What other things do jacket junkies feel it's not ok to go for the cheapest option

Clothing: I easily spend money on jackets, boots, and thick sweaters. Spend less on denim (never more than $100, usually much less), shirts, t-shirts, and casual pants. Spend even less on undergarments. I'm spending much less now on clothing as I've acquired plenty.

Food and Wine: I easily spend money in this area. I'm a former chef who now teaches culinary arts at a small college. Being a chef, I can eat well cooking for myself and family.

Travel: love to travel and try to do at least out of country trip per year. I get so much enjoyment out of traveling.

Cars: I put about 100 miles a day on my car and drive Honda Civics till "the wheels fall off" - at least 175,000 miles before I get another. I love vintage muscle cars (really like 62-67 Chevy II Novas) and may look to pick one up to play with in the next few years.

Grills: I have 6 grills of various sizes. I usually buy the heaviest, overbuilt charcoal/wood (never gas) grill I can and maintain it for years, even decades.

Tech: don't care that much. Have an iPhone 6 and see no reason to upgrade. I've had the same TV for 5 years and it is great.

House: will be paid off in 3.5 years.

Marriage: Still married to my first and only wife. Who can afford to get divorced?

In my humble opinion, “expensive/best” and “cheap” are not the right adjectives. Rather, there are items for which I seek out quality, and items for which quality is less important.

Items For Which I Seek Out Quality (In No Particular Order):

· Clothing, including outerwear, suits, dress shirts, ties, jeans, casual shirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.
· Footwear, including sneakers and dress shoes
· Sunglasses
· Desk chair
· Kids’ education
· Medical care
· Cars
· Watches
· Travel
· Toilet paper
· Restaurants (doesn’t have to be expensive)
· Home / construction, including cabinetry, flooring, stone counters, kitchen appliances, bathroom fixtures, doors, windows, HVAC, water heating, etc.
· Furniture
· Dog food (our dogs eat raw)
· Gifts for my wife

Items For Which Quality Is Less Important (In No Particular Order):

· Audio / video, including televisions (I used to be an audiophile, but no longer)
· Standard OTC and prescription medications (I usually buy generic, although specialized medications are different)
· Sleep wear
· Undergarments
· Computer monitor
· Writing instruments
· Baseball caps
· Shaving supplies
· Flat wear, plates, and glasses

I’ve noticed dog food a few times in this thread...have to say this really makes me happy. My dog is my family and I know there’s a lot of guys on this forum who would say the same thing. I swear he gets more love, attention, care and a better diet than I do. And that’s actually more than ok with me! I’m his entire world so the least I can do is treat him the best I can.

I like that someone (sf) thought to add tp to the splurge list.

Bfd70 said:

I like that someone (sf) thought to add tp to the splurge list.

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I somehow missed that. Thank you for pointing that out! Puts a smile on my face, ha

Monitor said:

I love muscle cars and vintage Harley's and all that but the only car I'm truly and really in love with is a 1970-whatever VW Scirocco. And that's the one I'm buying as soon as one appears where I am.

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What a sensible choice. I bought my wife a brand new Scirocco in 1987, it was a limited edition known as The Scala, how she loved that car.

I can't remember the price, but whatever it was, it was worth it, because three years later, I indulged myself, with her approval of course.

I always look for discount in everything I buy in supermarket, I buy cheap icecream, cheapest tissuepaper since I use a ton everyday, I buy cheaper alternative when it comes to food not the cheapest but when there is a cheaper new brand or place I'll surely try it out and see how it compares,

I don't spend money on jewelry or wrist watches I wear stainless steel rings and seiko,
vehicle is just means of transportation, and mobilephone is just necessary nuisance other people expect anybody not labeled as psychopath or crazy recluse to carry everyday so as long as it plays Township and online chess I'm good.

I don't look for cheap and buy the best I can afford when it comes to PC hard drive and SSD, I rather smaller capacity and never crapped on me than big capacity from unreliable brands any day.
and mechanical pencil, not necessarily the most expensive but the best I like to hold it a long time and that won't break on me from accidental drop from my desk.

For clothes, I never buy branded, I try to buy some style, if it works, then I buy fabrics, modify the style a bit not to blatantly copy, and have it made either by local tailor or my mother, same with shoes only from local shoemaker with leather sole and I can spec them freely, when people ask I just said nothing special locally made, and sometime they will continue with brands they favors how good their shoes are... smile and occasional nods would make them leave happy.

need to clarify.... for not losing credibility
tissue paper here IS NOT toilet paper, I use tissue paper to cover my hand against smudging over the paper.
as for TP, we use toilet shower and soap here... no TP for bungholio

Great idea for a thread! Kudos to the genius behind this one...

