5 Over-Rated Wet Shaving Products – With Better Alternatives

[DaveHStone]

Well... value is in the eye of the beholder, so YMMV and all that taken into account, I'd say:

Badger Vs. Synthetic brushes in general
ANY pre-shave stuff
ANY DE razor costing more than $100
Pinaud Clubman
Proraso White Soap in tub

 

[musicman1951]

"Overrated" really means "not my personal favorite" and "better alternative" really means "is my personal favorite."

Both are valuable things to share - I won't try anything new without a ton of B&B favorable reviews - but the "overrated" moniker is quite stupid. In a capitalist society overrated means soon to be off the market.

I'm currently doing a longevity test on my third soap (I went for a couple of years with just two). It's clearly very nice soap, but it was quite expensive and I may decide I don't want to spend that amount. That doesn't make it overrated or overpriced. There are (at least) two determining factors before a top shelf purchase:
1. Do I experience the increase in quality.
2. Do I think the increase is worth the higher cost- to me.

I don't make decisions for the rest of the world. Personally, I think you're all making a mistake not letting me make decisions for the rest of the world, but it is what it is.

 

[thombrogan]

Personally, I think you're all making a mistake not letting me make decisions for the rest of the world, but it is what it is.

It’s likely we are suffering from that mistake. I think it’s because almost every time we give that control over to a main decision maker, there’s usually that period of mass starvation.

I, for one, welcome @musicman1951 as our supreme overlord and look forward to a glorious future

Um, why was all my shaving gear; except for the sticks of ARKO!; confiscated and why am I being driven to a gravel pit with a sign calling it Mass Grave For a Brighter Tomorrow? I could’ve walked, you know…

 

[SharpieB]

Ulcerative colitis cured my IPA habit. Now I have this hobby now and its in the bathroom so that worked out.

Perfect. I might leave a Yeti cooler full of IPAs in the crapper.

Bud light is not really a

Agreed but it is all I drink during the day at the cottage. I get into trouble when I drink strong IPAs in the sun.

 

[JWCowboy]

Bud light is not really a

I mean, I hear you and all, but I would just say it's not a very flavorful beer. It's one of those that the whole idea is to get it as cold as possible, preferably in a frosty mug, so you can't really taste it, and then you can just get it from point a (the receptacle - a 24oz Tall Boy is best) to point b (your stomach) as fast as possible It's not bad when you've just mowed the lawn or played a game of basketball in the driveway or eaten some Mexican food at one of those order by number places or you're at the tailgate of a Clemson football game and some new friends have just given you one for free

 

[SgtCrppls]

I mean, I hear you and all, but I would just say it's not a very flavorful beer. It's one of those that the whole idea is to get it as cold as possible, preferably in a frosty mug, so you can't really taste it, and then you can just get it from point a (the receptacle - a 24oz Tall Boy is best) to point b (your stomach) as fast as possible It's not bad when you've just mowed the lawn or played a game of basketball in the driveway or eaten some Mexican food at one of those order by number places or you're at the tailgate of a Clemson football game and some new friends have just given you one for free

There are to many better beers, I like Kronenbourg 1664, it tastes like Stella but with no after taste

 

[DougK]

True story time: I was in Milwaukee on business with a colleague and had the opportunity to take the Miller brewery tour, with some additional behind-the-scenes added because we supplied the industrial controls that ran the brewery (that probably tells you who I worked for at the time). We got to the end of the tour and got our samples from the brewmaster. The last beer he gave the tour group, he refused to tell us what it was other than it was his favorite lager to brew. It was a beautiful light golden color, served perfectly chilled, and tasted clean, crisp, refreshing, with malt playing delicately with hops on the tongue; in short, an amazing lager. After we finished drinking it and expressed our delight, he told us, "You've just had Miller Lite the way it was meant to be drunk, fresh from lagering." Turns out that Miller Lite is difficult to brew correctly and really doesn't have a long shelf life at all because of the recipe, so most people have never had the opportunity to experience the beer the way the brewer intended.

TL;DR: Don't take someone else's word about a product. Weigh their opinion appropriately and then see for yourself. Works in beer, shaving, and life.

And I feel really stupid now, because Miller Lite is actually a pilsner. That's what I get for telling stories while having a glass of Bulleit rye. The point of the story holds up, at least.

 

[ackvil]

Since we are talking about breweries, I will add to the story.

In 1978 I was on a business trip to Dubuque, Iowa. I was preparing my witnesses for a hearing when my star witness suggested we break for dinner. We went to a restaurant, The Star, that was connected to a brewery, the Dubuque Star Brewing Company. There were five or six of us and we ended up in a private room. After dinner, I commented to the restaurant manager that I liked the historic theme of the restaurant. He then took me on a tour of the restaurant and the brewery next door. I learned that the brewery was the scene of a Sylvester Stallone movie, F.I.S.T. The restaurant had served one of the beers made by the brewery, Yankee Beer. I told the manager that I enjoyed the beer and was surprised by the hills in Dubuque. I had the wrong impression that Dubuque was the typical mid-western flatlands.

We spent about an hour touring both the restaurant and the brewery during which I had the pleasure of meeting the manager of the brewery. He enjoyed the fact that I had asked many questions and enjoyed his historical commentary. He asked me how long I would be in town and I said two more days. We went back to the restaurant the next evening and met the brewery manager again. We chatted for a while and that was when he told me about the Stallone movie that was filmed there. He showed me some photos that had been taken at the time.

The next day I went to the airport and boarded my United flight back to NYC. All of a sudden a flight attendant mentions my name and asks if I am on board. I identified myself and she said there was a package for me. The package was wrapped in brown paper and I had no idea what was in it. When I got home I opened the package and found two six-packs of Yankee Beer together with a note from the manager of the brewery.

