Is Switching to Dollar Shave Club Worth the Savings?

  • Thread starter Ivan Seeking
  • Start date
In summary, a pack of fifteen single-blade disposable razors for two dollars at WalMart costs as much as a new Gillette Fusion razor. A printer with ink cartridges costs as much as the printer itself, and a new Canon MP560 printer is only forty percent more expensive than an older model.
  • #36
I don't pay anything - my wife buys them.:rolleyes:

Blades are very overpriced.
 
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  • #37
cdn88 said:
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2153/merkurgenericmt2.jpg

cheap blades, amazing shave.

Yep, I going back to those. The blades at the link are 60 cents each. How much do you want to bet that the blades last just as long as the ones selling for $3.50 each?
 
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  • #38
VeeEight said:
I always use shaving cream but haven't bought a can in years - I've always lived with people who had lots to spare. I find that using just water leaves my skin rough, although I'll have to give soap a try. It seems reasonable that it will work well, and I always end up getting shaving cream in my hair.

Aside from the rusty can sitting in the cabinet, I didn't have any particular reason to abandon shaving soaps, but I ran out and found that regular hand soap works just as well.

It reminds me a bit of the new married couple. The young wife was preparing a roast and cut the ends off. When the husband asked why she cut the ends, she said that she didn't really know, but her mom had always cooked roasts that way. Later the husband asked her mother about it. Mom said that her mother had always done it that way. When he asked Grandma why she cut the ends off the roast, she seemed puzzled and thought about it awhile. After the memory kicked in, she said, "I do recall doing that. We didn't have a pan big enough for the roasts".
 
  • #39
Beard porn:


Like I said, it just takes some practice. The only thing to really worry about in the beginning is just getting some knicks or accidently dropping it and having it land on the top of a barefoot or reflexively trying to grab it. You won't slash your throat open or cut a jugular unless you are absolutely trying to. A good blade like the guy has in the video can last for decades with proper care, save you money in the long run, and can give you a quicker (better and closer too) shave once you know what you are doing since the area covered by the blade is much bigger than the typical saftey razor. Hey you are helping out the environment by being less wasteful too! I can't shave as good as the guy in that video yet though. It takes me a little bit longer.
 
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  • #41
It started out as a parody http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930

So they built it Gillette's Five-Blade Wonder
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2005/nf20050915_1654_db035.htm
 
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  • #42
DaveC426913 said:
Hm. Refining my humour.

"Showing" someone is ambiguous and not funny. This would have read better as:

"I will come over and demonstrate on you. I will do it for you the first sixty or seventy times, but after that, it's up to you."


OK, now the rofls can flood in.

I'm going to rofl because I'm beginning to suspect we may forever be ships in the night on the humour front.

You had me laughing the first go 'round; I was trying to make you laugh back. :biggrin:
 
  • #43
mgb_phys said:
It started out as a parody http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930

So they built it Gillette's Five-Blade Wonder
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2005/nf20050915_1654_db035.htm

Wow. The Onion certainly called that one, albeit unintentionally.
 
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  • #44
GeorginaS said:
I'm going to rofl because I'm beginning to suspect we may forever be ships in the night on the humour front.

You had me laughing the first go 'round; I was trying to make you laugh back. :biggrin:i
I laughed. I knew you got it. We have that special bond.

That was directed at everyone else who did not show the customary appreciation. I may have to raise the tithe.
 
  • #45
cdn88 said:
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2153/merkurgenericmt2.jpg

cheap blades, amazing shave.
Amazing shave? I wish. My throat always looks like it's been slit afterwards. Despite soaking the skin with hot water and everything. I tried for 6 months now and it doesn't get better.

BTW: 3 disposable mach 3 razors: 6$
8 of the exact same blades: 18$
Crazy isn't it?
 
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  • #46
Amanheis said:
I tried for 6 months now and it doesn't get better.
6 months eh. That might explain the rashes. If it isn`t working after about ten minutes, try taking a break from it.
 
  • #48
gravenewworld said:
I'm pretty sure if you took care of a blade to get it like this guy, you could get a shave with little irritation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXBuiQ9EFzI&feature=related

(watch at 4:40)

Well, with the audio off I don't know what it's about, but that video is spectacularly homoerotic.
 
  • #49
Amanheis said:
Amazing shave? I wish. My throat always looks like it's been slit afterwards. Despite soaking the skin with hot water and everything. I tried for 6 months now and it doesn't get better.

BTW: 3 disposable mach 3 razors: 6$
8 of the exact same blades: 18$
Crazy isn't it?

Have you tried different brands of blades? You might not think it but once you find the right blade you'll find it becomes a whole lot easier.

