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26 bucks for a 12 pack of Fusion razor blades
28 bucks for and HP black and white printer cartridge, more for the color one.

It all adds up. Are there alternatives to this highway robbery?

I like a close shave, so I use a blade. Any way to make those blades last longer and remain sharp?

And ink for the printer. I've tried refill kits and remanufactured cartidges, but eventually it scews up my printer and I get error messages saying its not genuine. Any other companies that sell cheap reliable ink refill kits that work? Or a prinyer that needs cheaper cartridges?

Thanks

but one really good electric razor that will last you a lifetime.

calibro saidbut one really good electric razor that will last you a lifetime.

I'm not aware of any electric that will last a lifetime, though my Norelcos have been nearly indestructible (my Remingtons all broke quickly). But even an electric will require new blades, and foil heads for those types, so they're not without costs over time.

Still, on balance I think an electric can be less expensive than disposable blades and shaving cream. In my case, with a heavy beard, I have to shave twice a day with the latest Norelco Arcitec model, if I'm going out in the evening, but it's quick & easy. A Norelco rotary will not shave as close as a foil type, but I've never had one fail me, nor fail to please me.

KissingPro said26 bucks for a 12 pack of Fusion razor blades
28 bucks for and HP black and white printer cartridge, more for the color one.

It all adds up. Are there alternatives to this highway robbery?

You can buy both brands at COSTCO and that saves a little. Printing paper is cheaper there too

Frankly, I hate electric razors..... vehemently. I find they simply don't do the trick, regardless of how good they are.

Well, I shouldn't say that... I love my Bodygroom for chest and southern manscaping.


Fusion Blades are reasonable if you get them online. But damn, you got 12 for 26? Thats a steal.

gibby320 saidFrankly, I hate electric razors..... vehemently. I find they simply don't do the trick, regardless of how good they are.

Well, I shouldn't say that... I love my Bodygroom for chest and southern manscaping.

Fusion Blades are reasonable if you get them online. But damn, you got 12 for 26? Thats a steal.

I have a Norelco Bodygroom, too. I also use a Gillette Fusion Power razor, that vibrates electrically, when I want a super-close shave for formal evening events, basically when I'm wearing my tuxedo and want to look my absolute best.

But I can't use a razor daily, even though it's undeniably closer than my Norelco electric, because my face rebels and becomes all blotchy and raw. Everyday use it gets the friendly Norelco, but for special occasions it has to endure the Fusion blades for a night. To quote an old adage: "The right tool for the right job."

gibby320 saidFrankly, I hate electric razors..... vehemently. I find they simply don't do the trick, regardless of how good they are.

Well, I shouldn't say that... I love my Bodygroom for chest and southern manscaping.

Fusion Blades are reasonable if you get them online. But damn, you got 12 for 26? Thats a steal.

I have a Norelco Bodygroom, too. I also use a Gillette Fusion Power razor, that vibrates electrically, when I want a super-close shave for formal evening events, basically when I'm wearing my tuxedo and want to look my absolute best.

But I can't use a razor daily, even though it's undeniably closer than my Norelco electric, because my face rebels and becomes all blotchy and raw. For everyday use it gets the friendly Norelco, but for special occasions it has to endure the Fusion blades for a night. To quote an old adage: "The right tool for the right job."

If you print many pages per day, switching to a laser printer saves money very quickly. I just picked up a color laser printer for the workshop that didn't cost much more than an inkjet up front. It was on close-out special plus a $50 credit for turning in an old printer (which was gathering dust in the wood shed.)

I've never found an electric razor that worked well or lasted more than a year. The only solution I know for that one is to shave once or twice a week and hope that the stubble look is in fashion this year.

one way that I have been getting a closer, neater shave with a razor is shorter lenght strokes, and a lot more rinsing. I have noticed a difference from the regular Fusion and the Fusion power. Doing what I just said makes them last much much longer.

KissingPro said26 bucks for a 12 pack of Fusion razor blades
28 bucks for and HP black and white printer cartridge, more for the color one.

It all adds up. Are there alternatives to this highway robbery?

I like a close shave, so I use a blade. Any way to make those blades last longer and remain sharp?

And ink for the printer. I've tried refill kits and remanufactured cartidges, but eventually it scews up my printer and I get error messages saying its not genuine. Any other companies that sell cheap reliable ink refill kits that work? Or a prinyer that needs cheaper cartridges?

Thanks

As for printing.. yeah.. stick with the brand Ink even if it is more expensive. What you can do is change the settings for your printer to print in grayscale and also use an option for "ecnon-fast" and that will cut down on the ink you use. you can also select the area that you want to print instead of printing a whole page? another idea.

Fusion is unnecessarily slightly more expensive than Mach 3, which I find didn't really need to be improved upon.

I print a lot of things at home with an HP printer. I use inkjetcartridge.com to save probably close to $300 on ink. Eventually you have to purchase new cartridges because of the strip or something? One trick I found is that if you refill the cartridges before they are empty the ink has time to settle and you never run out or get a dry cartridge!

