Which is more cost effective in the long run, straight or DE?

[theJJ]

I know you gotta buy replacement blades for DE, but that's it. I shave every other day, and 1 Feather blade lasts me almost a month. So it's not that bad.

The cost of entry for straights is way higher, especially when you factor in strops, hones and pastes. Is there anything that I'd have to buy every now and then for a straight razor (besides soap/cream)?

Also, after a cursory look around, it seems folks tend to have a collection of razors and strops. Can 1 straight last a lifetime, or do you need to rotate several? Can 1 strop last a lifetime?

 

[ItsMrBrooks]

Also, after a cursory look around, it seems folks tend to have a collection of razors and strops. Can 1 straight last a lifetime, or do you need to rotate several? Can 1 strop last a lifetime?

Hi Joshua. You can definitely find a straight to last a lifetime but as I am sure you have noticed, and noted, lots of people have many different razors for a variety of reasons. Based on a best guess, I'd say that the cost of straight/safety razors over time is likely comparable - you will just find yourself spending different amounts at different times. For example, a tube of paste will last X days and costs a certain amount. A bunch of razors will last X days and cost a certain amount. The difference in those amounts is likely pretty insignificant.

I must admit I did have a bit of a chuckle regarding the notion of saving money by wet shaving. I think a lot of us changed to wet shaving with the same idea of saving money but man, it sure is a lot of fun to spend it on quality shaving products!

Perhaps if you have a bit more restraint than others, myself included, it will save you money but don't be surprised if your AD starts to itch.

 

[Thebigspendur]

If you just buy the minimal and look at it as shaving and nothing more a straight is the cheaper by far over time. The problem of course is looking at it as shaving and nothing more.

 

[garyg]

There are too many variables to properly account for, depends on how often the shaver goes through what brand of DE blade vs how often he would have to pay for a honing, or the cost of hones if doing on their own.

As an example, though, our vendors sell Feathers for $58/200 last I checked, or .29 cents per blade. If one uses 1 blade a month as the OP does, that amounts to $3.48 a year. You save that amount per annum toward a Dovo "Best Quality" carbon straight @ $79.99 in about 23 years if my math still works. But to the razor add the cost of hones & a strop, let's say $100 for a 4K/8K plus a nice barber hone or some-such .. it now takes 51+ years to pay it off .. add a couple years worth of savings to pay for the strop .. you'd have to back-off the sunk cost for the DE of course, and make allowance if a more expensive DE is employed, or if you use more than 12 10 DE's a year, etc etc ..

Guess whether the savings is realized also depends greatly on how long one is expecting to hang around, well shaven, this mortal coil ..

But if straights give you the shave experience you want, then what the heck, neither is going to send us to the poor house.

 

[mikey]

Hello Joshua,

I consider DE blades to be a consumable (just like soap and aftershave).

Thanks,
Mike

 

[salazch12]

The problem is that whichever you choose you may end up with what Mantic calls wet shavers acquisition syndrome. I have it bad!

 

[tvldatsi]

a MONTH!?

That is brutally awesome man I am jealous. if I can get a feather to last more than 6 passes I get suspicious of myself.

 

[Tha Baron]

Not sure why people make a DE last longer than a handful of shaves... they are dirt cheap and scrimping to prolong the life is just stupid. Total cost of DE blades is negligible - even at 30 cents per feather on the high-end.

 

[pelicano]

Definitely DE costs less.
With DEs my ADs cost about $300.00, with straights $3,000.00.

If it's about not spending, definitely go with DEs because even if you get crazy ADs, they won't make the dent that straights will.

But shaving with a straight=Priceless!

 

[Slartibartfast]

It all depends on you.

No AD's, i would say straight will be cheaper in the long run. You really don't need a set of hones if you are just looking at keeping your razor sharp either.

 

[Bulging_Biceps]

a MONTH!?

That is brutally awesome man I am jealous. if I can get a feather to last more than 6 passes I get suspicious of myself.

I dont use a DE blade more than 2 shaves. They are so dirt cheap that it dont matter.

Not sure why people make a DE last longer than a handful of shaves... they are dirt cheap and scrimping to prolong the life is just stupid. Total cost of DE blades is negligible - even at 30 cents per feather on the high-end.

Exactly my friend. I dont use a DE blade more than 2 or 3 shaves just because I want to make sure I use a blade that is at the peak of it's sharpness. Anything more than 2 or 3 shaves then it gets too dull for my tastes

 

[Absolute Mustard]

I spend about $50 a year on feather blades for my DE

After 3 years the straight edge razor would be paid for, after another year the strop, and the 5th year the stone to hone it.

