In the long run is buying pre shave cream, shave cream, strop, and a straight razor more affordable than dual blade razors + new blades + shaving cream?
In the long run is buying pre shave cream, shave cream, strop, and a straight razor more affordable than dual blade razors + new blades + shaving cream?
I think it could be more affordable, but it certainly has not been for me. That is not why I started with a straight razor, however, and for me ranks well down the list in the possible motivations for it.
If you can stick to one or two razors, sure, that's very rare around these parts though.
It could have proven more affordable for me too but I found there is a lot more fun just around the corner and down that slippery road.:gl:Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
As mentioned already, if a person can limit their acquisitions to the bare necessities, over the long haul it will be cheaper to shave with a straight razor than with the cartridge or twin blade disposables. After the initial investment it would take a few years of sticking with it to begin to be ahead of the game. If a young person stuck with it for a lifetime, into old age, they would be far ahead dollar wise.
I'd venture to say that most of the men on this board get into it and it becomes a hobby, if not an obsession. So like any other hobby, the money spent is part of pursuing the hobby and is enjoyable, unlike grabbing your can of goo and your disposable Gillette. If it is approached as a hobby it will probably cost far more but we're paying for a passion, not a burdensome chore. IME. :)
Jimmy's right on!!
I could say I've saved money with straights, but I could only say that if I'd previously been shaving with a nice late model pickup. :shrug:
If you're prone to taking everything to an obsession, Look Out!!! :D
Regards,
Howard :)
It definitely would be cheaper than using a Gillette Fusion, and would be break even in about a year if you could limit yourself to one or two used razors, one strop and bargain soap and something to refresh an edge. For me it's about the shave quality, using something old and very cool and not filling landfills with used blades and or cartridges. Double edges are cheaper and the the break even point would be longer unless you would start collection DE razors
Theoretically a razor if properly cared for can last for generations, I have several in my rotation that are 150-190 years old.
Mach 3 at Walmart run about $3 each x 52 = $156
Edge at Walmart = about $3 per can x 12 = $36
So you are at about $195 per year for average shave equipment..
Plus you tossed out 52 razors and 12 cans :(
You can adjust that up or down depending on tastes...
This is all based on average users it is not an exact science, but you can do the figuring for what you have been doing for a few years and figure it out... Remember you have to figure it as just "shaving" not as a "hobby" for cost comparisons...
I am not figuring anything but costs to the wallet here, not the costs to your skin
two ways to look at this:Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMat
1. You (and/or SWMBO) are not committed to the idea and are looking for "justification".
2. "Hey lookit my close shave, i did it with a straight razor and I SAVED SO MUCH MONEY!"
Said No One Ever.
In the case of #1. Hey if you're not really interested, don't mess with it. A DE will give great results and you don't _have_ to strop. Save up for a barber shave now and then.
#2. Reality, it's much more about the doing than the economics of the doings. One man can shave forever with one blade, one soap, one strop (with a method refreshing (paste or barber hone)). That seems economical-but like anything else in this world, one can spend as much on it as he cares to spend.
#3. I wouldn't return to multi-blade shaving if the "razors" and goo were FREE OF ANY CHARGE EVER!
I think some other folks share that emotion.
When you say "dual razor blades" do you mean old style DE safety or disposable Gillette Sensor Excel type blades?Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMat
A few things to consider here. Start up costs for straight razor shaving are high, but if you can control the related acquisition disorders then over the span of a lifetime it is cheaper than using cartridge systems. However, DE would be hard to beat cost-wise, considering the very low cost of blades. It would take many many years to catch up to cost using a DE vs a SR. JMHO.
As for soaps/creams, it might seem like a steep price at first when comparing traditional products over canned goo, but you can buy mid-priced products that really aren't that much more than a can of Gillette that will a) last MUCH longer and b) are better for your skin. So in that regards you actually save money buying, say, a puck of Tabac.
As said above it could be cheaper- but not for most of us here; I for one have spent more on shaving equipment this
past month than some one using cart-n-goo would spend in 5 years.
If you got a $150 starter set with a razor, strop and hone that's equal to about 48 (or so) fusion blades. That's a years supply. If you were to use that same razor and not require any more shaving stuff you would start saving money after 1 year of using a straight..
Do to RAD, SAD, BAD, HAD and STRAD it is hard to stick with just a basic set.