 

[Tomo]

This thread is a minefield but what the heck. I’ll throw a list out there.

1. Cartridge razors
2. Electric razors
3. Double edge razors
4. Single edge razors
5. Shavettes

None work better than the simple tool they were designed to replace.

 

[Fred D]

Another possibility is that Mantic may be overrating his expertise.

For many of us these are YMMV items. What is great for me may be blah for you and vice-versa.

Tons of room for discussion rather than blanket pronouncements! Just my $0.02!!

Mantic is over-rated!
Lol, just kidding.

 

[SharpieB]

And I feel really stupid now, because Miller Lite is actually a pilsner. That's what I get for telling stories while having a glass of Bulleit rye. The point of the story holds up, at least.

At least you have good taste in booze.

 

[lurchbrian]

Most people strongly dislike the smell of Arko. I happen to think it's one of it's biggest selling points!

i take it that you live in a swamp area that has giant mozzies as thats the only reason i would like arko scent as it would keep them away ..

 

[SharpieB]

i take it that you live in a swamp area that has giant mozzies as thats the only reason i would like arko scent as it would keep them away ..

I just realized that I can get a 12 pack or Arko sticks for a bit more than a big can of skeeter spray. Arko sticks in my pockets at the cottage this summer is a great idea.

 

[thombrogan]

The citronella in ARKO! dissipates really quickly. A fellow scented with the patchouli-tinged soapy goodness of ARKO! may find the female mosquitos developing strong infatuations for him.

 

[FarmerTan]

i take it that you live in a swamp area that has giant mozzies as thats the only reason i would like arko scent as it would keep them away ..

It has been said that the mosquito is the official bird of the State of Michigan!

I once saw one carry off my little brother! True story doggone!

 

[EternalBachelor]

The R41 being on that list makes me laugh. I don't have an R41, but I've always preferred efficient razors like Fatips. Mantic seems to only enjoy mild razors. I bet it's because he did that video where he shaved with the R41 and got weepers. So, basically, he shaved with it once, didn't like it, didn't take the time to master the razor, and just automatically assumed it sucked. It reminds me of people who don't like certain video games because they're difficult and therefore "This game sucks! It's not letting me win!" It also seems like he completely misses the point when comparing shaving with an "aggressive" razor to having a wiener measuring contest. Believe it or not, not all of us want to be in the bathroom for 30 minutes every time we shave. I'm not a hobbyist, I shave because I don't want a beard. Sure, I enjoy DE shaving to some extent, but I still don't want it to take longer than it has to.

I had pretty much the same experience with the Rockwell 6S, but not because of Mantic. When it came out people in every shaving forum or group were like - ''omigosh that's the best razor evah''. Back then I remember the Timeless razor was starting to gain popularity and I was very gullible and almost pulled the trigger, but instead I decided to get the Rockwell 6S. I mean, it has 6 settings, it cost me (I think) 90$ with the discount plus free shipping and people like it, what could possibly go wrong, right?

Oh boy was I wrong! I couldn't get even DFS in some areas no matter which blade, angle, plate, pressure I try and after countless attempts and hopes for it to become my favorite razor, I just gave up and sold it.
Not counting all the Chinese razors that i've bought (Ming Shi 2000S, Yaqi Mellon and Yaqi SE Katana), the Rockwell 6S was the worst razor i've ever bought, but thankfully I managed to get most of my money.

Since then i've learned my lesson and I've met a few people which have similar to my skin and beard and I trust them to some extend about blades and razors. I'm sure the Rockwell 6S works fine for people who shave daily and don't care much about BBS/DFS or those with soft and not very dense whiskers, but it definitely didn't work for me.

I have a similar problem with people who champion Merkur razors. And it's not because I think they're bad, I just don't think they're better than many of the other razors on the market (in other words, they're fine razors, but they're not the be-all end-all like many make them out to be). Plus, I see no reason to shave with a zinc alloy razor when there are so many options for brass, stainless, and aluminum razors.

In the past, he also ranted and raved about that OneBlade razor so much it almost seemed like paid advertising. I don't care how good it shaves, the cost of that razor and its blades is ridiculous.

A final point... I also disagree that modern synthetics are significantly better than the Plisson. And I love my AP Shave Co. Cashmere.

 

[EternalBachelor]

The phrase I was looking for is "A bad workman blames his tools".

 

[shavefan]

I mean, some people actually like(!) the scent of Xpec original.

It's true!

Just kidding (not really) but one thing I quickly learned is not to pay to much attention to hardware/software recommendations. There are too many variables. Even scents. Matter of fact, a member @FarmerTan who I (used too) respect immensely turned me on to Arko. So I tried it. I'll may never forgive, the memory (and my face) still stings. . .

 

[Tirvine]

Well....for beer, ounce for ounce it was hard to beat "Black Label." It had to be ice cold, and plentiful didn't hurt, but it got the the job done on a Friday night.

Thanks for the memory, Mable!

 

[Wgg2017]

I mean, some people actually like(!) the scent of Xpec original.

It's true!

Just kidding (not really) but one thing I quickly learned is not to pay to much attention to hardware/software recommendations. There are too many variables. Even scents. Matter of fact, a member @FarmerTan who I (used too) respect immensely turned me on to Arko. So I tried it. I'll may never forgive, the memory (and my face) still stings. . .

You had to know that just because one person likes a product, no matter how much, that it might not work for you, right? Hell, how many B&Bers like Tabac or the Veg compared to how many dislike them? It's a ymmv situation totally and you have to respect that aspect of the hobby. There's absolutely no reason whatsoever to write someone off just because you don't like the same products that they do. Ymmv