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The biggest lie in traditional shaving

Wet-shaving is far, far cheaper than cartridge shaving. Don't confuse it with collecting.

Collecting is a totally different endeavor and must be compared to other collectibles.
Collecting shaving gear is cheaper than collecting cars, guitars, first edition books, or even buttons for crying out loud.
Trust me on that last one.
 
…But one blade when used properly is not one too few…

I knew it was just a matter of time before that old chestnut was dropped lol

My favorite twin disposable costs 30 cents a pop and lasts me 5 shaves on average. I never have to clean it, fiddle with blades, sharpen or hone it, and can shave on autopilot and not worry about cutting myself. I will look for nothing else unless they stop making it!
 
I knew it was just a matter of time before that old chestnut was dropped lol

My favorite twin disposable costs 30 cents a pop and lasts me 5 shaves on average. I never have to clean it, fiddle with blades, sharpen or hone it, and can shave on autopilot and not worry about cutting myself. I will look for nothing else unless they stop making it!

And my favorite straight razor, as long as I maintain it, will last me the rest of my life and I will not have to worry about the manufacturer discontinuing it, low stock, or any other issues.

It all comes down to personal preference. I prefer self sufficiency over the convenience of a disposable razor 🪒
 
It doesn’t have to be expensive. I started 50 years ago with a Gillette SuperSpeed and 5 blades for $1.99. I use it still.

I have a Tech I got for free. My Lord razors cost less than $10 each. I’ve never paid more than $17 for a razor.

My blades cost 10 cents a piece. I use them 3 times; I could probably go 5 but at 3.3 cents per shave what’s the point? My soap is free. I use hand soap scraps and make magnificent lather with my $4 brush.

I can buy a large bottle of Skin Bracer or Barbasol aftershave for $2.

It can be very inexpensive.
 
my proraso with a gillette tech, omega brush and clubman are totally economical!
literally pennies a shave!

proraso omega gillette tech pinaud clubman march 23 2015.jpg
 
I got into this to 1) get a better shave, 2) waste less plastic, and 3) possibly save some money.

3 did not happen, but 1 and 2 certainly did. I can now get a close, comfortable shave with zero irritation using products that I truly enjoy. There is no conceivable way that I could have learned what I have learned and discovered the products that I have discovered without having spent a few bucks. Money well spent!
 
I have been wet shaving for 20+ years. At first it was curiosity and just seemed like a "cool" thing to do. I like some things traditional, like wet shaving and fountain pens. I am on the poor side of the wage scale. I never got into wet shaving to save money. Looking back through the years and the only things I purchased since starting was some replacement blades, a couple of cheap brushes, various soaps and aftershave balms/oils and a copper bowl. Some of these things were this year. My original gear was from a friend who used to go to hairdressing shows. I know I have saved hundreds maybe up to a thousand dollars over the years. I do wish I could get back that money so I can get all the gear I want now, lol.
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
Wet shaving has the POTENTIAL to save you money, if you can control the urge to try all the different soaps and brushes and aftershaves. But what fun is that? 😎
That's the rub in a nutshell right there.

I bet if I joined a dog poop forum, I would end up with 16 “artisan” shovels, plus a rhodium-plated adjustable shovel, and a selection of small-batch titanium bags.
There are dog poop forums out there, but they masquerade as some other hobby. But the smell is the same anyway.

My point is, it’s apples to oranges, comparing the cost of a regular person buying cartridge razors and a can of foaming goo on an as-needed basis, vs. a wetshaving enthusiast spending money on their hobby.

If you keep buying Barbasol as needed, but just replace the Gillette Mach-7 Turboglides with whatever DE razor & blades your local brick & mortar carries, you will absolutely save money.

Now, throw in badger hair brushes, artisan soaps, multiple razors; of course you’re in the red at that point. But by then it’s a hobby (or at least, an “interest”). And I’ve spent a lot more on other hobbies!
Yep.

Counterpoint: I'm willing to bet that, if you add up the cost of every double edge razor in my collection, plus the cost of blades I've gotten for them, it's still probably less than I've spent in a year or so of shaving with cartridges. Remember, you need shaving cream, etc, for any kind of shaving. So, I can't an old fairness count that as an expense I would only accrue due to DE shaving.

