A very interesting article here
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Double Edge Blade Extinction
- Thread starter RF1963
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Great article 
Interesting, but I don't agree with all of his points.
1. While DE shaving is certainly growing in popularity, I would not go out to say that it is "booming." The percentages of Americans using DE razors are still a tiny fraction of shavers. Going from 100,000 shavers to 500,000 DE shavers when 100 million men still use cartridges is not a "boom." We wil know that DE shaving has reached "boom" stage when we start seeing trade magazines, reality shows, and mens product catalogs filling up with DE related products.
2. I don't agree with the assertion that Gillette is "scared to death" of Irridiums crossing borders. First of all, Gillette will take whatever profits it can get. If it can manufacture a blade for half a cent, sell it 20 cents and not even have to bother with distribution, that's almost pure profit. Those who shave with DEs are very unlikely to become customer for cartridge razors. Gillette would be absolutely foolish to stop manufacturing DE blades. If they do so, people will simply get them from other manufacturers.
Given that these patents have expired, it would be nice to actually see some "home brew" blade manufacturers start up somewhere, kind of like a microbrew equivalent. It would be probably be hard to do because the profit margins are so small and the technology needed to create blades so good they could compete with Feathers and IRs might be hard to achieve.
Whether DE shaving survives over the long run ultimately rests of whether it will be embraced by the "younger generation." I mean this board definitely has people who are under 30, but I would surmise that the majority of us are of an age where many of us grew up with vinyl LPs, black and white TVs, cassette tapes, typewriters and rotary phones. It's questionable of how many Gen Yers today, brought up in a world of fast text, fast technology, fast food and other activities that cater to their 'fast lifestyles,' would embrace the slower, more deliberate and thoughtful techniques (and tools) of DE shaving. My kids look at my DE razors and think I'm absolutely nuts as they go off with their Mach3s and Quattros.
Jeff in Boston
Jeff in Boston
1. While DE shaving is certainly growing in popularity, I would not go out to say that it is "booming." The percentages of Americans using DE razors are still a tiny fraction of shavers. Going from 100,000 shavers to 500,000 DE shavers when 100 million men still use cartridges is not a "boom." We wil know that DE shaving has reached "boom" stage when we start seeing trade magazines, reality shows, and mens product catalogs filling up with DE related products.
2. I don't agree with the assertion that Gillette is "scared to death" of Irridiums crossing borders. First of all, Gillette will take whatever profits it can get. If it can manufacture a blade for half a cent, sell it 20 cents and not even have to bother with distribution, that's almost pure profit. Those who shave with DEs are very unlikely to become customer for cartridge razors. Gillette would be absolutely foolish to stop manufacturing DE blades. If they do so, people will simply get them from other manufacturers.
Given that these patents have expired, it would be nice to actually see some "home brew" blade manufacturers start up somewhere, kind of like a microbrew equivalent. It would be probably be hard to do because the profit margins are so small and the technology needed to create blades so good they could compete with Feathers and IRs might be hard to achieve.
Whether DE shaving survives over the long run ultimately rests of whether it will be embraced by the "younger generation." I mean this board definitely has people who are under 30, but I would surmise that the majority of us are of an age where many of us grew up with vinyl LPs, black and white TVs, cassette tapes, typewriters and rotary phones. It's questionable of how many Gen Yers today, brought up in a world of fast text, fast technology, fast food and other activities that cater to their 'fast lifestyles,' would embrace the slower, more deliberate and thoughtful techniques (and tools) of DE shaving. My kids look at my DE razors and think I'm absolutely nuts as they go off with their Mach3s and Quattros.
Jeff in Boston
Jeff in Boston
Reality shows?
We need a name for this show! And I can certainly see it on The Discovery Channel, where it will be every bit as lame as the rest of their programming.Maybe one of the hoarders will find a trove of NIB DE razors and sell them to one of the pawn shop guys, who will turn out to be on the lam from the law and Dog the Bounty Hunter will come to take him away! He will make his escape by hitching a ride with one of the Ice Road Truckers (this all takes place in Alaska I guess) and later be found making a living cutting down trees with the Swamp Loggers.
While DE shaving may or may not be booming, a resurrgence is certainly undesputable. Simply put, whether or not DE blade survives in the long is a matter of market demand. People will ultimately vote with their wallets. Given the current economic uncertainties, the spectre of rising taxation to cover deficits, environmental awareness, resistance to upgrades for nominal improvments, yearnings for nostalgia, skin irritation due to multiple blade systems and the high cost of cartridges, I think DE blades will be around for the forseeable future.
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Great article
+ 1. I was just thinking about this very subject the other day.