Things I will pay for;
Business class flights.
I find the behavior of other passengers to be often rude and obnoxious. I want to limit my exposure to them. Also, I don't want to spend the beginning and end of my holiday lining up, sitting on hard plastic seats, and cramped on the plane. All I can drink champagne and a bed to sleep it off in, thank you.

Imported chocolate and cheese.
Because the domestic stuff here is so bad.

Cohibas Esplendidos.
I don't smoke cigarettes anymore, but do enjoy a cigar or two a month, whilst catching a little me time, with a book, a drink, some music, and the dog.

Brand medication.
Just because I've had nasty side effects with generic stuff in the past.

Add to that quality toilet paper (thanks Superfluous). Cheap toilet paper makes me angry.
And baby wipes (just coz it's so hot and humid).
And razors.
And soap.
And cologne.

This will be heresy to some, but always buy Levi's. I know my sizing, and they are good enough.

Patches.
Always spend whatever it takes to get genuine or highest quality repro patches for flight jackets. What's the point in buying a $600 repro flight jacket and then trying to save $50 with a cheap patch?

Watches.
I have a Tag Heuer but stopped wearing it after receiving appalling maintenance service. Refuse to wear a watch until I can buy a stainless Rolex Submariner like Chuck Yeager and James Bond (Dr. No), but kids leeching me dry. This month was school ski trips.

Cars.
My wife got a new car so that I don't have to feel guilty about her being stranded by the side of the road, but I refuse to drive a soulless plastic box. So I have two modern classics. In storage. Rusting away. By the time I can ever afford to get them running, gasoline engines will be outlawed, I suspect.


Things I never splash out on;
Socks.
The cheapest cotton socks are fine.

Champagne.
I don't like wine, but love champagne. But I'm not going to spend like 200 bucks a bottle- I'm not James Bond. Moët is fine.

Bourbon.
I buy the cheapest I can, usually Jim Beam.

T-shirts.
Packs of six from Costco.

I never worry about the latest gadget/appliances/new car, what's the point? They devalue/become obsolete faster than I can enjoy them.

I wear New Balance sneakers because they're cheap and I can rely on the sizing. I wear Danner boots, but haven't bought any for years- just got all mine resoled.

Hairy, dribbling dog means that at home I wear Uniqlo sweatpants and sweater a lot. Dress up to go outside. Dog gets expensive dog food because cheap stuff is all whale meat, and dog doesn't need mercury poisoning.

Bfd70 said:

I like that someone (sf) thought to add tp to the splurge list.

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Ain't nobody got time for that single ply garbage!

Wow, looks like I am missing the party here! Men (well, politically very incorrect here!) justifying our purchases! I guess we are all the sensible bunch of people here. As some of us have pointed out so many times, price/performance is not a linear relationship.

I read an article a while ago about choosing wine in a restaurant, very interesting indeed but it is also very true. Typical psychology of a consumer I guess.

An interesting question. When it comes to most things, I try to find what is the best value for money, a calculation which includes considering how much use I'll get from something, and where I might take it. I put money into a decent Mp3 player because it gets a lot of used when I travel, but I bought the basic Fiio X1, not the top of the line X5 because after a lot of thought I decided the x1 does everything I really need it to, and was priced at a level where while losing it would be a pain, I could easily justify the replacement cost. I try not to buy or own anything, as a rule, that I'll never want to use for fear of damaging it; I just don't have the space to store something for the sake of storing it any more; I'm trying to only buy things I have a use for nowadays, in particular as I'm still something of a 'recovering hoarder'.

