Closing up - is it a coincidence?

[Phoenixkh]

@Phoenixkh would you mind sending me the link to the Kai blades? I can’t even find them on Amazon Japan. Thanks!

They are the Kai Mg Protouch AC blades.

I’m on my phone but I’ll see if I can post a link.

It’s as I thought. Because we changed the SIM cards in our phones and I forgot the power supply/charger for my laptop, Amazon Japan wants me to verify my identity using a one time code texted to my phone…..which I’ll never get because it will be texted to my US number, not the new Indonesian number assigned by the SIM card switch.

I can’t find them on Amazon Japan either at the moment and as I said, I can’t sign on until we get back to the States near the end of May, so I can’t check my orders until they.

Sorry I’m zero help at the moment.

Edit: If I recall correctly, I bought a box of 10 packages for $85 including shipping to the US.

 

[Toothpick]

“Data from the BLS shows that approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years, and 65% during the first 10 years. Only 25% of new businesses make it to 15 years or more.” From investopedia

It’s just the natural cycle of small business.

 

[DesertIguana]

I do not buy from Amazon, never have, never will because servers people I know have worked, or work there. Let's just say the story I hear turn me off. Good friend sells his product on Amazon, and told me how it is messers evil, but unfriendly for sellers.

Amazon has killed off local businesses, like War - Mart did in many small towns. Then if profit did not add up Wal - Mart close, and tells locals there a store to shop at 15 miles up the road.

Think it tough to be small business in 2023, and compete in world today, with rules, regulations, inventory cost, rent, etc. etc. etc.

You got to be like GREAT RESTURANT.

Good Product.

Fair Prices.

Good Customer Service.

Give 110% Effort Daily.

Maybe some creative no BS Advertising.

Fail in any area, your digging own grave.

 

[Barbarian80]

Reddit always seems pretty bumpin' regarding shave talk, there are discord servers, and other ways to meet people online with these kinds of hobbies. I used to LOVE forums in the 2000s, but I always thought the medium was a dying breed, but very glad this one exists. For a lot of younger guys getting into this hobby, I don't think a forum will be their first choice. They're probably on reddit.

Would venture to guess the average age of a reddit user is around half that of the B&B "boomers". It's always the same story over there- use proraso soap, Nivea balm, map each one of your beard hairs, and use light pressure over in the reddit world.
I don't believe any of that has to do with web sites or businesses shutting down. The wet shaving industry is strange and very limited- not an easy industry to survive in over the long haul unless your business can adapt to the changes.

 

[DesertIguana]

Would venture to guess the average age of a reddit user is around half that of the B&B "boomers". It's always the same story over there- use proraso soap, Nivea balm, map each one of your beard hairs, and use light pressure over in the reddit world.
I don't believe any of that has to do with web sites or businesses shutting down. The wet shaving industry is strange and very limited- not an easy industry to survive in over the long haul unless your business can adapt to the changes.

Think you statement is true about surviving in business. Post C-19 Business world is tough, hardtop staff or find staff.

Know in my personal case it was 1996 when phone stopped ringing, about March I was talking too good clients, story was same. Budget Cuts, Staff Cuts, can't pay day rate.

I got message closed, sold out, move on.

 

[Hms123]

As a (retired) statistician, I will go with “coincidence”…otherwise known as the “clumping of random events”. As humans, we tend to see patterns in very small data sets, even where there aren’t any.

 

[Hms123]

Mariah is doing all she can to get orders filled until the shelves are empty. I just ordered two leather travel cases. I have one already and it’s very well crafted and works like a charm. I’ll have one extra one to gift someone in the future.

Kim,
Thanks for the rec on the travel case…just ordered one. You are right about contributing. I will go signup now.

Howard

 

[The Blackadder]

Just tried to buy from Above The Tie, but shipping cost to my country was like 70 dollars for three soaps, and it was just standard shipping

 

[RayClem]

There are many factors at work. One is demographics. Younger shavers are more likely to want a quick shave with products they can purchase off the shelves of their local discount stores. They have neither the time nor the money to spend on luxury shaving products.

COVID forced many people to stay home for a while. Although I go out more now than I did at the height of COVID, I do not go out as much as I did before COVID. I used to shave every day; now I shave every 2-3 days, so my consumption of soaps and blades as been cut significantly. I could go the remainder of my natural life without every purchasing another shaving item.

