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Shaving soaps and the cost per shave- Data mined from the 3017 thread.

Until recently I was a very stingy loader. At the height of my parsimony I made a puck of MWF last more than a year.

That's more than 360 shaves on something that costs just over $15 shipped to Canada (from Connaught Shaving), which is somewhere between 4 and 5 cents per shave.

I guess the numbers prove only who's got the heaviest brush hand.
 
Out with Castle Forbes Lavender and In with Queen Charlotte "Queen Charlotte" soap

StartEndSoap/CreamWeight (g)# of Shavesg/ShaveCost$/ShavePerf.ScentAdditional Comments
11/14/201301/05/2014Barrister & Mann Nocturne Soap106303.53$12.00$0.40********
01/07/201406/17/2014The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Cream1501141.32$25.00$0.22*********
06/18/201407/30/2014RazoRock XX Soap (White Tub)103482.15$10.00$0.21******
07/31/201408/22/2014Stirling Soap Blue Sample52212.48FreeFree*******
08/23/201409/01/2014Stirling Soap Sport Sample22102.20FreeFree-**Allergic reaction
09/02/201410/09/2014C.O. Bigelow Shaving Cream (Partial Tube)75381.97$6.67$0.09*******$/Shave was extrapolated
10/10/201402/18/2015Truefitt & Hill Rose Shaving Cream1561141.37$30.00$0.26*******
02/19/201505/11/2015Barrister & Mann Bay Rum Soap109651.68$10.00$0.15**********Perfect soap
05/12/201507/21/2015RazoRock XXX Tallow Soap (White Tub)108641.69$10.00$0.16********
07/22/201510/04/2015Ian S. (SliceOfLife) Orange Geranium Soap123681.81$6.00$0.09*******
10/05/201511/24/2015RazoRock New York Soap107482.23$10.00$0.21*******
11/25/201501/21/2016RazoRock Don Marco Intense Bergamotto Neroli Soap125452.78$9.00$0.20*******Very good shave but left my skin very dry
01/22/201606/02/2016Castle Forbes Lavender Shaving Cream161811.99$33.00$0.41*******
06/03/2016???Queen Charlotte "Queen Charlotte" Soap96






 
Wow, what a list! This is the best thread! I wish I had the fortitude to 3017 some soap.

Yeah, I love reading this thread but I could never do it. I like to try different soaps way too much. There's another "use the same soap for a month" type of thread and I couldn't successfully complete that one either. I made it a couple weeks and that was about it. Still some great insight here as you really get to know a soap by using it every day until it's gone.
 
When I 3017'd a bar of Mike's Lime, I worked out my cost per shave. I used the bar straight through for almost 4 months. It came in at just under a $0.10 per shave.
 
@Atalk
Wow, what a list! This is the best thread! I wish I had the fortitude to 3017 some soap.

Yeah, I love reading this thread but I could never do it. I like to try different soaps way too much. There's another "use the same soap for a month" type of thread and I couldn't successfully complete that one either. I made it a couple weeks and that was about it. Still some great insight here as you really get to know a soap by using it every day until it's gone.

+1

Although there are many soaps that each time I use them, make me think, "If this was the only shave soap that was available, I could be very happy using this every morning". Yet, I get distracted too easily. :001_smile I admire the tenacity of the 3017 participants.

Mitchell's Wool Fat
RazoRock XXX (White Tub)
TOBS Grafton cream
 
Haslinger Coconut lasted 21 days. Two pucks shipped from TVB cost $13.91 so that works out to 33¢ per day. Granted, my figure is high because most people get way more than 21 days from Haslinger.
 
Now that I have stopped loading it like I hate it and using only as much soap as I need for 3 passes, the soaps last a lot longer. I'm going on 6 months with a puck of Trumper Violet. I'm starting to feel like Jim.
 
Well played Bob!

I guess I am long overdue for a 3017 update for the guys- I am still working on my pre-re-formulated Penhaligons Fern, but have been splitting my time between a couple of my hideouts and have not been carting the Pens with me. I am still getting ridiculously great shaves with it, and it does seem like its another year away from being done.
The misery of it all.
 
@Atalk
Wow, what a list! This is the best thread! I wish I had the fortitude to 3017 some soap.

Thank you, thank you!

Yeah, I love reading this thread but I could never do it. I like to try different soaps way too much. There's another "use the same soap for a month" type of thread and I couldn't successfully complete that one either. I made it a couple weeks and that was about it. Still some great insight here as you really get to know a soap by using it every day until it's gone.

