Have you tried any cartridge razor newer than 30 years old?
Ten cents per blade!
Like this?
http://cdn.calisphere.org/data/20775/88/bb06153188/files/bb06153188-ark-20775-bb06153188-1-3.jpg
The only thing cheap about using a safety razor are the blades
- Thread starter Capri142
- Start date
Have you tried any cartridge razor newer than 30 years old?
Ten cents per blade!
Like this?
http://cdn.calisphere.org/data/20775/88/bb06153188/files/bb06153188-ark-20775-bb06153188-1-3.jpg
Same here. I also didn't like the idea of putting all those cartridges in the garbage / landfill. I get a better shave and less irritation on my neck. It also looks like I actually shaved (I still remember those days of AFJROTC when the NCOIOC would as "did you shave this morning?").
How much is enjoyment worth for that I need to do everyday worth to me?
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X2 for me.For some of us, switching to a DE was a matter of necessity. The reason being cartridges were completely incompatible with our faces. In hindsight, it was likely a combination of my terrible prep, product, and aftershave routines that ruined my face, but cartridges still give me really bad ingrowns no matter what prep, product, or aftershave I use to this day. Nothing short of chemical exfoliants can prevent the ingrowns I get with cartridges, and there are many people out there like me.
Is DE/SE shaving cheaper? It can be. You can get by with almost no investment and $20 a year easy... if your face can handle it or you don't think of shaving as a hobby. If it's purely business, then you will want purely results. I tip my hat at minimalists for that reasoning. Personally, it's an activity most of us do every day for upwards of 1/48 of our day (or close to 1/32 of our waking hours) and will continue to for most of our lives, so I think it's fair to invest a certain amount in it to make it enjoyable. There are too many activities we are forced to do daily that are monotonous or miserable, so taking time to make one of them anticipated and a pleasure is priceless to me.
An example: I pif'd my stepfather 100 shark chromes and an old ball-end tech I got for free as an add-on and he loves it. He's been shaving with his old Gillette foam he got 3 for $6 at walmart and uses no aftershave. His face can handle anything and his hair is very soft--he'll get 8 shaves off of a blade and used to use cartridges for a month straight. Monetarily, he probably spends less than $10 a year on shaving... closer to $15 if you count the blades. I imagine he'll be an arko user with the Omega 49 I got him when his foam runs out. It's just something he needs to do, not enjoy.
Moral of the story: YMMV.The moral to every story here on B&B
My dad says "get into the modern world and shave with an electric." I just walk away shaking my head.
Well, of course I haven't saved money--not while there's still new soaps to check out. 
But I could never get more than four shaves out of any cart without tearing up my face, and even multiple-pass shaves weren't that good.
Much happier now.
But I could never get more than four shaves out of any cart without tearing up my face, and even multiple-pass shaves weren't that good.
Much happier now.
I knew from Day One that I wasn't in this to save money. I was in it to get better shaves -- which, of course, I do. 
For some of us, switching to a DE was a matter of necessity. The reason being cartridges were completely incompatible with our faces. In hindsight, it was likely a combination of my terrible prep, product, and aftershave routines that ruined my face, but cartridges still give me really bad ingrowns no matter what prep, product, or aftershave I use to this day. Nothing short of chemical exfoliants can prevent the ingrowns I get with cartridges, and there are many people out there like me.
Is DE/SE shaving cheaper? It can be. You can get by with almost no investment and $20 a year easy... if your face can handle it or you don't think of shaving as a hobby. If it's purely business, then you will want purely results. I tip my hat at minimalists for that reasoning. Personally, it's an activity most of us do every day for upwards of 1/48 of our day (or close to 1/32 of our waking hours) and will continue to for most of our lives, so I think it's fair to invest a certain amount in it to make it enjoyable. There are too many activities we are forced to do daily that are monotonous or miserable, so taking time to make one of them anticipated and a pleasure is priceless to me.
An example: I pif'd my stepfather 100 shark chromes and an old ball-end tech I got for free as an add-on and he loves it. He's been shaving with his old Gillette foam he got 3 for $6 at walmart and uses no aftershave. His face can handle anything and his hair is very soft--he'll get 8 shaves off of a blade and used to use cartridges for a month straight. Monetarily, he probably spends less than $10 a year on shaving... closer to $15 if you count the blades. I imagine he'll be an arko user with the Omega 49 I got him when his foam runs out. It's just something he needs to do, not enjoy.
Moral of the story: YMMV.
+1, I do save to a point, Arko is my weekday soap, on the weekends I "splurge" with a rotation of EJ, Proraso, cella, and TOBS, not expensive soaps, but a bit of luxury on my days off, I don't consider this extravagant at all, and even the guys who go all out, at least they are having fun, wasting money on and trying to make. carts last is not enjoyable at all.
Personally I shaved with a single cart for a month or more easily using just water and I never had irritation really. The shaves weren't as close and I hated doing it though so I'm not saving any money but it's my favorite part of my day.
