Thread: It just hit me - one of the best things about Straight Shaving

I too have never had an ingrown hair, but they don't sound very pleasant. As for saving money not so much as my first silver wing set me back about four bills and the coti was another one and then the set of Norton's and then the Thuringian wasn't too cheap so saving money is not the main reason however, you have all missed a great advantage of straight razor shaving. No one's thought of the zombie apocalypse, if you're shaving and they break-in. What are you going to do with a mock three? Nothing, and with a straight you might stand a fighting chance. I'm just saying...

For me, it was never about saving money. It's about the passion for wet shaving and fueling the various ADs.

Who started this myth about this being about saving money? I'd like to hear from someone who is actually saving money after moving to straights. I think the "cost saving" line is for married guys to tell their wives. Very similar to "I will still respect you in the morning."

Then again, if someone were to stay away from SRP and all of the enablers here, it might be possible to save money. But what fun would that be?

I've saved money switching to straights, I'm almost sure of it, though I haven't kept track. Bought a Jones Manufacturing Co round-point and a Sheffield spike from an antiques store for about $15 each, a Norton 4000/8000 and a paddle strop and some chromium oxide for $85 from a Woodcrafter's and a nylon/leather strop from a beauty supply store for about $10 at least three years ago. I bought a $5 brush from Wal-mart and I most often use william's mug soap, and a spare coffee mug, which is like a dollar, and one puck will last me a good month. I will admit to using a tube of C.O. Bigelow recently, but the menthol was a bit strong for me, so I'll probably just stick with the puck since I like the scent and it gives good lather for the price if you put in a bit of effort. That's $151 spent on shaving since I've made the switch. Cartridges cost $10-$15 for a 4-pack, which is supposed to last 1-2 months. If you push it to three months, because you're a cheap bastard like me who will torture themselves a bit to save a nickle here and there, that's $40-$60 a year on just cartridges, or $120-$180 for those three years since I've switched. So I've either got about 30 more dollars to save before I break even, which will happen in about 9 months, or I'm about $30 up.

First I was interested in doing this to save money. It turns out I've spent about the same as using cartridges, but I still think it's money well spent. I have lots of cool razors. Shaving is pleasant now. I'm happy to spend the money that I spend on shaving now, instead of being pissed off. I think it's because I'm buying something that is personal, unique, works perfectly, was made by someone who cares about what they're doing. I'm not spending lots of money on something that was specifically designed to be thrown in the garbage. I feel like when you shave with cartridges, which are meant to become garbage, you are actually shaving with garbage.

And the bonus that I wasn't counting on when I started this: I used to get several ingrown hairs every week; but since I started using straights a year ago I haven't had one ingrown hair. Some might complain that using a straight takes longer, but that time is made up for by the time you save NOT having to dig infected hairs out of your face. And you're spared the red, infected marks on your face.

Using a straight doesn't have to be expensive, but it's so great that even when you let it become expensive, it's still worth every penny.

I agree with all of the above.

K. Prag. Congrats on being able to save money with the straights. I wasn't knocking anyone for keeping it that simple. I just wasn't sure that anyone was able to resist all the urges.

MinATX. I know what you mean. I never got into cartridges because I thought it was too expensive for something I hated using. I stuck with disposables. But now, the enjoyment of shaving more than justifies all the money I've spent on razors and other related items.

Six nipples, and Pragmatist, I kind of agree with both you I got back into straight shaving exclusively because I was outraged at a pack of cartridges costing 16 bucks, at which point I spent several hundred bucks trying to save money. Nothing about this make sense except for the fact that we all know how much fun it is. And as for the pragmatist, God bless you, how you managed to use save money is pretty amazing. Now that I have about 25 razors and three or four different kinds of soap. Maybe I can save some money too.

Oh, I drool over the razors and fantasize about the soaps and cremes too, I just don't buy 'em. Gives my relatives something to get me for birthdays and Christmas when I don't ask for clothes. I probably should get another razor soon too, since I've put some chips in the edge of my Sheffield spike trying to clean it up and rescale it and now I'm down to the Jones. It makes me sad too because that spike was my favorite shaver, easy to hone and never really gave me a bad shave, where the Jones one easily develops a foil edge and even when properly honed doesn't seem to keep its edge as long. Although I have to admit that when it is on form it does give better shaves than the spike did. I did get an Ultima Pro 150 for Christmas a couple of years ago, and I recently tried honing it, but that sucker is twisted or something. I can't get the bevel to set on one side of the toe, the edge itself is uneven and the spine is wearing unevenly too just from the bevel-setting I've attempted.

It's easier to save money on shaving if you use a straight than if you use cartridges or electrics, because ultimately, you have more control over what you have to buy to get the job done. You really only need a razor, a hone, a strop and a brush and mug, after that, you only need to buy soap, an alum block/styptic pencil and aftershave regularly. It's also easier to spend more money using a straight than using cartridges and electrics if you give into Acquisition Disorder. That's one of the other great things about straight shaving, it gives you more control, not just over your shave, but your pocketbook too.

On a serious note: it's easy to remain oblivious to the scores of people who log on here for meet 'n greet, purchase a bit and then retreat into obscurity, using their gear and never really bothering in the discussions, hence never tempted to purchase or brought to think of their shave dens as inadequate (which they may not have, either). They just trudge on wiping hairs 'n lather off their private faces. Their "kind" will always be poorly represented in the internet forum shaving communities. I kind of respect them for it, not in disrespect of us, just for their utilitarian accomplishment.