My 3017 run started because I had way, way, way too much stuff --- I went on a buying binge (no surprise) and my den would NEVER get smaller because I was rotating between 10-15 soaps at a time. I also wasn't maximizing the performance of my soaps because I never spent time figuring them out. Throw in the fact that I worried that some of my software would go bad --- it was a natural evolution for me just go through them one at a time. My friends enjoy it because I started PIF'ing them some of my new, unused soaps.

When I 3017'd a bar of Mike's Lime, I worked out my cost per shave. I used the bar straight through for almost 4 months. It came in at just under a $0.10 per shave.

Good to hear! Traditional wetshaving is definitely more cost effective than the old cartridge and can-o-goop that I came from.

+1

Although there are many soaps that each time I use them, make me think, "If this was the only shave soap that was available, I could be very happy using this every morning". Yet, I get distracted too easily. :001_smile I admire the tenacity of the 3017 participants.

Mitchell's Wool Fat
RazoRock XXX (White Tub)
TOBS Grafton cream

In all honesty, I could shave for the rest of my life with any of the soaps/creams that are on my list. There is a performance difference but it is pretty negligible in the whole scheme of things.
 
Out with Queen Charlotte "Queen Charlotte" soap and In with Dr. Jon's Hydra:


StartEndSoap/CreamWeight (g)# of Shavesg/ShaveCost$/ShavePerf.ScentAdditional Comments
11/14/201301/05/2014Barrister & Mann Nocturne Soap106303.53$12.00$0.40********
01/07/201406/17/2014The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Cream1501141.32$25.00$0.22*********
06/18/201407/30/2014RazoRock XX Soap (White Tub)103482.15$10.00$0.21******
07/31/201408/22/2014Stirling Soap Blue Sample52212.48FreeFree*******
08/23/201409/01/2014Stirling Soap Sport Sample22102.20FreeFree-**Allergic reaction
09/02/201410/09/2014C.O. Bigelow Shaving Cream (Partial Tube)75381.97$6.67$0.09*******$/Shave was extrapolated
10/10/201402/18/2015Truefitt & Hill Rose Shaving Cream1561141.37$30.00$0.26*******
02/19/201505/11/2015Barrister & Mann Bay Rum Soap109651.68$10.00$0.15**********Perfect soap
05/12/201507/21/2015RazoRock XXX Tallow Soap (White Tub)108641.69$10.00$0.16********
07/22/201510/04/2015Ian S. (SliceOfLife) Orange Geranium Soap123681.81$6.00$0.09*******
10/05/201511/24/2015RazoRock New York Soap107482.23$10.00$0.21*******
11/25/201501/21/2016RazoRock Don Marco Intense Bergamotto Neroli Soap125452.78$9.00$0.20*******Very good shave but left my skin very dry
01/22/201606/02/2016Castle Forbes Lavender Shaving Cream161811.99$33.00$0.41*******
06/03/201607/26/2016Queen Charlotte "Queen Charlotte" Soap94501.88$17.00$0.34******
07/27/2016???Dr. Jon's Hydra Soap
 
I'm not 3017ing anything right now, but when I was using only Arko my purchase history shows a stick would last a little longer than 3 months. At that time I shaved an average of more than twice a day. I face lathered for 3 passes with an inexpensive synthetic brush. So, we'll say 200 shaves as an estimate. It costs about $1.083/stick or less shipped when purchased in bulk.

So, about $0.005 per shave.
 
Interesting look at costs. I shave daily. I recently tried a 5.8 oz. container of Stirling that lasted one day shy of two months. After that, I went through a 4 oz. refill puck of a QCS soap that lasted 3.5 weeks. Cannot crunch the numbers, because I don't recall the total cost of the QCS, but the Stirling was almost 50% bigger, but only lasted 2-3 days longer. However, QCS costs more. To my very unmathematical mind, it still appears QCS is the better value. Moot point, however, because I prefer the QCS. I've narrowed my soap vendors to just three, and Stirling comes in fourth, IME.
 
Dr. Jon's Hydra V1 is done! Hello RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore!


