Question: Does the majority of the World shave with DE's? (outside of the USA)

[corlay]

Wondering if most of the world shaves with DE's?

In the USA it's electrics and/or carts, but what about elsewhere?

I ask, because I can't get my brain wrapped around how there are so many brands of *blades*.
There must be a pretty lively market - somewhere.
The "niche" USA market surely cannot sustain the variety and amount of supply that exists.

 

[Atlantic59]

The DE is the least expensive choice for many. However, the shaving equipment makers (like Gillette) have made it their mission to convert as many people as possible to cartridge razors because cartridges are proprietary and have a much higher profit margin.

The Gillette Guard was designed and made for the Indian market, where average income is low. The Guard is a plastic bodied razor that accepts single-edge cartridge refills. After a time, the razor needs to be replaced.

 

[sarimento1]

Wondering if most of the world shaves with DE's?

In the USA it's electrics and/or carts, but what about elsewhere?

I ask, because I can't get my brain wrapped around how there are so many brands of *blades*.
...

Interesting viewpoint.
Seems to me that there are far fewer blade manufacturers, factories and brands, than there are razor, soap, aftershave brands and manufacturers.
It takes a lot more capital and infrastructure to make blades on an economical scale, than to make razors, soap, creams, splashes.

 

[Multum in parvo]

If you look at the marketing of Gillette in emerging markets in Asia then you see that the DE is still common. The put advertising on the wrappers for disposable razors eluding to a smoother shave with twin blades.

 

[Mycroftxxx]

In Germany many if not most people who shave wet do so with cartridges and canned foam. DE is a niche though a lucrative and growing one I assume.

Electrics are strong in the market, too.

 

[ironfist]

I think here in the UK there is some people who DE shave. Can't put an estimate on it though. I would like to see it become the norm, but i image alot of people are content with using carts/foam.

 

[Scaramouche]

Shaving demographics are similar globally - the majority of shavers use cartridges (60-70+ percent), 30-40 percent use electrics, a small fraction use DE/SEs, and an even smaller fraction use a straight.

 

[Lefonque]

This is interesting I think that many in Australia would use multi blade cartridges or electronic shavers. I have no back up or evidence just observing supermarket stocks and buying habits. Pretty scientific aye,

 

[guitarslinger]

It seems like the places that make the most blades probably use the most blades.
India
Egypt
China
Pakistan
Russia
Vietnam

 

[Mouser]

Where the line is is more along third world and developing countries. They by far use DE more than cartridge, if I remember correctly, and have by far the most people, men specifically, thereby most men in the world today use DE. But their setups , at a guess, would not resemble what most of us use.

 

[Medivh]

Most people shave with either cartridges and electric razors, simply because that's what everyone around them is using. 7 years ago the only thing I knew about DE razors is that they existed at some point and how the blades look like, that''s it and I didn't even know that Gillette started the whole thing and made all kinds of razors. I also didn't know that Schick and GEM razors even existed.

If it wasn't for this and a few other shaving forums I would have never used a DE razor in my life. One day I just had enough with the carts and decided to find another way and it was either DE or electric, but since electrics can't give you BBS and the good ones are kinda expensive, I decided to try with the DE razors and see what happens.

Without advertising and people to educate others on this subject, the only way is for people to find the information by themselves. I have a few friends that have some intrest into wet shaving and using DE razors, but the majority don't even want to hear about it.
You can bring the horse to the river, but you can't make him drink from it.

 

[Roedeer]

I think here in the UK there is some people who DE shave. Can't put an estimate on it though. I would like to see it become the norm, but i image alot of people are content with using carts/foam.

There must be a steady trickle of UK custom, otherwise the supermarkets wouldn't stock blades (Personna or thinly-rebadged Personna).

Boots chemist has thinly-rebadged Personna and German Wilkinson, and sells the black plastic Classic DE.

It would be interesting to know how the demographics break down.

 

[SharpieB]

In Canada, DE shavers are rare. I only know a couple of people that use them and they are both originally from India.

None of my other friends or relatives use DE/SE razors that I know of, but it really doesn’t come up in conversation. My wife has made fun of me at social gatherings about having so many brushes or soaps from time to time, but I don’t recall anyone ever saying they “wet shave” or use a DE razor.

I bet the percentage of Canadian and/or global DE razor users is tiny overall. A couple percent maybe?

