Cent Shave Club Gives You Fresh Razors for a Few Bucks a Year

"lonestranger" (lonestranger) 05/22/2015 at 17:45 • Filed to: shaving

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I’m getting tired of seeing the “Dollar Shave Club” sponsored post at the top of the FP (is it technically still the FP?).

Anyway, does anyone else here !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and/or use !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ?

Wet shaving (using a brush, water, and shaving soap to build a lather) isn’t nearly as convenient as shaving cream from an aerosol can, but it give a WAY more comfortable shave, especially if you’re prone to razor burn, razor bumps, and ingrown hairs.

DE razors are dirt cheap . Even buying single 10-packs of the most expensive brand from a retailer with high markup, blades aren’t going to run much more than maybe 80¢ a piece. Buy other brands and/or in bulk packs of 50 or 100 blades, and expect to pay 10-20¢ per blade.

Oh, and the razor itself? Anywhere from $15 to $200+, though paying anything much more than $50 isn’t necessary. I have three different ones now:

Edwin Jagger DE89L:

Weishi 9306:

and my newest acquisition (also shown at the top), a Gillette “Fat Boy” adjustable, manufactured in 1958:

Yes, that razor was made 20 years before I was born, it looks nearly new, and I picked it up on eBay for $57 USD.

P.S. If anyone’s looking to try some different brands of blades, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Just let me know and we can swap info and I’ll mail ‘em.

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Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 17:54

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I use straight razors from Feather, but it’s kinda the same thing.. WAAAAYY cheaper and so much better.

Rico > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 17:56

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This is my current set up. Same Edwin Jagger but without the knurled grip and an Omega boar brush. I made the switch about a month ago and it’s completely cleared up the skin at the base of my neck that would have constant irritation from stubble before and after shaving with a Gillette Fusion. Will never go back to cartridge shaving for my face (privates are a different story though).

I convinced a friend of mine to do the same and he’s a believer. Dollar shave club is still better than buying cartridges but overall this is the best way to go. I only shave once a week so a blade sampler I bought is probably going to last me a long time.

I’ll be trying some Taylor of Old Bond street soap next just to see if it’s any different.

mazda616 > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 17:56

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This is an interesting concept. I hate shaving purely because my face bleeds and breaks out in red bumps every single time I do. I’ve tried like 16 different types of razors and shaving creams, too. The one I currently get from Dollar Shave Club is the least painful, but it still hurts.

Alfalfa Romeo > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 17:57

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I’m lazy, have boyish facial hair, and have the most insensitive skin imaginable, so I just use cheap electric razors. But those DE razors look so cool, I may need one anyway.

Rico > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 17:59

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This is also been great to use after a shave, people swear by it and I can see why.

vicali > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 18:10

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You and your fancy new DE...

I’ve got a Gillette collection myself; a 1906 flare tip, then some 60s razors- Red tip, Blue Tip, Regular Flare tip, plus a Brasilia Flare..

I use Feathers and Persona reds..

All in daily use and much nicer than a $40 plastic crap you buy these days.

lonestranger > Rico 05/22/2015 at 18:15

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Nice. I’ve also got an Omega boar, and recently got a good deal on a Vie-Long horse hair brush.

I also use Proraso often, as it’s readily available at the local drug store and has good lather. I just tried my first of the “Big 3” English soaps (TOBS, Geo. F Trumper, DR Harris) with some GFT Sandalwood. It’s merely OK. Thus far, my favourite by far is Tabac.

lonestranger > Alfalfa Romeo 05/22/2015 at 18:22

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I’m trying to resist the urge to send my ‘58 off to get replated in rhodium.

itschrome > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 18:23

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Bah, I just signed my women up for the Dollar shave club. tire of hearing her bitch about how expensive her blades are. She’s pretty happy with them.

Me? Don’t know much about razors, don’t use them. real men have beards.

Alfalfa Romeo > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 18:42

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Being a former machinist (and probably will be again soon), this is like porn to me.

bhardoin > mazda616 05/22/2015 at 19:05

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That sounds horrible. It seems like there must be something you’re doing wrong for your beard.

bhardoin > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 19:12

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I switched to it about 8 months ago, and will probably never do it any other way.
Went with the best of Amazon kit:

BLADES:
I probably still have 30 or 40 left, after 8 months. So I’m doing less than a dollar a month on blades.

