There are many things that can be bothersome to guys. Shaving can be one of these things. While the act of shaving may seem like a chore to some, the requirement to pay for razor blades at the store is a much bigger headache. There are a myriad of different razors, razor blades, and refill cartridges. Depending on the manufacturer, razor blade refills can cost upwards of $5 PER cartridge. It would not necessarily be a pain if the razor blades lasted a month each. I don’t think anybody would really complain. However, this is not the case. For me, I’m lucky if a razor blade lasts ten days.
This practice of giving away a handle, and only requiring somebody to purchase the refills that ONLY fit that particular handle is where the term “razor and razor blade scheme” derived.
There is an alternative to paying the big-name refill costs, it’s called the Dollar Shave Club. The Dollar Shave Club allows you to choose any one of three different razors to purchase. There are three different razor types, “The Humble Twin”, “The 4X”, and “The Executive”.
The Humble Twin is a two-blade razor and ships with five cartridges per month. If you want the basics, this is definitely the way to go. The 4x, contains 4 blades and you get 4 cartridges per month. The Executive is their current top of line model. It includes 6 blades, and 4 cartridges per month. The Executive also has a trimmer edge built-in. The Dollar Shave is designed to automatically ship blades to your mailbox every month. You have the option of having them shipped every other month, should you be an infrequent shaver. With so many cartridges included in every shipment, you can throw away
How much would you be willing to pay for this service, $10 a month? $20 a month? How about as low as $1 per month (plus shipping and handling). Yes, you can spend $12 a year on razor blades if you choose “The Humble Twin”. If you’re not a guy who shaves every day, if you get your blades shipped every other month, bringing your total down to $6 (plus shipping and handling). Shipping, for me, was $2 a month, so the total came to $3 per month for the Humble Twin shipment. The 4x is $6 per shipment, which includes shipping and handling. The Executive will cost a mere $9 per shipment and also includes shipping and handling.
With so many blades included, the cost of each refill goes from $5 each, down to $1.50. This can be a significant savings over the course of a year.
The Dollar Shave Club also has a couple of other products. These are Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter and One Wipe Charlies. Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter is designed to be a replacement for shave gel and leave your face buttery smooth. One Wipe Charlies are designed to provide a refreshing feeling to your derrière. Both of these are add-ons to your razors. Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter is $8, for six ounces. One Wipe Charlies come in a package of 40 for $4.
I have been using Dollar Shave Club for three months now, and I have used each of the razors. The Humble Twin is good for those who do not have a lot of hair and do not need to shave often. The 4x is a great happy medium between getting a fantastic shave, with the Executive, and is probably the most cost effective shave you can get. If you’re a constant traveller, it may be best to have two subscriptions, one to the “The Humble Twin” for your travels and another one to “The 4x” for when you are at home.
So for, at most, $108, excluding add-ons, per year you can not have to worry about buying razors at the store and paying the store costs. I have used all three of the blades, and I am still on the fence between getting “The 4x” and “The Executive” shipped to me. Either way, I do not think I will be going back to the name-brand prices any time soon. The only downside is that there is no powered razor handle. I will definitely miss that little gadget. If you’re tired of paying a lot for your razors, give Dollar Shave Club a try.
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