Thread: save money and conserve?

I heard the argument that classic wet shaving with a straight or DE razor will save money and conserve resources. I'm not sure if it conserves resources but we would have to get a whole lot of figures and statistics to figure that one out and I'm not quite up to it as of now. I was curious about how much money one would save though so I thought I'd make some comparisons (these figures are guaranteed to be all messed up because there are so many variables but I figured I'd give it a shot and you can feel free to make whatever comments you feel like making).

Now before I start I want to make one thing absolutely clear! I am not even almost considering going back to one of those multiple bladed monstrosities and I don't recommend that anybody else does either. I just felt that this particular argument wasn't all that accurate. I enjoyed shaving about as much as a trip to the dentist before I started this and now not only do I enjoy it but I'm frickin obsessed! I just think that people actually do this more as a hobby and because it brings some fun and a sense of pride to a daily activity.

alright, enough of the soap-box! lets get to it

Mach 3 w/ 3 blades $8.77
24 pack of blades on sale $35.95

-it is recommended that you change the blade every week so for the mach 3 and a year supply of blades at this cost we have $80.67

a 7 oz can of aveeno shaving gel costs $4 but I'm not sure how long it will last so I didn't include this

now everybody is different but here are some costs that I came up with for straight shaving

vulfix super badger brush $60
taylor of old bond street shaving cream $13.50
heirloom razor strop $50
norton 4k/8k waterstone $75
new dovo 5/8 carbon blade $60

total 258.50

Now this is higher but over time I'm thinking this would pay itself off as long as you stuck to what is on this list but I don't think anybody on this forum could do that.

when you throw in extra products like other soaps, creams, preshaves, aftershaves, more stones, more brushes, and more blades....

so my conclusion is that this would save money over time if one were to stick to the necessities but I think we are all addicts so this argument for saving money does not even almost apply in our case

actually a can of goo lasts for about a month. And some cans are more expensive than others....also blades are more expensive over here (more like $6 a piece almost)

and don't even get started on the Fusion blades and goo....those cost even more.

Once you have a nice stack of soaps etc (like I do now) you can last for AGES without buying something new.

I have't bought nything shaving related in almost six months now.

That's 26 mach 3 blades at (let's be kind) say $5 a piece makes $130 on blades and 6 cans of goo that I used to buy for around $6 a piece. That makes $166 dollars for half a year.

That's what I USED to pay in realism. So yeah...considering the $140 razor I bought a year ago....and the (somewhere around) $50 or so dollars of soap I have (both of which will last me more than a year) including the $40 strop, the $40 brush and the other $20 razor I have I'd say I'm WAAY ahead of the game.

I mean let's face it.

$270 for more than 3 year's of shaving with a straight (ok let's include stones and it'd be up to $300 or so)

or around $300 for a year? Methinnks my straight is winning this.

$6 a blade! Holy Jesus! You should've bought that s*^t online!

from what I here (although it sucks) the mach 3 does offer a close shave and was a pretty innovative design but the fusion pretty much brings nothing new to the table except more blades.

I do see that over time the gear would start paying for itself and maybe this buy everything I can possibly think of is just a phase that newbies go through.

Anywho, this was just for fun. I don't think anybody who has tried classic wetshaving with a straight or DE (I wouldn't say it is the recommended method but it's better than some of the alternatives) would go back. I don't see how anybody could go back to a can of goo after applying a lathering shaving cream or soap with a badger brush or go back to scraping 3 or 5 blades across your face after getting great results from 1.

If you use a boar bristle brush and palmolive or gilette shaving cream you'll save already $50 on your initial outlay methinks. Instead of a DOVO you can also buy a Wapienica razor at about $ 10.-- from SRP member Wojtec. They have the added advantage for a newb they're real easy to hone. It is not necessary to use top of the market creams and brushes to successfully shave w/ a str8. the razor, strop and stone will last you a life time so w/ an initial outlay of less than $200 you can get started. What makes str8 shaving real expensive is the highly contagious SRAAD (straight razor associated acquisition disorder).