The vinyl renaissance has been as much about sound quality as nostalgia but vinyls are virtually as effortless to use as CD's. Not quite so with safety razors: the shave necessarily takes a few minutes more than with a cartridge. And even a minute seems to be too much for some. Safety razors also come with a learning curve.
I think what may eventually help the DE resurgence (or even "boom") is the environmental aspect but also various movements that promote downshifting and a slower lifestyle. I believe these sentiments are on the rise both sides of the pond.
And I'm certain that most people feel (or would feel) DE shaving brings a new sense of quality to their everyday routines that disposables can hardly offer. It may sound pathetic but for me using safety razors is also a statement. I certainly couldn't see that happening when I started - but then again, RAD also pretty quickly caught me unawares!
Reality shows?
Maybe one of the hoarders will find a trove of NIB DE razors and sell them to one of the pawn shop guys, who will turn out to be on the lam from the law and Dog the Bounty Hunter will come to take him away! He will make his escape by hitching a ride with one of the Ice Road Truckers (this all takes place in Alaska I guess) and later be found making a living cutting down trees with the Swamp Loggers.
And of course in the process OCC would have to build the Fusion Pro-Glide chopper. Which would be sort of appropriate. Chrome, vibrates, but still not functionally better than one made 50 years ago..
I have been thinking much the same thing. Lately my local Walmart and all the major pharmacies are not stocking DE blades, they are getting harder and harder to find locally.
I am just wondering...patents for blades like personna 74s and gillette spoilers ought by now to be obsolete...30 years must have passed since then...why don't some companies make copies of them?...Many people would spend 0.50 €/$ on a Personna 74/spoiler and the company would still make profit because 20 shaves on 0.5 is about the same as 5 shaves in the 0.15-0.20 €/$ category as far as profits/cost are concerned...
Reality shows?
Maybe one of the hoarders will find a trove of NIB DE razors and sell them to one of the pawn shop guys, who will turn out to be on the lam from the law and Dog the Bounty Hunter will come to take him away! He will make his escape by hitching a ride with one of the Ice Road Truckers (this all takes place in Alaska I guess) and later be found making a living cutting down trees with the Swamp Loggers.
LMAO
OH NO, I need to order 10,000 Feathers!!! The end is near!
thanks for sharing that article. It was a good read.
- Thread starter
- #13
And of course in the process OCC would have to build the Fusion Pro-Glide chopper. Which would be sort of appropriate. Chrome, vibrates, but still not functionally better than one made 50 years ago..
Am I imagining this but didn't they make a chopper based on one of the latest plastic fantastic shavers?
Nice article with interesting links. I agree the DE blade will be around for many a year since it is still one of the largest group of shavers worldwide. Thanks to the internet (I think) DE shaving is growing again in the west; you need online vendors since local drugstores carry little to nothing as yet.
I can imagine that Gillette (and Wilkinson & the rest) do not like a growing interest in DE or str8 shaving in 'rich' countries since those shavers move away from the future as seen by these companies. That it is growing can be seen by all the new DE razors brought to the market by western companies (Mühle/EJ-Feather-Pils and even Merkur) so clearly a decent profit can be made in Europe, the US and Japan with the growing interest from the public.
But in all honesty I think our numbers are still too small to really impress companies like Gillette, let alone frighten them. When it keeps on growing they probably just bribe governments to ban these bare blades for safety reasons.
I can imagine that Gillette (and Wilkinson & the rest) do not like a growing interest in DE or str8 shaving in 'rich' countries since those shavers move away from the future as seen by these companies. That it is growing can be seen by all the new DE razors brought to the market by western companies (Mühle/EJ-Feather-Pils and even Merkur) so clearly a decent profit can be made in Europe, the US and Japan with the growing interest from the public.
But in all honesty I think our numbers are still too small to really impress companies like Gillette, let alone frighten them. When it keeps on growing they probably just bribe governments to ban these bare blades for safety reasons.
Yeah, they are dissed from the local Pharmacy. Just like injectors a few months ago. That is the crux of the issue, if they are no longer readily available they will die. I am stockpiling, I know others are too. DE is too cheap, too simple, they simply can't have it.Another Tradition going down the tubes. I can understand young people looking for new things, perhaps it should go away simply so we can call ourselves progressive.
As long as I can reach for a few familiar things to get me through the day, I'll be happy.
Notice there has been no major improvements for the concept of the automotive windshield wiper? Some things just work.
As long as I can reach for a few familiar things to get me through the day, I'll be happy.
Notice there has been no major improvements for the concept of the automotive windshield wiper? Some things just work.
I don't think the market will ever (within reason) disappear to the point where it's not in some company's interest somewhere to make DE blades
Time to stock up on blades!
marty
marty
