Imagine if Gillette Reissued DE Razors Today?

[dszpiro]

As a collector of fountain pens, I have noticed how many manufacturers in recent years have "reissued" models of pens they manufactured in the 1920's-1940's period. In some cases the internal mechanisms of the pens have been changed / updated (e.g., allowing for the use of a cartridge), but the exterior looks identical or very similar to the original pen (e.g., Parker's reissue of the 51). Similarly, some high-end watch manufacturers have done the same (e.g., TAG-Heuer's reissue of the Monaco).

I couldn't help thinking that Gillette has a great opportunity to do the same. Take a look at the prices people are paying for some mint antique Gillette razors on eBay (e.g., Aristocrats, English 66's), and it seems that there is interest. Earlier today I visited the Gillette web site and left the following note through their customer service portal:

Dear Sirs,

Over the last year I have become quite engaged in what has lately been referred to as 'wetshaving'. This is the label that has been applied to shaving activities that involve the use of traditional implements like badger hair shaving brushes and double edged (DE) razors and blades. You can learn more about this phenomenon at web sites like www.badgerandblade.com and www.shavemyface.com.

Although there are a few manufacturers of DE razors (i.e., the handles) still around (e.g., Merkur, Parker), most people pursuing 'wetshaving' end-up buying older models of Gillette DE razors. As I am sure you are aware, some of these razors actually sell for a considerable sum on eBay!

I am writing to you today to share an idea: Gillette should produce / re-introduce brand new DE razors based on your great designs of the past. These could be marketed as collectors items, limited edition anniversary reissues, etc. The wetshaving community is quite large and growing all the time: I am certain this would attract both notoriety and sales for you. Given that a 50 year old Gillette 'Fat Boy' in good shape can go for $50 on eBay - and a mint Gillette Aristocrat for more than $200 - the market for brand new Gillette DE razors could be quite exciting.

FYI, this very initiative has been followed by pen manufacturers. Virtually all of the key pen manufacturers (e.g., Parker, Waterman, Sheaffer) have introduced 'retro' fountain pens based on designs from the 1920's-1940's period.

I hope that I receive a reply from a representative of Gillette on this topic. I look forward to your thoughts.

Of course, I'll post any reply I receive into this thread. I am interested to learn what others think of this idea. Would you be interested in a brand new Fat Boy, Aristocrat, or Toggle?

Cheers,

 

[mjsorkin]

I would definately be into that. I'd love a shot at some new "vintage" razors. I doubt they will do it though. Gillette market's it's razors as though they are significant advances. They want people to believe that you can't shave with safety razors because the modern disposables are so much better. Fountain pen makers already sell an older technology but they do it because they are a luxury item. Companies that offer non-retro pens are much less likely to reintroduce a much older design or model. Asking gillette to make a safety razor is like asking a company that makes ballpoints to manufacture fountain pens or quills instead for the sake of nostalgia.

Hope I'm wrong because I would love to see Gillette do this.

-----Michael

 

[Duggo]

As a collector of fountain pens, I have noticed how many manufacturers in recent years have "reissued" models of pens they manufactured in the 1920's-1940's period. In some cases the internal mechanisms of the pens have been changed / updated (e.g., allowing for the use of a cartridge), but the exterior looks identical or very similar to the original pen (e.g., Parker's reissue of the 51). Similarly, some high-end watch manufacturers have done the same (e.g., TAG-Heuer's reissue of the Monaco).

I couldn't help thinking that Gillette has a great opportunity to do the same. Take a look at the prices people are paying for some mint antique Gillette razors on eBay (e.g., Aristocrats, English 66's), and it seems that there is interest. Earlier today I visited the Gillette web site and left the following note through their customer service portal:

Dear Sirs,

Over the last year I have become quite engaged in what has lately been referred to as 'wetshaving'. This is the label that has been applied to shaving activities that involve the use of traditional implements like badger hair shaving brushes and double edged (DE) razors and blades. You can learn more about this phenomenon at web sites like www.badgerandblade.com and www.shavemyface.com.

Although there are a few manufacturers of DE razors (i.e., the handles) still around (e.g., Merkur, Parker), most people pursuing 'wetshaving' end-up buying older models of Gillette DE razors. As I am sure you are aware, some of these razors actually sell for a considerable sum on eBay!