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BRUSH:

Cheapest brush they had. Probably loses a bristle once every 10 shaves.

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BODY:
Cheapest full metal razor they had. Out of curiosity, how much difference do you actually find between your bodies?

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SOAP:
Taylor of Old Bond is awesome. I’m probably only halfway through this, so another sub-dollar a month part of the process.

lonestranger > bhardoin 05/22/2015 at 19:31

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I also like the Astra SP’s. Them, and Feathers.

There are multiple differences between bodies. The EJ DE89L (like your pic, and an identical head to the Mühle R89) is middle-of-the-road to mild in terms of aggression. The blade sticks out enough to get a close shave, but not so far as to burn or cut the skin. It is also unobtrusive, in that I can get under my nose with ease.

The Weishi is really mild, it’ll take many passes to get a decent shave, but you’d have to be hamfisted to cut yourself with it. It’s noticeably bulkier than the EJ, so it’s a little tougher to get in near my nostrils. a Gillette Superspeed will likely be the same in that regard, as the Weishi seems to be a Gillette clone. It’s also a bit lighter, but I haven’t noticed weight affecting my shave as much as many people say it does.

The Fat Boy is, well, adjustable. It’s also even bulkier than the Weishi. Lastly, it’s pretty hefty. Again, I personally haven’t noticed if weight affects my shave.

Rico > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 20:34

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Nice collection I’ll have to try Tabac, I used to use that Nivea aftershave lotion and once I ran out my girl bought me some Aveeno aftershave lotion that’s been working really well. The proraso soap is light years ahead of anything I’ve had out of a can or tube but I’m eager to try others.

TOBS isn't really good then? Everyone raves about it but I guess I'll skip it and try Tabac.

lonestranger > Rico 05/22/2015 at 21:51

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I haven’t tried TOBS, I have tried GFT. Compared to something we both know (Proraso) it doesn’t lather as well nor does the lather stay “bubbly” on the face. It seems to quickly break down and fade away on my face. Of course that may be due to my local water, or a “bad batch” of soap, or whatever.

Neither the GFT nor Tabac (or most soaps, as far as I know) have Proraso’s menthol and eucalyptus oil that give it that tingle and scent reminiscent of Vick’s VapoRub or Tiger Balm.

Tabac, compared to Proraso, lathers even more easily. It also glides more smoothly and seems to protect better against razor burn. Really though, the biggest difference between it and Proraso is the scent. It smells more like a well-worn old leather item, maybe old hardwood, and of course tobacco. Some describe it as more of an “old man” type scent, but it’s definitely nothing like Old Spice. This is corny, but if Proraso is like a brisk early morning hike, Tabac is like sinking into an old chair with a scotch and a good book.

Agrajag > lonestranger 05/22/2015 at 22:14

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I use this one .

lonestranger > Agrajag 05/22/2015 at 23:05

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That’s awesome that you can and do use your grandfather’s. My grandpa apparently did use a DE at one time (he hated electrics), but he passed long ago and the only old razor of his that I’ve found is a Trac II.

Rico > lonestranger 05/23/2015 at 00:04

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Sounds like a good analogy.

bhardoin > lonestranger 05/23/2015 at 00:18

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Good info! I wasn’t sure where my EJ fell in the scheme of things.

Admittedly the Astra SPs are the only blades I’ve used, so I have no idea how they affect my shave. haha.

lonestranger > bhardoin 05/23/2015 at 01:00

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When I started, I got a sampler pack of a bunch of different blades. I’ve got a ton of blades that I’m not using, I could mail you some if you want. anything here look interesting?

Clockwise from left:

Feather Hi-Stainless Platinum

Astra Superior Platinum

Lord Super Stainless

Dorco New Platinum ST-301

Merkur Super Platinum

bhardoin > lonestranger 05/23/2015 at 21:46

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Thanks for the offer! But I’m not gonna trouble you with that, I’m pretty happy with the Astras. I might have a brief affair with some other blades when I inevitably run out of Astras without remembering to order replacements, but I’m fine for now.