That is still more than is required to use a cartridge. Go to store, buy a razor, shave. No need to worry about finding lapping film, no need to learn what the burr method is, no need to find a decent straight razor. No matter what you want to believe shaving with a straight has a learning curve and most people don't have time/patients for it. Cartridges have no learning curve, and any young man/woman with $20 can get a decent shave instantly.
"Don't Live in the Past" Gillette
- Thread starter Twelvefret
- Start date
That is still more than is required to use a cartridge. Go to store, buy a razor, shave. No need to worry about finding lapping film, no need to learn what the burr method is, no need to find a decent straight razor. No matter what you want to believe shaving with a straight has a learning curve and most people don't have time/patients for it. Cartridges have no learning curve, and any young man/woman with $20 can get a decent shave instantly.
- Thread starter
- #22
You’re missing the point. Young men want to experience and connect to past traditions. Using a SR is very easy . My intent is to make the path easy for them .
Sorry if this thread was diverted. I just don't see the Gillette article a threatening or them admitting fear of traditional shaving. Having worked in the CPG business for years Gilette etc could care less. Most of these forums total less then 100K users . Gillette's AoS B&M stores are the biggest consumer of Dovo and TI's allotment every year. The largest concern of every CPG company is the commoditization of the shaving market by online sales,patent losses and subscription based services. Almost every big player is now participating or investing in these services especially in 3rd world countries. Colgate in The Bombay Shave Company, Dorco in LetsShave etc. The list goes on. DollarShave Company (now owned by Unilever) was the biggest change seen in the shaving market and makes Skyfall's spike in SR sales a mere wisp in the wind. YMMV
Note I have shave traditionally since I was 15 years old and could care less about carts and never use them. I also do not see CPG companies as some evil Illuminati trying to kill traditional methods. You have more issues with Amazon wiping out the niche companies and small businesses that serve our needs more then P&G, Unilever et al.
I don’t believe Gillette is trying to wipe anything out but I would be interested to know why they are even mentioning straight razors. The fact they even mention them draws people’s attention to them. I haven’t a clue.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I agree.
While there are ways to make things slightly easier for the newbie, it remains a more difficult process than using the latest multibladed contraption and an aerosolised can of foam. The article essentially says "yes you could do that, but it's difficult, and our products make it easier for you", and I struggle to argue that point.
Which will be more enjoyable? Well, that depends on the individual. Someone willing to rise to the challenge, learning the shave and the peripheral skills, may get an immense satisfaction from the personal journey as well as the shave itself. Some people, simply won't want the hassle, risk, time or expense (let's not argue which is cheaper, I'm talking about the perspectives of people dissimilar to ourselves) of going down the straight path. If they choose the modern razors, so be it.
Personally, I find the personal development rewarding, but wouldn't wish to straight shave every day. Even as a long term traditional shaver, that's more hassle than I want from a shave, no matter how simplistic or beneficial some people want it to sound.
I neither want to encourage nor discourage anyone from using straights, merely encourage them along in their journey towards what ever they find gives them the shaving experience they desire.
- Thread starter
- #26
If they simply wanted to make fun or be critical of the SR they could have posted photos showing how sexy their roller ball razor was compared to a Wade and Butcher, but they didn't. They chose to do a head to head comparison. This was not an accident. No marketing message is random.
When I consider the businesses like West Coast Shaving, Amazon, and PPA, not to mention international vendors, I'd say men are paying attention. This coupled with the new members coming here, a microcosm of the overall market, complaining about poor shaves and having to pay for expensive pieces of plastic.
I gave my SIL a '56 Gillette Red Tip last Spring and a pack of Astra blades. That's all he uses now.
Maybe they wanted to see if any straight users were reading their advertising? They are probably watching this thread as their name was mentioned in the title.
More likely they found it easier to talk about their product by having something very different to compare it to. If they were comparing to another brand of cart, or last years cart with one fewer blade there would not be much to say.
Interesting thread. Thanks for posting.
More likely they found it easier to talk about their product by having something very different to compare it to. If they were comparing to another brand of cart, or last years cart with one fewer blade there would not be much to say.
Interesting thread. Thanks for posting.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I'd guess there's a larger uptake of DE users than straight users, but it's a lot easier to claim ease of use benefits with their current offerings over a straight than a DE.
- Thread starter
- #29
There is for many a natural progression toward straights. Just look at the DE users now singing the praises of a GEM Open Comb Micromatic. It a half step from MMOC to Shavette and then it goes down hill pretty fast from there.
