On saving money wet shaving, or not.

[Ducati Scotty]

So it is said over and over here that switching from cartridge to traditional wet shaving can save you money. It's also said that while it can it never does once all the ADs kick in.

Maybe this is a better perspective: Inline with these quotes is usually something like, "I got tired of paying $$$ for cartridges." Anybody here tired of spending money on wet shaving gear? Sure, there may be the occasional purchase that doesn't work out but do you feel regularly irritated and robbed just for buying the usual consumables? I don't

Scott

 

[Zbig]

Your post reminds me that it is almost time to get robbed again!

 

[moshidog]

I think that the title is incorrect. Wet shaving is always more expensive than shaving with a can of shave cream. I think the question is whether DE shaving or straight razor shaving is cheaper than using a cartridge. DE safety razor shaving can be cheaper than premium cartridge razor shaving. Wet shaving done with a pricey cartridge razor would be the most expensive, I think. For what it's worth, I had been wet shaving for about a year with a Fusion razor before I decided that enough is enough, and started looking into cheaper razors and blades. I started trying to research Dollar Shave Club and in the process of reading reviews, discovered DE razors and went that route. So far, I still spend $$ on pricey wet shave products, but my blades are much cheaper after the one time cost of an Edwin Jagger DE89.

 

[KodiakAttack]

It CAN save money, if you choose not to enjoy shaving as a hobby.
Hobbies are what cost money.

 

[John Von Wuggz]

I spent a lot upfront but once I settled into a rotation I like the savings started. I managed to avoid developing any ADs which helped.

 

[Eeyore]

I think that the title is incorrect. Wet shaving is always more expensive than shaving with a can of shave cream.

I really doubt that.

 

[crunchthetroll]

Luckily, my wife keeps my AD's in check.
I think I'm about even.

 

[The Dean]

Might want to check out a similar discussion on this recent thread:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/344750-Whoever-said-traditional-shaving-was-cheaper-BS

 

[Niles]

It CAN save money, if you choose not to enjoy shaving as a hobby.
Hobbies are what cost money.

+1

 

[Jarheadbri1100]

I tell my wife it's cheaper all the time when new razors and products get delivered.....she looks at me in disgust and walks away...yikes.

 

[crunchthetroll]

I tell my wife it's cheaper all the time when new razors and products get delivered.....she looks at me in disgust and walks away...yikes.

I'd try that but my wife is an accountant.
She'd just crunch the numbers and prove what i'm spending

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

ADs don't last forever. Once you settle into a preferred method with a handful of preferred products things even out. Sure you'll still try something new once in a while. It's the awaking and subsequent search that's expensive.

 

[moshidog]

I really doubt that.

Ah, let me clarify. You are right in that a puck of soap could be used in a way to last longer than a can of shave cream, and you could buy the cheapeast puck possible and *maybe* it would ammortize out to be cheaper than a can of shave cream. But a proper wet shave routine (pre shave, brush+cream/soap,aftershave) is going to have a tough time being as cheap as the $1 can of Barbasol or Old Spice shave cream you can get at any store.

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

A can of Barbersol might be cheap, but it gave me terrible shaves. It's not even on my radar.

 

[Redzone]

ads don't last forever. Once you settle into a preferred method with a handful of preferred products things even out. Sure you'll still try something new once in a while. It's the awaking and subsequent search that's expensive.

+1 imo

 

[Eeyore]

Ah, let me clarify. You are right in that a puck of soap could be used in a way to last longer than a can of shave cream, and you could buy the cheapeast puck possible and *maybe* it would ammortize out to be cheaper than a can of shave cream. But a proper wet shave routine (pre shave, brush+cream/soap,aftershave) is going to have a tough time being as cheap as the $1 can of Barbasol or Old Spice shave cream you can get at any store.

And that does beat Palmolive sticks for less than 1 euro? These last a long time (btw, I have no idea how long a can of shave cream lasts ... never used one up).

If you have one razor (or two), and use one or two inexpensive soaps (inexpensive does not equal lower quality!), then I really don't see how wet shaving would be more expensive than all those cans of foam you have to throw away. Plus the cartridges, assuming that you use modern ones. (I never did, as well).

Besides, good luck finding $1 reasonable quality shaving foam in a Dutch store! I think you'd pay at least EUR 1.50 (about $2?) For the same price, you buy almost three Palmolive shaving sticks!


I think the real problem is that the USA wet shaving market is skewed. It looks like wet shaving has become some kind of luxury over there. Over here, you can still find regular wet shaving supplies for normal prices in the supermarkt, because they are mainly bought by "non-hobbyists" who have been using them for years.

 

[ateace]

A big plus for me is having the freedom to choose which
razors and blades to use. No more being tied to one
brand / format.

 

[gsurko]

Now it's gobs and gobs cheaper, all I have to buy now is soap and thats cheap and lasts forever. But when you get into what I want to buy now that's another matter.

 

[Ron Scott]

OMG, is shaving now a hobby?

 

[JCinPA]

@Mohidog- I did an analysis in the other thread mentioned and one you are set up, if you just buy blades and lather, and use quality, but reasonably priced stuff like, Cella, Proraso, Taylor's creams, etcetera, you save about $100 per year, give or take. I did the comparison using one Fusion cart per week and Edge Gel and Amazon prices.

Some people shave that way, I get close to that (got another $20 brush I don't need, sold a scuttle to get a new one, that sort of thing, but mostly I just get lather/blades). If you go nuts and have a razor collector hobby and have lather products that look like the shelves at Merz Apothecary, that's not the fault of wet shaving. That's your behavior. My grandfather had one razor and used one soap, he didn't have all this AD bahavior.

I don't know why these threads keep popping up, because it is inarguable that DE shaving is less expensive than using carts if you do the proper comparison. That would be how many baldes do you USE in a year, how much lather product do you USE in a year, and you compare that to cans of gel or foam and carts used in a year. One cannot come up with any other conclusion, it's mathematics, not opinion, and certainly not YMMV. It's cheaper, period. Your cheap can of foam can't beat a stick of Arko! It just doesn't.

Now if you do collect razors and brushes/soaps/creams that's not the fault of wet shaving. That's a behavior. I know these discussions are kind of fun, and partly tongue in cheek, but when you really try to make the argument that this is more expensive, I mean serioulsy, it's just silly. Cost of the razor and brush, that is simply a payback period, divide sunk cost by that $100 (give or take) you save each year. Then it's less for absolute certain, there is no other conclusion.

Our grandfathers would laugh their behinds off at some of us with all the gear we have. But that's not about "shaving", strictly speaking.