Estimated savings since switching to TTO and soap

Both comments emphasize my point, and show that I'm, if anything, underestimating the potential savings.

 

Traditional wet-shaving can be a very cheap and effective way to shave. Carts were torturous for me. You can get a good razor cheap, good blades cheap, and very good soap for cheap.

 

Since people here are using Fatboys and the suck from the 60's, there is no reason to believe that a modern razor (epsecially if it is stainless steel would not last at least 50 years if taken care of). If you amortize the cost of a $200 razor over 50 years then the annual cost is only $4 per year. I can see someone buying the 3 puck set from Italian Barber for $8.99 and getting 18 months out of all three of them, so soap cost would be $5.99 per year. I could see a 100 pack of Feather blades lasting a few years. That would mean that blade cost would be $11.95 per year. You could, of course, use cheaper blades than Feathers and save even more money. That means that shaving would cost you about $22 a year, and you could get it lower by reducing what you spend on a razor and blades.

 

Unless its stainless, most modern razors wont last more than 5 years because once the plating breaks down, the metal quickly breaks down from moisture. Other than stainless razors, modern ones arent built to the same quality that the old, vintage brass ones were. Modern zamac razors are well-known for breaking if you drop them.
The same goes for any brush, if you get 5 years out of one, thats pretty good.
I'll give you the $8 soap. I wont give you Williams though because almost everyone agrees that its not a very good soap because it doesnt lather. Even then, youre still looking at $5 a year for blades and $16 a year for soap. $21. Not to mention you still are looking at a razor and brush. Even a Yaqi is going to cost you $20-30 and you arent going to find a decent brush for less than $10. A good brush is going to cost you considerably more.
Look, I agree that traditional wet shaving is cool and kind of fun but it doesnt save you money. Infact, Id go so far as to say that any wet shaver who is honest with themselves would say that they would have saved a lot more money if they had never discovered wet shaving.

 

I guess there are things we have to agree to disagree on. We each have our own opinions on this and that is cool.

 

Or brass, bronze, aluminum, titanium...
And do you have a source for the arbitrary "5 years" figure? There are even zamac techs from the 'o60s still around.

Again, do you have a source for the "5 years" figure?

There are those who have trouble with it. But almost everyone? Not even close.

The savings absolutely are there if that is what you want. If you choose to spend more then that's fine too. But it is a choice.

 

Having said all that, the thread is about actual savings, not just potential savings. I'm not about to pretend that I have saved anything. Not yet anyway. Maybe when the exploring settles down more.

 

at one blade a week i have enough for 20 +years,enough soap for 10,and 15 near nos vintage gillettes. i have sold enough vintage razors i didn t like to pay for the nice ones i do like..i am a frag guy so most of the time i use witch hazel then my edt of choice. my aftershaves last forever.many of the soaps i purchased i recouped costs ,my friends are very happy..i have a few select soaps i like and many i won t replace. my mainstay of brushes are synthetic and who knows how long they will last..my used soap containers will be repurposed for nuts and bolts, small hobby storage ,i build model cars and such as well as real ones..if i have spent more initially on start up de costs i have done a lot to recoup them and am way ahead.i started de for a better shave and wished i had started in my 30s instead of my 50s.its all subjective ...however i don t tell people its cheaper because it can cost way more if you choose that path. i did and don t give a fiddlers what the nay sayers think. shave on fine gents..my 2 cents..ymmv
note-12 mach 3 at todays prices $29.83-1 blade a week-$129.26 year
edge gel $2.97-4 cans a year-$11.88 year.-total cost= $141.14
100 pack astra sp blades $20.00 with shipping,-1 blade a week
2 tubs of tobs sandalwood-amazon shipped $55.00
gillette rocket bought locally $25
omega boar brush $11.95 locally.---total cost 111.95 . i still have almost half my blades after a year,the razor and brush will last 5 years. just saying.de can be cheaper..1 year of everything cheaper than what i spent alone on cart blades..
note.2 -from 2006-16 i did use a wilkinson brush and williams instead of edge gel. so that would lessen money spent on edge gel. there are cheaper blades but the mach 3 s worked the best for me at the time.i average 3 shaves per week. with my beard the mach 3 were toast after 3 shaves and gummed up/tuggy etc.thanks again.gary...

 

I'm just glad that I am finally starting to spend less money on shaving gear and supplies. Sure, I may get a new brush, and I'll still try different soaps, creams, and aftershaves, but we all need a little diversity.

 

absolutely,keeps things new, on a similar path of thinning out and keeping what i really like..cheers...

 

There are different ways to justify savings I believe if you shave your head and shave your beard. When I first got into DE traditional shaving my wife was wanting me to shave my head and after looking into that venture I did not because it's a lot of effort and time(head shaving). I use to get a hair cut once a month for approx $30.00 with tip and Gas money, so for Christmas I received a hair clipper with all the attachments for a Christmas present, $20.00 approx she spent. After two yrs using this hair trimmer saving about $720.00 and I would of spent+ lets say $120.00 on cartridges and Goo over the two yrs the total is about $840.00 approx. Now I have a great collection Vintage & brand new DE &SE razors and soaps and aftershaves and 4 synthetic brushes and one Omega boar brush and shaving bowls and have had a great time talking to different forum members for about the same amount of money(it took about 2 yrs to come close to $ breaking even?). But Now I have a large supply of blades ,razors and soaps to last at least 6yrs + and that is being very conservative. It seems that no one noticed my self imposed hair cuts that I did myself(I keep my hair short), and I have had great experiences & challenges traditional wet shaving and learned a lot.
Would not change a thing and the experience's in this hobby has been very fulfilling and pleasurable.

 

very cool. i have spent a fair bit to have what i have in the last 2 years of de shaving.with the recouping cost efforts and slim lining my favorites i am sure it will be an enjoyable, affordable experience for years to come.luckily for me vintage gillettes have filled the "gotta have " void.they have also filled the nostalgic "england after the war" thing i am going through.
i am happy to say that The Shave DEn and its fine members through knowledge,guidance and advice have steered me to where i am today in my ability to shave well, with comfort, enthusiasm , and a clean,clear complexion . sounds like a commercial...thank you all as always for the knowledge, forethought and kindness i have experienced here.value....PRICELESS...

 

In the past two years I would say that My shaves have cost me way more than before I started wet shaving. But then again I kept a short beard and only shaved a handful of times a year. But if my aquisitions come to a stop there might be some hope on actually saving money. But seriously new stuff is always fun.

 

That's actually what I try to show in my channel.
I use mostly SE stuff now, but I will still whip out a blue tip, or a tech, a puck of Williams and pinaud and still get a BBS.
I always preach technique trumps tools all the time, every time.

 

Cheaper heck no....i used to shave once a week as my job didnt require shaving as I work from home the plus point is that its a hobby downside its quite addictive as there is alot of options and learning to go with it. That said I am new to traditional shaving but one thing is shaving used to be a chore I did before church now its something I enjoy.

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How much am I saving by using double edge razors, double edge blades, artisan creams and soaps? Can I represent that number in the negative?

 

Truer words have not been spoken! But it’s been so enjoyable getting into the negative.

 

pleasure and entertainment have no price limit

 

what i used to spend on breakfast out all the time has bought me years worth of cool gear.. and outmeal is better for me too..

 

I still spend quite a bit more eating out with the wife lols

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