With a lot of things, there's just an instinctive price ceiling on what I'm prepared to spend. Thinking of leather jackets in particular, I realise that my unconscious pricing standard is Aero. Aero tend to be my 'go to brand' because they offer everything I want in a jacket in most cases, and they are a price I'm prepared to pay. While recognising that it often takes the same skill and design effort, and often little in the way of different cots in materials, to make a textile jacket, I find it much easier to justify to myself a big spend on leather because it is likely (subject to basic upkeep and perhaps the occasional relining) to last me a lifetime, whereas a textile jacket might wear. I'd never spend "leather money" on denim. Jeans in general I'm happy to spend a bit more than generic store denim price to get the fit I want, but I can't justify a pair of three hundred quid jeans that I'll likely wear out as fast as a pair of Prison Blues. In truth, I also wear denim so little as I get older (I don't care for it in the office, even though it would be acceptable, and I often find there are other things I want to wear as much on any given occasion), it would be hard to justify. And there's a thing that I judge most things by, especially any form of clothing from boots to hats (and all points literally in between): how often will I wear it, and therefore how much will it cost? I justified the money spent on my first full Highland wear outfit on the basis that if I wore it twice, as against cost of hiring it would be basically free after that. (As it turns out, much as when I first bought black and white tie, it's not hard to find the occasion to wear these things if you want. I've now done my first kilted graduation ceremony, and am looking forward to a second.) Case in point: I spent Aero money on several jackets I knew I'd wear a lot - and do. When I wanted an Indy jacket, I went with a used Wested for the simple reason that while I really wanted one, I didn't think I'd get the same wear out of it as my Aeros, so I wanted to spend less.

TVs and hifi, I'm happy to spend up to a certain level to get something good, but I limit it by my own ear and eye. If I cannot see or hear a difference, then even if it can be measured with technical equipment that proves it is there, I won't pay the extra. Can't see it / hear it, then it adds nothing to my enjoyment. I will, of course, pay for durability, and I'll spend a little more based on design if it's something I'm going to look at / have on display every day.

I believe in buying for the long-term: I'll spend on a decent fountain pen and bottled ink (though these days you don't have to spend huge amounts if you're selective with what you buy coming out of China) because in the long-run it's cheaper than paying out for disposable pens; similarly, with a DE Safety Razor for my facial shaving (hough I had to give in and stick to cartridges for my head). Also an environmental concern there - less wastage.

Where I've been asking myself this question in particular of late is that as we finish my flat (and consider moving house too), I've really taken a fancy to a Dualit Classic Kettle. Made in the UK, GBP150. Seemed excessive at first, but it should last a lifetime (in the last eighteen years, I've owned three kettles, costing up to £50 each), and it's entirely repairable: again, I hate this modern disposable culture. I probably won't buy the matching toaster as, lovely as it is, we're trying to stay off the bread.

I think experience in any specific area gives you a much better idea on how to make these decisions. When I was very new to electric guitars, I spent a period of time unable to really tell the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive models. With experience, I came to appreciate the nuances and want to spend more on the higher end. With greater experience, I came to fully appreciate the law of diminishing returns, and gained the confidence to decide for myself what the ceiling I would be prepared to pay for a particular guitar as an amateur player, based on whether certain upgrades, even if perceptible, were in my mind worthy of the additional cost factor - especially given that my middle-aged, muddled old imagination has finally accepted I'm never going to be the future of punk rock. My next Stratocaster will be Mexican, not the higher-priced US model. (Plus, already owning US and Japanese Fenders, the collector in me likes the idea of owning one from the Mexican plant too!)

dannyk said:

Food and drink. I really enjoy the experience of eating and dining well. I also enjoy the entire experience of trying new things and delving into the history and culture of food and drink. A well made cocktail and an exceptionally well made meal can’t be beat for me. And then then oddly for me shaving products. Which for me or anyone who has known me until this past year that would come as a surprise. But I have a job and a life that’s always go, go, go. I imagine in 2019 that’s most people ha, but in my specific career it’s that to the extreme; and I’ve found taking the time for myself is relaxing and is a bit of “me time.” So if I’m going to take that me time and I really like the ritual of it, I’m going to buy really good products to go with that experience. Pre shave oil, quality brush, artisanal shave soap, good handle, blades, aftershave tonic and lotions. I also figure if I’m enjoying the stress relief and uniqueness of it, getting quality products that help protect and are actually good for my skin there’s something to that. Especially now that I’m almost 33, smoke (though down to less than a pack a day, smoking ultra lights and the shortest smokes on the market.. so progress!) living in a super sunny in the summer and freezing in the winter environment, it’s maybe time to consider things like taking care of my skin

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I totally hear you on the ritual of shaving. I find a zen space in a three-pass shave with a DE safety razor, brush and soap that I never had with a spray can and a cartridge. (As times goes on, it's just as quick, I find, but still so much nicer - and a better shave to boot.)