Nothing beats a BIC disposable (or true-compatible) for "Shaving Private Ryan".Quote:
Originally Posted by WadePatton
:gaah: ...and the award for the 2013 SRP Groaner of the Year Award goes to.... JBHoren!Quote:
Originally Posted by JBHoren
The prize, ironically, is a BIC disposable :roflmao
LMAO yea at this rate of saving money over the multi blade Gillete disposable I should go broke any day now. I've feat the responses and the all say "But". Now if you really want to save coin just get a DE, shave brush and a puck of soap.
well yeah, _any_ DE does, if you're not ready for SR in that app.Quote:
Originally Posted by JBHoren
____
and whilst we're on "economy" of shaving. DE blades can be stropped and honed if you like.
yes,Quote:
Originally Posted by rmagnus
Puck of Colgate/Wms, a dollar or two.
Supermarket brush, 8 bucks
10-pack blades, 2 bucks
Used DE from antique store 20 bucks (i never paid that much).
Used coffee cup and cereal bowl and towel...free.
If you get good with a DE and then don't want to SR shave...no probs, DE will get the job done and you don't have to mess with hones and strops, but you can still play with all the pre/post shave goops and lotions that your heart desires. And get a better shave.
I found learning DE shaving to be a great step-in learning "touch" and technique BEFORE going whole-hog SR.
Yesterday I shaved with my last new to me W&B that I honed up. WOW seems like each one I pick up shaves better than the last. Today I broke out the DE because I needed a quick shave. It's just too easy. I'm still learning with the SR most likely always will but the DE makes me wonder why I ever dropped it for the disposable cartridge razors. Noing wrong with a DE they provide great shaves. I just love the satisfaction from a great SR shave.
Maybe, it depends on the razors and products you currently use and the razors and products you intend to buy.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMat
The cheapest balance between quality and price would probably be with a shavette. Cheaper setup than a straight, and no need to buy strops, pastes, hones etc.
I started off like that for a couple of years, then I wanted to try out a straight, then I wanted another so I wouldn't need to get it honed as often. Then I got another one because I wanted to try a smaller width. Then another because of the point. Then a couple more because they looked nice. I'm also going to buy a wapi and a W&B in two weeks or so because I've heard good things about them and want to try them out.
I think it would've been cheaper for me to have carried on using the plastic abominations that women use for shaving their legs, but it's too late now.
I don't use a pre-shave cream.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMat
As for the rest, it all depends what you buy and how you go about it. Get your kit from AOS and you will recoup your money, but only after several years. Buy smart, and buy once, and you could be paying yourself back in a matter of months.
My cheapest vintage razor was about $20, almost shave ready. I was able to get it DFS ready with a Spyderco knife sharpening kit I already had (not recommended by most).
The cheapest strop I have bought was $39 delivered. A nice 3" leather/felt combination.
My Brush was expensive, but that was before I knew about SRP. Now I know that terrific brushes are available for not many dollars. So lets say $30.
Bowl...IKEA breakfast cereal bowl $6.
Barber's hone from evilBay, $30 for a Swaty.
So all in about $125 for everything but the Shave Cream.
Shave creams, last I bought was TOOB Sandalwood. Has lasted me quite awhile, so long I can't tell ya when I bought it. This stuff is so rich a tiny dab goes a long way. I would say compared to canned gel it will save you money.
I think you could pay yourself back in about a year at that price. It's been so long since I bought a cartridge blade I can't remember how much I paid and how long it lasted. I can tell you I never went for that crazy 5 blade crap. I think I stopped at 3. Then I went back to disposable singles before finally discovering SR's.
I would also add the price of a DE razor (mine was a vintage for about $40). Only because there are going to be times you won't/can't shave with your SR (traveling, rushed for time)
The only way this works to save money though is to continue to look at shaving as a chore. Once you begin to enjoy shaving your profit will diminish. You'll start to get good at shaving and then start chasing the BBS. Then you'll wonder why you can't get it. "Must be this darn cheap razor I bought, I'll buy a better one". Then:"Oh, I have two, now I have to get a 7 day set." You'll wind up with 7 mismatched razors. Then you'll start seeking out other blades by the same maker. Next thing you know you're here asking if you have too many razors...
You will sit at work, and stroke your growing whiskers thinking "tonight, tonight you will fall"
Your SO will look at you like you are crazy at first, but eventually she will be bragging about how her husband "shaves like a man".
