Are reviews a waste of time?

[jhclare]

Hi Gents,

As much as I love this hobby and reading the forums, I'm starting to believe that product reviews aren't as reliable as you would think. I think they should be taken with a large pinch of salt.

The fact is, we all have different tastes and preferences, different faces and beards, different water supplies, live all around the globe. Added to that, brushes vary so much between batches in terms of loft, knot shape, and hair quality. I speak from experience of various Rooney and Simpsons brushes I've owned. Not to mention the reformulation of soap ingredients.

Added to that the hype that surrounds certain products and personal bias for certain brands/ingredients, makes it all even less reliable.

Discuss!

John

 

[Slivovitz]

We've probably all read someone's opinion of a brush, soap, or razor, one that we have our own experiences with, and not been able to believe that the reviewer is describing the same thing.

One of us will have a wonderfully good, or excruciatingly bad, experience with a soap, razor, or brush, and rush to share it here. I've done it myself. It's just one person's opinion, often based on a very short trial, and of course others should not put too much reliance on it.

There's a reason that "YMMV" is used so frequently around here. Still, I'm glad to read how products have worked out for other people. There is often useful factual information, such as how a blade loads in a particular razor, or how bad the glue spots are on some brand of blades. There are some things, such as whether a scent is pleasant or not, or how "aggressive" a razor is, that you just have to decide for yourself.

 

[Drybonz]

I think a number of reviews are pretty helpful. 1 review about a product just gives you another person's opinion... but if 40 out of 50 B&B members tell me that a soap is no good, that will probably save me some time and money.

I have a finite amount of money and shaves left in my life, so I just can't try all the products out there... reviews are pretty helpful to me.

 

[Alec79]

I do question people who have a really bad experience with a product. I have all the easily available creams and soaps and all work as intended. Some may dry my skin a little more than others, I may prefer the scent of one or the other, but they still do what they are supposed to once you get the soap/water ratio correct to make a good lather.

Same with razors. Now that I understand the shaving process and just don't hack mindlessly at my face with a cartridge, I can get a perfectly good shave with anything and indeed, the Bic Sensitive is my favoured weekday morning razor. Cheap, sharp, lasts longer than any DE blade and readily available in probably every corner shop in the developed world, what's not to like about it?

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

John:
I think not because of the vast range of negitive & positive opinions on products. I would likekly to steer away from products that have gotten a vast amount of bad press coverage

Christopher

 

[jhclare]

For me, a brush review tells me about the handle and general appearance of the brush, but cannot tell me how it feels on the face, as this will depend on the hair and how the knot is packed.

This definitely varies between brushes/batches.

I've had three Rooney 3/1s and all were totally different in feel. One even had a loft of 55mm! I hate the inconsistency of Rooney and Simpson brushes. Take the Duke 3 - I've seen pics where the knot is 50mm or so! Mine was 46mm. BIG difference in face feel and performance, it's a different brush really!

I had a Grosvenor LE from Bullgoose with was a different brush to those described in the reviews. Its tips were very prickly, more than any other brush I've owned!

John

 

[ryeblade]

What's the alternative? As with any opinion it is prudent to consider the source and that is the challenge, to better know the reviewer. Takes time to discover resonance. I also appreciate the education. Discussion and review often articulate points and issues that may not appear on my radar yet.
It's better than soliciting shave info from the Bicycle page (or whatever else the interest is...).
Build your internal filters, get a shovel, put yer waders on and have at it. Enjoy!

 

[Wemshie]

The reviews when taken together give you a general opinion of something. Like any review in any format in the world, you may not agree, but a collection of reviews can be considered a good solid foundation on which to decide whether you want to try a product. They are also useful for when you are trying to find a product with a particular set of properties; for example an easy to lather soap with menthol or a strong smelling balm with top end moisturising. Let's face it, a manufacturer is always going to say their product is the best, so you need first hand reviewing to get the detail.
Oh and they can be fun to read.