Don't try to finish your shave in one go, and don't do a pass without cream on your face!

I know the point of this thread is to reduce costs but some proraso shaving cream with menthol feels so good. there's some shaving soaps I really like and smell/feel amazing.
 
  • #50
cdn88 said:
Don't try to finish your shave in one go,
What?

You mean like: do one cheek, have a rest on your fainting couch, go back for the other cheek?
 
  • #51
I can grow the greatest neck beard in the world. Now I shave with the fusion 3 times a day. I like to have smooth skin during the week. On the weekends I will let it grow out again for man-factor.
 
  • #52
cdn88 said:
Have you tried different brands of blades? You might not think it but once you find the right blade you'll find it becomes a whole lot easier.

Don't try to finish your shave in one go, and don't do a pass without cream on your face!

I know the point of this thread is to reduce costs but some proraso shaving cream with menthol feels so good. there's some shaving soaps I really like and smell/feel amazing.

Funny, just last week I bought some proraso shaving soap, and I think it's amazing. I mean it was 5€ and it I only need a tiny bit, so I expect it to last a long time, that's not expensive to me. And also got anew razor from Mühle. I still get razor burn though, no matter what I do. But it already feels a lot different, for the first time it felt like the blade was actually cutting than just scraping off the hair. Last night I read http://leisureguy.wordpress.com/2006/07/10/a-guide-to-the-gourmet-shaving-experience/" and I'm anxious to try it out. Also I'm not going to go against the grain for the next few weeks or so. This guy also says: always have at least two, better three or even four passes.
So I keep trying. All I want is to have a clean, close shave everyday that I can do in about 10 minutes.
 
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  • #54
I use double edged razor blades. I got an old Gillette adjustable razor (one of them free from my grandmother's medicine cabinet, no it was not HERS) and I can get two years worth of blades (100 blades, one a week) for around $20 USD shipped. Instead of using a styptic pencil, I use an alum block, http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522960/1256432.htm . They no longer carry the one I bought last time but I think it is about the same size and it looks like it will last me two years at least. So the razor blades and styptic are dirt cheap but I use up all the money I save on shaving creams. I probably could save a bundle by using shaving soaps. I have heard good things about Col. Conk and that is only a couple bucks a puck but I do not think a shaving soap will last long in my humidity. Even my creams are basically water near the end.

I have found I can get a baby butt smooth shave every single day if I do a single pass with the double edge and then afterwards do a final cleanup with an electric razor. The electric razor by itself does a mediocre job but with the manual shave I can use it to get in at the hard to reach places without any worry of nicks and burn. In the end, I get shaves as good as I ever got with a cartridge razor but in a way that I can shave like this every day.

DaveC426913 said:
What?

You mean like: do one cheek, have a rest on your fainting couch, go back for the other cheek?

Good heavens, just the mere threat of nicking myself and extricating a tiny bit of claret is enough to make me swoon.
 
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  • #55
DaveC426913 said:
What?

You mean like: do one cheek, have a rest on your fainting couch, go back for the other cheek?

haha of course not, I meant go over it once lightly and then cover your face in lather again and do it again. and don't try to get a baby bottom smooth shave on your first pass.

http://badgerandblade.com/ has tons of information and I think a lot of people find when they start traditionally wet shaving it becomes addictive and you can end up spending a lot more than you intended too. Such as collecting older razors, etc.

I would love to eventually move up to a straight razor but I need some income first :(

Oh, and if you're hesitant to try a DE razor because of deep cuts or something, try not to get too hung up on it because once you try it out you'll realize that isn't really an issue. The right blade for YOU is important though as I didn't have great shaves until I used an Astra blade, there are lots out there and it's good to experiment. Give it a chance, it's really enjoyable!

Amanheis said:
Funny, just last week I bought some proraso shaving soap, and I think it's amazing. I mean it was 5€ and it I only need a tiny bit, so I expect it to last a long time, that's not expensive to me. And also got anew razor from Mühle. I still get razor burn though, no matter what I do. But it already feels a lot different, for the first time it felt like the blade was actually cutting than just scraping off the hair. Last night I read http://leisureguy.wordpress.com/2006/07/10/a-guide-to-the-gourmet-shaving-experience/" and I'm anxious to try it out. Also I'm not going to go against the grain for the next few weeks or so. This guy also says: always have at least two, better three or even four passes.
So I keep trying. All I want is to have a clean, close shave everyday that I can do in about 10 minutes.

any of this guys videos is a great resource as well!
 
