Thread: $$ Cost of Startup $$

Cost of start-up? Nothing, well almost nothing as I had all I needed from decades ago when I used a real razor before going into the Army. Emerging from the Army, I decided that I needed to be more hirsute and grew a beard and that lasted for the intervening decades. I'm not sure of the horse-cart thing here so don't know if I found this site first or first decided to find my old razor and start with the straight shaving. But now we come to current circumstance where I, with what I assume to be glazed eyes, will look at a new or newly different item of shaving gear and drone in an acquistionally dulled disorderly monotone, "I need that, now; get that now."

Start-up costs? Nearly nothing. Maintenance costs? Probably beyond count. And the count mounts.

i plan on spending somewhere between 100 and 300 by the time i have everything to shave. btw hi im new. originally on the shave den. look forward to sharing my shave adventure with you guys!


King

Let's see.... I figure I've got about 40 years left to live on this planet if I'm lucky! To save money, I'm gonna buy myself all the Mach 3 blades I'll need for the rest of my life. I figure $2.00 a week ought to cover the blade costs by itself. So... $2.00 a week times 52 weeks a year times 40 years is $4160.00 and I didn't add the cost of canned foam or anything else. Now, if you WAIT and buy your blades a few months at a time, that cost is gonna go WAY up.

I'm pretty sure that as long as I stay away from 1 grand plus Maestro blades, I can pick up enough straights, brushes, creams, soaps, hones and whatnot else to last me way beyond 40 years and like I said, I never included the costs of anything else, only the blades for a Mach 3 in my initial calculations. Seems to me that straight shaving is a bloody bargain compared to the modern way of doing things.

$300.00 for hones,
$400.00 for 3 or 4 quite nice brushes
$300.00 for 6 reasonable nice ebay razors or 3 new razors of acceptable quality.
$200.00 for 3 or 4 strops
= $1200.00, leaving $2960.00 for soaps/creams/aftershaves and whatever else you desire and like I said, the Mach 3 scenario didn't include the costs of soaps/creams/canned foam or aftershaves. Add that and I'd say you're a fool with your money not to go with straights and high end shaving creams, soaps and aftershaves.

So yeah, Gillette sucks you in with a lower startup cost but they'll get you in the end.

My two cents worth...


Kaptain "I always reach for a calculator" Zero

This is one pastime/art/experience/hobby or anything else you want to call it that truly offers both ends of the spectrum and anything in between in relation to cost. Criminy, a properly honed razor can be stropped on newspaper! That's the one end of the spectrum. The other end is pretty much limitless, thousands, tens of thousands of dollars and can pretty much consume every available spare thought. I don't want to say where I'm at money wise into this since last year. Do as I say (start cheap), not as I do.

Chris L

I'm still waiting for everything to ship (newbie here), but it looks like my initial investment's around... $120ish, for a shave-ready razor (from here), a beginner's strop, a sampler of soaps, and a cheapish brush. I'm planning to get a stone eventually, once I figure out how to use the razor without killing myself.

I figure, if I work out the honing, I can succumb to RAD, but just get cheap, old, dull razors and work them up to sharp and shiny (in theory), which would work much better on a student's income.

Originally Posted by Abraxel

I'm still waiting for everything to ship (newbie here), but it looks like my initial investment's around... $120ish, for a shave-ready razor (from here), a beginner's strop, a sampler of soaps, and a cheapish brush. I'm planning to get a stone eventually, once I figure out how to use the razor without killing myself.

I figure, if I work out the honing, I can succumb to RAD, but just get cheap, old, dull razors and work them up to sharp and shiny (in theory), which would work much better on a student's income.

I'd kick that up just a hair. I think even a beginner will want both a hanging strop and a paddle strop to sweeten a blade. You could go for a 4-sided paddle with a plain leather side, but I like my hanging strop with canvas in parallel with the 2-sided pasted paddle.

Without something to sweeten a blade every now and again, you're setting yourself up for a purchase down the line, or maybe even a less than satisfying experience.

This stuff is complex enough. You want to give yourself the best chance of success.

Originally Posted by ScottS

I'd kick that up just a hair. I think even a beginner will want both a hanging strop and a paddle strop to sweeten a blade. You could go for a 4-sided paddle with a plain leather side, but I like my hanging strop with canvas in parallel with the 2-sided pasted paddle.

Without something to sweeten a blade every now and again, you're setting yourself up for a purchase down the line, or maybe even a less than satisfying experience.

This stuff is complex enough. You want to give yourself the best chance of success.

It definitely seems like a good call to use a pasted paddle. I've already ordered the hanging strop, so I'll probably be getting a 2-sided paddle eventually (I'll wait a bit for the finances to catch up, but it will probably still count under the initial investment). The 4-sided all-purpose strop looks awesome, but it'll have to wait a bit, until I decide I really really want one.

Speaking of pasted strops, I'm not too clear on the process. How often should I use one? What kind of paste? How exactly do I do it? This is one facet of shaving that I haven't seen much instruction on so far. Is there a thread or website someone might be able to point me to so I don't hijack this thread?

Edit: I could have sworn I seached for this the same way just hours ago and got nothing, but this is just what I was looking for: http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=17886

I only see one thing missing

Learning to shave with three inches of the worlds sharpest steel = $$ Priceless

Bob

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

$4160.00 and I didn't add the cost of canned foam or anything else. Now, if you WAIT and buy your blades a few months at a time, that cost is gonna go WAY up.

Ah...I love math. Now I can Afford anything I want!!!

Heh... I just checked the current prices on cartridges in the local grocery store here... worked out to $4.00 a blade... I never got more than 5 or 6 comfortable shaves out of a Mach 3 blade... so I guess you could double my estimate to a little over 8 grand for me!

Regards

Kaptain "Anyone got the number for Shaptons ordering line?!?! " Zero