I know for a fact that I have less than $400 in all my shaving stuff. That's 6 DE, a SE, an injector, a repeater, 2 Artist club Shavettes, one half-DE shavette, a rolls razor, 3 shave ready straights, 6 straight blades for restoration, 7 brushes, 5 full size AS/balms, 8 full size soaps, 15 soap/cream samples, 9 AS samples, an alum block, 5 hones, a strop, 42 AC blades, 8 injector blades, 8 SE blades, 103 DE blades, a pasted balsa strop, extra strop paste in both green and red, and maybe 3 colognes one of which is a TSD sample. That's just what is left after the last 9 months of nearly daily shaving and sometimes PIFs. I have PIFed off or traded 5 razors, about 30 blades, 5 soaps and 2 Aftershaves and a bundle of samples. I've used 2 Aftershaves and a handful of soap samples, and since I was changing blades every 3 days I've used between 50 and 100 blades. When I was shaving in the Army I used a Gillette Fusion, Neutrogena Shave cream in a tube, and a Gillette Fusion Balm. It was $15 a month for carts, $6 for the shave cream and $12 for the balm. $32 a month to shave. If what I have only lasts as long as I have already been using it my monthly cost will be $22. The longer my razors last the better that gets. I firmly believe that I do save money wetshaving. I go long periods of time without buying anything then I splurge and buy a handful of things. My overall cost stays lower then what I used to spend. I know I'm probably one of the odd ducks out in here.
Shaving - perhaps it's like looking for love: you think you'll keep trying razors/soaps until you find the one. Perhaps you find the one, but after some time you can't help yourself and stray. Or maybe you've never been able to make up your mind, so end up with forty.
I said it in another post, I've never calculated my cost per shave. I have way more stuff than I need. In reality I guess I'm spending less because of the fact I had a steady handle and bought replacement carts that are way more expensive than the blades I now use. A puck of soap can be had for about the same cost as a can of goo. Any money spent that goes beyond giving me more than one razor or one brush, or more than a few bucks for a puck of soap comes from disposable income AFTER bills are paid and food purchased. These days that cash has been saved for pocket knives. Do I need more than one of those? No, of course not. But we ALL spend money on things we don't need but buy because it makes life a bit more pleasant. The bottom line for me is that shaving has become a "get to", not a "have to." And that, my friends, is priceless.
I save...sometimes i splurge, but sometimes i go months without buying anything at all. Even when i do buy i usually get one or couple things at a time...curiosity and is the killer. I want to try new things. Blades for instance i could probably go years without buying any...but i want to try a few more and at 10-20$ i just buy 100. Then i dont buy anything for a while
Most shaving is wet. Using the term dryshaving seems wrong somehow. Canned goo shaving is a bit more to type then its worth. I do agree with you that it is used as a blanket term for traditional shaving. Context is usually enough to let me know if they mean wetshaving or traditional shaving. When I say wetshaving I mean my switch from carts and tubed brushless product to soap, brush and single edge shaving. I still sometimes pull out a disposable or a cartridge but I have gotten away from the multiple blades as much as I can since my skin disagrees with them so much. I have a cigar box of single blade disposables on hand and I have a few 3 blade disposables. I keep them stocked for my stepdaughter. Since I buy them I reserve the right to steal a new one out every so often when I feel like it. I only use them when I have grip problems or the shakes.
Blood sugar issues mostly. Mostly low in the mornings. I have to shave very early and what food I put in doesn't make the low shakes stop until I'm most of the way to work. I walk that 3 min walk so I don't need to worry about driving when I feel like that. I also have a messed up right shoulder from the Army that if I sleep on it wrong must pinch a nerve because it makes my right hand weak and shaky. My doctor says I have the body of a 70+ year old man when in fact I'm 28. Lots of major injuries in my past.
I've almost gotten used to it. I've been dealing with it for several years. After I get better insurance I'll think about the recommended surgeries to fix the physical but I'm going to just have to deal with my low bloodsugars until I ease over the line between pre-diabetic and diabetic. The ADA now says that hypoglycemia isn't a real thing and they lumped it in with prediabetes.
If you manage to disconnect yourself from the various online forums, fb groups, etc them you'll save money. If not, you will always crave for the new soap/brush/razor/aftershave. Buy only if you need, then you'll save money. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
It is not about saving money for me anymore, it is about getting a great shave, and experimenting with different products, and finding what works best. I suppose you could save money if you only use one soap 1 brush 1 razor, etc. So it can be done, but a lot of people end up turning wet shaving into a hobby and/or collection.
One of my friends did that. One Fatboy, one Van der Hagen boar brush, The Body Shop's Maca Root Shave Cream, a hundred pack of Feathers, and a Stanford five-second sharpener. He gets about three month's usage from one blade, and I'm sure he's still on that same pack of Feathers. That was five years ago. I'll have to ask him for an update. He does not fall into the 'hobbiest' category.
I gave my father-in-law a brush and a shaving cream(he still uses a cartridge). After 2 weeks I wanted to "upgrade" his brush and cream and he didn't want anything more, said he likes the brush(Omega 48) and the cream(Proraso sandalwood) and doesn't need anything else.... He's smart, he is saving money. Be like my father-in-law!
I went eight months on my Parker 99r and Astra SP blades. Then RAD hit in late Feb and persisted strong all through March.
Late to the party as usual but.... IMHO As a user, in the short run, no because there are too many things to try. In the long run when you settle on your favorite razor(s) and blade(s), then yes you do save money. As a collector, never
