Price is not a good indicator of perceived quality in shaving products

[Ron Scott]

As with many things in modern life, spending more on shaving products doesn't seem to add to perceptions of better quality. This might seem like a case of stating the obvious but I found a quick assessment of the B&B review section instructive.

I just looked a brushes, aftershave and safety razors. I sorted by Most Popular and then started at the top, picking 5 or so products that had at least 5 reviewers. I tried not to duplicate brand names but I did so in the Aftershave assessment and added a couple extra there for good measure.

Nothing scientific, but as "exploratory research" the results are straightforward; there's no evidence of a correlation between price and perceptions of quality.

BRUSHES	Rating	# Reviewers	Price
Simpsons Tulip 3	10	6	$175
Savile Row Silvertip 3824	10	5	$120
Semogue 2000 Boar Brush	10	5	$20
Shavemac Silvertip Large 177	9.7	22	$115
Omega Professional Boar Brush	9.7	15	$18
AFTERSHAVE	Rating	# Reviewers	Price (oz)
Proraso Splash	10	45	$5.00
D. R. Harris sandalwood	10	24	$11.80
Proraso Pre-Post	10	80	$3.60
D. R. Harris Arlington Aftershave	10	9	$10.00
Thayers Medicated Superhazel	10	20	$0.70
Neutrogena Razor Defense Post	10	18	$2.00
Italian Floid	10	8	$3.35
SAFETY RAZORS	Rating	# Reviewers	Price
Edwin Jagger DE # 87	10	17	$38
Gillette Fat Boy (eBay, average)	10	37	$65
Merkur 45 Bakelite	10	14	$24
Muhle Pinsel R89 Closed Comb	10	20	$60
Pils DE All Stainless Razor	9.7	13	$235

 

[rxonmymind]

Very true as all things in life it's the perception of value. Is a Mercedes $100k+ car 7x better than a Toyota Camry? Probably not for it's intended purpose of getting you from point A to B. A lot goes into value such as how one markets it to a certain demographic, availability, disposable income etc.
A case in point I have a tub of Proraso that I like just as well as MDC. Both I like for different reasons that has nothing to do with cost as they both perform well. Yet the MDC is approximately 6x it's price. YMMV.


BTW, if EVER you find Italian Floid for $3.35 let me know!

 

[Ron Scott]

BTW, if EVER you find Italian Floid for $3.35 let me know!

Here you go, $3.33 per ounce: http://www.italianbarber.com/floid-amber-aftershave-400ml

I got mine at Pasteur in the city a bit cheaper but that's the going rate all over the internet...

 

[global_dev]

This is a hard call to make. Yes price isn't a good indicator, but preferences are all over the place and sometimes not easy to explain.

 

[Eeyore]

Well, price is related to perceived exclusivity. That is an intangible component of "quality", I think.

A pre-moon Omega Speedmaster doesn't keep better time than a Swatch. Still I rate the Speedmaster higher, because of the history and exclusivity.

 

[Coler]

I think shaving products fall into a category within which once you move into the 'adequate to good' quality zone, you are paying exponentially more for a disproportionately small return on improvement.

So, for instance, Martin de Candre is outstanding - but it is not in my experience objectively worth the price increase on e.g. Mike's Natural.

And, lets be fair, you can have a hell of a shave with e.g. Palmolive or (whisper it) Arko.

That said...I'll be replacing my brain bowl when its done. Because I really like that MdeC stuff.

(My stock of Mikes will never run out either. Nor will I lack Tabac in my future )

Same applies to brushes - you could spend an awful lot of money trying to better a Semogue Boar for instance - or any amount of entry level badgers.

 

[Ron Scott]

Well, price is related to perceived exclusivity. That is an intangible component of "quality", I think.

A pre-moon Omega Speedmaster doesn't keep better time than a Swatch. Still I rate the Speedmaster higher, because of the history and exclusivity.

Yeah, while I like my Orange Monster for the beach I do perceive my IWC, Panerai, Planet Ocean, etc. to be of higher "quality". But "exclusivity" in watches costing thousands apiece is different from spending a few hundred on shaving supplies. And the B&B reviewers did rate the less expensive items to be equal in quality as their more expensive competitors so...

