If you could go back in time what would you change?

[Steve]

What I'd like to change is my weakness for getting totally immersed in projects which actually don't move my life forwards. Acquiring shaving gear took quite a lot of time and money out of my life which would have been much better spent on more meaningful activities. I love creative projects - it's a weakness. But I need to separate the ones that really matter from those that are just chasing butterflies.

You're right. Butchering prostitutes is very time-consuming.

 

[Wayne]

I try, I try.
To be honest ever since the mobile phones acquired the ability to suggest T9 and full dictionary word replacement I still get emails and SMS from people usng shrt txt cuz they cnt b bothrd 2 typ. That just gets my goat. To me investing a bit of time in writing/typing is a way of addressing people with civility and respect.

Well said Sir.

 

[Steve]

Well said Sir.

Well spelt, sir.

 

[MichaelS]

Straight razors: no regrets (even though in triple figures!), I have my favourites (Swedes and Japanese) but I enjoy the restoration, honing and history of others too much also. I get attached to them and can't bring myself to sell
Straight razor hones: no regrets, have a synthetic set which does the job but I enjoy the variety/history of naturals too. High prices on the latter (especially Jnats) have kept me on the straight and narrow to some extent.
Safety razors: regret getting into vintage Gillette, not because there's anything wrong with them (on the contrary) but I just didn't use them (straights took over). All sold apart from the lockable prison Psycho (no jokes please ). I also have the steel Feather DE and the original Mongoose SE - but hardly use them too. I hesitated about keeping the Pils, but having to use a different angle finally got on my nerves
Brushes: regret buying ones with glue bumps and sold them all (but hard to know over the internet apart from Paladin). Down to two Plissons HMW/horn, Simpsons Major and Simpsons Chubby 2 synthetic. Paladin is on the radar.....
Soaps: regret buying too many scented soaps, so much easier to add scent at the end of the shave and you can't possibly buy sets of everything! Now only use unscented: Valobra (still have a stash), MdC, Haslinger and Wickham.
Aftershave: just Meißner Tremonia Pure (unscented), same comment about scented.
Balm: Meißner Tremonia Pure (unscented), same comment.
Fragrance: regret the ones I bought at the beginning because I was impressed by the big brand names (mainly overpowering French fashion house cologne variants), down to D.R. Harris Sandalwood and Acca Kappa 1869. Penhaligon's Endymion is on my radar....

 

[Koiguchi]

If you could start your shaving journey all over again today instead of months/years ago, what changes (if any) would you make.
With your accumulated knowledge, what gear would you purchase or avoid and how would you start again from a totally empty shave cabinet?

I would tell my old man to ditch the Super speed red tip, I used it once.