Food.... I try to keep the spend on eating out down, but I love finding a cheap local cafe. Also, I do enjoy a splurge on occasion - we've done dinner at the Ritz among other places, though our anniversary dinner is always Rules. Far from cheap, but worth it for a celebration.

handymike said:

Wedding photographers.

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Ha.... my brother went for a cheaper one. Photos were okay, but the guy thought he was just hilarious with his crap Austin Powers impressions. You can imagine....

Monitor said:

I love muscle cars and vintage Harley's and all that but the only car I'm truly and really in love with is a 1970-whatever VW Scirocco. And that's the one I'm buying as soon as one appears where I am.

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Not seen an early one like that before - reminds me of a mkI Fiesta, but elongated somehow.

red devil said:

Had to think for a while on this one, it's really about where I see value and where I don't... Let's take restaurants I like to eat well but am not interested in the setting.
Case in point, I am not convinced by Michelin ratings.

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I don't mind an expensive restaurant for a big occasion; what I dislike are pretentious restaurants. Nothing worse than some fancy schmancy place where you end up scanning the menu for something you could sort of put up with....

HoosierDaddy said:

Hey I enjoy a variation of places, things and experiences of life and like they say 'you only go around once'.

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Ain't that the truth. I don't like being silly with money, but there comes a point where hoarding it for its own sake isn't any healthier.

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Lovely bike - is the upkeep on all that chrome time-consuming, or is there a shortcut? Love the shape of those exhausts.

GHT said:

What a sensible choice. I bought my wife a brand new Scirocco in 1987, it was a limited edition known as The Scala, how she loved that car.
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For some reason that particular era of the Scirroco always reminded me of a Delorean in shape, albeit minus the gull wing doors. I think it's the shape of the nose and angle of the windscreen....

Big J said:

Great idea for a thread! Kudos to the genius behind this one...

Things I will pay for;
Business class flights.
I find the behavior of other passengers to be often rude and obnoxious. I want to limit my exposure to them. Also, I don't want to spend the beginning and end of my holiday lining up, sitting on hard plastic seats, and cramped on the plane. All I can drink champagne and a bed to sleep it off in, thank you.

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I hear you on that! I get to fly business with work on long-haul to Beijing. If I could afford it on my own money, I'd never fly any other way.

Brand medication.
Just because I've had nasty side effects with generic stuff in the past.

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Interesting - I'm the other way: refuse to pay the brand priced if a generic exists, but then UK (mostly EU driven) law on these things is very tight on standards, so.

Add to that quality toilet paper (thanks Superfluous). Cheap toilet paper makes me angry.

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Funny thing: we discovered very quickly that paying a little more for toilet roll meant we saved in the long run because we don't go through it as fast.

This will be heresy to some, but always buy Levi's. I know my sizing, and they are good enough.

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There's a lot to be said for that sort of familiarity. I buy most of my office shirts from Charles Tyrwhitt for that reason - five for GBP125, and I can lift them off the shelf without needing to try on. I've recently become similarly converted to Dickies 874 work pants for similar reasons.

Patches.
Always spend whatever it takes to get genuine or highest quality repro patches for flight jackets. What's the point in buying a $600 repro flight jacket and then trying to save $50 with a cheap patch?

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I hear you on that.

Watches.
I have a Tag Heuer but stopped wearing it after receiving appalling maintenance service. Refuse to wear a watch until I can buy a stainless Rolex Submariner like Chuck Yeager and James Bond (Dr. No), but kids leeching me dry. This month was school ski trips.

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Ha, my daily wearer is a Submariner 'homage' by Invicta (US made). I spent enough on it that I find it a decent watch, but much more than that and I'd not want to wear it 24/7. One day I will buy myself one of those recent-model Hamilton Venturas that they built with an automatic movement. Somehow, the mix of retro-futurist styling with the anachronistic movement (the HV was the first battery-powered watch on the US market) feels comfortable to me.

Champagne.
I don't like wine, but love champagne. But I'm not going to spend like 200 bucks a bottle- I'm not James Bond. Moët is fine.

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I've always refused to pay the Champagne 'brand tax', myself - I've long found that here in the UK at least you have to spend a very significant amount more on Champagne to get something as good as a mid-priced Cava or Prosecco.

I never worry about the latest gadget/appliances/new car, what's the point? They devalue/become obsolete faster than I can enjoy them.

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I try to bear this in mind when I'm tempted to upgrade before I need to replace, or especially if I start to fixate too much on detail. Sometimes, if you want/ need it, you just have to jump in there, and then live with it for as long as you can.

