Old-fassioned straight-razors will last generations, if properly cared-for. Together with a strop (a leather strap for sharpening the edge) some shave-soap (an alternative to canned shaving-cream, even if you don't go for the expensive straight-razor), and some sharpening paste, these razors cost about $100. They are available at many fine knife-stores. One has to be very, very careful with them. If the edge touches metal, it is likely seriously damaged, if not ruined (it costs about $50 to have the blade re-edged). Perhaps of greater concern is the damage they can do to one's face. It takes me about twice as long to shave with a straight-razor as with a good disposable. Even with such care, I draw some blood much more often than before. I used to shave in the shower with no mirror. Even with years of practice, I don't think I'll ever be able to do that with a straight-razor.
On the other hand, in seven years, I will begin to net savings over the costs of disposable-use. By the time I retire fifty years from now, I'll have saved about 1,000 1995 dollars; and when I die, someone else will continue to use the thing!
I don't know much about shaving legs. The broad blade of a straight-razor might actually be well-suited to it. Women, swimmers, bicyclists, or anyone else who tries it, please let me know how it works. Email monk@sccs.swarthmore.edu. When you buy your razor, ask for some literature about care and use. Niel Wayne sells straight-razors and has a web page. If you can't get the info you need there, I've typed up some straight-razor basics.
They use a permanent, stainless-steel mesh filter. They have no heating-source of their own, so you need a kettle, microwave, or hot-water spigot handy in order to use them.
I've heard about a similar device with which you can soak coffee grounds overnight and press the water out to get a partially-decaffeinated concentrate, to which you add hot water for a cup of acid-free, low-caffein coffee. Does anyone know of such a thing? Write me, please.
Shaving Without Waste
Razors hardly contribute a relatively significant amount to a person's total waste-production. However, non-disposable razors are one of the few alternatives to disposable-products I've found that I'm satisfied with
Toss the Coffee-Grounds, Not the Filter!
The vast majority of coffee-makers today use paper filters. Most filters, in turn, have been bleached white in a chemical process of questionable health for human end-users, not to mention the chemical wastes that may result from the manufacturing process. I recently bought a cute little 'french-press' coffee-maker. These come in a variety of sizes. They cost about $10-$40, depending on the size and brand, and make from two to eight (sixteen?) cups.
Recycle Your Batteries -- They're Toxic Waste!
If you're like I was pretty recently, you throw away your non-rechargeable batteries, even though the packaging tells you not to. What the packaging fails to tell you is what you