[dwessell]

So I started thinking the other day about how much I might be saving by doing this Straight Razor deal. That's assuming I don't become an eBay monster (which of course, we all do). But how much money can I realistically convince my wife that I might be saving?

I checked and I can get a pack of 12 Gillette Mach 5 cartridges for $19.95.

Now if I shave every day, and one of those cartridges goes for about three shaves (which is a fair assumption, as I have a light beard and don't like to shave with it until it's dull). Then I'm going to go through about 120 cartridges a year. Assuming a constant price above, that's $202 a year, without thinking about taxes or shipping. Roughly assuming 63 shaving years (from 17 to 80), that's $12,743 I’ve put into cartridges. Not to mention all of the stuff you've put into a landfill (a box, the container they come in, the individual caps, and the cartridge themselves).

Now let's say that you go the Straight Razor route. Put in $150 for a razor, $70 for a strop, $80 for a hone, and you’re done. That's $300 total, and you don't need anything else ever. Your son might not need anything else either. You can easily end up with a 7 day razor set and still be under the mark. Doing it our way may take some more time and effort to learn the just grabbing something off the shelf at Wally World. It's infinitely better for your pocketbook, your face, and the environment. You can even add in all of those great shaving soaps (Which usually cost less then a can of shaving cream, and work better), aftershaves, colognes. And guess what, you’re still under that $12,743 mark.

=

You've saved a lot of money and a ton of landfill space. You've gotten a better shave, and are doing something pretty damn cool. Is there a reason not to?

[hoglahoo]

Who wants to pay for shipping, or drive somewhere to get something you wouldn't have to buy if you shaved with a straight? It's a pain, and the time and mileage and/or shipping involved is another factor into the expense equation that the straight razor eliminates (so far as the razor itself is concerned)

I have a friend though who claims to get 30 shaves out of a mach 3 blade. I guess if he were to buy enough cartridges to last until he tires of shaving (I don't think I'll shave as often as I do now when I'm 80) he probably will end up spending still two or three times as much as a minimalist straight razor shaver would

[Blade Wielder]

$12,000+ is probably too high of an estimate. I'm thinking back to when I used the Gillette Track 2 blades and I could get each of them to last way longer than three shaves.

This is similar to how a Mach III fan might calculate a straight razor shaver's expenses.

"Let's see. Seeing as how most straight razor shavers become collectors, we'll assume that they'll spend at least, oh, a hundred dollars a year on new German or French blade. So that's $6,300.00 over 63 years. They'll also want to sharpen their blades after every three shaves or so, which will mean they're wearing down their hones like crazy. And with as many razors as they have, we'll enter a conservative estimate of at least one hone per year. Another $5,040.00. Let's say they go easy on the other things - a new badger brush every fifteen years: $400.00; $25.00 worth of shaving cream a year, totalling $1575.00. So with that alone they're at $13,315! Well above our well-known modest cost of only 12K per lifetime. And we didn't even touch on strops, styptic pencils and all the other travel accessories those nuts over at Straight Razor Place like to accumulate!"

[Chris L]

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

$12,000+ is probably too high of an estimate. I'm thinking back to when I used the Gillette Track 2 blades and I could get each of them to last way longer than three shaves.

This is similar to how a Mach III fan might calculate a straight razor shaver's expenses.

"Let's see. Seeing as how most straight razor shavers become collectors, we'll assume that they'll spend at least, oh, a hundred dollars a year on new German or French blade. So that's $6,300.00 over 63 years. They'll also want to sharpen their blades after every three shaves or so, which will mean they're wearing down their hones like crazy. And with as many razors as they have, we'll enter a conservative estimate of at least one hone per year. Another $5,040.00. Let's say they go easy on the other things - a new badger brush every fifteen years: $400.00; $25.00 worth of shaving cream a year, totalling $1575.00. So with that alone they're at $13,315! Well above our well-known modest cost of only 12K per lifetime. And we didn't even touch on strops, styptic pencils and all the other travel accessories those nuts over at Straight Razor Place like to accumulate!"

Bladewielder: Did you make up that quote or was that actually written by someone? I believe there is truth to both arguments (straight razor shaving being the lowest cost over time or the highest cost depending on the person and their desire for collecting, etc.

I can confidently say even if I honed a razor a day, most of my stones will still last my lifetime. How many lifetimes would it take to use up the brick that is also known as the Chinese 12K? Archeology digs will find those Chinese 12K stones thousands of years from now and they'll probably look the same as they do when we're buying and using them here and now.