The whole thing should be under the marketing for the blade type they're hawking, not under "Shaving Tips", especially not under the helpful sounding title of "IS A STRAIGHT RAZOR RIGHT FOR YOU?". Hawking under the guise of helping is sad. Placed here, it should be am honest, even comparison, which it isn't. It also failed to disclose 3-4 shaves a week to obtain it's "month" figure for longevity. They didn't hawk their gel, cream, or after-shave products in the "How to Shave your Face - Face Shaving Tips For Men", and only mentioned Fusion 5 once.
"A high-quality stainless steel blade is needed to decrease the likelihood of irritation." I haven't read that SS is less irritating than Carbon Steel. Any truth to that? I'm fairly new to SRs.
Technology- They decided to compare against the Mach 3 in this category according to the "*".
- Thread starter
- #31
Well, I meant this all as fun and sorry it got turned into speculation of Gillette's intent. As we know, back in the early 1900's Gillette and others were beginning to see a market for a disposable blade making blade maintenance unnecessary. 118 year later they are at it again. Even now most men think a SR is dangerous. Hence "safety razor". Right??
Also interesting they think a blade lasts so long. A month??? LOL!!
Also interesting they think a blade lasts so long. A month??? LOL!!
Probably because they are the US's largest B&M reseller of straights. Probably second to Amazon for online sales too.
Lol at the claim of less tugging and irritation.
Compared to a child .... Yes.
Compared to a de or staight .... Never!
They have to push the bs as idiots believe it and buy this overpriced useless tat.
Anything good in life requires time and skill, same for shaving.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Compared to a child .... Yes.
Compared to a de or staight .... Never!
They have to push the bs as idiots believe it and buy this overpriced useless tat.
Anything good in life requires time and skill, same for shaving.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I am just getting into this hobby/ way of shaving (4 months and shaving almost 7 days a week with SRs) because I HATED shaving. Hated dealing with my mach3 daily and hated having to shave every day for work stateside. Spending money on something I hated was too much for me so I decided to try something else to maybe save my money. I got a lot more than I expected out of it. I am sure I am not saving any money (don’t think I will be) but I actually enjoy shaving now. I look forward to it daily. There is definitely a learning curve to SR shaving but it’s still just: make steel sharp, cut hair off face. Lots of ways to do it but the final product/ goal is the same for everyone. I think more people would be willing to exercise some patience when the payoff is this rewarding, and having a site like this with people who are willing to help greatly reduces the learning curve. Little is actually required to get an effective shave but the options are pretty limitless.
- Thread starter
- #35
Well said.
Didn't read the linked article, but I see a point:
Maybe it is a subliminal way to get people to consider straights, after all AoS sell them. This would persuade men considering traditional wet shaving to go for a straight razor, and conveniently they forgot to mention DE razors?
Is this because Gillette really doesn't have any US market for DE shavers? Not trying to be a USA snob, but I'm trying to see it from Gillette's marketing view.
Yes, straight shaving has a learning curve, and there is the easy convenience of buying a cartridge system. They don't want those men to even think about DE razors, because they don't sell the hardware/razors, and the profit margin isn't there for DE blades like cartridges have.
Maybe it is a subliminal way to get people to consider straights, after all AoS sell them. This would persuade men considering traditional wet shaving to go for a straight razor, and conveniently they forgot to mention DE razors?
Is this because Gillette really doesn't have any US market for DE shavers? Not trying to be a USA snob, but I'm trying to see it from Gillette's marketing view.
Yes, straight shaving has a learning curve, and there is the easy convenience of buying a cartridge system. They don't want those men to even think about DE razors, because they don't sell the hardware/razors, and the profit margin isn't there for DE blades like cartridges have.
- Thread starter
- #37
- Thread starter
- #38
I've enjoyed hearing your perspective because I would have never considered the point of the ad to in anyway encourage the use of a SR. However, it does confirm how important communication must be in order for most readers to get what they are wanting to convey.
From what I have read, shaving was an art form and the SR produced by Sheffield reflect that concept by producing articles of beauty with etched blades and such.
The idea of a SR being dangerous was burned into the collective psyche of humanity.
We tend to obsess here with stropping and honing, but I suspect my great grandfather never had as sharp an edge or as clean a result as me. I suspect a bit of stubble was acceptable and confirmation of the male gender being intact.
There is an app on the page that gives you advice on how to improve your shave. You answer questions and with the magic of algorithms it will give you advice.
Apparently I should be using this:
... Who knew...
Apparently I should be using this:
... Who knew...
- Thread starter
- #40
In marketing we call this a solution looking for a need.There is an app on the page that gives you advice on how to improve your shave. You answer questions and with the magic of algorithms it will give you advice.
Apparently I should be using this:
... Who knew...
