Here are some things I've learned along the way on the economics of shaving:
- A DE safety razor is, indeed, cheaper than cartridge shaving: $40 will get you a good Merkur 34c and a 100 pack of Astra blades. A Gillette Mach 3 and 100 blads is about $140.
- Some people who shave with a DE tend to spend the money they saved on other shave gear: a nice brush, some fancy shave soaps and aftershaves. If you make it into a hobby you can spend a LOT of money on gear.
- If you've been shaving with a cartridge your whole life, learning to shave with a DE can take time to learn. It legitimately took me 5 years to get really good and I still sometimes cut myself and fall back on a cartridge for certain tough spots under my jawline where the pivoting head comes in handy.
- Dollar Shave Club and Harry's really are a great way to save money on shaving. Ideally that will continue even with both being owned by big corporations now.
- It's sometimes pointed out that (in the past, at least, cannot confirm this is still true) Dollar Shave Co. is just reselling handles and blades made by a company called Dorco. While true, it turns out that buying the DSC-branded gear is actually cheaper in most cases than buying it straight from Dorco, unless you buy a lot at a time.
Reading the discussions here at first made me happy that I don't have to deal with any of this anymore since wearing a beards for more than 5 years now, but life on the other side is not perfect as well: Every few days it's time to trim the beard, and I feel that that often actually takes longer than a full shave. A big factor to that is that trimming just feels so imprecise. I have to go over and over and over again, and at the end there's still at least some stray hairs here and there.
Am I doing it wrong? Do I have the wrong trimmer? I have a sturdy trimmer from Wahl that certainly seems to be the best I had so far, but maybe that's only relatively better?
I've started going to a barber for a full trim/shape once a month or so. Then any trimming I do is kind of as-needed. I think this kind of depends on how your beard grows in and how particular you are about stray hairs. I find that with beard oil/balm, my fly-aways are manageable enough between trims.
Precisely why I wear one - it's my natural state. I've finally broken down and just get a beard trim at the barber, it makes for a nice experience, I look far better than taking matters into my own hands, and I don't have to deal with this stuff (the mess, time spent in the bathroom, etc.)
Maybe you just care too much. I trim my beard whenever my wife complains (once a month maybe). Takes about 10 minutes and that includes scissors to get the stray hairs and moustache.
are you oiling the razor after every shave? if you dont, or if you used to not, the razor is damaged and likely cutting poorly. You can buy replacement blades for 20$
Somewhat related: I simply buy a small pack of quality multi-blade razors, and keep them sharp using a silicone rubber strop (the Blade Buddy, easily found online). Each razor lasts at least a month, often more, and that’s up against my very coarse and thick whiskers. My shaving budget is this pretty close to zero.
Same. A 20 pack of Gillette Mach 3 disposable razors (not the replacement cartridges, but the full disposable razor) from Costco, lasting 5 years and counting...
Go old school with wet shaving and DE razor and blade. Your face will thank you.
edit:
Get a cheap "Omega boar professional brush", about $15. Gets better after break in, but works well for day 1. I like it better than my badger brush.
Arko shave soap stick is super cheap. Costs about a buck in bulk, but get 1 for $2-$4.
Blades are a little tricky. There are cheap, but good blades. For me the best is polsilver super iridium, which is a little pricey compared to other (but much much cheaper than Gillettes) and I have to buy via eBay.
For real old school experience, use Clubman after shave.
Razor: I used to use my dad's 40+ year old Gillette. But just got a Merkur slant which is gentler, almost no cuts, and just amazing.
Barbasol started their own cheap razor delivery. Theirs stay clean compared to how clogged Harry's and Gilette's get.
For most days where stubble is fine I recommend the Phillips One Blade - it's the only electric razor shaped like a regular disposable razor and has a nice flat surface that functions similarly.
Slightly unrelated but I had this experience with "Dollar Shave Club" razors as well. They've marketed themselves out the wazoo and after finally caving and trying the trial I never used them again. I've never had very good experiences with safety razors, but this was by far the worst.
The shaving subculture prevalent in 'higher' circles tends to favor manual/artisan shaving. For this cadre, shaving is a ritual, not a necessary evil.