I am writing to you today to share an idea: Gillette should produce / re-introduce brand new DE razors based on your great designs of the past. These could be marketed as collectors items, limited edition anniversary reissues, etc. The wetshaving community is quite large and growing all the time: I am certain this would attract both notoriety and sales for you. Given that a 50 year old Gillette 'Fat Boy' in good shape can go for $50 on eBay - and a mint Gillette Aristocrat for more than $200 - the market for brand new Gillette DE razors could be quite exciting.

FYI, this very initiative has been followed by pen manufacturers. Virtually all of the key pen manufacturers (e.g., Parker, Waterman, Sheaffer) have introduced 'retro' fountain pens based on designs from the 1920's-1940's period.

I hope that I receive a reply from a representative of Gillette on this topic. I look forward to your thoughts.

Of course, I'll post any reply I receive into this thread. I am interested to learn what others think of this idea. Would you be interested in a brand new Fat Boy, Aristocrat, or Toggle?

Cheers,

Absolutely, Positively Hands down, bar none. Um, yes

 

[dszpiro]

Hi Michael,

I think the pen analogy is actually pretty good. Many of the major pen manufacturers that depend on modern ballpoints for the bulk of their revenue have indeed issued retro pens. For example, Parker, Cross, and Sheaffer, have all done so. They have marketed these as specialty items for collectors without any suggestion that this retro / reissue undermines any claims regarding the performance of their modern ballpoints.

There is, of course, a middle ground available as well. In several cases of retro pen reissues, the manufacturers kept the exterior styling of the pen consistent with the original model, but updated the internal mechanism to accept modern ink cartridges. I am not suggesting that Gillette should reissue a Toggle that uses Fusion blades, but there might be a way to spin the reissue that the working of the razor has been updated.

At the end of the day, I think it is more of a numbers game for a firm like P&G rather than any concern for a mixed marketing message that might make this idea a non-starter. The production runs for these reissues would be very small compared to the modern razors produced today. While I am sure that is the case for the pen manufacturers too, at least they had a head start as high-end pens as big ticket luxury items have always been around. In contrast, I can't imagine how long it has been since anyone at Gillette thought about a razor as a high-end item that could be sold in jewelery stores rather than drug stores.

Cheers,

 

[Christoph]

I could imagine something like this in the future if this market continues to grow. Although it would still seem counter to Gillette's goal of making money. When you have a guy using the Mach 3 or the Fusion, you have a customer who must keep buying those cartridges forever. With DEs, a guys buys a box or two containing hundreds of safety razors and he doesn't need to buy more for years and years.

I think a more likely scenrio is that we will see other companies pop up that are like a Merkur. They will manufacture either replicas or new traditional looking DEs for the small market of men who want them.

 

[dszpiro]

You're quite right that reissuing a retro design DE razor would be counter to the historical strategy of Gillette: instead of a cheap handle and expensive blades, this would be an expensive handle and cheap blades.

Merkur, Parker, and other manufacturers are already in the business of making new DE razors. However, the cachet of a Gillette reissue would be noteworthy. Given that any patent on Gillette DE razor designs has probably long since expired, perhaps the opportunity is there for a razor company to just start making Toggles and barbershop pole Aristocrats. Heck, you might even be able to license the Gillette name so as to give them a piece of the action without any real effort. Where do I line up to buy a brand new Toggle in gold for $49.95?

Cheers,

 

[Straight Arrow]

A company like Gillette might consider producing a re-issue, but not unless they receive many, many more inquiries of the sort that Danny submitted. If all the members of B&B and SMF flooded Gillette with email or, even more impressively, snail mail hand-written on nice stationary with a high end pen, they may begin to consider the possibility.

 

[Doc4]

they don't make 'em like they used to, and even if they tried, they couldn't really do it. You'd end up with an alloy third-rater from China.

 

[DirtyDave]

Well written. I hope it piques someone's interest and Gillette, but P&G never struck me as a company with a sentimental side. I would be happy to wrong however.

 

[Austin]

Unfortunately, if Gillette reissued DE they would probably raise the price for blades. That's how they make their money.

 

[Scotty]

A well written request to P&G but if they decide to re-issue Gillette DE razors, I sure will be surprised; especially if they are not made in China!

 

[Dearsacuse]

I think re-issues of Gillette razors would be incredible...where as there is a huge growing market for natural products (see: Whole Foods markets, organic foods, Burt's Bees, Tom's of Maine, etc.) it's actually quite surprising Gillette hasn't entered this market yet; permanent razors, environmentally friendly blades, heck environmentally friendly blade packaging...seems like a revenue stream that Gillette should be working right now.