 

[Owen Bawn]

In Canada, DE shavers are rare. I only know a couple of people that use them and they are both originally from India.

None of my other friends or relatives use DE/SE razors that I know of, but it really doesn’t come up in conversation. My wife has made fun of me at social gatherings about having so many brushes or soaps from time to time, but I don’t recall anyone ever saying they “wet shave” or use a DE razor.

I bet the percentage of Canadian and/or global DE razor users is tiny overall. A couple percent maybe?

I'm old enough to remember when there were only 2 or 3 Indian restaurants in Toronto.

 

[luv2shave]

The DE is the least expensive choice for many. However, the shaving equipment makers (like Gillette) have made it their mission to convert as many people as possible to cartridge razors because cartridges are proprietary and have a much higher profit margin.

The Gillette Guard was designed and made for the Indian market, where average income is low. The Guard is a plastic bodied razor that accepts single-edge cartridge refills. After a time, the razor needs to be replaced.

Low income apart, the guard is an open comb. There is a rather unique reason for it besides the income.

Historically since ages, facial hair is a cultural thing with most populations in India. I say most cultures as we have very diverse groups of people which changes literally frim town to town. Think of India like the EU. Each country is unique.

Like the EU each state in India was one or many kingdoms.

Geographically way it is placed and being what it's prosperity was in its hey days, it was constantly under invasions for looting and taking away its wealth, the last such invaders being the British, Spain, Portugal.

This constant turmoil resulted in wars and these wars resulted in warriors clans and hair was an essential part of the appearance to be a warrior.

Religions evolved withdictates to keep body hair as a sacred duty and not trim or even shape it. Sikhism is one such religion which evolved out of a need to create a warrior race, tired of relentless attacks by the invaders coming in from the North West.

We have all heard of the spartan warrior race, but not many would have known Sikhs as the spartans if the East. They had a standoff as part of the Birtish Army in a war with the invading Moslem army which wanted to take over India. This was in 1897 called Battle Of Saragarhi. It is well documented as it was part of the British army.

21 warriors faced 10,000 invaders.

Today getting people to shave is a challenge not because of low income, people want to sport facial hair.

All popular film stars, sportsmen sport beards of some sort. Nightmare market for Razor and blade companies to get models to adverirse shaving products.

Whatever shaving gear sells- a lot of it is for shaping of the beard line or shaving one off or alternate days or so on.

Shaving came in when the British introduced their style of Government, Army and administration to run this country.

That culture has lived today which means a miniscule population shaves today daily or regularly.

I personally also sport a goatee!

 

[Mitzie]

I would imagine, the population of the world male and female, coupled with the use of razors in hospitals, who buy them in bulk, a fixed head inexpensive disposable razor would be the world's most popular type razor

 

[Whilliam]

Depends on economic development. If you live in a developing nation, Gillette multi-blade products are largely unaffordable. (Hell, they're becoming unaffordable here in the US.)

Gillette's strategy is global migration from DEs to multi-blades. It's the only real way they can post growth going forward. Someone cited India and Gillette's "Guard" razor. That's the experiment to watch.

 

[Peterv1]

Cards, disposables and canned foam are on the nr 1 spot here followed by electric there's not to many I know that use a DE

 

[xuzxuz]

Low-cost razor made after P&G watches Indians shave

NEW YORK — Procter & Gamble executives say it was striking the first time they witnessed a man shave while sitting barefoot on the floor in a tiny hut in India. He had no electricity, no running water and no...

www.seattletimes.com

But Gillette wanted more of the market. To do that, P&G executives would have to attract the nearly 500 million Indians who use double-edged razors, an old fashioned T-shaped razor that has no protective piece of plastic that goes between the blade and the skin when shaving. This razor, which makes skin cuts more likely, costs just a few pennies per blade.

I thought like 90% of men world wide used Gillette. I guess I was wrong.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

My wife is a Filipina and she tells me that the majority of her male relatives, especially the younger ones, use generic cartridge razors. Typically for around 300PHP (about £4) they can buy a razor, 36 replacement twin blade cartridges, and some shaving gel. Sadly they see 'western' brands as more desirable even if more expensive. The same customers will choose Coca Cola over fresh fruit juices, and McDonald's over fresh local healthy produce, and the increasing rates of obesity and diabetes bear this out.