Originally Posted by saladbar2000

I heard the argument that classic wet shaving with a straight or DE razor will save money and conserve resources. I'm not sure if it conserves resources but we would have to get a whole lot of figures and statistics to figure that one out and I'm not quite up to it as of now. I was curious about how much money one would save though so I thought I'd make some comparisons (these figures are guaranteed to be all messed up because there are so many variables but I figured I'd give it a shot and you can feel free to make whatever comments you feel like making).

Now before I start I want to make one thing absolutely clear! I am not even almost considering going back to one of those multiple bladed monstrosities and I don't recommend that anybody else does either. I just felt that this particular argument wasn't all that accurate. I enjoyed shaving about as much as a trip to the dentist before I started this and now not only do I enjoy it but I'm frickin obsessed! I just think that people actually do this more as a hobby and because it brings some fun and a sense of pride to a daily activity.

alright, enough of the soap-box! lets get to it

Mach 3 w/ 3 blades $8.77
24 pack of blades on sale $35.95

-it is recommended that you change the blade every week so for the mach 3 and a year supply of blades at this cost we have $80.67

a 7 oz can of aveeno shaving gel costs $4 but I'm not sure how long it will last so I didn't include this

now everybody is different but here are some costs that I came up with for straight shaving

vulfix super badger brush $60
taylor of old bond street shaving cream $13.50
heirloom razor strop $50
norton 4k/8k waterstone $75
new dovo 5/8 carbon blade $60

total 258.50

Now this is higher but over time I'm thinking this would pay itself off as long as you stuck to what is on this list but I don't think anybody on this forum could do that.

when you throw in extra products like other soaps, creams, preshaves, aftershaves, more stones, more brushes, and more blades....

so my conclusion is that this would save money over time if one were to stick to the necessities but I think we are all addicts so this argument for saving money does not even almost apply in our case

Just my $0.02

Although my argument has been officially shot down, I am still glad I wrote this thread. Most of the gear that I have purchased could probably last a lifetime if properly cared for. I'm saving money (even with a higher end soap or cream like one from the 3 Ts) since most of the shaving creams we use are super concentrated and when applied with a badger brush we're getting more lather with less cream. I'm getting better lather and the brush is doing several things for me that canned goo could never do right. Like I said before, I can't see 1 reason why anybody would go back if they just stuck it out and got the technique down.

Cheaper in the long run is ok by me but my reasons also run into the footprint left. All the cans, cartriges, packaging and stuff involved in the disposable lifestyle. I love the fact that straights are out there that have been around for over a houndred years and still useable. Infact I'm honeing a 200 year old so I can shave with it

I'm not a granola head by any meens but I also don't like the ammount of crap we dump, use up, wrap around stuff, just because it's easyer than doing it yourself.

Amazing what things come into focus when you look out the back door of you work to see the amounts a garbage that piles up everyday.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

also blades are more expensive over here (more like $6 a piece almost)

where have you been buying cartridges? $6 is a bit much, they're usually about $3.5 (per cartridge) in shops, if you buy a packet of eight.

As DwarvenChef said that is one of the reasons I did take this up. To Conserve the amounts of shite we place in our landfills and such from such a task. The Disposable razor inventor was a genius, EVIL genius really.

I feel that I am doing my part some ways more then others lol. But it is nice to get this accomplishment through sharpening and keeping things in good shape to keep YOU in good shape.

well i definately belive that my straight WILL last a life time and more who can buy just one?? i sure cant but maybe that is the impulse shopper in me or i just having choice in what i use, but yea i could never go back to those crappy razors that just cost way to much for the job that they do plus i am (as the chef so lightly put it) kind of a granola head and cant dont really like the waste that goes on so much these days. and the stuff in a can ewww, which reminds me im almost out of my shaving cream (good thing i go on leave in 5 days so wont be needing it for a bit) any suggestions on a soap/cream to go for next?

Originally Posted by bjrn

where have you been buying cartridges? $6 is a bit much, they're usually about $3.5 (per cartridge) in shops, if you buy a packet of eight.

I think you're confusing euro's for dollars now. When I was shaving with the M3 they were around 3.5-4 euro's a piece. That's almost $6 us dollars.

Besides...it doesn't matter. That's still TOO expensive.