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  • #56
Ivan Seeking said:
What I was thinking of was the old metal handle and blade holder that took a simple two-edge razor blade. Those were the standard when I was young and they had very little throw-away material. I don't think I've seen one like that for at least 20 years.
lol i use that one. but i don't live in america though.
 
  • #57
I've got a rapidly growing beard, so for me, I go with an electric finished with a straight-razor and lather. I know, archaic, but it really works. The first is more than enough to deal with most days, and the latter is perfect for an ultra-close shave. Either way, I've found the razor you use is secondary to what lather you use. A good shaving soap and badger brush with some warm water with even a halfway decent razor will do the job better than a lightsaber with some gel crap.

Oh yeah, Ivan Seeking, if you want a set like the one you're talking about, Caswell Massey makes them (but they take gillette heads!), but more importantly they have the stand, mugs for foam, and GREAT brushes and soaps.
May I also suggest this site: http://badgerandblade.com/ Which is a sort of like this place, if everyone where talking about shaving instead of physics.
 
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  • #58
DaveC426913 said:
And to add insult to injury, your razor will go obsolete in a year, and blades will no longer be available. You wil be forced to buy a new razor and forced to buy their new blades.

You say that but in my experience it just isn't so. In fact in many places they have deals on new razors (not just new models), it's often acutally cheaper to buy a new one with the free blades than to acutally buy the replacement blades. This is the reason I have 4 wilkinson sword quattros at home.

I'm just waiting for the inevitable 6 blade razor to combat the 5 blade fusion that gives "the closest shave ever". Surely any closer, and you would acutally be shaving your face off.
 
  • #59
xxChrisxx said:
You say that but in my experience it just isn't so. In fact in many places they have deals on new razors (not just new models), it's often acutally cheaper to buy a new one with the free blades than to acutally buy the replacement blades.

All I'm really saying is that they change models so often that you cannot simply keep buying the same blades for your perfectly-working five-year-old razor.
 
  • #60
This thread inspired me to buy a double edge razor about a month ago. At 16 bucks for 100 blades, cartridges don't even come close. Some blades even have cool packages like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002AYOAE6/?tag=pfamazon01-20

I've been using JM Fraser shaving cream - it is about 10 bucks for a tub that looks like it will last a year and it can hold a lot of water and get a good lather.
 
  • #62
I switched from Gillette to Schick more than a year ago because I was fed up of the cut-throat (no pun intended) prices of Gillette consumables (the poor performance of the incongruously named Fusion Power was the straw that broke the camel's back for me). Now, I'm very happy with the Schick Quattro Titanium system - the blades are cheaper and seem to last longer.
 
  • #63
Buy Bic disposables by the sack. No need to waste money on cartridges.
 
  • #64
And I thought women spent too much money on trying to look pretty! I've had the same electric razor for 15 years and no intention of spending time or money hacking at what grows naturally on my face, unless the wife demands it...

Not a fan of disposable anything except paper towels for wiping up grease and a few other odds and ends.

And yes the razor still works, just doesn't get much use since I retired from the military 11 years ago.
 
  • #65
That's what you get when companies get too big. Procter & Gamble have a world wide monopoly on this and they can set the price to whatever the hell they want.

When I get to be a billionaire, I will create a company who's sole aim is to compete with those bastards. ;)
 
  • #66
FredericGos said:
That's what you get when companies get too big. Procter & Gamble have a world wide monopoly on this and they can set the price to whatever the hell they want.

When I get to be a billionaire, I will create a company who's sole aim is to compete with those bastards. ;)
There's two ways to fail in business. Charge too little, and charge too much.
 
  • #67
Greg Bernhardt said:
I just bought 8 Fusion blades for $30 :cry:

Me too.

I use 2 blades per week. So, I spend 4$/week. This is not much different from when I using 1$ blades. I was using 5 cheap blades per week.
 
  • #68
Try the Wahl Rechargeable Hair Clipper. It only costs $29.99 and is sensitive to skin though it cannot do a very close shave as there is still about 0.25mm of hair left after the shave. It also has the added feature of having a variable voltage so the battery can be charged in any country and the clipper itself can run directly from grid power if the battery fails. Below is an image of the clipper:

http://www.wahlhomeproducts.com/GetImage.aspx?w=257&h=316&id=1395
 
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  • #69
Ivan Seeking said:
This is looking better. I can pay $1.50 per blade as oppposed to $3.50.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI
http://www.dollarshaveclub.com/select-blade

Okay, I joined and agree with this guy. I got the $6 per month for four cartridges [3 blade type], deal, S&H included! There is a slight difference between the feel of these and my Gillette but that's about it. So far I don't see any negatives. Dollarshaveclub may have hit the bullseye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R9NC7j8dVg
 
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