Kodak printers are a great alternative. The ink cartridges are half the price of the others on the market.

ink is one of the most, if not the most, expensive liquids.

i think the last figure i saw was $8,000 per gallon

I unfortunately can't use a regular razor; it causes too much irritation to my face. I bought a Braun electric razor in 2003 and it works well to this date, but yes I replace the head ($30) about every 9 months and the cleaning solution ($10) about 3 times a year. I only shave about every 2 or 3 days, so I guess I get off easy.

Often times when you purchase these razor refills, electric razors, etc. from on-line auction sites such as eBay, your buying stolen merchandise. Criminals shoplift products like these in mass volume and then sell them on the internet. In the retail world, we have ink cartridges, Braun electric razors, and a variety of razor refills boosted from our shelves like crazy.....so your better off getting these items from a reputable retailer.

Get one of these and a nice leather strop. A good carbon steel model will last three lifetimes and hold an edge like you wouldn't believe. The blade acts like a scoop, so you don't need to rinse as often either. You'll never go back to a safety razor again....I promise.



Unfortunately, many printer companies program expiration dates into their cartridges. This makes people buy new cartridges. Open up your printer and you'll find a small watch style battery sitting on a printed circuit board. Pop it out. Voila! Refilled cartridges will work past the expiration date. Depending on your make and model of printer, you can also accomplish the same thing with a slight .cfg or registry modification.

Always, always, always dry your blades after use. This gets all the excess water off the blades, which leads to oxidation / dullness. You'll find that you'll get a little bit more life out of the blades!

Pianist saidGet one of these and a nice leather strop. A good carbon steel model will last three lifetimes and hold an edge like you wouldn't believe. The blade acts like a scoop, so you don't need to rinse as often either. You'll never go back to a safety razor again....I promise.

A good idea in theory but the image looks alarmingly Sweeney Todd-ish.
I wouldn't care to handle one of these first thing in the morning.

I haven't bled to death yet. That said, I AM a morning person.

Seriously though, if you have good blade technique you almost can't cut yourself.

If your residence was being burglarized, you could also use the straight razor to scare off any intruders (lol).

Side note….As a night own, I would most likely butcher my face in the morning with that razor.

jmals23 saidIf your residence was being burglarized, you could also use the straight razor to scare off any intruders (lol).

Why would you use that when you have a matching damascus 1911?



Well, sorry for derailing the thread. I did not realize everybody would be so hesitant of using a grooming implement. I stand by my printer advice.

Because so few men back over 100 years ago could safely handle a straight razor, Mr. King Gillette was able to build himself a company and make a fortune with his patented disposable safety razor, a business that continues to this day as we all know. Somehow I don't see a return to those former days, especially at around $400 for one of these:

Well come to think of it, I have a couple of straight razors somewhere in the heirlooms collection, although common cheap models, I'm sure. Hmm... if I don't have the guts to use them, maybe I can cash in on them.

LOL. I went pillaging through great-grandad's dresser, where the old shaving kits are, and here's what I found:


Still trying to figure out how these sets work... You let some guy shave your throat with these, but you keep a pistol drawn on him all the time? And this keeps his hands from shaking?

Anyway, things haven't changed too much... the manufacturer's price on the razor box is three dollars.

Edit: BTW, in my single-digit years, that particular strop was applied to my ass from time to time as a "corrective" measure. Now that I've finally got it in my hands, I've got decidedly mixed feelings about it.

KissingPro said26 bucks for a 12 pack of Fusion razor blades
28 bucks for and HP black and white printer cartridge, more for the color one.

It all adds up. Are there alternatives to this highway robbery?

I like a close shave, so I use a blade. Any way to make those blades last longer and remain sharp?

And ink for the printer. I've tried refill kits and remanufactured cartidges, but eventually it scews up my printer and I get error messages saying its not genuine. Any other companies that sell cheap reliable ink refill kits that work? Or a prinyer that needs cheaper cartridges?

Thanks

As mentioned previously, buy your blades at Costco. To make them last longer, keep them away from moisture when you're not using them. Store them in a glass of rubbing alcohol.

Buy a laser printer, if you're not printing photos. Samsung makes very affordable color laser printers for under $150. Toner doesn't dry up, like ink jet cartridges do. And they offer more prints for the money.

Also, in case you didn't know.. HP ink jet cartridges have a self-destruct mode. Meaning after X amount of prints, the little chip in the cartridge tells the printer that there's no more ink, even if there is indeed ink in the tank.

For ink jet printers, I highly recommend Canon. The mid-range models have individual ink tanks for each color. So you only need to replace the empty color, rather than the whole thing.

For laser printers, I recommend Samsung. I like HP laser printers too. But their consumer models are kind pricey.

Ciarsolo7 saidFusion is unnecessarily slightly more expensive than Mach 3, which I find didn't really need to be improved upon.

I think the need for improvement stopped with the Sensor 3. I can't stand the new pivot geometry of Gillette's razors.

i just have to say, I buy fusion razor blades and let me tell you- those rob my checking account like no other. They don't last a terribly long time and they are extremely expensive. But well worth it because they do do a good shave....

Re: Inkjet cartridges....

I second the recommendation about Kodak printers. I have a new ESP7 and the black cartridge is $10 and the color cartridge is $15. Staples gives me a $3 rebate on my next ink purchase for each cartridge I return. Since most of my printing is text, I use a draft mode & black only which makes the $6 net cost far better than Epson or HP.