 

[Pulley]

John:
I think not because of the vast range of negitive & positive opinions on products. I would likekly to steer away from products that have gotten a vast amount of bad press coverage

Christopher

+1 - I like the review section a lot. As stated above if a product is getting mostly all bad reviews I'll stay away from it.

Reviews are the starting point for me in my search for new and different DE shaving products. For me there are members whose reviews and comments seem to echo my thoughts after trying the product so their reviews carry a little more weight with me. StylinLA, Vertigo1234 & Marco are just a few B&B members whose reviews I really rely on.

Remeber YMMV!

 

[Dennis]

I disagree. There are many reviewers I trust and know they like similar products as I do. I give weight to reviewers that have a similar experience with a product and it gives me more confidence to try something new. The more people in this pool and the more reviews per person, both good and bad, make this work even better.

 

[Drubbing]

Reviews are inherently biased. Most reviews are favourable because people generally only want to talk about stuff they like.

Reviews that provide minimal info, or show narrow experience are unreliable. I liked a great deal of stuff I now find very ordinary, now that have better technique and a wider range of product to provide comparisons and benchmarks.

I make it a point to chip on stuff that I found poor, even if the consensus is otherwise.

Sure, they're not perfect, but you make your own judgements based on the quality of reviews and some experience of what you know you may like.

 

[Mike'sWorld]

Most shaving products are so personal in nature. Smell, slickness and ease of lathering of soaps are all variable.

For example, I love Jack Black shave cream. Great smell and works well for me. This product is generally reviled here. On the other hand, I also love Cella, which is beloved here.

 

[CraigarTA]

One must remember reviews (opinions) are like a-holes.
Everybody has one.

So no two will really be alike.

 

[stobor]

I certainly find the reviews here helpful.

They point me to products I would never have found otherwise.

They (occasionally) warn me not to try bad stuff.

And many reviews, even reviews of things I already own, provide me with valuable tips and techniques about their use that really give me a better experience.

-Scott

 

[njpaddy]

I like the review section, although it usually leads to buying something. I use the reviews much like the reviews on sites like amazon or epinion. I look for the negatives of the product or direct comparisons with products I already have. Lately I've been concentrating on the cream and aftershave reviews. First I read the reviews, then search the forums, then it's off to the vendor sites.

 

[garyg]

I appreciate the review section, more so when a product has received a number of reviews from different people. Even where the number of reviewers is limited, they may be helpful by raising an angle that I hadn't considered that might be helpful. At the end of the day, any extra knowledge is good as long as you allow for your mileage being different.

 

[jhclare]

Great responses everyone - interesting reading.

I wasn't bashing reviews, just opening a topic for discussion.

I think one should be careful when reviewing and also reading reviews. I think to review a product you should have some experience with other similar products in order for your points to be useful.

When reading, it does help if the reviewer is held in high regard, and/or has similar tastes/requirements that you do.

However, there is still the issue of water hardness/quality and differences in production runs of brushes.

I agree, they provide an excellent starting point.

John

 

[justinp]

I treat online reviews at B&B the same way I treat online reviews on Yelp or other rating services-- useless individually, hugely helpful in aggregate. 1 person's experience with a product (or restaurant, or barber) isn't worth worrying about either way. 40 people, though, is a reasonable sample size.

 

[Crixus]

I've had three Rooney 3/1s and all were totally different in feel. One even had a loft of 55mm! I hate the inconsistency of Rooney and Simpson brushes.

Haven't you heard? Why, they're handmade. 8-10mm loft differences only amplify their charm and "one of a kind" originality.

 

[Jim]

One thing I learned early in my B&B tenure-if a couple of specific guys posted a review, their results mirrored my own very closely on some products in kind, so it stood to reason that any new product they positively reviewed would also be a good fit for me.

The B&B review system is terribly flawed- it's done by humans.