In any event, my own experience tells me there are low-cost products for shaving that are just as good if not better than the high-end. If Clubman's basic aftershave was just released this year at $40 a bottle instead of $6 I'd be singing its praises!

Your vintage Speedmaster analogy is interesting too. Perhaps the old Gillettes have a similar panache.

 

[Thu'umhammer]

I don't think judging by number of reviewers is a good sign of quality, because something is in the lower to medium price range more people will review it because it's within their means, whereas not as many people are willing/able to afford the more expensive items.

 

[dcobranchi]

It's hard to have any kind of correlation when everything gets a 10.

 

[global_dev]

Additionally, not everything consumer reports a best buy does everyone agree with. IMHO, MNS and MdC aren't all that close. They both get the job done, but I am not just looking to get the job done at the lowest absolute cost. Different evaluation factors make for a different race. I can't breathe around Brut. It makes me vomit in my mouth, but I am sure its a decent aftershave if it wasn't for that smell.

 

[KMan]

interesting.... this must have taken a while but yes you are correct.

Arko is as good as any other expensive soap.... right?

 

[Col Wilburforce Buckshot]

Arko is as good as any other expensive soap.... right?

Yes and it smells better.

 

[Ron Scott]

interesting.... this must have taken a while but yes you are correct.

Arko is as good as any other expensive soap.... right?

It took about 20-30 minutes and it was fun. I learned something!

I never tried Arko, but reviewers on the B&B Review board wouldn't agree; they gave it an 8.5, a comparatively low grade. Also, there is nothing here to determine what is "good"; all we have is perceived quality measures and for the most popular shaving items and price isn't a great indicator of perceived quality from members of B&B.

 

[santamariasteve]

It's kind of like asking is a new Buick a better car than a new Ford? Maybe yes. Maybe no. The perception of quality often is shrouded in emotion.

 

[edgerunner]

While I agree that some products, not only shaving related, are not priced accordingly, we should evaluate a product in its own class. It's understandable that somebody satisfied with their Toyota will give it the same rating of 10 like somebody else rating their Mercedes. So, it's normal that a guy is totally happy with his Semigue boar and Proraso soap. The real question to me is different. What will happen if a Semogue boar brush can be purchased from only one store for $150, and a tube of Proraso for $60? Will the same person decide to buy the same brush and soap, or will spend the money for a Shavemac and MdC?... Or more likely, he'll look for another brush and soap in 15 bucks price range, and will give them again 10 points rating.

 

[talibeard]

In a way price is hardly related to the quality of the shave, that is for sure.

On the other hand I think that ratings are also made with the price of a product in mind. My expectations rise together with the price-tag of a product; I expect a pristine brush in a perfect box for $200 and it will still have trouble to get a 10 for rating. With a sub $10 Omega brush on the other hand I would not care about the packaging or the perfect knot-shape; when it feels good, lathers good and doesn't seem to fall apart soon it already has 9/10.

 

[Ron Scott]

In a way price is hardly related to the quality of the shave, that is for sure.

On the other hand I think that ratings are also made with the price of a product in mind. My expectations rise together with the price-tag of a product; I expect a pristine brush in a perfect box for $200 and it will still have trouble to get a 10 for rating. With a sub $10 Omega brush on the other hand I would not care about the packaging or the perfect knot-shape; when it feels good, lathers good and doesn't seem to fall apart soon it already has 9/10.

This would be the case when the higher priced product took a hit on quality. But with the B&B reviewers many relatively expensive products did rate very high.

D. R. Harris sandalwood aftershave for example got a 10. But Italian Floid, costing only a third as much, also got a 10 in the B&B ratings.

My personal experience might not be worth much, but I like my Floid and Clubman basic aftershaves equally, even knowing the Floid costs more than 3 times the Clubman.

 

[musicman1951]

"Is a Mercedes $100k+ car 7x better than a Toyota Camry? Probably not for it's intended purpose of getting you from point A to B."

I would agree 100% with this thought. However, it doesn't answer the question: is the Mercedes a better car? I would insist it's quite a bit better - while still not worth the price difference (and thereby disproving the initial supposition of no correlation between price and quality).

The reviews are interesting, but if every reviewer didn't try every brush where is our basis for comparison?

I will absolutely grant that you can get a superb shave with mid and even low priced materials. I do not believe that proves better materials are not available for a higher price.