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We killed the golden goose (aka DE shaving is a hipster fad)

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Nah. People turned to DE shaving at first because its less expensive and stuck with it because they like it and because many find it to be better than carts or electrics.
It wasnt led by Gillette, if anything it was a revolt against Gillette and their overpriced carts. The Gillette Heritage razor was something cool that they did for the holidays but you cant really say that Gillette is behind it when you cant buy a Gillette branded DE razor or Gillette DE blades in any stores in the US.
Is it a fad? Maybe but I dont think it is because traditional wet shaving is still just a fraction of a percent of the shaving market. When it becomes a single percentage point or even around 10% of the market, then we can talk about it becoming a fad. As it stands now, I dont know anyone in the real world who shaves with a DE, brush and soap or cream. Most people who I know either use a clipper or a Gillette Fusion with canned shave gel. Thats a far cry from the world of shaving that most members of B&B know.
So, while I respect the OP's opinion, I have to respectfully disagree.
 

Chef455

Head Cheese Head Chef
Hmmmm... Nope. Regardless of my acquisition disorders I wound up here looking for a better and less expensive shave. I could have easily settled on a Feather Popular and stayed with my canned Barbasol and landed there with a single pass shave and never looked back. In my humble experience cartridge razors are far inferior. They clog, irritate and cost way too much. Given that I, and the majority of forum members, am 50+ I could give a squirrel's boo about a fad. I'm settled in my ways and not looking to impress anyone. But when I can find something in my routine that can outperform what I've been doing for decades AND (potentially) save me some scratch I am going to commit.
 
Whole lotta guys coincidentally finding DE shaving in the last few years ITT. Amazing that there has been such an intense wave of collective behaviour so recently...it's almost fad-like. But I can't point fingers, I've only been shaving this way for the last 18 months or so (?).

Thanks for all the responses. All manner of opinions are welcome, even strongly dissenting ones. I'll periodically come through and rake over the coals, time permitting.
 
It wasnt led by Gillette, if anything it was a revolt against Gillette and their overpriced carts. The Gillette Heritage razor was something cool that they did for the holidays but you cant really say that Gillette is behind it when you cant buy a Gillette branded DE razor or Gillette DE blades in any stores in the US.

It wasn't my contention that Gillette has led this fad, if it is a fad. I'm saying the fact that Gillette came out with the Heritage is solid evidence that we are in or on the cusp of a fad. Gillette wouldn't do something just for the die-hards - the are a huge multinational motivated by profit. Only a couple of years ago Gillette would have never thought to bring a razor out like this, because there would have been zero profit in it. Clearly, they have sensed a market opportunity. And why is there a market opportunity? Because of the rapidly growing interest (aka, fad).
 
Hipsters? Those guys with unkempt beards who think riding around on fixed-gear bicycles is cool and live like poor college students?

pre·ten·tious

/prəˈten(t)SHəs/

adjective

Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

I have noticed that a lot of artisanal shaving products seem to use packaging art channeling the vintage hipster chic irony angle.

You appear to be essentially agreeing with me Ashley, and that is very pleasing indeed.

As for my use of the word 'hipster', I'm using it to denote 'a person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream'
 
Fads don't bother me, so it's all good. I'm not even sure it's a fad, but if someone picked up wet shaving because it's fashionable - good for them!
 
I like hipsters, they revived my stagnant neighborhood and made it fun to live here again. They dare to be different, take chances, open up weird cool artsy shops, trendy stores, packed restaurants, bars, and clubs. I know some of the older snooty crowd that say they don't like it or they don't get it....but i say to them - well, what's the alternative?....you want it to go back to the old days where every store in Brooklyn had salamis and kielbasas hanging from the ceiling?!?

I see this thread is starting to spiral in different directions, we're all just trying to make some kind of sense out of the original somewhat confusing post....

I love kielbasa and I'm sad to hear the delis have closed.

Which part of my original post confused you? Let me know and I'll walk you through it.
 
You appear to be essentially agreeing with me Ashley, and that is very pleasing indeed.

As for my use of the word 'hipster', I'm using it to denote 'a person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream'
*** me sipping on my mini micro craft NEIPA freshly shaven with a sample of super soft soap from my friend Mohammad

Stupid hipsters!!!!
 
It's a nice thought piece but DE shaving is not a fad. You rarely hear the words "practical" and "fad" together. DE shaving is practical. It can be extremely inexpensive or it can be comparable to electrics / Gillette carts. The difference? It's OUR choice. Some time ago, the shaving-industrial complex decided to improve their revenue streams by offering us overpriced, environmentally-unfriendly products while discontinuing their classic product lines. While they were ripping us off, they transformed the shaving experience into an unpleasant chore. When my last electric razor died, I started seeking alternatives. To use a computer analogy, blades and soap are the "operating system". Our corporate overlords failed to eliminate our access to an open-source operating system. Blades and soap, readily available from all over the world at a competitive price. Within this system, we can order a $1 razor from Alibaba or a $300 razor from an artisan. That's not a fad. And the DE shaving ritual is an enjoyable experience.

P.S. - I drink pour-over coffee using a hario V60 dripper and filters. Cheaper and BETTER coffee, more variety and not locked in to the Keurigocrats. And no k-cups going into the landfill.
 
If it's a fad, it's one that's been on the way out since 2014 (at least in the United States). Dec 2013 is that highest peak... I wonder what has caused the reduced interest since then, and conversely, what drove it in the first place?

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If DE shaving was dieing and kept alive by old men then why is Merkur, Erwin Jagger, Tabac soap etc. still did well even after Carts were introduced
 
I’m originally from Detroit so when I first looked for it here I was confused as to WTH was wrong with Houston. I mean really, no kielbasa, I was depressed for minutes, many minutes as I ate a shrimp po-boy to console myself.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
I'm not sure it it's a fad in some countries where DE or SE wet shaving is still normal practice for shaving because it is very affordable. If you measure the amount of plants world wide that produce just blades for just DE razors you realize it's 10's of millions of production annually, so you realize other countries are the big consumers were wages are low and DE blades are very affordable. So DE & SE will be around for some time because the fad is permanent in other countries for a very very long time IMO.
Have some great shaves!
 
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SHARPOLOGIST said:
If shaving with a safety razor is a ritual that only a small minority of American men still enjoy, then shaving with a single-edged razor comprises a minority of a minority of wet shavers.

Maybe that’s why I like it. In the year or so since I first watched Mantic59’s introduction to wet shaving, I’ve migrated my routine almost exclusively toward single-edged razors. Occasionally, I go back to my Merkur Slant or Edwin Jagger DE89 and get good results. But something appeals to me about the “indie” nature of SE shaving. It feels like an secret shared by few select shavers.


Check out this quote I found in Sharpologist from all the way back in 2011. I may have identified wet shaving's hipster genesis. At least in relation to SE shaving.
 
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