I think the downside here is that if Gillette did such a thing, they would be drawing money away from the Mach 3 line, which I imagine is raking in gigantic profits (Gillette = Robert Kraft = New England Patriots after all). And with the Mach 3 and the Fusion blades in a "face-off" (oh yeah, I went there), Gillette probably can't, or more likely won't, compete against its most popular brand. Honestly, 12 bucks for a few Mach 3 cartridges vs. 5 bucks for 10 Derby DE blades? If you're selling blades, Mach 3 is the way to go.

Just a thought...

 

[Doc4]

Unfortunately, if Gillette reissued DE they would probably raise the price for blades. That's how they make their money.

+1

+300% !!!

 

[DustBow]

they don't make 'em like they used to, and even if they tried, they couldn't really do it. You'd end up with an alloy third-rater from China.

+1

It would be too expensive to make a razor of that quality w/ materials of that quality today.

P&G has its headquarters here so I hear a lot of about them - and they are a good company w/ a lot of solid products. They treat their employees well and they give a lot back to the community.

That being said, they are so freaking huge that the small niche community of DE shavers like us just won't garner their attention. The Gillette acquistion, while huge and very expensive, has added significantly to P&G's bottom line. They aren't going to mess with it - it's a very high margin business.

 

[BroJohn]

Gillette has probably scrapped the tooling to produce these old DE's years ago. Or possibly sold it off to some foriegn or third world outfit. I think that tooling costs to a major company for small scale, limited production would be prohibitive for a project of this nature.

OTOH, if they still have the tooling, and can find anyone savy enough to set it up, and get it productive, it just might be doable. Understand that sourcing a 40+ year old supply chain could be very difficult. Handling/disposing of toxic wastes from a metal plating operation could be an issue also.

Then there's packaging, marketing, setting up a distribution chain. That would be trivial for an outfit like Gillette/P&G. I just doubt that they'd have any interest in small scale vanity production.

If they do reissue the razors, I believe you could expect Future and Vision prices-plus. Given the corporate mindset, I'm of the opinion that they'd cut corners, deliver Parker quality with the Gillette name stamped on it and an MSRP in the Merkur Vision price range. Perhaps I'm a bit too cynical.

But it would be great if they could resurrect production of the high end Gillettes from years past without compromise and charge a modest price (pricing near what mint stuff fetches on eBay today).

-- John Gehman

 

[DustBow]

Yeah, if they did do it, the razors would be expensive - simply because it is now more expensive to the produce the products to the specifications we are talking about. If they were going to produce a cheap, alloy replica Fatboy - IMO, don't even bother. We would demand something as good as the ones made decades ago.

I think the best chance for it happening would be if they licensed out their name and products to some company who already is in the tooling business and could easily set up production for the razors. Then P&G just kicks back and lets the licensing checks roll in. Still, that move would be contrary to their strategy of selling as many cartridges as possible.

Once again, P&G is just so huge that it wouldn't be worth their time/effort.
They would have to sell so many of the things to have any impact on their bottom line, that is just isn't plausible.

EDIT As I finished up my post, a Gillette SuperSpeed & Fatboy that I purchased from Lonny just arrived. Irony...

 

[rhett121]

Remember guys, we're talking about a company that made a BIG hoopla about the NEW Gillette Fusion Power Fantom. What was new? It was BLACK! Wow, how these guys keep coming up with such "original" and "new" ideas we may never know.

I wouldn't hold my breath for Gillette to even reply. They care about profits and those little M3 and Fusion cartridges are very profitable.

 

[Amyn]

Gillette MAY be inclined to reproduce DEs as collectors items, but I do not know if it would be worth the effort for them. Plus it may directly contradict their cash cow products. This would be a risky strategy.

IMO if I were a wetshaver I would not expect this to happen.

In fact as some have expressed it would be better if they did not produce a DE and I tend to agree.

 

[gar1013]

Doubt it'd ever happen.

They don't have the production lines to make these anymore, so it'd have to be done by someone else. Would it really be worth paying extra to have a Merkur with the Gillette name on it, or (worst case scenario), some cheap 3rd world produced razor with the Gillette name on it.

I think if you really want to support the "industry", make sure you purchase at least one or two new razors at some point.

Gillette thinks that your money is only good to the extent that you buy overpriced cartridges. Give your money to the companies that actually still produce and sell the products that you want.

 

[ScottS]

Even at $500 a razor, I'd bet that this is pocket change to Gillette, and they probably wouldn't make back all of any investment for tooling up they would need to make.

That said, I bet some company like Franklin Mint would take interest.