Rising prices for materials has resulted in increased prices by many vendors. Shipping costs have increased with higher costs for labor and fuel. People are facing higher costs for food, gasoline, and electricity. Thus, many people who once had disposable income to spend on luxury shaving goods might have to reconsider such purchases. Do you really need a CNC machined titanium XYZ razor for $300, or can you get a decent shave with one costing $30?

 

[Eric_75]

Kim,
Thanks for the rec on the travel case…just ordered one. You are right about contributing. I will go signup now.

Howard

Congrats on becoming a contributor, Howard. How's the weather in Nashville?

 

[DesertIguana]

There are many factors at work. One is demographics. Younger shavers are more likely to want a quick shave with products they can purchase off the shelves of their local discount stores. They have neither the time nor the money to spend on luxury shaving products.

COVID forced many people to stay home for a while. Although I go out more now than I did at the height of COVID, I do not go out as much as I did before COVID. I used to shave every day; now I shave every 2-3 days, so my consumption of soaps and blades as been cut significantly. I could go the remainder of my natural life without every purchasing another shaving item.

Rising prices for materials has resulted in increased prices by many vendors. Shipping costs have increased with higher costs for labor and fuel. People are facing higher costs for food, gasoline, and electricity. Thus, many people who once had disposable income to spend on luxury shaving goods might have to reconsider such purchases. Do you really need a CNC machined titanium XYZ razor for $300, or can you get a decent shave with one costing $30?

All your point above are valid. Have some step grand kids they see to have different values then I did at their age 18 - 30.

They spend money on thing I never waned or needed.


Designer Brands, Tattoos, can’t live with last years model of anything.

Even 18 year old has credit card.

Different generation, different values, got to have everything now.

 

[Blackland Razors]

These businesses are all tiny operations mostly run by one to three people. Businesses like these (and mine) don't end because of macroeconomic forces. They end because the owners decide to do other things. They could pivot, experiment, innovate. But they've decided that their lives would be better if they do something else instead. That's not failure - that's making a personal choice and there is nothing wrong with that at all. I think we should avoid making conclusions on the market based on the career choices of a handful of people.

 

[JoWolf]

In just the past month or so Above the Tie, Dr. Jon's and the forum entitled The Shave Nook have closed.

Each may well have their own reasons but could it be there is more to it?

Might customers be moving away from established artisans toward newer ones? Perhaps moving back toward the long established heritage brands?

Is there a trend away from forums in general due to the growth of social media like Instagram?

Or might it simply be a coincidence?

My online shopping has increased dramatically Post Covid. There aren’t any businesses unaffected. Better or worse In my case rural living. Our three main Grocery stores which are slightly smaller than their counterparts in larger centres or towns. Still not stocked with those harder to get or imported items. My frugal attitude in all shopping gradually changed. If they have the product and quality, I purchase it. Even at a price I wouldn’t have considered pre Covid. Because tomorrow it won’t be there. Cars or bananas still have not got back to where they were. The market place is readjusting. My friends and family in cities say they are back closer to the normal they were used to. Mid last year my neighbour settled for a brand new one year old Mustang. Current year unavailability. During that same time period it took ten weeks from Home Depot for me to get a Frigidaire refrigerator, Mexican built. The market place is still in flux from Covid. It may not be the main reason for changes, definitely a catalyst.

 

[Ckmaui]

I hope its just coincidence and them just moving on with life in todays crazy world ?

myself your CC Cream has become my best still want to do some more comparisons but prefer it over my SV these days even
the part of me that worries is if a small company like so many as this thread shows decide to quit and move on or things change to much then I am left searching for my fav again
that said I will still keep using what works best and know I have a backup in say TOBS which also could fold any time ?

So I do wonder if so many just think I will just go with what I can get at walmart or amazon drug store etc.. and call it good enough and think I do not need to really search out what works best but is easy and cheap to get ? Just thinking out loud

also many do seem to love certain older main brand old school like arko etc... or love only the vintage razors ? But then I think they were never part of the artisan crowd most likely

Been a entrepreneur self employed my whole life I do know that its a tougher road than some might think to do and decide its just not worth it as times change and move on
my photography career after 20 years is coming to that realization the commercial world is just not the same anymore and time to move on so can also see why they do whats best for them and their families etc...

good interesting thread though !