So for me 6 years later I would be making money compared to DE shaving, but really there isnt much of a difference.

Saving money starts most of us off in the old wet shaving world, but the quality of shave is what keeps us here. I would pay more to DE shave over a cartridge.

 

[BobW]

The problem is that whichever you choose you may end up with what Mantic calls wet shavers acquisition syndrome. I have it bad!

I believe we all try to justify our wet shaving costs by the "cost over time" argument. But, most of us learn that the argument is hollow because of the acquisition syndrome. There are so many things to buy and try that the only way to look at the costs of the shave are to classify them as a soul-enriching costs.

 

[kg4ghn]

Using one blade per month is crazy. You must have a very light beard. I only get 3-4 shaves per blade with a DE.

Shaving with a DE or a straight doesn't have to be expensive. You don't have to go crazy like most of us do.

You can go to www.whippeddog.com and get a shave ready razor, strop, and a barbers hone for $75 and be set for life as far as the razor goes. Maybe buy some more CrOx if you like to use it to enhance the edge off of the barbers hone, which I would need to do I don't like the edge straight off of barbers hone.

 

[Rossmeister]

Not sure why people make a DE last longer than a handful of shaves... they are dirt cheap and scrimping to prolong the life is just stupid. Total cost of DE blades is negligible - even at 30 cents per feather on the high-end.

How do you know this guy "makes it last?" He just said he got 15 out of it. I'd bleed profusely if I did it, but who cares? If he did too, he wouldn't shave 15 times with it.

 

[Tha Baron]

How do you know this guy "makes it last?" He just said he got 15 out of it. I'd bleed profusely if I did it, but who cares? If he did too, he wouldn't shave 15 times with it.

I tend to think the water and elements (in addition the stubble) to would dull the blade on some level and make it less than ideal. It may actually work, but I can't think it was as nearly good as a fresh blade.

Some people just don't know any better... Just my hunch.

 

[theJJ]

I shave every other day, single pass across the grain. I also use the edges of the blade where it's feasible so that I'm not constantly using the very middle of the blade. I have had to toss a few Feather razors after just a few uses, but they generally last much longer. I go by feel and closeness, not number. If it starts pulling, or feels rough, or looks like 5 o'clock shadow at noon, then I switch. Also keep in mind that Feathers are sharper than most, so they tend to get more mileage. A Feather blade after 6 or 7 shaves = a fresh Merkur blade (but still smoother).

I suppose if I got a job at Goldman Sachs, had to shave every day, and look like a baby's butt, I'd go through a lot more blades. And maybe then a straight would make more sense economically.

 

[umgowa997]

Do not make cost the issue, man. The whole point of this forum is that shaving can really be an enjoyable experience . . . something you do to pamper yourself. There are some wonderful products out there that can make shaving something to actually look forward to . . and this forum can help you find them. My advice is to look at it in this context, try both methods and pick the one that gives you the most enjoyment. That's it. It's really not more complicated than that. If you start to figure out the costs and divide costs by the number of uses . . then average out the sunken cost of straight razor sharpening supplies etc . . you will drive yourself nuts. You're totally barking up the wrong tree with that approach. My 2 cents.

 

[honed]

It's a very interesting & good question.
However, asked in this forum it becomes purely theorethical
I believe that a shave-ready vintage straight in decent condition can last a life-time. That will set you back no more then $75. You can get one far cheaper,
but hey, you are gonna use it for the rest of your life, so don't be too cheap...
You'll also need a barber's hone, $20-30 on eBay & a strop, $20 for Ken's "Filly" & that one is so well built that it will last a very long time
if not a life time.
So for about $125 you have hardware to last you a life-time with straights.
Consumables are the same as for DE
I don't think you can come under that with a DE, even if you buy a vintage superspeed or NEW ~$15-20 in decent to good condition.
They will most probably last a life-time, even if they allready are a life time old.
That leaves you with $100 to buy blades for the rest of your life.
Of course, it all depends on how long you live...but if we count "average life time" & the user is 25 or even 35 when he finds out about wet-shaving,
you can't get away with under $100 for blades, even if you buy huge bulk packs of Derby's or Red IP's.

 

[ouch]

Straight razors are more expensive, for the simple yet undeniable fact that the straight razor addiction is more expensive.

You really can shave on the cheap if you so desire, but for 99+% of the guys here, we buy what we buy because we want to, not for any perceived savings.

I'd suggest sticking with DE's, unless you're willing to make a full commitment to the straight. Otherwise, you'll spend more money on the occasional honing of your single blade than you would on a year's supply of DE blades. In your case, the choice seems easy.