Since becoming a coward and fearing my motorcycle I do have this ‘69 Chevelle in the “some day” list of things I’d love to pilot.

This cracks me up, since it was a notorious lousy hand me down used car in the late 70s early 80s and a lousy rot gut car to drive. The only good thing about it was that people got out of your way when you merged because many having had these kind of cheap GM cars, especially this one, before their Datsuns, Hondas, and VW Rabbits knew how it swayed on lane changes and ramps. I used to not even check my mirrors, useless in those sedans anyway, because I sensed ever one slowing down and letting me merge at will. Everyone got out of your way when you drove a Granny car.

@Edward,
Yeah, I just find that flying is a big stress; airports, and lines, and waiting, and the whole place looks like a mall, and then everybody is kind of stressed and it just feels pretty negative to me. It's all just so...'MacDonalds'. When I fly business class the whole experience is quicker, smoother, and in some small way gets back some of that golden era glamor. Kind of like 'orient express' version of flying. I can imagine how glamorous flying must have been back in the era of the original jet set.

These days I can't go anywhere without my phone, so I don't need a watch. If I buy I watch, it'll really be more like buying jewelry, which is why it keeps getting bumped as a non-priority. And because it's really just jewelry, I want an iconic design that says something about history and culture (or something like that).

Luckily, the Japanese are alcoholics, so tax on alcohol here is very low. When I was in London a couple of years ago, I was shocked at the prices of drinks. Scotch whiskey is cheaper here than it is in the U.K. because of the tax system. Seems most unfair.

@Justhandguns,
Rationalizing our purchases... ha! Maybe!
The Japanese have this word 'kodawari'. It's usually translated as 'fussy', but it's closer to diligent or precise, or maybe paying attention to details. It's perfectly natural to be 'kodawari' about some things, and not care about others at all.
I guess I'm just interested in what other things jacket junkies care about and what they don't. Helps out my own obsession into perspective.

@Edward must be cross Atlantic brothers! Not only does the ritual and the DE classic wet shave give me as you put it a zen, it’s quite expensive upfront but saves so much in the long run. Buuuuttt I also shave my head and tried using a safety razor or slant on my head twice and both times left my head a bloody pulp and said it’s not worth the pain and looking like this! So I use a Gillette fusion and regular shaving cream on my head still. If I get the odd nick now it’s becsuse I’ve gotten so goood and fast at it, it’s becsuse I’m overconfident and so fast I’ll cut too fast and say damn.

- lastly and quickly what blades do you use? I recently made the switch from a safety to a slant... the technique and cut is ever so slightly different and my current brand isn’t so killer for slant and open to suggestions.

Now this is one GM car where they got it right back in the day and you could actually drive. And I did. A lot. Back on topic, if you can't use it doesn't matter how much you wanted it. So buy what works cost aside.

Some guys posted about sports cars. HD posted his awesome Charger (?).

I would love a classic muscle car. A Mach 1 Mustang or a Chavelle convertible, or a Cutless convertible, but I couldn't live with LHD in a country where everyone drives on the wrong side of the road. It's why I went for British cars.

Big J said:

Some guys posted about sports cars. HD posted his awesome Charger (?).

I would love a classic muscle car. A Mach 1 Mustang or a Chavelle convertible, or a Cutless convertible, but I couldn't live with LHD in a country where everyone drives on the wrong side of the road. It's why I went for British cars.

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My dad owns a 1967 Ford Fairlane GTA. I’ll try and grab a picture or two for the muscle car lovers here.

Big J said:

@Edward,
Yeah, I just find that flying is a big stress; airports, and lines, and waiting, and the whole place looks like a mall, and then everybody is kind of stressed and it just feels pretty negative to me. It's all just so...'MacDonalds'. When I fly business class the whole experience is quicker, smoother, and in some small way gets back some of that golden era glamor. Kind of like 'orient express' version of flying. I can imagine how glamorous flying must have been back in the era of the original jet set.

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I hear you on that.

These days I can't go anywhere without my phone, so I don't need a watch. If I buy I watch, it'll really be more like buying jewelry, which is why it keeps getting bumped as a non-priority. And because it's really just jewelry, I want an iconic design that says something about history and culture (or something like that).