 

[Hms123]

Congrats on becoming a contributor, Howard. How's the weather in Nashville?

Eric,
Thanks. The weather has been pretty nice. Highs in the 60s and mostly sunny. We have been outside walking a lot this week.
Btw, you took off before I could buy you lunch someplace with good burgers. The offer will still be good if you make it back to town.
Hope all is well up there.
Howard

 

[know1special]

I've been DE shaving since around 2006 and knocking around this forum since it first sprang into being.

In the years that have passed since that time, many members, vendors, products, trends, etc. have come and gone. This community and the wet-shaving world at large have ebbed and flowed this way and that constantly over time.

This latest round of upheaval that you mention seems like nothing more to me than another instance of what's come before and just as likely to come again.

 

[Eric_75]

Eric,
Thanks. The weather has been pretty nice. Highs in the 60s and mostly sunny. We have been outside walking a lot this week.
Btw, you took off before I could buy you lunch someplace with good burgers. The offer will still be good if you make it back to town.
Hope all is well up there.
Howard

Thanks for your kind words, my friend.

 

[Owen Bawn]

Takes a lot of guts and moxie to start a business. Always a bit sad to see them fail. There was great old lad at TSN named Johnny who I really liked. He was there since forever. I think he's had health issues over the past couple years. Praying that he's well.

 

[AU55IE]

I guess there is a bit of a shock factor to losing some of these companies. The decision to close Above the Tie hit me a bit harder than the other companies because they were one of the first modern razor makers (although Dr. Jon's was a early artisan soap maker too from what I remember) and probably inspired many more companies too. It's not as though I took them for granted but I can't help but feel I have in a way.
It was actually one of the brands I was hopping to purchase from when I found a way to recover financially.

We are incredibly lucky to have as many choices these days.
When I first started on this journey in the very early 2000's there were very few options. I think this forum was a light blue colour back then and maybe had a logo of a cute badger. haha, I could be making that up due to nostalgia though. lol

Costs are an issue especially for people overseas but companies like Blackland have done a really good job at mitigating some of the costs by offering Free international shipping for orders over $99 (realistically that's likely gonna be 99% of the time you order there) a variety of razors in different finishes and materials as well as costs. They are now offering bundles which is pretty great too not to mention Blackland also does discounts from time to time so that definitely helps.
Christoper Bradley is doing similar things in terms of offering bundles and a variety of materials and prices which is great but I know they are unable to ship to certain regions/zones (namely for me Australia) at the moment (last I checked) so that is definitely not going to help business but I do not expect that situation to last. But they are also manufacturing upon purchase for some razors and this will help their business but no doubt create a bit of a slower processing time from shop to your door.

Of course there are some things that companies cannot control and that is the respective buyers own economy as well. 1 AUD = 0.6308 USD so by that token if a razor costs $320.00 USD it will cost $507.27 AUD. This is not up to X company or any other company to absorb but it is a factor so logically one would probably wait until their respective dollar goes up in value to make that purchase. I have seen the Aussie dollar well over 0.6308 USD before and sustain at a much better level but as it is it has been this low for a long while so it is definitely a blow to Aussie buyers that makes the decision to spend all the more harder but as I said the things many of these companies have implemented have all been good and certainly helped out a lot.
There are certainly ways to adjust businesses to adapt to situations but we should all be really proud of what Above the Tie (as well as others mentioned) has achieved over the years and wish them all nothing but the best in life. It's sad to see them go but just like Charcoal Goods they have carved out a really impressive legacy in the shaving community that even they should be proud of.

At least when it comes to razors there are no real international shipping restrictions like there is for aftershaves. hahaha (*said with a tear in his eye) I know there are aftershaves without alcohol but its not the same. Maybe an ingenious vendor create an aftershave as they normally would but without the alcohol at a lower cost and then provide instructions for international customers on how much alcohol to add to the mix in the bottle as well as what percent of alcohol should be used example 75%, 90%, 99% so they can just go out an buy it at a chemist and add it. Just a novel thought but I am getting sidetracked here and have no idea what it takes to make aftershaves.

 

[sarimento1]

All sad !
But, hey guys, the US is in a Recession!
Hitting middle income hardest!
Even AMZN has been having layoffs!
Banks are collapsing!
Shaving hobby items are discretionary spending!
That gets hit first!
Buckle up!
Unfortunately more is likely to come!
We might all be shaving with Arko soon!