SOTD by u/worbx

Friday, the 28th of July, 2023

• Brush: Omega Pro 49, red handle (10049)
• Razor: Baili BR177
• Blade: Topaz Platinum (76)
• Lather: Arko - Arko
• Post shave: Stirling Soap Company - Coniferous
• Fragrance: Stetson - Original

This was a cheap shave. Cheap, cheap, cheap! Using Maggard Razors as my reference for everything I bought from them, Stirling for the splash since I bought that direct from them, and Amazon for the rest:

The Omega Pro 49 is only $9.99. The next cheapest brush I own is Maggard's synthetic, which is almost $12!

The Baili BR177 is no longer sold; I recall it being $6 or $7 regular price when I bought it; today the BR179 (same razor in a different color) is $9 regular price at Maggard Razors (but it is on sale right now!). I cannot find a source for prices on Techs in the 30s through the 60s... if my 1969 Tech cost $1, that could be as little as $8.07 today, so if Techs were cheaper than I think they were, it's possible this isn't actually my cheapest razor, at MSRP. But going by what Techs sell for in clean condition, it's pretty rare to find one for less than $10 today, so I'm going with my Baili.

Topaz blades are $1.50 per ten in a sample pack (this one is from a sample pack). Even Shark blades are more, at $1.25 per five in the sample pack (or $16 per 100, but I'm not buying one hundred crappy blades). But this blade was only 15¢. But get this: if I count per shave, after 76 shaves on this blade, that's less than one fifth of a penny per shave! You don't get much cheaper than that! But seriously, no matter how many shaves you get, this is a dirt-cheap blade.

It's no surprise that there's a lot of Arko on display today. Arko is $3.99 for a 75g stick: 5.32¢ per gram. My next cheapest soap (per gram) is, no surprise, Stirling, which is approximately 8.66¢ (assuming the jar is actually 5.8oz). However, Arko is unfortunately a far, far worse shaving soap. It's a drying, has zero residual slickness, but I will admit it gave a good shave today. Water is important! I think I used enough today. The scent... well, it's not great, but I don't hate it. If it were a better shave soap I might even use it more often. The quality of the lather is far more discouraging than the scent.

Stirling's Coniferous witch hazel & aloe is $9.95 per 200ml, or 4.975¢ per ml... on Amazon, Old Spice is $19.92 for a two pack, or 7.968¢ per ml. Dang. You know, I hadn't actually done the math before, but well done Stirling! I have no idea how you manage to sell this stuff so cheaply (well, I guess the alcohol splash is a little more costly).

Stetson Original is $13.73 per oz on Amazon... my other cheap perfume, Gravity, is $14.70 per oz on Amazon. It's a close call, but Stetson is cheaper (46.43¢ per ml under 49.71¢ per ml)! And, I think it smells better.

Overall... it was not quite what I'd call great, but this is evidence you do not need to spend much money at all to get a good shave.

**[Friday, the 28th of July, 2023](https://i.imgur.com/tusNUML.jpeg)**

* **Brush**: Omega Pro 49, red handle (10049)
* **Razor**: Baili BR177
* **Blade**: Topaz Platinum (76)
* **Lather**: Arko - Arko
* **Post shave**: Stirling Soap Company - Coniferous
* **Fragrance**: Stetson - Original

This was a [cheap shave](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31crA53Dgu0&t=37). Cheap, cheap, cheap! Using Maggard Razors as my reference for everything I bought from them, Stirling for the splash since I bought that direct from them, and Amazon for the rest:

The Omega Pro 49 is only $9.99. The next cheapest brush I own is Maggard's synthetic, which is almost $12!

The Baili BR177 is no longer sold; I recall it being $6 or $7 regular price when I bought it; today the BR179 (same razor in a different color) is $9 regular price at Maggard Razors (but it is on sale right now!). I cannot find a source for prices on Techs in the 30s through the 60s... if my 1969 Tech cost $1, that could be as little as [$8.07](https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm) today, so if Techs were cheaper than I think they were, it's possible this isn't actually my cheapest razor, at MSRP. But going by what Techs sell for in clean condition, it's pretty rare to find one for less than $10 today, so I'm going with my Baili.

Topaz blades are $1.50 per ten in a sample pack (this one is from a sample pack). Even Shark blades are more, at $1.25 per five in the sample pack (or $16 per 100, but I'm not buying one hundred crappy blades). But this blade was only 15¢. But get this: if I count per shave, after 76 shaves on this blade, that's less than one fifth of a penny per shave! You don't get much cheaper than that! But seriously, no matter how many shaves you get, this is a dirt-cheap blade.

It's no surprise that there's a _lot_ of Arko on display today. Arko is $3.99 for a 75g stick: 5.32¢ per gram. My next cheapest soap (per gram) is, no surprise, Stirling, which is approximately 8.66¢ (assuming the jar is actually 5.8oz). However, Arko is unfortunately a far, far worse shaving soap. It's a drying, has zero residual slickness, but I will admit it gave a good shave today. Water is important! I think I used enough today. The scent... well, it's not great, but I don't hate it. If it were a better shave soap I might even use it more often. The quality of the lather is far more discouraging than the scent.

Stirling's Coniferous witch hazel & aloe is $9.95 per 200ml, or 4.975¢ per ml... on Amazon, Old Spice is $19.92 for a two pack, or 7.968¢ per ml. Dang. You know, I hadn't actually done the math before, but **well done** Stirling! I have no idea how you manage to sell this stuff so cheaply (well, I guess the alcohol splash is a little more costly).

Stetson Original is $13.73 per oz on Amazon... my other cheap perfume, Gravity, is $14.70 per oz on Amazon. It's a close call, but Stetson is cheaper (46.43¢ per ml under 49.71¢ per ml)! And, I think it smells better.

Overall... it was not quite what I'd call great, but this is evidence you do not need to spend much money at all to get a good shave.