You will begin blocking out 30 minutes of solitude for yourself. You'll walk to your razor cabinet and puzzle over which one to use today. The Dubl Duck you just restored? No, I just shaved with that last week. How about the family Name Beckher that you painstakingly sought out, depinned, cleaned and honed? Oh, yes, that was nice last time you used that one, about a month ago. No, this time it will be the old Sheffield wedge. You remember, the one that took you hours of patience and diligence to get to a fine edge. This one, this one doesn't sing like your 7/8 Solingen. But those Honey Horn scales you made to replace the broken ones balance this big boy quite well. It mows down whiskers with hardly a sound. Oh, but then there's that nice Japanes Kamisori your best friend bought you for your 50th. Wonder how Bob is doing. That's it, tonight we shave in Honor of Bob.
You proceed with your ritual. Stropping, First on cloth, then on leather . Running hot water,heating your bowl. Placing your items in their spots. Dry rag here, damp rag there, brush stand at 1 o'clock on the sink.
You will take your shower, as hot as you can stand it, drenching your face. You'll dry off and stand before your tools. Calmed, peaceful. Soaking the brush in the hot water, shaking it out and dipping it ever so slightly in the cream. You tip the water out of the bowl in a manner that once was calculated to allow for the proper amount of remaining water, but now has become routine you no longer need to count. You methodically begin swirling your brush in the bowl, small circles at first, painting the cream onto the bottom of the bowl. You increase the speed and rhythm of your swirls, watching the foam rise. Superior lather in under a minute. Ahhh, still warm as you lather your face. You draw the blade down your face, neck, upper lip, chin, paying attention to the sound, the feel, the line. WTG, XTG. Shall I try ATG today? Sure, why not, I have time. More lather. More strokes, maybe a different angle this time.
You complete your shave by cleaning your tools and your work area. Rinsing, wiping, drying. First the blade, then the brush, then the bowl. Then the sink. You rinse and dry your face, and splash on some of that good old Bay Rum your Barber just ordered in for you.
You dress. Then you take your razor to the strop for some drying passes. thinking about how well it went. What went wrong. Did it sting too much? Maybe you'll have to freshen this one on the hone. No sting? BBS? It's shame you won't be shaving with this one again for another month or two. You take it over to your storage case, placing it on top, partially open, letting it dry it out for good before putting it to rest in its' place.
Will Straight shaving save you any money? I hope not.
Agree with Ryan and also, the wet shaving method of using real soaps and creams will give you a much better shave than the canned foam.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan82
On affordability, I can make a pretty good case. I bought my last cartridge blades (Mach 3 etc) in 2006, when I first found this site and straight razors. Since then, I've purchased:
* a new Dovo 5/8 for about $65
* a used Wester Bros Fraternity 5/8 on eBay for about $30
* a new Norton 4k/8k waterstone for about $70
* an Illinois #206 strop for about $30
* a new Merkur double-edged for about $50
* a handful of packs of blades for same
Most of my creams/soaps and my good brush were Christmas and birthday presents. So, over 7 years, I think I can safely say I've saved money by ditching the cartridges. But much more importantly, I've had _a lot of good shaves_, and have enjoyed learning to shave and to keep and hone my tools.
I'm likely to go nuts at some point and splurge on some beautiful, high-quality straights. Maybe soon! But you can definitely have a long-lasting great experience with a simple kit and time to learn.
I think if you know what you are doing on your face, you can have a DFS with a cheap double edged plastic razor with two passes.
A pack of 10 double edged plastic razors are about 0,5 GBP in any supermarket. A cheap mixed bristle brush is about 10 GBP delivered, and it will last for a looong time for you. I live in Hungary. Here, the cheapest shaving cream costs 1 GBP and it lasts for about 2 months. As a bowl, I use an old cereal bowl, so it was "free".
So I repeat: if you know what you are doing on you face, you can get 5 DFS (2 passes) shaves out of a plastic razor.
That makes per year:
- 8 packs of plastic razors: 4 GBP
- 6 tubes of shaving cream: 6 GBP
- 0,3 brush: 3 GBP
All together: 13 GBP per year = about 21 dollars
I can have a DFS shave in two passes with this setup. I need nothing else. Only downside is, that I have already acquired stuff worth hundreds of dollars (DE razors, straight razors, brushes, strops, etc) till I got to this level and knowledge about shaving and almost two years of continuous experimentation and hundreds of hours of reading all about it.
My conclusion is that it doesn't matter which road you choose, it will cost you a lot anyway.
You need to find out what you enjoy most and follow that path. Nothing else matters.
Cheers :-)