I think it works out more like this: if you choose a single razor, and stick to it, you will save a ton of money over cartridge shaving, but if you choose to experiment with different kinds of razors, you only save a little.
Exactly right!

Collecting is a totally different endeavor and must be compared to other collectibles.
Collecting shaving gear is cheaper than collecting cars, guitars, first edition books, or even buttons for crying out loud.
Trust me on that last one.
Wetshaving (as meant here on this forum) is by far cheaper. A single DE blade compared to the cost of an average cart is nowhere near close.
Collecting is the issue. Acquisition disorders - that's the expense.

It doesn’t have to be expensive. I started 50 years ago with a Gillette SuperSpeed and 5 blades for $1.99. I use it still.

I have a Tech I got for free. My Lord razors cost less than $10 each. I’ve never paid more than $17 for a razor.

My blades cost 10 cents a piece. I use them 3 times; I could probably go 5 but at 3.3 cents per shave what’s the point? My soap is free. I use hand soap scraps and make magnificent lather with my $4 brush.

I can buy a large bottle of Skin Bracer or Barbasol aftershave for $2.

It can be very inexpensive.
Yep, it can indeed be very inexpensive.
I don't think anyone should spend more than they can reasonably afford to spend without impacting other necessities.

my proraso with a gillette tech, omega brush and clubman are totally economical!
literally pennies a shave!

View attachment 1580215
Well said, and very well illustrated.
 
Ok, I need to address the elephant in the room. Almost every article or blog post I read as a beginner a few years ago had a gigantic lie in it.

Wet shaving will save you money.

Liars.

I looked at my bathroom closet this morning and thought about all the products I purchased just this year and had a silent moment of shame, and then had a fantastic shave.

I'm not saving money, but I am happy and enjoying the morning ritual, and that's priceless.

But to any newbies reading this, I am going to set the record straight. Wet shaving has the POTENTIAL to save you money, if you can control the urge to try all the different soaps and brushes and aftershaves. But what fun is that? 😎
Substitute the word "can" for "will" and you have a very true statement that "Wet shaving can save you money". What makes this an excellent endeavor is that each of us can tailor our shaving to our personal preferences. Think of all of our fellow B&B members who range from collectors of vintage and premium hardware to basic shavers with a single shave stick, basic boar brush and basic Baili or Weishi razor.

P.S. Is it better to refer to what we do as Traditional Wet Shaving or DE/SE shaving as the term Wet Shaving also includes modern cartridge based shaving systems?
 
I managed over a decade with one brush, one razor, and only TOBS and proraso for software, so I definitely saved money. Then I rediscovered this forum….

This closely resembles my experience. A parker razor, a few hundred blades, one brush, and inexpensive soap as needed. I literally shaved for 10 years with no more than 150 bucks in. Now.... well we won't discuss my SRAD that has onset the past couple of years. I don't even know how many I have now, but it's over 20.

You guys are so cute with your razors and brushes. At least you get to keep them.

Take a look at the brown leaf section. We burn our money over there.


LITERALLY.

I laughed kinda hard. Yes we do burn our money. And spend more of it cellaring enough tobacco such that our grandkids will still be smoking on our stash as old men.
 
This closely resembles my experience. A parker razor, a few hundred blades, one brush, and inexpensive soap as needed. I literally shaved for 10 years with no more than 150 bucks in. Now.... well we won't discuss my SRAD that has onset the past couple of years. I don't even know how many I have now, but it's over 20.



I laughed kinda hard. Yes we do burn our money. And spend more of it cellaring enough tobacco such that our grandkids will still be smoking on our stash as old men.
Ain’t got no money for kids… get your priorities right man… priorities!

😂
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
You guys are so cute with your razors and brushes. At least you get to keep them.

Take a look at the brown leaf section. We burn our money over there.


LITERALLY.

This closely resembles my experience. A parker razor, a few hundred blades, one brush, and inexpensive soap as needed. I literally shaved for 10 years with no more than 150 bucks in. Now.... well we won't discuss my SRAD that has onset the past couple of years. I don't even know how many I have now, but it's over 20.



I laughed kinda hard. Yes we do burn our money. And spend more of it cellaring enough tobacco such that our grandkids will still be smoking on our stash as old men.

With some of the consignment sales prices I've seen, cellaring is becoming a viable alternative for saving gold and other precious metals!
 
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