For me its a necessary evil, so I use a 5 year old electric razor with which I have never installed replacement blades. I still get a smooth shave, no cream, no oils, no water, 1 minute max, and then I'm out the door for the day.
It probably depends on individuals and their specific facial hair, but I've always found electric razors (even ~$200 ones) to be absolute trash in terms of shave quality. They are universally incapable of giving me a close shave on all parts of my face.
Braun, Remington, Norelco. I used them as a teenager. They're awful. The shave isn't close. Ingrown hairs. I suppose maybe if I had to shave every day. But they weren't for me.
I used Norelco for 30+ years and when the quality of replacement blades went to crap I switched to a Panasonic Arc5 and, wow, that thing is so much better than the Norelco. I used to shave ever other day. Now every 3rd day. I shave my head with it, too, and the total time is about 10-15m, which I do while watching sports or some other thing that doesn't require my hearing.
I absolutely hated shaving with razors, but that might just be me.
I use both, I have a Braun 8 that I use for a quick shave followed by clean up in the shower with a Mach 5. It takes forever to get a really close shave with the electric and the multi blade razor is really quick and gives a close shave if I’ve nuked the bulk of it with the electric.
Personally I have never used a real razor, cartridge or otherwise. I just use a standard trimmer/clipper unit to trim up, and remove the guide to clear out the areas I want to actually shave. It works pretty well.
I would like to move to a plastic-free shave experience. Price is no object. Any foam/aftershave needs to be unscented. Any recommendations from this group?
3. It's possible to find metal or wooden brush handles with a synthetic brush knot.
4. Purchase a 'puck' of shaving soap from anywhere you'd like. eg. DR Harris in a wooden bowl will last you ages and is much better than Art of Shaving or whatever, and that's on the pricy end. I'd recommend mitchells wool fat in a ceramic bowl. (comes prepacked in ceramic bowls, refills purchaseable separately).
There are several companies that sell all-metal safety razors with replaceable metal blades (no plastic handles, no plastic cartridges). If you buy one from Amazon, make sure to check out the fakespot score as manipulation and cheap knockoffs are rampant in this product type.
Get a double edge razor handle (made of metal) and razor blades. Treet and Astra are my favorite razor brands. You can buy 100 Astra blades for ~$7 on Amazon.
I use Proraso shaving cream, I think some of theirs is unscented. Make sure you get an after shave that does not contain alcohol.
I am a Harrys customer and really happy with their razors, shave gel and soap. I struggle with finding shave products so I hope this doesn’t change.
I also own a straight razor, HN help me learn to use it better! I have a brush and a strop and paste and it’s sharp and ready to go. I’ve tried to use it in the past but I have a hard time keeping the angle at leas than 30 degrees and still looking in the mirror.
I usually full shave just once per week and use an electric to tidy up quick 1-2 mornings. If I need to do something important I might full shave on demand.
I really want to love my shave experience and make it part of a relaxing routine.
I remember they used to advertise heavily to Steve Gibson's podcast - Security Now! (no, not Laporte's). I have been listening to the podcast for a few years, and I remember they would be advertising in almost every episode.
Apparently it was because Steve personally used them and wouldn't stop raving about them, even when they weren't yet a sponsor.
It felt like a massive betrayal about a year ago when SN started advertising Dollar Shave Club instead. You guys can't pretend like you actually like the product you're plugging and then switch to its competitor overnight and not expect us to notice!
I used Harry's subscription service for awhile, but I found that they simply sent me way too much stuff, even at the lowest refill frequency. I cancelled my subscription shortly before I moved out of my last apartment about two years ago; I still have razors and foaming gel left from those orders.
If you want a bargain and have no qualms buying from Aliexpress, then search for QSHAVE there. First result will be their "copy" of Merkur Futur, as I understand it. Haven't used the real one or many other traditional safety razors, but I have not complaints about theirs.
Wow, I'd be curious what the founders still retain equity wise. I was lucky enough to meet them when they spoke at my University about three to four years ago - at the time they'd just acquired a razor production facility somewhere in Germany I believe.
