Or has the world of cartridges and throwaways thoroughly taken over? Are there countries/regions where DE is still king?
Are there places in the world where DE shaving is the standard?
- Thread starter VonMises1881
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I've seen it said other places (can't remember the threads) that Gillette and Schick have had trouble making inroads with their cartridges in developing countries, or in countries where folks just don't have as much cash to spend on overpriced shaving stuff. Places like India and Eastern Europe for example. This could explain why Gillette is promoting the Mach3 in India at the exact same time as it is trashing it in the U.K. In a country where most men still use DE blades, getting them to step up to the M3 would be music to Gillette's ears. I guess the Fusion is just for us fat, lazy Westerners.
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So it's a matter of economics rather than the beauty of the DE shave? That's a shame.
Well now, a cynic might say it's always been about economics. You think King Camp Gillette invented the DE because he thought it shaved better than a straight, or any of the other various safety razor designs floating around out there in 1902?
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Point taken. I guess I was just hoping for some corner of the world where men sneered in unison at anything other than a straight or DE. I'm sure there are pockets of this but without statistics I guess it's just anecdotal.
Yes sir, right here on B&B and your part of it.....
Yup, still places around in which DE shaving is the standard. Mostly developing countries in which consumers haven't been convinced of the "value" of cartridge razor shaving--either because it's more difficult to reach consumers through marketing, or because it's difficult to convince them to pay so much more for them.
I have no real data on this, but I suspect a good percentage of the people here shave with DE razors. I doubt the average incomes could support much disposable cartridge use. All barbershops offer wetshaves, and many customers opt for them. DE blades are sold in every corner store and newsstand, and there are whole stands at the open-air markets dedicated to wetshaving.
(In case anyone is curious, the stands often have lots of different shaving creams - both cans and tubes - as well as rather cheaply made badger brushes, DE razors, and "no-sharpen" straight razors that use DE blades.)
(In case anyone is curious, the stands often have lots of different shaving creams - both cans and tubes - as well as rather cheaply made badger brushes, DE razors, and "no-sharpen" straight razors that use DE blades.)
Yes sir, right here on B&B and your part of it.....
Well said!!
I used to part of smaller site about shaving. When I talked about canned stuff drying your skin and sucking, I got attacked by few people there. They were trying to tell me that you get as good as shave with canned gel/foams and also with cartridge razors. But yeah, PG&E who own Gillette and now AOS makes more money selling disposables and cartridges. Look at the price difference 100 DE blades, say Feathers at 50 cents a blade. Versus a Gillette Fusion refill pack of 4 cartridges costing 16 dollars around Tacoma, WA. It seems that either last about a week of regular shaving. IF you have Safeway grocery store, the labels in the store do calculate if you were to buy 100 of the item. There is a big price difference. 100 feathers costing 50 dollars, or 100 Fusion blades costing over 400 dollars? I am talking about high end DE razor. Try Derby or Dorco blades, which cost 14 dollars( to even low as 8 dollars) for 100 blades. That comes to be little over 7 cents a blade. See why PG&E wants cartridge to be standard.
PG&E = Pacific Gas & Electric
P&G = Procter & Gamble
I'm no fan of P&G taking over AoS, but it's no doubt better than if PG&E did. It would blow watching the prices of shaving cream and soap double every winter, and then having the products black out in the summer.
Awesome. Now THAT made me LOL. Just had to apologise to the wife trying to sleep in the other room...
Anyone checked out Turkey? I have quite a few quality products I really enjoy from there. I bet its still big there too.
I would say no. Even if there isnt an industry for cartridges, it is much easier to manufacture cheap no name plastic disposables with poor quality steel than any kind of cheap DE.
I could be wrong though.
I could be wrong though.
Yes sir, right here on B&B and your part of it.....
Exactly what I was thinking. You beat me to it
My daughter lives in the UK, and I've been going there for many years now. I don't think I've seen a DE razor over there. Not to mention a straight. Maybe I just need more exposure to British male society. My son-in-law uses a cartridge razor, I think the Mach 3. I had the same razor with me my last visit there. The only difference I noticed between his shaving gear and mine was that his cost a lot more than mine. Shaving stuff seems really expensive in the UK. I was glad I had brought my own cream and razor from the USA; it was a lot cheaper. A mere can of Gillette Foamy at British prices could bankrupt me. Boots seems to stock all the same shaving need brands as can be found in any CVS in the USA. I'm expecting that my son-in-law will be truly shocked to see my DE and straight razor collection when he comes here next time. Bob
In poor, and developing countries, men buy what they can afford, and the numbers that can afford the cartridge products are far lower. Gillette aren't going to adjust their prices to a country's average wage. That would only expose the profit gaughing of multiblade shaving.
A quick google reveal that a pack of 8 Mach3's costs $14US in India. Depending on where you get your info, the average weekly wage for an Indian computer programmer is $120, and a farmer $7.
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