Could availability of certain items change?

[slybrewguy]

I'm not trying to make this a political conversation, this is just something that has been on my mind. Here in the US our media outlets keep bringing up changing tides with countries such as Turkey and Russia, well when I hear those two country's names I immediately think of my two favorite "expendables" in my den: Arko soap and Astra SP blades.

Does anyone feel that a changing political climate could in turn change the availability of non-domestic items?

For example, if Russia becomes angry with us they could stop exporting goods to US businesses and boom: no more St Pete plant blades in the US.

I'm not even 30 yet and have only been at the wet shaving game about 2 years so maybe one of our wiser "seasoned" members has seen changes like that in the past and could share.

 

[Highspeedlane]

Russian blades are some of the best in the world. I certainly hope (and I'm confident will happen) that this back and forth grandstanding will eventually settle down and we can remain on amicable terms with those nations whose shaving products grace bathroom cabinets and shaving dens around the world.

 

[cw62803]

If some rogue dictator's tyrannical rule cut off my supply of Arko or Russian razor blades, I would fully support bombing his sorry *** into oblivion. Or what Lane said. Either way is good.

 

[rabidus]

Stock up!

 

[BigJ]

Stock up!

+2! Best not to take chances!

 

[TobyC]

Just grab a few hundred and forget about it.

But the bean counters will usually find a way to market their goods in spite of political gameplay.

 

[slybrewguy]

I was planning on stocking up anyway since these are my most commonly used items. What really got this all on my mind is that I've been trying to take my den in the more minimalist route and when analyzing products in relation to origin and availability I said "hmmm"

 

[slybrewguy]

Oh, and this:

If some rogue dictator's tyrannical rule cut off my supply of Arko or Russian razor blades, I would fully support bombing his sorry *** into oblivion. Or what Lane said. Either way is good.

Gets my vote for best post ever

 

[ZJ68]

If some rogue dictator's tyrannical rule cut off my supply of Arko or Russian razor blades, I would fully support bombing his sorry *** into oblivion. Or what Lane said. Either way is good.

We'll retaliate by sending them a bunch of Williams.

 

[Hoka Hey]

Russia needs the hard currency. Doubt they would jeopardize that. Now China, being the sun source of all things Badger, and many razors, is another thing. My guess is if we were cut off, we could still obtain from Europe. May pay more.

 

[slybrewguy]

Russia needs the hard currency. Doubt they would jeopardize that. Now China, being the sun source of all things Badger, and many razors, is another thing. My guess is if we were cut off, we could still obtain from Europe. May pay more.

Valid point. Imagine the unrest if arko became $10 a stick and x100 Astra sp's $30-$50 lol

 

[azwetshaver]

+2! Best not to take chances!

+3. Those are inexpensive enough to stock up.

 

[SGWB]

Russia will not cut off trade relations. They need the money too much. Turkey is a little more questionable. They have traditionally been friendly with the west, but being a small country there is more potential for rapid changes in political whims. Things would get tense if the weapons we are giving the Kurds fighting ISIS started turning up in Turkey.

 

[August West]

The same thought crossed my mind while I was serving in the Italian Army during the Italo-Turkish War. Muddy and trembling in a God forsaken trench, this Italian Infantryman could always look to my stick of Arko for comfort. The cognitive dissonance during that time in my life gnawed at the core of my very being.

 

[Komboloi]

For example, if Russia becomes angry with us they could stop exporting goods to US businesses and boom: no more St Pete plant blades in the US.

Countries "angry" with another don't generally stop exporting consumer goods; they stop importing them. Consumer goods aren't like oil, where you might gain political leverage by refusing to sell it to an adversary. Without a gain in political leverage, all a country does by restricting its exports is hurt its own manufacturers.

So the danger would be a U.S. import embargo on Russian blades or Turkish soap. That seems pretty unlikely. If it happened, there would be plenty of opportunity to stock up from existing distributor supplies, perhaps at a higher price eventually. And you'd see it coming a long way off as things got more heated. That'd be the time to stock up.

No, actually, it's always the time to stock up.

 

[BSAGuy]

Not worried about it at all.

 

[slybrewguy]

Very intelligent discussion going on here and valid points all around. At the end of the day the main take home really is, can you ever have too many of your go-to blades and soaps on hand?

 

[jwwe]

I'm intentionally not buying products made in countries I'm not happy with. I'm not an Arko fan so there isn't much I would want from Turkey. I own some great blades from Russia but I'm not buying anymore. US made Personnas and Japan's Feathers have become my go to blades anyway.

 

[jldallas]

Russia needs the hard currency. Doubt they would jeopardize that. Now China, being the sun source of all things Badger, and many razors, is another thing. My guess is if we were cut off, we could still obtain from Europe. May pay more.

Countries "angry" with another don't generally stop exporting consumer goods; they stop importing them.

The quantity of Russian blades and Arko coming into the US is low enough that even if direct import into the US was stopped, we'd still get plenty via third countries. Russia and Turkey would have to completely cut off exports to all countries before we wouldn't be able to purchase them. Prices might go up a bit, but I doubt very much.

 

[Razorcan]

You could always buy Turkish blades/soap/cream from Germany ,4 million Turks living there,or UK and Russian blades/creams from any of the many ex-iron curtain countries,hundreds of traditional shaving vendors on ebay are based in these countries.

On the other hand during WW2 Germany was still exporting guns,cameras & microscopes to the US so shaving blades and soap from a country US hasn't got "the best of realtions with" won't be a problem.....