Thread: Function vs. Aesthetics (poll for newbies)

I voted 75% function 25 Aestetics

In the first place a razor should shave very well... but I did get a buzzz when I got a razor back that had been cleaned up quite a bit..

And I'm not insensitive to brand names.. I sure want a Henckels someday..a Boker or a double duck will do fine as well.

I also like an old vintage because of it character, its hone wear, its pitting, in short its history. . So a razor that has history doesnt need to look perfect.. I like it better imperfect.

Maarten

Hmmm. As with most everything I acquire, the functional bar is set very near the top. THEN aesthetics are very important. Not sure how to answer the poll

I'm not sure how to vote either. First and foremost, it MUST funtion. And function VERY WELL. Or I will not keep it, no matter what it looks like. BUT, I will, and often do pay dearly for better aesthetics.

I didn't vote and I am an example of what Gugi said,"I'll probably run the same poll in another section for more senior members and see if things are changing."

When I got with this I bought mint razors and grungy ones. I liked a shiny perfect razor but if it had corrosion or other cosmetic faults I didn't worry about it. Only the edge mattered.

Now I find myself reading archived threads in the workshop and looking at sandpaper and dremel polishing kits. I have quite a few to practice on and I may start to clean some of my herd up.

Now that I have a relatively large collection of straights I am becoming much more discriminating when looking at razors to add to the collection.

I voted 50-50.

A razor has to have a certain "look" that appeals to me, a certain flow of the lines of the razor.

That said, if the razor doesn't feel smooth, and shave close, fuggetaboutit...

I voted 60 function 40 looks. It has to work cause I am mostly practical, but I would be lying if I said I didn't care out it looks. Looks, however, are subjective. While I have to admit that a damascus style blade is pretty sweet I typically like the older and simpler looking blades with some interesting/intricate engraving on either the blade or scales. So I don't think the $400 blades are necessarily the prettiest. Not that there's anything wrong with them

i'm so typical in these polls. 75% function, 25% aesthetics.

for me, if i was to spend a lot of money on a razor it would be all about how well it held an edge and how well it shaved and if it was a quality product that would last. i like the looks of lots of razors but the flashier they get the less likely i would be to use them. i put the 25% because i will admit that i bought a W&B initially because i thought it looked cool ($15 at an antique shop and i now have it shaving great). looks are good but not essential.

to me it's like motorcycles. MV Agusta F1000s are beautiful, fast, sound good, but can cost $70 000 and truthfully don't out perform a Suzuki GSXR 1000 that runs about $14 000. so which would i buy? if i was rich i know which one, but i'm not. BTW the MV is the bike that Bruce Wayne rides in the Dark Knight, not the bat cycle though.

75% functition, 25% cosmetics but it's more like 80:20. I do love the way they look though.

Originally Posted by gugi

would you pay say double the price for a razor to have scales made of wood/horn or even more for ivory or carbon fiber, instead of the more common plastic.

Yes I would, without hesitating.

Aesthetics of my razors is extremely important to me. I want the tiniest little detail (for example whether the pin is uniformly spread over the washer or not) to be perfect.

That said, just equally important is the fact that the razor has to shave very well. After all, that's its primary purpose and the reason I'm buying razors in the first place. I would not want to collect nice looking dull razors.

Err, wait a minute, did I say "collect"?! I only started using straights 3 weeks ago! How come I own 7 already!?

Not sure how to vote on your poll as there is no option "I want both function and aesthetics".

I would have to say 50/50. I definitely want a razor that works very well, but I want it to look equally good.