I came to the comments expecting more about the founders, their equity, and their plans for the future. I'd imagine this makes them (even more) wealthy individuals, and they probably have agreements to stay in their new leadership roles for a certain period. I'm not sure if I'm sounding cynical - I really have no idea how excited these two founders are for the new arrangement. It could be really interesting for them. Or they could've hit the magic dollar amount that was needed for them to sell. Or maybe margins were actually shrinking against larger competitors, and this made good business sense.
Knowing none of the answers to the above, I hope the more diligent investigators among you find them!
Part of the draw of a safety razor is the weight. You aren't supposed to push it against your face, just let it glide across your skin with its own weight pushing down. By going to a plastic body you lose that weight, and have to replace it with applied pressure. Requires more dexterity than just letting the razor glide.
(Anecdote warning: this might be entertaining at the very best but probably you should just skip reading.)
It's interesting to read these threads. It once again reveals how I've somehow managed to entirely skip something that's an essential part of man's daily life for most guys.
I tried razors when I was a young teenager but didn't like the all-or-nothing notion of shaving. You had to get everything clean for the skin to look good because uneven spots stand out, or not shave at all. Same with electric razors, basically. So once I didn't have anything else and I grabbed a hair trimmer and cut all my facial hair down to stubbles. I settled with that very soon after and been using the method for 25 years now.
It does help that I like a bit of beard instead of a plain skin, but not too much so as to have the beard start tickling me and prevent my face from cooling. So I always enjoyed the stubbly time after shaving but before the beard got too long. By trimming it down to stubble each time keeps me in the sweet spot. But it's not just personal preference per se as I've found a number of other benefits as well:
- It never hurts: leaving that 1.0 mm of hair or so means I can't remember the last time I've cut my skin;
- I don't use nor need to use aftershave or other lotions because my skin won't be irritated by shaving;
- These things last a long time, the current trimmer I have is my third in my entire life;
- Not that it matters at that rate of replacement but hair trimmers are much cheaper than stubble trimmers. I think I paid something on the order of 15€ for a simple Philips hair trimmer maybe five years ago. Looking for a replacement after mid 20's, probably;
- It doesn't matter much how carefully I trim because any small irregularities smooth out thanks to stubbly beard all over. So I can just whirr around for 30 seconds and I'll still look much the same as if I had worked on my beard for minutes;
- If you wear stubbly beard there's a long period of when it still look about the same. So I can actually skip doing my beard often, down to only few times a week or even less;
- Back in the 90's, after a few years of trimming my beard, I realized I can use the same thing to trim my hair as well. I've ever since trimmed my skull near bald (1 mm) because it's easy, not having hair keeps my head cool, and I don't really miss having wet, sweaty strings of hair glueing into my head whenever it's hot or I'm exercising, nor do I miss washing hair, or maintaining a particular hair cut across months;
- Now, if your beard is stubbly and your scalp is as close to bald, do you need shampoo? I think I last bought shampoo when I was 20 or something. As a by-product of this showering becomes very easy too...
Counting from the start of late teens / adult life, I've probably spent on the order of worth 50€ in both shaving and hair-cutting in my entire life. I'm not necessarily a thrift but while I mostly like the simplicity of my choices I sort of do enjoy the fact that I could've spent 100x that money or more by now - and that's just for my head alone!
Yet the best part is that I don't have to bother with nearly any of the mundane routines grooming myself and I still don't look like a homeless tramp. The bang-for-the-buck is astounding.
[+] [-] oldandboring|6 years ago|reply
- A DE safety razor is, indeed, cheaper than cartridge shaving: $40 will get you a good Merkur 34c and a 100 pack of Astra blades. A Gillette Mach 3 and 100 blads is about $140.
- Some people who shave with a DE tend to spend the money they saved on other shave gear: a nice brush, some fancy shave soaps and aftershaves. If you make it into a hobby you can spend a LOT of money on gear.
- If you've been shaving with a cartridge your whole life, learning to shave with a DE can take time to learn. It legitimately took me 5 years to get really good and I still sometimes cut myself and fall back on a cartridge for certain tough spots under my jawline where the pivoting head comes in handy.