StartEndSoap/CreamWeight (g)# of Shavesg/ShaveCost$/ShavePerf.ScentAdditional Comments
11/14/201301/05/2014Barrister & Mann Nocturne Soap106303.53$12.00$0.40********
01/07/201406/17/2014The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Cream1501141.32$25.00$0.22*********
06/18/201407/30/2014RazoRock XX Soap (White Tub)103482.15$10.00$0.21******
07/31/201408/22/2014Stirling Soap Blue Sample52212.48FreeFree*******
08/23/201409/01/2014Stirling Soap Sport Sample22102.20FreeFree-**Allergic reaction
09/02/201410/09/2014C.O. Bigelow Shaving Cream (Partial Tube)75381.97$6.67$0.09*******$/Shave was extrapolated
10/10/201402/18/2015Truefitt & Hill Rose Shaving Cream1561141.37$30.00$0.26*******
02/19/201505/11/2015Barrister & Mann Bay Rum Soap109651.68$10.00$0.15**********Perfect soap
05/12/201507/21/2015RazoRock XXX Tallow Soap (White Tub)108641.69$10.00$0.16********
07/22/201510/04/2015Ian S. (SliceOfLife) Orange Geranium Soap123681.81$6.00$0.09*******
10/05/201511/24/2015RazoRock New York Soap107482.23$10.00$0.21*******
11/25/201501/21/2016RazoRock Don Marco Intense Bergamotto Neroli Soap125452.78$9.00$0.20*******Very good shave but left my skin very dry
01/22/201606/02/2016Castle Forbes Lavender Shaving Cream161811.99$33.00$0.41*******
06/03/201607/26/2016Queen Charlotte "Queen Charlotte" Soap94501.88$17.00$0.34******
07/27/201609/25/2016Dr. Jon's Hydra Soap V1120492.45$15.00$.31*******
09/26/2016???RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore Soap






 
My long RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore journey has been completed. I start a puck of Mama Bear's Il Siciliano soap tomorrow evening...

Start
End
Soap/Cream
Weight (g)
# of Shaves
g/Shave
Cost
$/Shave
Perf.
Scent
Additional Comments
11/14/2013
01/05/2014
Barrister & Mann Nocturne Soap
106
30
3.53
$12.00
$0.40
*****
***

01/07/2014
06/17/2014
The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Cream
150
114
1.32
$25.00
$0.22
****
*****

06/18/2014
07/30/2014
RazoRock XX Soap (White Tub)
103
48
2.15
$10.00
$0.21
****
**

07/31/2014
08/22/2014
Stirling Soap Blue Sample
52
21
2.48
Free
Free
*****
**

08/23/2014
09/01/2014
Stirling Soap Sport Sample
22
10
2.20
Free
Free
-
**
Allergic reaction
09/02/2014
10/09/2014
C.O. Bigelow Shaving Cream (Partial Tube)
75
38
1.97
$6.67
$0.09
****
***
$/Shave was extrapolated
10/10/2014
02/18/2015
Truefitt & Hill Rose Shaving Cream
156
114
1.37
$30.00
$0.26
***
****

02/19/2015
05/11/2015
Barrister & Mann Bay Rum Soap
109
65
1.68
$10.00
$0.15
*****
*****
Perfect soap
05/12/2015
07/21/2015
RazoRock XXX Tallow Soap (White Tub)
108
64
1.69
$10.00
$0.16
****
****

07/22/2015
10/04/2015
Ian S. (SliceOfLife) Orange Geranium Soap
123
68
1.81
$6.00
$0.09
****
***

10/05/2015
11/24/2015
RazoRock New York Soap
107
48
2.23
$10.00
$0.21
***
****

11/25/2015
01/21/2016
RazoRock Don Marco Intense Bergamotto Neroli Soap
125
45
2.78
$9.00
$0.20
***
****
Very good shave but left my skin very dry
01/22/2016
06/02/2016
Castle Forbes Lavender Shaving Cream
161
81
1.99
$33.00
$0.41
****
***

06/03/2016
07/26/2016
Queen Charlotte "Queen Charlotte" Soap
94
50
1.88
$17.00
$0.34
***
***


07/27/2016
09/25/2016
Dr. Jon's Hydra Soap V1
120
49
2.45
$15.00
$.31
***
****

09/26/2016
05/14/2017
RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore Soap
167
174
0.96
$20.00
$.11
****
****

05/15/2017
???
Mama Bear's Il Siciliano
101







 
Last edited:
Here's a couple recent ones. Yes, I'm a heavy loader.

Stirling Unscented refill puck - $13.20 shipped ÷ 30 days = $0.44 per day

Barrister & Mann Petrichor Glissant base - $22.10 shipped ÷ 30 days = $0.74 per day
 
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