Razor Review System

[CCMphysician]

I was looking at the razor review system and there are certain things don't seem to particularly make any sense. Aside from the inconsistency between option definitions, the main thing I am referring to is the rating system in which "aggressiveness" is rated with a 10 being "the best". I, and I'm sure many others, don't necessarily want a 10 aggressive razor so why should it be weighted more highly?

Also, there doesn't appear to be any system for dealing with outliers. These are the people who vote a 0 or a 10 for the razor on all counts without any real regard for the system in question. For example, I was just looking at the Weishi reviews and one member gave it a 0 on all counts. He may not like the razor, but I am pretty sure that he was able to replace the blade and therefore it does not deserve a 0. I am also pretty sure he was able to hold the razor as I have not heard any news reports of a Weishi flying out of a man's hand and maiming someone in a neighboring county and therefore this should also not be a 0.

-CCM

 

[Oldguy]

The problem with rating a razor is that there are so many different opinions on what makes a good razor from a shaving performance standpoint. It will vary with blade selection, shaving technique and beard thickness. As far as aggressiveness goes I would rate a razor that gave me the smoothest, closest shave a 10 but not the most aggressive which I might rate a 2 or 3. The same with a too mild shaver. I agree that no razor deserves a zero across the board, but I have never used a Weishi.

Len

 

[luvmysuper]

I was looking at the razor review system and there are certain things don't seem to particularly make any sense. Aside from the inconsistency between option definitions, the main thing I am referring to is the rating system in which "aggressiveness" is rated with a 10 being "the best". I, and I'm sure many others, don't necessarily want a 10 aggressive razor so why should it be weighted more highly?

How about looking for a razor with an aggressive rating of 2 or 3 instead of 10. How you interpret the rating as good or bad is entirely up to the reader. If I was looking specifically for an expensive soap, I'd just look to reverse the rating given on the cost column.

Also, there doesn't appear to be any system for dealing with outliers. These are the people who vote a 0 or a 10 for the razor on all counts without any real regard for the system in question. For example, I was just looking at the Weishi reviews and one member gave it a 0 on all counts. He may not like the razor, but I am pretty sure that he was able to replace the blade and therefore it does not deserve a 0. I am also pretty sure he was able to hold the razor as I have not heard any news reports of a Weishi flying out of a man's hand and maiming someone in a neighboring county and therefore this should also not be a 0.

-CCM

It's just guys opinions of what they tried, not really consumer reports.
You have to take the ratings given in the context of the text that accompanies it. One without the other is less useful.
If I see a bunch of zeros or a bunch of tens, there is usually something in the text that tells me why.

Try to look at B&B as more of a Barbershop kinda place with people talking about different subjects. If you do that, it helps. I wouldn't sit with friends and tell them "Well Bob and Bill, I think I'm going to have to toss out your opinion of the Ford F150 because you guys were the outliers".

 

[mmack66]

An aggressiveness scale of 0-10 just gives an idea as to the relative mildness or wildness of a razor and says nothing about the desirability of either end of the spectrum. All this stuff is so subjective that ratings don't really mean a whole lot anyway. As I have seen once or twice around here, YMMV.

 

[Bertilak]

How about looking for a razor with an aggressive rating of 2 or 3 instead of 10. How you interpret the rating as good or bad is entirely up to the reader..

An aggressiveness scale of 0-10 just gives an idea as to the relative mildness or wildness of a razor and says nothing about the desirability of either end of the spectrum..

Well you guys agree at least but it doesn't seem that obvious to me.

All the other categories are "obviously" degrees of goodness or desirability so why is this one different? Even if I try to be less pedantic than I usually am I am confounded by the fact that they all get averaged together! That makes no sense if they are not all the same metric.

I agree with the OP that this aspect of the reviews is a mess. It was something I commented on when I first ran across B&B. I really thought there was some convention I wasn't aware of. Well, I guess I was right, in a way. The convention is "don't think about it!"

 

[luvmysuper]

The convention is "don't think about it!"

It's not necessary, but it helps.

 

[gollum83]

Well regardless of you want to look at the scale, if you're writing a review, then make sure to explain why you rated the razor the way you did.

 

[CCMphysician]

How about looking for a razor with an aggressive rating of 2 or 3 instead of 10. How you interpret the rating as good or bad is entirely up to the reader. If I was looking specifically for an expensive soap, I'd just look to reverse the rating given on the cost column.

If that were true then they wouldn't be averaged.

-CCM

 

[luvmysuper]

If that were true then they wouldn't be averaged.

-CCM

Don't read the average then.
Read the review.
It isn't Rocket Surgery
Don't take this stuff so seriously, it's just shaving for crimeny sakes!

 

[Bertilak]

It isn't Rocket Surgery

So is this us then? (And is that a slant?)