- Dollar Shave Club and Harry's really are a great way to save money on shaving. Ideally that will continue even with both being owned by big corporations now.
- It's sometimes pointed out that (in the past, at least, cannot confirm this is still true) Dollar Shave Co. is just reselling handles and blades made by a company called Dorco. While true, it turns out that buying the DSC-branded gear is actually cheaper in most cases than buying it straight from Dorco, unless you buy a lot at a time.
[+] [-] anyfoo|6 years ago|reply
Am I doing it wrong? Do I have the wrong trimmer? I have a sturdy trimmer from Wahl that certainly seems to be the best I had so far, but maybe that's only relatively better?
[+] [-] gopher_protocol|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] iancmceachern|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Paul_S|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 55555|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|6 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] i_am_nomad|6 years ago|reply
Drying the razor after use is also crucial.
[+] [-] double0jimb0|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jvagner|6 years ago|reply
For whatever reason, it's the only razor that doesn't 1) cut up my face, and 2) leave me with razor burn on my chin and neck.
[+] [-] yumraj|6 years ago|reply
edit: Get a cheap "Omega boar professional brush", about $15. Gets better after break in, but works well for day 1. I like it better than my badger brush.
Arko shave soap stick is super cheap. Costs about a buck in bulk, but get 1 for $2-$4.
Blades are a little tricky. There are cheap, but good blades. For me the best is polsilver super iridium, which is a little pricey compared to other (but much much cheaper than Gillettes) and I have to buy via eBay.
For real old school experience, use Clubman after shave.
Razor: I used to use my dad's 40+ year old Gillette. But just got a Merkur slant which is gentler, almost no cuts, and just amazing.
[+] [-] joering2|6 years ago|reply
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Five-Blade-Razor-Remo...
Edit: with 5 extra cartridges and 5 blades per cartridge, that's enough for about 8 months of shaving... and believe me I have plenty to shave!
[+] [-] drak0n1c|6 years ago|reply
For most days where stubble is fine I recommend the Phillips One Blade - it's the only electric razor shaped like a regular disposable razor and has a nice flat surface that functions similarly.
[+] [-] warent|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|6 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] konschubert|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] genericone|6 years ago|reply
For me its a necessary evil, so I use a 5 year old electric razor with which I have never installed replacement blades. I still get a smooth shave, no cream, no oils, no water, 1 minute max, and then I'm out the door for the day.
This is blasphemy, I know.
[+] [-] 0xffff2|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] js2|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] e40|6 years ago|reply
I absolutely hated shaving with razors, but that might just be me.
[+] [-] Ensorceled|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rosseloh|6 years ago|reply
Personally I have never used a real razor, cartridge or otherwise. I just use a standard trimmer/clipper unit to trim up, and remove the guide to clear out the areas I want to actually shave. It works pretty well.
[+] [-] silverlake|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bytematic|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bobblywobbles|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] howard941|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] intopieces|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] SolaceQuantum|6 years ago|reply
2. Astra platinum razor blades
3. It's possible to find metal or wooden brush handles with a synthetic brush knot.
4. Purchase a 'puck' of shaving soap from anywhere you'd like. eg. DR Harris in a wooden bowl will last you ages and is much better than Art of Shaving or whatever, and that's on the pricy end. I'd recommend mitchells wool fat in a ceramic bowl. (comes prepacked in ceramic bowls, refills purchaseable separately).
Enjoy your shave!
[+] [-] sillyquiet|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sdinsn|6 years ago|reply
Get a double edge razor handle (made of metal) and razor blades. Treet and Astra are my favorite razor brands. You can buy 100 Astra blades for ~$7 on Amazon.
I use Proraso shaving cream, I think some of theirs is unscented. Make sure you get an after shave that does not contain alcohol.
[+] [-] throwaway5752|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chrisseaton|6 years ago|reply
Razor will last a lifetime and soap a few months with no plastic needed.
