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Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 8:42 pm
by calixarene
Just checked the forums after half a year, only to find this on the front page. :lol: So of course I have to reply.

I spent about $10 in the last year (one person.) I use the Scott knockoff from Aldi, and keep a couple of rolls of the fancy quilted stuff for guests. The easiest ways to reduce TP costs is to spend less time at home. That, and a diet balanced in soluble and insoluble fiber. (Sorry if TMI, but this is a pretty TMI thread.)

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 3:27 pm
by enigmaT120
I think he's doing it on purpose, Brute.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:43 pm
by TopHatFox
Hah, yeah couldn't resist tbh. Though, to be fair, body hair management and thorough post-toilet procedures are highly effective strategies for cleanliness~

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 10:12 pm
by BRUTE
brute will take Olaz' word for it.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 7:24 am
by Ydobon
Resurrected after 6 months? That's practically new for this forum! :D

Recently spent £43/$53.99 for 200 fancy razor blades, expecting to get 14 years of shaving from them. I haven't told my wife, but plan to RE by the time they're finished.

Also a Merkur fan, although I would consider swapping out my current razor for something with a slightly longer handle.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 10:55 pm
by BRUTE
Ydobon wrote:Recently spent £43/$53.99 for 200 fancy razor blades, expecting to get 14 years of shaving from them. I haven't told my wife, but plan to RE by the time they're finished.
good countdown :) what type of blade does Ydobon prefer?

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 7:25 am
by Kriegsspiel
I bought some Feather blades back in 2015. $23.50/100 (someone recommended that brand). There are cheaper options on Amazon, like Derby; I'm wondering how big of a difference there is between them. I'm sure the cheaper brands just use metal that doesn't hold an edge as long.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 10:35 am
by vexed87
I bought a 100 pack of derby, big mistake, they're naff! I suppose I'll get through them before I die, but I'd much rather use a single Bic disposable!

I'll +1 Feather, I like Shark blades also. I hear good things about Astra blades too but only tried them once, so couldn't recommend them with any confidence. Get tester packs on ebay, but not too many because most cheapo ones are naff and you end up with 20 odd blades you'll never get around to using unless you are in a pinch.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 2:01 am
by BRUTE
brute didn't really like Feather. very sharp, but caused more irritation than others.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 8:11 am
by Kriegsspiel
What others.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 4:07 pm
by BRUTE
brute likes Personna Red.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 4:28 pm
by Kriegsspiel
Ok thanks. I'll try those when I need new ones in... 2019?

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 4:19 am
by Ydobon
BRUTE wrote:
Ydobon wrote:Recently spent £43/$53.99 for 200 fancy razor blades, expecting to get 14 years of shaving from them. I haven't told my wife, but plan to RE by the time they're finished.
good countdown :) what type of blade does Ydobon prefer?
Very delayed response, I am using Feather blades. After trying 4-5 different types, they were the only ones that didn't cut my face to ribbons when used for 4-5 shaves (I shave once a week).

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 3:32 pm
by vezkor
@olaz I would strongly suggest discontinuing the spitting practice if you haven't already. The ecosystem existing at the entrance of the alimentary canal is NOT the same as the ecosystem existing at the exit of the alimentary canal.

While earning my bachelor's degree in Biology from the wonderful university of Michigan: I had a fantastic parasitology professor who also taught the microbiology course and his very simple (PG13) explanation was that "the bugs up top don't like the bugs down bottom, but if you're going to do it anyways, make sure you clean THOROUGHLY afterwards" (He was speaking to college students...)

Whatever might not have been able to survive your peptic acid would get a fast track to a very agreeable habitat and could seriously mess up the balance of your intestinal flora.

Definitely too much information being dispensed in this thread. I like it.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 3:42 pm
by TopHatFox
Yeah, now I just use water from the sink, thanks ere forum :lol:

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 12:09 pm
by BlueNote
I use mach 3 razors from Costco. I make them last an extremely long time (around 6 months but could probably go up to a year) by doing the following:

1. I spray rubbing alcohol on the blade before using it, it seems to help with razor burn.

2. Every once in awhile I strop the blade by running it backwards over a towel ~20 times.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_tFZXk4YJc. This has always brought the blade back to life for me.

3. When I'm done a I wash the blade off thoroughly in water and spray it again with rubbing alcohol. This last spray keeps the blade very dry and prevents corrosion.

I tried those old safety razors a long time ago and didn't like them (perhaps I didn't have good technique) but +1 on good shaving soap.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 12:33 pm
by BRUTE
the technique for safety razors definitely has to be learned. it's not hard, but the strokes are short and small, and they come at an angle. not like the long strokes Mach3 and competition use.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 5:23 pm
by bryan
In case anyone is considering getting a portable bidet*, I would advise against.

I thought a portable bidet would be a good intro to bidets since it was very cheap, had high reviews, and maybe it would come in handy in a past/future nomadic life or maybe it's so good I will take it with me everywhere I go? Well, it's been at least a month since (experimenting and) using it and I would give it a 5.8/10.

The main issues I have with it are 1) the pressure is apparently not enough, even with a two handed squeeze, 2) this means I still still need to use a fair bit of TP to get everything perfectly clean like what I'm used to (just a fair reduction in amount of TP used w/ bidet). 3) I don't like poo water running down my butt cheeks (or my scrotum and balls if using two handed squeeze). 4) It's awkward to use most effectively (either with two hands to squeeze or one hand while the other keeps the balls elevated, squeezing the bidet as hard as possible while also trying to expose as much of your anus (anal canal?) as possible).

I'll continue to use it since I have it, but it is not a replacement for TP (unless you are a barbarian).

I imagine a stronger bidet would be better. Or maybe I need to invent a "single wipe" tool to compliment a bidet, something like a tampon/pipe cleaner hybrid which is flushable (degrades naturally). Or simply a soft but strong (and non-porous to water/poo particles) material that is flushable that you can wrap around a finger (though you wouldn't be able to rotate your finger as much as a pipe cleaner sort of thing).

[*] I really hate when Amazon groups completely separate items together to average the score, like here. The "styles" are hugely different and should be broken out into their own reviews/pages.

edit: of course the hand bidet pressure is a function of your grip strength. I guess I have a fairly normal grip strength for ~30yo male (no rock climbing..). But as I said, even with two hands it's not ideal.

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:39 am
by JWJones
We get our TP from Costco, their house brand (Kirkland) 30 rolls for $19 (.63¢ per roll).

I've been using a safety razor for a couple of years now, having replaced disposables. I use Shark blades (100 count from Amazon for $8.59).

We make our own bar soap (because we sell it) so we haven't purchased soap in three years. We make varieties specifically for shaving, too, which I use.

I don't believe anyone has mentioned the obvious way to avoid shaving costs/supplies: don't shave! Go full ZZ Top-mode, hahaha. Although not an option for me, personally, as I hate facial hair on myself. Maybe I'll give it a shot again when I reach FIRE, though, and try my hand at being a beach bum. :lol:

Re: Toilet paper and safety razors

Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 10:27 am
by BRUTE
could JWJones elaborate on how shaving soap is different from regular soap? this has always interested brute.