

[Walid]

I have a lot of razors more then I will ever use. But I don't want to call myself a collector. A collector builds a collection, is knowledgeable. I just like to look around and I'm curious to try out stuff.

I started that way. Initially looking for a good DE blade in Amazon to score my home made proofed sourdough bread. Then I saw in the same page a safety razor. So, I started looking at safety razors. I bought 15c Merkur with a proraso sandalwood soap and a wilkinson brush (crappy). I watched some Youtube videos about shaving and realized that I will need an aftershave so I bought a Pinaud.

I see you have a 77 Leresche, how does it shave? Are you gonna keep it?

 

[ehv]

Interesting story how you fell into the rabot hole.

Yes. I'm going to clean it up and use it. It is actually my second one. I think next month I'm going to use my vintage razors like the leresche, kirby, valencia, mulcutos and the likes. This month I'm trying to use SE's.

 

[Walid]

Interesting story how you fell into the rabot hole.

Yes. I'm going to clean it up and use it. It is actually my second one. I think next month I'm going to use my vintage razors like the leresche, kirby, valencia, mulcutos and the likes. This month I'm trying to use SE's.

If you try SE's, make sure you have a good blade (I am not talking about wedge blades). With no stroping they're good for 3 shaves then they start getting a bit noisy.
Let me know how the shave with the 77 goes. I don't have one but am planning on getting one.

 

[efsk]

Noise is the great thing about SE

 

[Walid]

Noise is the great thing about SE

In the first and second shave, after that for some reason in loses the edge and the bevel becomes jagged. That noise you're hearing in the third shave is bad.
The blades are thick and yet they lose efficiency quickly. I bought 100 blades pack Personna GEM .23mm coated stainless steel 3-facet made in the USA.