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I think a lot of folks have replaced their watches with a mobile phone. When I'm at my desk, the handiest clock is the one on my pc screen, though away from it I stick habitually to the watch. I supposed I've been wearing a watch daily for well over thirty years now, so it's habit as much as anything. I use the phone time to keep the mechanical watch accurate, but rarely in and of itself. My nephew is twelve now, and he's the tech generation totally - owns a watch but never wears it...

Luckily, the Japanese are alcoholics, so tax on alcohol here is very low. When I was in London a couple of years ago, I was shocked at the prices of drinks. Scotch whiskey is cheaper here than it is in the U.K. because of the tax system. Seems most unfair.

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The craziest-priced here is the American Bourbon (I'm not even sure I regard it as quite Whiskey, it's its own thing...). Jack Daniels in particular has a fashionability as a label that for me has slunk into self-parody; I suspect it sells more merchandising that it does actual JD these days. It's routinely more expensive than anything else here, and, well... just not that great. Jim Beam is a far superior product, of the American stuff. My preference tends to be Irish, but the Japanese are making some outstanding whiskeys these days.

dannyk said:

@Edward must be cross Atlantic brothers! Not only does the ritual and the DE classic wet shave give me as you put it a zen, it’s quite expensive upfront but saves so much in the long run. Buuuuttt I also shave my head and tried using a safety razor or slant on my head twice and both times left my head a bloody pulp and said it’s not worth the pain and looking like this! So I use a Gillette fusion and regular shaving cream on my head still. If I get the odd nick now it’s becsuse I’ve gotten so goood and fast at it, it’s becsuse I’m overconfident and so fast I’ll cut too fast and say damn.

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Yeah, much the same - except I gave up on the Fusion very quickly, and stick to the Mach 3. The Fusion with so many blades used to clog up too quickly with me, and it wasn't noticeably a better shave. I have a nice handle I bought for it, and the cartridges I buy in bulk on Amazon for about a pound each. (Though tbh as often I pick up a bag of disposable two-blade Bics that, with a little more care, do the job as well for pennies, if not as nice to use.)

lastly and quickly what blades do you use? I recently made the switch from a safety to a slant... the technique and cut is ever so slightly different and my current brand isn’t so killer for slant and open to suggestions.

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Mostly Derby when I buy them online (from Shavingshack.com in the UK), though I've also used Merkur and even Sainsbury's Supermarket's own brand. I find them all much of a muchness, perfectly decent shave. I only make two mistakes with regularity:

1] leaning too hard on a blade that's just new...

2] getting lazy with my head and shaving after four days - always makes it tougher.

Edward said:

I hear you on that.



I think a lot of folks have replaced their watches with a mobile phone. When I'm at my desk, the handiest clock is the one on my pc screen, though away from it I stick habitually to the watch. I supposed I've been wearing a watch daily for well over thirty years now, so it's habit as much as anything. I use the phone time to keep the mechanical watch accurate, but rarely in and of itself. My nephew is twelve now, and he's the tech generation totally - owns a watch but never wears it...



The craziest-priced here is the American Bourbon (I'm not even sure I regard it as quite Whiskey, it's its own thing...). Jack Daniels in particular has a fashionability as a label that for me has slunk into self-parody; I suspect it sells more merchandising that it does actual JD these days. It's routinely more expensive than anything else here, and, well... just not that great. Jim Beam is a far superior product, of the American stuff. My preference tends to be Irish, but the Japanese are making some outstanding whiskeys these days.




Yeah, much the same - except I gave up on the Fusion very quickly, and stick to the Mach 3. The Fusion with so many blades used to clog up too quickly with me, and it wasn't noticeably a better shave. I have a nice handle I bought for it, and the cartridges I buy in bulk on Amazon for about a pound each. (Though tbh as often I pick up a bag of disposable two-blade Bics that, with a little more care, do the job as well for pennies, if not as nice to use.)



Mostly Derby when I buy them online (from Shavingshack.com in the UK), though I've also used Merkur and even Sainsbury's Supermarket's own brand. I find them all much of a muchness, perfectly decent shave. I only make two mistakes with regularity:

1] leaning too hard on a blade that's just new...

2] getting lazy with my head and shaving after four days - always makes it tougher.

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I’ve heard great things about Feather and have owned Feathers and they are sharp and are great for safety but not my slant. I need something a little stiffer for that. I don’t know if youve ever used Feather and can compare to Derby but I’m definitely going to give Derby a go anyway. That name comes up a lot on blade searches. And I’ll leave this subject alone now as it’s not the sole purpose of this thread. Thank you very much @Edward !