Well said!Unfortunately no. Most of the shave related research are funded by big companies (mostly Gillette) for patent filings. You can try to read them with a objective mindset though. A lot of knowledge to be gained from razor design/blade manufacturing patents.
FYI, a Tech, some Gillette Silver Blues, Omega boar brush and a tube of Palmolive will cost you ~$50 and give you as good a shave as possible in the "traditional wet shaving" DE universe.
Anything else is just YMMV.
Thank You, reading thru them.There is a pretty interesting paper produced by Gillette researchers. I don't have the link, but I am sure someone does.
There is also this and all the cited papers:
Insights into shaving and its impact on skin - PubMed
Male grooming has its roots in antiquity. Control and styling of facial hair has invariably required the development and use of metal instrumentation. Once crude and unreliable, it has latterly become sophisticated and subject to intense research and development at the highest scientific level...pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
That's what I am curious about, how we have abundance of choice in brands yet no objective way to discern value. A $150 shave relative to $50 shave has to be somewhat objectively better in a defineable and repeatable way or we just have YMMV to fall back on.Unfortunately no. Most of the shave related research are funded by big companies (mostly Gillette) for patent filings. You can try to read them with a objective mindset though. A lot of knowledge to be gained from razor design/blade manufacturing patents.
FYI, a Tech, some Gillette Silver Blues, Omega boar brush and a tube of Palmolive will cost you ~$50 and give you as good a shave as possible in the "traditional wet shaving" DE universe.
Anything else is just YMMV.
no objective way to discern value.
That's what I am curious about, how we have abundance of choice in brands yet no objective way to discern value. A $150 shave relative to $50 shave has to be somewhat objectively better in a defineable and repeatable way or we just have YMMV to fall back on.
Fair points, value is some parts perception and some parts utility.Better than most consumer products to be honest. Here we have sharp, smooth, aggressive, mild, shiny shiny etc to describe our toys.
Imagine what the ladies have to deal with when they debate La Mer vs SKII!
As for discernible value, I put in a lot of work into polishing, plating and commissioning customs made handles for my Tech, it's worth a lot more to me that $150.
You can make it as frugal or luxurious as you like there is no need to spend X amount to achieve Y results.That's what I am curious about, how we have abundance of choice in brands yet no objective way to discern value. A $150 shave relative to $50 shave has to be somewhat objectively better in a defineable and repeatable way or we just have YMMV to fall back on.
Fair points, value is some parts perception and some parts utility.
Where am coming from is given the abundance of choice say for e.g. in Shaving creams, multiples of sample packets cannot make a dent in narrowing choice, so if as an user am focused on slickness or latherability or fragrance one hopes to narrow down choice from many wonderful providers to a smaller number.
Unfortunately no. Most of the shave related research are funded by big companies (mostly Gillette) for patent filings. You can try to read them with a objective mindset though. A lot of knowledge to be gained from razor design/blade manufacturing patents.
FYI, a Tech, some Gillette Silver Blues, Omega boar brush and a tube of Palmolive will cost you ~$50 and give you as good a shave as possible in the "traditional wet shaving" DE universe.
Anything else is just YMMV.
The study quoted by erkrusselreserve above (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ics.12330) seems to indicate that hydration of facial hair is key to the shaving process then followed by the blade (indicates a 5-blade cart with lube has higher efficacy then say a disposable razor). So, the soaps and creams other than for fragrance might have lower utility "assuming the razor has its own lube strip".. is that a reasonable deduction?Unfortunately no. Most of the shave related research are funded by big companies (mostly Gillette) for patent filings. You can try to read them with a objective mindset though. A lot of knowledge to be gained from razor design/blade manufacturing patents.
FYI, a Tech, some Gillette Silver Blues, Omega boar brush and a tube of Palmolive will cost you ~$50 and give you as good a shave as possible in the "traditional wet shaving" DE universe.
Anything else is just YMMV.
Only the first part. Hydration and a proper lather play a bigger role than the tool that will scrape your whiskers away. Btw Lubra strips are the DevilThe study quoted by erkrusselreserve above (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ics.12330) seems to indicate that hydration of facial hair is key to the shaving process then followed by the blade (indicates a 5-blade cart with lube has higher efficacy then say a disposable razor). So, the soaps and creams other than for fragrance might have lower utility "assuming the razor has its own lube strip".. is that a reasonable deduction?
I agree with your B&B statement. I trust the people here far more than I would some sort of testing done in a lab environment with grant money... funded by someone. Here, other than vendors which are identifiable, no one is selling anything. This is perhaps the most unbiased shaving research center on the planet.+1! First, my guess is that B&B folks are much more discerning than the typical Gillette customers.
Second, I am more happy with ‘traditional’ hardware and software as I am with the ‘newest’ and ’best!’ During my cart days I found ‘new,’ and ever more expensive, carts were no better (often not as good) an my older carts.
Third, the best product evaluations and reviews are often from the folks right here at B&B!
In the end, the only opinion that really counts is my own! Sorry, but its my hard-earned $ that I am spending!
Traditionally, lube strips would be after the blade. It only took those geniuses 30 years to put the lube strip BEFORE the blade. I have never tried shaving with only a front lube strip, although I have shaved plenty with only water with a post blade lube strip twin blade fixed disposable. Hot hot water was important when doing so.The study quoted by erkrusselreserve above (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ics.12330) seems to indicate that hydration of facial hair is key to the shaving process then followed by the blade (indicates a 5-blade cart with lube has higher efficacy then say a disposable razor). So, the soaps and creams other than for fragrance might have lower utility "assuming the razor has its own lube strip".. is that a reasonable deduction?