Have you saved money by switching to wet shaving?

[OldSaw]

I see a lot of people equating DE shaving with their respective AD's. The DE is merely the tool to get the cutting done. Even if I went back to cartridges I would still keep using a brush and high quality lathering products, just as I did for many years.

I love shaving with my Superspeed, but the brush and lather is where it's at. I started shaving with a brush and soap back in the 80's and have only ramped up my spending since finding B&B. Most of that was on lathering products, which I am working my way through. So yes, you can save money.

Even if you need to try lots of brushes and razors to find what works for you, you can sell all the others in the BST forum and still be rather frugal. Once you settle on what works for you, it is just a matter of keeping blades and lathering products stocked.

 

[jmwebster]

I voted no (cause of all fo the creams, soaps, etc). Now that my various aquisition disorders have cooled a bit, I suspect I will see a huge difference vs goo and mach 3

 

[blade08]

When I walk by a ceramic store these days, I go in...just in case...looking for mugs and bowls has become a part of this hobby too.... I can't say I saved any money but hey, it's fun and I can afford it so who cares

 

[ratcheer]

I voted no (cause of all fo the creams, soaps, etc). Now that my various aquisition disorders have cooled a bit, I suspect I will see a huge difference vs goo and mach 3

I agree with this idea, to some extent. I haven't had to buy any shaving-related items for a while. So, if I look only at my present situation, yes, I am saving money.

But I don't really look at it that way. I have spent around $250 on razors, $75 on blades, $410 on shaving brushes, $75 on aftershaves and such, and lord knows how much on soaps and creams (I will take a wild guess and say $300, but I just picked that out of the air). I am pretty sure I could have used expensive Mach 3 cartridges and canned gel for the rest of my life and not spent that much.

Tim

 

[krmathis]

Not at all!
Since I have bought 4 brushes, 5-6 razors, 4-500 blades, soap, cream, scuttle, ...

But saving money certainly were not my intention either.

 

[lucky]

The only thing I saved was the tender skin on my face! Money, not so much...

 

[Naes12]

I knew right away my answer was no. I continued to see this thread and it made me wonder just how much no. So I did the math on ALL of my wetshaving purchases since I started about 1 year ago and I felt pretty bad, lol. I came to the conclusion that I had spent approximately 4.5 times more money on shaving supplies in the last year then what I would have spent if is exclusively used fusions or my remington electric. So that would mean I would have to have enough shaving supplies to last me 4.5 years to break even. And that is definitely not the case. I also wondered how much more water/electricity I was using as a result as well because that would also have to be added to the cost. Eww.

Although I have been enjoying this hobby, if I were to evaluate it honestly I think I would chock it up as just consumerist escapism. Enough procrastinating on these boards for me, off to work. haha.

 

[bonusmarple]

I have fallen victim to various AD's. I have probably spent close to $1500 so far.

 

[OldSaw]

The only thing I saved was the tender skin on my face! Money, not so much...

Sounds like it is worth it for you.

I have fallen victim to various AD's. I have probably spent close to $1500 so far.

That's a lot of money. I don't think I have spent that much in over 20 years. However, if I was still using cartridges I had to change them twice a week. Now that's a huge chunk of change! And... I was still using a mug and brush when I used cartridges anyway.

Even if I could get cartridges for only $2 each, that would still be over $200 a year. If I was using the newest system that would be about double. With the DE I change blades often, about every other shave. At ten cents a blade that's less than $20 a year!

Having said that, plus my previous post, if money was the only factor I think one would be better off buying BIC disposables and using the cheapest canned foam they could get. This hobby doesn't have to be expensive and can easily be cheaper than cartridges and canned foam. I choose to spend the money I save on cartridges to buy the best lathering products available.

 

[Doc4]

Hahahahahahhaha!!!

Save money????


Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!


Oh dear.


Well, yes I have not spent near as much on razor cartridges. Or canned goop.

 

[professorchaos]

NO !

Vintage straights, new straights, NOS straights, leather strops, horsehide strops, linen strops, natural hones, artificial hones, barber's hones, soaps, creams, brushes, brush stands, ***, ASBs, EdTs, scuttles, toners...save money? I have more gear than some fly fishers I know.

 

[expatCanuck]

Well, if I could stick to Dorco's (what a nasty name) in a Tech using Williams and a Tweezerman (and maybe a styptic), yeah, I'd save money.

Of course, we don't want to forget blade costs. Here's a quick chart I threw together. I'm not endorsing any of these vendors or blades -- just a quick & dirty Internet pull for quantities of 50 or 100 (except for Feathers). And as far as I know, only the the Derby's (Derbies? Derbys?) and Crystals include shipping costs. But the bottom line is that using Gillette Swedes isn't gonna help much (tho' they're still cheaper than Atra cartridges).

- Richard