Explain this (Or, "What the actual heck?")

[RouxBlade]

SR shaving is supposed to be less expensive in the long run, right?

Sure, there's an upfront cost of the SR and your maintenance items. For those like me who never properly wet shaved before there's also the shaving soaps, bowl, and brush.

I get it. I do. There's also not the continued expense of replacement cartridges. That makes sense.

But here's my question. How is it I'm supposed to save money long term when every single day I'm browsing online stores, not to mention trying to find brick and mortar stores, looking to find more brushes, soaps, and worst of all, additional razors?

I'm going to go broke, aren't I?

 

[Seelector]

How is it I'm supposed to save money long term when every single day I'm browsing online stores

Let me know when you discover the secret!

Or at least a good way to justify to yourself how much money you just spent.

 

[SparkyLB]

At the risk of sounding like a wise guy--I'll stick to your first question:

No.

 

[Dobric]

Well, solution to my razor burns, acne, ingrown hair, turned up to be a hobby,
I opened Pandora's box and now there is no going back
So many soaps and AS to try, so little time (300 years would not be enough)

 

[Eastcoast30]

"I'm going to go broke, aren't I?"

Well, you probably won't go broke. But you may not be able to send your kids to college!

 

[Frank Shaves]

I hear your pain! Depends on your goal.

If your goal is to shave your face and save money, buy two good condition Union Spikes, a Dan's 6 x 2 hard black Arkansas stone, a Tony Miller starter strop, and STOP BROWSING.

If you want shaving to be a hobby, KEEP BROWSING.

 

[SparkyLB]

I hear your pain! Depends on your goal.

If your goal is to shave your face and save money, buy two good condition Union Spikes, a Dan's 6 x 2 hard black Arkansas stone, a Tony Miller starter strop, and STOP BROWSING.

If you want shaving to be a hobby, KEEP BROWSING.

Words to live by.

 

[Lightcs1776]

The secret to saving money in SR shaving is to buy used razors that need a little work, but are in reasonable condition.

 

[johnb65]

Course you are going to go broke!
You could stop now and run away.
I could stop any time I wanted to.
Honest.

 

[Possum092]

You will spend 300% per year guaranteed more than just buying cartridges.

 

[rbscebu]

@RouxBlade, if you find a good rehab, let us all know.

 

[Ravenonrock]

I found having a beard was pretty cheap…shaving, not so much.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

You will spend 300% per year guaranteed more than just buying cartridges.

Maybe, but I bought cartridges because I *had* to. I buy straights because I *want* to.

 

[CpnStumpy]

To be sure, I really don't understand the brush and soap thing.

I had a single razor and strop with a Dan's hard stone for 12 years. I went through just a few pucks of pre de provence, and occasionally mailed my straight for sharpening.

I took the hobbyist part as a focus and study of technique itself, growing my technical ability, speed, mastering different grips and strokes and getting to where I could shave without a mirror.

Now I have in the past few months decided to pick up a myriad of razors to again see how the technique and feel is with different ones. Got stones to restore the cheap vintage ones I bought and now that's another part of the hobby, learning the restoration.

So, there's plenty to focus on without geeking out on brushes and soaps, I still think the actual technical part is most interesting, save money and spend time watching videos of people showing different stroke techniques. Or don't if you're still learning the basics.

If you're still learning the basics, here's something that you can work on safely: try to shave with the heel as much of your shave as you can. It'll force you to use angles you haven't thought of, but you have to be very mindful of where the toe is when you use it or you'll tuck the toe under your ear or eye or something

 

[PintoPlain]

I have posted in a previous thread (can't remember where though) that if I were to use a cartridge for one shave, and shave twice a day, I would be breaking even with my SR purchases. I'm unconcerned though, I can stop whenever I want. The only downside is my "needs attention" pile is getting a tad large at this point.

 

[taffy]

Yep, I have enough straights in use, and a pile to restore, great I thought. Only issue now is I have a bit of a stone quest

 

[Derwent]

I still have one brush and one soap...but in 2 months I now have 3 Solingens, 2 Eskilstunas, a Gold Dollar, and about to be 4 Bengalls...it gets out of hand quickly!

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

When I started in the mid 70’s it was with one razor, a strop and a 6-inch translucent stone, a boar brush and a puck of Williams, that I bought new from my barber.

I maintained that razor for ten years with the ark and strop.

Then one day I walked into an Antique Store with my bride looking at furniture and found boxed, NOS razors for $5-10 and it went off the rails…

 

[Gamma]

FOMO = endless spending.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I haven't spent a nickel on anything shave related so far this year. So far this year I have used up two Feather DE blades and my soap puck is getting worn through in the middle but I got lots more of both. I have used up maybe .5ml of .1µ diamond paste and a sheet of sandpaper. Plenty more where those came from. I can probably go the rest of the year without spending anything on shaving. Actually, probably several years. I doubt that I will be buying another razor for as long as I live, though I might make myself a few in the near future. Steel is already bought and paid for, and bone and ebony for scales.