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Cheap shaver thread.

I wonder if there’s a large enough constituency of cheap shavers out there to support their own forum? Shavers who appreciate the joys of economical shaving? Who might like to talk about low cost gear and great values in the shaving world? If so, I propose that B&B open a “Cheapshaver forum”. Any interest?
 
I did originally get into wet shaving to save money. I was sick of paying the high prices for carts. Started with a DE89L got a feather Popular and a Gillette slim Adjustable. Gillette Platinums and PolSilvers, a cheap “badger” brush from the Amazon’s with a 12 pack of Arko and off to the races!

And then...I found Badger and Blade. 🤣🤣
 

Hannah's Dad

I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
I wonder if there’s a large enough constituency of cheap shavers out there to support their own forum? Shavers who appreciate the joys of economical shaving? Who might like to talk about low cost gear and great values in the shaving world? If so, I propose that B&B open a “Cheapshaver forum”. Any interest?
You might want to create your own sub-forum under Clubs and Brotherhoods — how about ‘The Fellowship of the Frugal’?
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I'm reminded of another well known American shaving discussion site sponsored by a shaving gear merchant where any mention of restraint leads to the post being removed and a warning issued to the offending member that any future reference to frugality or self control will lead to permanent banishment from the site.
 
Yep, I'm one of those people that got into it to save money, but definitely did not! I'd love there to be a "cheap" shaver forum. I feel like that aspect of things can get lost in translation sometimes.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Where traditional wet shaving is concerned, I am definitely into Conspicuous Consumption. :)

Having said that, I can certainly still enjoy shaving with a Frugal Kit. Something like (for example):

Gillette Pre-war Fat Handle Tech (average used cost $25) or Fatip Grande MK2 (~$30)
Wizamet Super Iridium, Kai or Feather blade (varies, but not much money) or Silver Star or Perma-Sharp (~$10 per 100)
PAA Peregrino 24mm Roswell Hybrid ($18) or TNS Chess ($10)
Vitos Extra Super Coco (1kg costs less than $30, including shipping)
Pinaud Clubman ($12 for 12.5oz)

For ~$100, I could live with this kit. :cool:
 
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My "cheap," minimalist setup would be:

GEM 1912 or Micromatic
a pack of 100 GEM blades
Proraso Red or even Williams Mug Soap
a Tuxedo or Plissoft synthetic brush
Cold water splash. :) Or if I really want to splurge, I guess Clubman or Aqua Velva (Classic) are perfectly fine. For a more moisturizing effect during cold days, a 16 Oz pump bottle of Lubriderm from Walmart will last forever.
 

Mike M

...but this one IS cracked.
Yeah I liked the idea of shaving on the cheap, and for the first couple of years it was like that then came YouTubers and B&B and now here I am with 9 razors, 11 brushes, 15 soaps and 350 blades and after completing my first GRUME this month I am looking forward to stocking up a few more soaps in January
I have to hide stuff from my OH
Perhaps what we need is a recovery group like Shavers Anonymous
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
I started wet shaving because my father and his father did. I had logged thirty or forty years when it dawned that I had been saving a good bit. A decade or so later I found B&B. I learned of a few tweaks that turned very good shaves into absolutely superlative shaves. If I had discovered them much earlier it would have been nice. So to me the objective is not just frugal but frugal yet excellent. I have, for example, used Wiiliams soap and Martin de Candre. I suspect that over a long time the cost per shave is closer than you might think. Least initial outlay is not always the lowest cost path!
 

JCarr

More Deep Thoughts than Jack Handy
I'm singing the praises of these lately!

Derby Premium Double Edge Screenshot.jpg


There was a thread a few months back that had everyone posting their cheapest shave kit...item w/price paid for it. Was interesting to see how low some folks got.
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
Yeah, but how cheap can you go and still honestly say you consistently get supremely comfortable, no irritation BBS quality shaves? I can honestly say I get that with an EJ DE89, Crystal blades, a puck of PdP which will last a year, a Simpson T2 synthetic, and 4711 cologne as aftershave.
 
At some point I will break even and after that I will save money. After trying about 30 razors I already reduced my "rotation" to a single razor. I have totally owned 5 brushes and 3 of them I have thrown away and the last two (both Omega Boar) will stay. I never tried a lot of soaps, instead I made them myself and when I quit soapmaking I tried a few creams before settling on Speick (which is closest to the performance of my own soap). I never bought any aftershave, I also made it myself and nowadays I skip it almost every shave. Sometimes I give myself a splash of Witch Hazel with a bit of menthol crystals dissolved.

My SSSR:
  • iKon X3 head with Saiver handle
  • Sputnik blades
  • Speick cream
  • Omega Boar soap
  • A normal coffee cup for soaking brush before face lathering
  • Sometimes a splash of Witch Hazel with menthol.
The goal of the SSSR club (which I founded on this forum but currently does not have any other members than me) is not to save money, but to reduce the shaving routine to something that is repeated each shave. Like that one is able to hone the skills. Of course it will lead to some money saving in the long run too.
 

Mike M

...but this one IS cracked.
My cheapest shave

Razor: Wilkinson sword classic €4.35 (local chemist)
Soap: Arko €2 (Bought cheap from my barber)
Brush: Yaqi Evil Zebra €4.50
Blades: Derby Premium €9.95 per 100
 
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