Chris L

[hoglahoo]

Originally Posted by Chrisl

Bladewielder: Did you make up that quote or was that actually written by someone? I believe there is truth to both arguments (straight razor shaving being the lowest cost over time or the highest cost depending on the person and their desire for collecting, etc.

I can confidently say even if I honed a razor a day, most of my stones will still last my lifetime. How many lifetimes would it take to use up the brick that is also known as the Chinese 12K? Archeology digs will find those Chinese 12K stones thousands of years from now and they'll probably look the same as they do when we're buying and using them here and now.

Chris L

David mentioned $12,000 plus for mach 3 blades (3 a week for 60+ years)

Blade Wielder, I used Gillette Mach II blades for almost 15 years and 3 shaves was as far as I could go on one blade without visibly noticing a loss of shave quality on my face. I could feel the difference after two shaves. and recently just before I picked up straight shaving I was replacing the blades every two shaves - either I am picky or I had dull blades!

[Blade Wielder]

I'm just saying that it's easy to mistake preference for necessity.

For example, I recently found myself with only one remaining DE blade. It's currently in my Merkur. If I had more at the moment, I'd certainly have switched it with a fresh one; but because this isn't the case, I've made that sucker last and last. And it works. Not as well... but heck, it's not hurting me or anything. I'm going to be ordering one of those DE sampler packs very shortly, though. Give Feathers and a bunch of others a try.

To get a better perspective on this, just adopt the "Desert Island Outlook." If you were stranded in such a place and five cartridge razors washed ashore with you, would you really only use them for 15 shaves?

[jockeys]

3 shaves per cartridge is unreasonable. when I used mach3's I would get AT LEAST a month out of each one. when I was a poor college student it was more like 3 cartridges per semester.

[hoglahoo]

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

I'm just saying that it's easy to mistake preference for necessity.

That is an aspect that irritates me about blades that wear out quickly. I can sharpen my straight anytime, but I might be on my last cartridge for days before I get the initiative to go buy more. The desert island mentality demands a straight if one wants to look good for the desert island chicks

[Spike J]

Gentlemen, you talk of cost in Str8 v M3. Not that I want to sound like a treehugger (although I am). You talk of cost in silver, whereas it should be Carbon! A Straight shaver's carbon footprint in a lifetime might total that of a poor deluded cartridge user over a year.

Figures are hard to come by for the carbon footprints of individual items, so I'll use description as my tool. Yes, it's not hugely accurate, but are we economists or believers? I'll not go into shipping

If we buy a straight, strop, brush, soap, balm & a hone, we are mostly set for a year. OK, maybe we'll need more pucks of soap & pots of balm, but that is it. We keep all of our kit & none of it is environmentally damaging, because they are made from natural materials. You can get even greener & buy a vintage razor, which has a minimal footprint & use soap which is made without the use of chemicals such as sodium or potassium.

A cartridge user might keep his handle. Everything else he has to buy & throw away. A new cartridge every week & a tin of cream a month. Then throw away everything into landfill where the plastic from the cartridges will still be in 500 years, when our greatgreatgreat grandsons might still be shaving with the Ol' Loony's blade.

Gotta say gents, the sums favour us. Then again we'd still do it 'cos it so damn cool

[dwessell]

I'll agree completely that there's room for variance in the math on this one. Some people might make that razor go for a month.. I am not one of those people. And the longer you use that razor, the less that number drops.

However, the original point still stands. Unless you become a collector, shaving with a Straight Razor is cheaper then with disposables.. And more envrionmentally friendly, as I'm sure The Earth would tell us.

dw

[Blade Wielder]

Originally Posted by Spike J

Gentlemen, you talk of cost in Str8 v M3. Not that I want to sound like a treehugger (although I am). You talk of cost in silver, whereas it should be Carbon! A Straight shaver's carbon footprint in a lifetime might total that of a poor deluded cartridge user over a year.

Figures are hard to come by for the carbon footprints of individual items, so I'll use description as my tool. Yes, it's not hugely accurate, but are we economists or believers? I'll not go into shipping

If we buy a straight, strop, brush, soap, balm & a hone, we are mostly set for a year. OK, maybe we'll need more pucks of soap & pots of balm, but that is it. We keep all of our kit & none of it is environmentally damaging, because they are made from natural materials. You can get even greener & buy a vintage razor, which has a minimal footprint & use soap which is made without the use of chemicals such as sodium or potassium.

