I don't understand the hype

[euro]

As I'm being a wet shaver since the first day I started to shave. After spending a lot of money on expensive Gillette cartridges I have decided to shave oldskool. I got my DE system yesterday, shaved with it and had a great result without cuts, razor burns or nicks. I never had a close shave like this before with any Gillette cartridges. Currently I'm waiting on a Parker SR1 open razor (can't wait to shave with that one).

I have no idea what the hype about these so called "cool" Gillette cartridge razors, everybody claims they're the best just because some soccer player shows up in a Gillette commercial. I know these DE systems are pretty oldskool, and the good brands are most likely super quality. But what I want to know is, how and why did the DE/open razor lost it's popularity?

Any DE system will defeat any Gillette cartridge razor. Those DE systems have more pros than cons over a Gillette cartridge. Is there maybe some way we can promote DE/open razor systems? Many young people never heard of them so it's kinda sad they got blinded by the marketing department of Gillette. What are your thoughts about it?

 

[cigator]

I used cartridges for years, then went old school straight for years, then back to cartridges becuase I was getting too lazy to hone and strop. Now I'm trying the Parker Shavette, Gillette DE and Schick Injector. The benefits of cartridge are clearly speed and safety combination. The shave is average at best. Just from a cost standpoint alone, it makes sense to use a DE. Just not sexy enough for TV commercials I guess.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Actually, plenty of us here shave with cartridges regularly, and get fantastic results.
Technique trumps product every day.

 

[Dozer]

It's really a matter of patents. Gillette's patents for DEs etc. are long gone. I believe even the Mach 3 is gone too. So They will just come out with something new, market it like hell, and make more money, because they hold the patent. I understand this. They are a business. They still made blades for a while because the demand was worth it. Demand just disappeared because of their aggressive marketing scheme. I don't see traditional shaving ever getting as big as it once was, but it's very likely that if it keeps growing, they will get back in the business. There just needs to be a big enough market again for them to want a piece of the action.

 

[ouch]

Is there maybe some way we can promote DE/open razor systems?

What do you think we're doing here?

 

[maxman]

I blame kids and their crazy new fangled ideas.
No really carts are easy and they generally work.
They don't work well for me, but that's why I came here.

Still, carts are easy. In our modern lazy disposable filled world that's what wins out.
Sad as that is, it's the truth.

 

[Derdonkderd]

Plus, I like that it is kind of a little exclusive thing. Sometimes I feel like I am getting one over on epeople, like I know a cool secret they don't. The fact is, most people don't have a proble or need to switch, so why bother. If someone is looking for an alternative, fill em in. Plus, if everyone jumps on board you will hava huge flood of crappy products, and all of the good vintage razors will sell out of the shops, or double in price...

 

[oc_in_fw]

What do you think we're doing here?

I thought we were trying to stimulate the economy and promote bacon bikinis.

 

[BadgerBadger!]

I don't think every DE System will beat out a proglide. When I first began wetshaving I started with a Parker 91r and 7 AM Blades from Bangladesh and let me tell you that sucked. I then used the Hydro for about a year after, it was only when I started to buy better blades and the merkur progress that I realized how much better wetshaving can be for me. You can argue that it was just my technique that needed honing, but to this day I still get lousy shaves with that Parker, especially when it's paired with mediocre blades. But when I use a slant/feather combo or my progress my shaves are great.

 

[euro]

I don't think every DE System will beat out a proglide. When I first began wetshaving I started with a Parker 91r and 7 AM Blades from Bangladesh and let me tell you that sucked. I then used the Hydro for about a year after, it was only when I started to buy better blades and the merkur progress that I realized how much better wetshaving can be for me. You can argue that it was just my technique that needed honing, but to this day I still get lousy shaves with that Parker, especially when it's paired with mediocre blades.

Thats the problem with many people, they can't handle a device properly so they blame it on the device. Sorry but if there are so many people who got great shaves with the Parker 91r and you're saying the opposite then I really think it's your technique.

 

[Silence!]

I blame kids and their crazy new fangled ideas.
No really carts are easy and they generally work.
They don't work well for me, but that's why I came here.

Still, carts are easy. In our modern lazy disposable filled world that's what wins out.
Sad as that is, it's the truth.

