Thread: a nickel per day

" A nickel per day" the answer I gave the wife when she asked how much my razor cost. Of course, I neglected to mention that I would have to shave twice a day for the next 100 years for the cost to be "a nickel per day". In reality straight razor shaving is cheaper than we think. As a retired accountant, I calculated and estimated it would cost appoximately a nickel per day for the next 30 years if your initial investment does not exceeds $525.00. This includes two good razors, cloth/leather combo strop, Norton lapping, 1k, 4k and 8k honeing stones set, one shaving brush and a used coffee mug. A higher per day cost, if you do not live the 30 years calculated in this estimate. Even if you don't live that long, the investment is worth it. It is to me. Juan.

juan,

some of the stuff you have been coming up with lol.

I like the way you think!

Juan,

Did you ever sit down and do a calculation for the 30 year expense of continuing to use cartridge razors (a la Mach/Fusion)? I'm assuming that number would be astounding!

good work though, my friend....now I can say, "well, an accountant I know actually figure out that..." if in fact I get any resistance from my wife!

I typically find that if you buy a basic entry level straight shaving kit from some cheap place like Knife Center here in Washington DC, and compare the cost of the straight razor to the cost of the Fusion cartridge the cost of the straight drops below the cost of the fusion at approximatly 2 1/2 years.

Assumptions:

1) You shave with the straight every day;
2) The fusion lasts approximatly one month per cartridge;
3) Proctor and Gamble never again raises the cost of a cartridge;
4) You stick with the same handle and never upgrade or downgrade

Experience has taught me that assumptions one and two are fairly good assumptions, but three and four never happen. Which will make the 2 1/2 year figure shorter and shorter for every infraction. Do you really think that Proctor and Gamble will never raise prices?

This is costing me more than a nickel a day! When i started looking into shaving with a straight i believed all the stuff about saving money & a razor for life. Funny how it can take hold!

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Assumptions:

1) You shave with the straight every day;
2) The fusion lasts approximatly one month per cartridge;
3) Proctor and Gamble never again raises the cost of a cartridge;
4) You stick with the same handle and never upgrade or downgrade

Unfortunately I never got more than 4 shaves from a cartridge before I found myself cursing during my shave wondering why there wasn't a way to resharpen it. To help make the razor last longer I would generally only shave 3 or 4 days a week - now I can shave everyone in the neighborhood daily if I want with the same $10 straight razor from the flea market and the razor would probably still outlive me

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Unfortunately I never got more than 4 shaves from a cartridge before I found myself cursing during my shave wondering why there wasn't a way to resharpen it. To help make the razor last longer I would generally only shave 3 or 4 days a week - now I can shave everyone in the neighborhood daily if I want with the same $10 straight razor from the flea market and the razor would probably still outlive me

100%. I think a week on a fusion cartridge is generous. My mug used to rip those things to shreds. It, in turn, would rip my mug to shreds. We are an intelligent, efficient, environmentally friendly group of ladies and gentlemen, aren't we!?

Oglethorp, you need to readjust my computations a little bit since one of my assumptions is not correct for you. I would assume that the break even point for you would be somewhere around 10 months.

The whole reason I got into straight shaving in the first place was the "save money" myth. Buy one razor for life. How can you lose? Well I now have eight razors and counting. I'm NEVER going to break even! Do I regret starting? Na-a-a-h.