A cartridge user might keep his handle. Everything else he has to buy & throw away. A new cartridge every week & a tin of cream a month. Then throw away everything into landfill where the plastic from the cartridges will still be in 500 years, when our greatgreatgreat grandsons might still be shaving with the Ol' Loony's blade.

Gotta say gents, the sums favour us. Then again we'd still do it 'cos it so damn cool

Your train of thought seems to have...derailed.

I wasn't contesting the idea that disposable razors are more costly than straights. I was just kind of (jokingly) mocking the math in the original post with one of my own.

[Jimbo]

All I know is that I've already spent more money on straights and related items this year than I spent on mach 3 disposable-like stuff in the 5 years preceding my use of straights.

That says more I think about my addictions than anything else though. I agree that, if straights are used pragmatically and soley for utility, they beat disposables over a lifetime, no question.

But answer this honestly - who on this forum is using straights solely for utility? Single straight; one soap or cream at a time; one strop; one stone? I'm certainly not.

James.

[hoglahoo]

If it wasn't for straights, I wouldn't use the internet as much. My internet usage continues to support all sorts of horrible evil industrial complexes which threaten to destroy the earth. If I continued to use throwaway cartridges, I'd be reading more books (although I guess it takes death and destruction to produce those too)

[Purvis]

Hear Hear! I know that at the onset I envisioned spending less money and have definitly spent more, but I hope that someday soon to alleiviate the spending curve and have it flatten out. Granted the spending of this money is much more beneficial as I have alot more fun using this spent money than the old way.

Sean

[RMC_SS_LDO]

This is an interesting perspective that has been debated (in my own house no less).

I never really used a cartridge blade since they made me break-out too bad to use daily. I instead went with am electric that would last (on a single cutting block) around 6 months.

With that said, I am looking at deploying to a part of the world that is (to say the least) inhospitable. An electric is not practical. My straights will serve me well with little overhead- a shave stick from Mama Bear, a brush, a small strop and a stone for touch-ups. Not a ton invested and a little reminder of home and a nice distraction when you really need the relaxation.

The problem with most is that the straight razor option opens so many personal touches that the "economy" of it can easily be lost.

With that said, a straight razor set-up (when done efficiently) will beat any alternative in all aspects fairly quickly.

Our (well, my) problem is I enjoy many facets of razors so the costs can spiral if you like. But at the end of the day (or the start in my case), nothing compares to a relaxing, close shave with a nice soap and my old friend of an aftershave. It in many ways defines my personality and is a source of pride and individualism that is so uncommon in a "main-stream" world.


v/r

Allen

[pongulsku]

The str8 cost is being biasly inflated to prove a false fact. I own ONE str8 (Keen Cutter) for a total cost of $63, I use Van der Haagen soap cost $2.32/2 months, A strop for a total cost of $40 and A mug for a cost $14.31. Total the items (include soap replacement) at 10 years=$256.51 . All this collector baloney and aquisition disorder has NO effect upon the utilitarian cost and would be subordinated to ENTERTAINMENT.

Mach 3 under my usage came at the rate of 1 blade per week, while the Persona Plus (which I have) lasted 1 blade per 2 weeks and it had a smoother shave on my "baby face" beard (low testerone level I guess). The Mach 3 always left untouched rough stubble on the 7th day. Unaaceptable by anyone's standards. The Persona Plus would cost $368 for the 10 year period. Str8 saves $107.49/10 years

Now, that's the bookkeeper method.

[Blade Wielder]

Originally Posted by pongulsku

The str8 cost is being biasly inflated to prove a false fact. I own ONE str8 (Keen Cutter) for a total cost of $63, I use Van der Haagen soap cost $2.32/2 months, A strop for a total cost of $40 and A mug for a cost $14.31. Total the items (include soap replacement) at 10 years=$256.51 . All this collector baloney and aquisition disorder has NO effect upon the utilitarian cost and would be subordinated to ENTERTAINMENT.

There's no bias at work here. We all know perfectly well that we only require one straight razor, one strop, one rock and a supply of soap to last us the rest of our natural lives. What everyone keeps adding to the discussion is that the vast majority of us (here, at least) don't do that.

Everyone keeps responding passionately not to what's been written in this thread, but to what they've perceived. Bizarre.

[AFDavis11]

Oh you guys do get excited don't ya?

I think half the stuff we buy is just to learn and have fun with the stuff. I wonder if I could resell a Mach 3 razor with blade included on Ebay?

Only used 100 shaves! Can you imagine?