I don't think this is fair on the youth. Most of the youth don't know anything about safety razors. I hadn't seen one until a few years ago, which is what got me into classic wetshaving. All you see on commercials is for the Fusion or whatever else they have now. Also, when you go into stores, you can only find cartridge blades. There may be an injector blade here and there, but most don't even have a clue as to what it is and how it would be used.

If safety razors and cartridge razors were on the aisles of stores side by side, then we may see some difference. I think most kids would choose safety razors over cartridge razors any day if they actually knew the price difference and quality of shaves they can get.

 

[Luc]

Now that I moved back, closer to my family, I will resend my dad into the wetshaving buisness! I had a look at his shave brush last time I was there. He doesn't use it because he doesn't like it. He said it costed him a fortune when he bought it maybe 30 years ago. I know he uses it once or twice a year (not sure with which soap, my investigation did not find that. I suspect he uses the bath soap or his canned gel).

What he has is a pure badger 18mm knot. My plan is to get him a new shave brush with some shave cream what will allow him to enjoy wetshaving again.

Conclusion, we are promoting wetshaving, through this site and around us! It can be a scary power for Gillette!

 

[P Funk]

I blame kids and their crazy new fangled ideas.
No really carts are easy and they generally work.
They don't work well for me, but that's why I came here.

Still, carts are easy. In our modern lazy disposable filled world that's what wins out.
Sad as that is, it's the truth.

Get off my lawn!

 

[oneninetyseven]

Get off my lawn!

Ha ha.

 

[ouch]

Plus, I like that it is kind of a little exclusive thing. Sometimes I feel like I am getting one over on people, like I know a cool secret they don't.

Bingo!

I thought we were trying to stimulate the economy and promote bacon bikinis.

I meant besides that.

 

[shaveitoff]

"But what I want to know is, how and why did the DE/open razor lost it's popularity?"

Gillette just advertised the heck out of cartridges. As long as they were good enough they were going to replace DE shaving. The interesting thing is that they didn't need to be better than DE shaving or cost less. If you promote carts enough, people will use them.

 

[Bubblehead]

My cart shaves as well as or better than any DE. I used several DEs and blades for over a year before I discovered some characteristics inherent in DEs that I personally don't like, regardless of technique or marketing or any other mumbo jumbo excuses touted on fanatical shavegeek forums in which I regularly participate.

 

[jburghy]

I don't think this is fair on the youth. Most of the youth don't know anything about safety razors. I hadn't seen one until a few years ago, which is what got me into classic wetshaving. All you see on commercials is for the Fusion or whatever else they have now. Also, when you go into stores, you can only find cartridge blades. There may be an injector blade here and there, but most don't even have a clue as to what it is and how it would be used.

If safety razors and cartridge razors were on the aisles of stores side by side, then we may see some difference. I think most kids would choose safety razors over cartridge razors any day if they actually knew the price difference and quality of shaves they can get.

This. I am 27, and it was only when I followed my wife to a few antique stores last year and stumbled upon some old superspeeds that I found out that there was something between cartridge razors and a straight razor. I have seen double edge blades in stores before, but never had any clue what they were for.

My thanks to B&B! I went from a reluctant electric and cartridge shaver to an excited DE wetshaver.

 

[Go West Young Man]

. But what I want to know is, how and why did the DE/open razor lost it's popularity?

You're looking at it from the perspective of a modern internet-enabled hobbyist.

In their day, cartridges gave as good or better shaves, faster, with less chance of pain or irritation. They were clearly the better choice for most guys at the time.

 

[edgerunner]

The way I see it Gillette killed their own firstborn child in favour of the second one.
I remember back in the beginning of the 90's, after using DEs for 5-6 years, it felt natural to switch to Trac II. I couldn't find good quality blades anymore, and I wasn't able to find and buy a good quality DE razor like my grandfather's Black Beauty I started shaving with. At the same time, Gillette seduced me with promises about their cartridge razors, put one in my hand and convinced me that was the future. I still felt nostalgic about DEs, used some low quality ones from time to time, just to convince myself that carts were better and there was no coming back. If Internet didn't exist, I wouldn't have 'seen the light' and wouldn't have been able to find and buy blades and razors, so nothing would dissuade me from going to the local super store to buy the next plastic razor and cart advertized on the TV.