[+] [-] jason_slack|6 years ago|reply
I also own a straight razor, HN help me learn to use it better! I have a brush and a strop and paste and it’s sharp and ready to go. I’ve tried to use it in the past but I have a hard time keeping the angle at leas than 30 degrees and still looking in the mirror.
I usually full shave just once per week and use an electric to tidy up quick 1-2 mornings. If I need to do something important I might full shave on demand.
I really want to love my shave experience and make it part of a relaxing routine.
Advice?
[+] [-] HenryBemis|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] AdmiralAsshat|6 years ago|reply
It felt like a massive betrayal about a year ago when SN started advertising Dollar Shave Club instead. You guys can't pretend like you actually like the product you're plugging and then switch to its competitor overnight and not expect us to notice!
[+] [-] unknown|6 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] AdmiralAsshat|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] donarb|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] xaduha|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] algaeontoast|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] neogodless|6 years ago|reply
Knowing none of the answers to the above, I hope the more diligent investigators among you find them!
[+] [-] canada_dry|6 years ago|reply
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2702518
[+] [-] VoiceOfWisdom|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] otachack|6 years ago|reply
Hope the soaps keep coming!
[+] [-] brianbreslin|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] MagicPropmaker|6 years ago|reply
Did you hear what happened to Helena Rubinstein? Max Factor.
[+] [-] paulliwali|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] notTyler|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] r00fus|6 years ago|reply
My biggest gripe before doing so was my "monowire" stubble that embedded itself and was super sharp.
Afterwards I don't even think about it.
[+] [-] yason|6 years ago|reply
It's interesting to read these threads. It once again reveals how I've somehow managed to entirely skip something that's an essential part of man's daily life for most guys.
I tried razors when I was a young teenager but didn't like the all-or-nothing notion of shaving. You had to get everything clean for the skin to look good because uneven spots stand out, or not shave at all. Same with electric razors, basically. So once I didn't have anything else and I grabbed a hair trimmer and cut all my facial hair down to stubbles. I settled with that very soon after and been using the method for 25 years now.
It does help that I like a bit of beard instead of a plain skin, but not too much so as to have the beard start tickling me and prevent my face from cooling. So I always enjoyed the stubbly time after shaving but before the beard got too long. By trimming it down to stubble each time keeps me in the sweet spot. But it's not just personal preference per se as I've found a number of other benefits as well:
- It never hurts: leaving that 1.0 mm of hair or so means I can't remember the last time I've cut my skin;
- I don't use nor need to use aftershave or other lotions because my skin won't be irritated by shaving;
- These things last a long time, the current trimmer I have is my third in my entire life;
- Not that it matters at that rate of replacement but hair trimmers are much cheaper than stubble trimmers. I think I paid something on the order of 15€ for a simple Philips hair trimmer maybe five years ago. Looking for a replacement after mid 20's, probably;
- It doesn't matter much how carefully I trim because any small irregularities smooth out thanks to stubbly beard all over. So I can just whirr around for 30 seconds and I'll still look much the same as if I had worked on my beard for minutes;
- If you wear stubbly beard there's a long period of when it still look about the same. So I can actually skip doing my beard often, down to only few times a week or even less;
- Back in the 90's, after a few years of trimming my beard, I realized I can use the same thing to trim my hair as well. I've ever since trimmed my skull near bald (1 mm) because it's easy, not having hair keeps my head cool, and I don't really miss having wet, sweaty strings of hair glueing into my head whenever it's hot or I'm exercising, nor do I miss washing hair, or maintaining a particular hair cut across months;
- Now, if your beard is stubbly and your scalp is as close to bald, do you need shampoo? I think I last bought shampoo when I was 20 or something. As a by-product of this showering becomes very easy too...
Counting from the start of late teens / adult life, I've probably spent on the order of worth 50€ in both shaving and hair-cutting in my entire life. I'm not necessarily a thrift but while I mostly like the simplicity of my choices I sort of do enjoy the fact that I could've spent 100x that money or more by now - and that's just for my head alone!
Yet the best part is that I don't have to bother with nearly any of the mundane routines grooming myself and I still don't look like a homeless tramp. The bang-for-the-buck is astounding.