Have you tried any cartridge razor newer than 30 years old?
Ten cents per blade!
Like this?
Yes, exactly. I am an elderly citizen of Papua, New Guinea and I shave with a clam shell.
For me, the key is "hobby." I enjoy this. After an intensive year of experimentation, I pretty much have my rotation. But I PIFed whatever did not work for me, and now enjoy sharing what does work for me as PIFs.
As much as I enjoy shaving now, the best part is a whole new group of friends with whom I can converse about almost anything...role-playing games, fine art, fountain pens, cooking, after shaves, knives...holy moley but I have a good time here.
As much as I enjoy shaving now, the best part is a whole new group of friends with whom I can converse about almost anything...role-playing games, fine art, fountain pens, cooking, after shaves, knives...holy moley but I have a good time here.
Clam shell? I'll have to try that. The shard of flint I usually use is getting dull, and plucking is getting more painful as I age.
I have to disagree with your thread, if only to show some new people to this that it can save money.
If you consider the initial investment and then average it out over time it is significantly cheaper. Not even close actually. What tends to happen, however, is that a lot of people don't have self-restraint and the initial investment turns into about 5 or more initial investments for equipment they don't need. I did get wrapped up in a bout of acquisition disorder when I first started in order to find what setup works best for me. However, I was able to sell almost all of the excess off. After I settled on what my daily routine was, I bunkered in and stuck with it. Price comparison:
-Merkur 12c razor - around $40 five years ago. Use it every time, don't need to buy another razor.
-VdH Deluxe soap - Still using pucks from two 12 packs I bought on Amazon about 5 years ago (<$20/12 pack). Each puck lasts me multiple months. Beyond dirt cheap compared to the $3-$4 can of shaving gel I used to buy >1x/month before I started this.
-Astra SP blades - Bought a bulk supply about five years ago at $0.09/blade that will literally last me multiple, multiple decades. I use each blade for exactly 5 shaves and only use Astra SP to shave with. This is ridiculously cheap compared to the $3/cartridge that I was using before. I only used each cartridge also for about 5 shaves.
I haven't calculated it out, but the amount of savings I'm getting is easily hundreds of dollars per year. But, I don't buy new things I don't need. I literally use the same thing every day and have for years. I haven't bought razor blades or soap for close to 5 years. On top of that, I still use the same brush and razor that I bought 5 years ago.
If you see this as a hobby, and constantly buy new equipment then you won't save money. If you see it as just another way to shave then you will save money because you will only buy what you need. Neither way is correct, just whichever side you fall on.
If you consider the initial investment and then average it out over time it is significantly cheaper. Not even close actually. What tends to happen, however, is that a lot of people don't have self-restraint and the initial investment turns into about 5 or more initial investments for equipment they don't need. I did get wrapped up in a bout of acquisition disorder when I first started in order to find what setup works best for me. However, I was able to sell almost all of the excess off. After I settled on what my daily routine was, I bunkered in and stuck with it. Price comparison:
-Merkur 12c razor - around $40 five years ago. Use it every time, don't need to buy another razor.
-VdH Deluxe soap - Still using pucks from two 12 packs I bought on Amazon about 5 years ago (<$20/12 pack). Each puck lasts me multiple months. Beyond dirt cheap compared to the $3-$4 can of shaving gel I used to buy >1x/month before I started this.
-Astra SP blades - Bought a bulk supply about five years ago at $0.09/blade that will literally last me multiple, multiple decades. I use each blade for exactly 5 shaves and only use Astra SP to shave with. This is ridiculously cheap compared to the $3/cartridge that I was using before. I only used each cartridge also for about 5 shaves.
I haven't calculated it out, but the amount of savings I'm getting is easily hundreds of dollars per year. But, I don't buy new things I don't need. I literally use the same thing every day and have for years. I haven't bought razor blades or soap for close to 5 years. On top of that, I still use the same brush and razor that I bought 5 years ago.
If you see this as a hobby, and constantly buy new equipment then you won't save money. If you see it as just another way to shave then you will save money because you will only buy what you need. Neither way is correct, just whichever side you fall on.
Whet can I get my hands on a clam shell for shaving?
http://www.pacseafood.com/default.aspx?page=157
But the sharpening, honing, and stropping is up to you.
I imagine that some clam shells are sharper than others and some are more aesthetically pleasing. Clam shell acquisition disorder?
I was getting so much irritation with the clam shells and then it hit me: mussel shells! The clam shells are just a marketing ploy. Wake up sheeple, mussel shells are where it's at.
Scott
Scott
I bought a Gillette Fat Handle Tech yesterday for $2 which I used for tonight's shave with an 8 cent Trig blade, an $8 Omega boar and Cella soap which costs $45 for 1 kg.
The shave was outstanding.
You can definitely do this on the cheap!
The shave was outstanding.
You can definitely do this on the cheap!
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