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We killed the golden goose (aka DE shaving is a hipster fad)

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DE shaving was once the norm. Regular everyday Joes lathered up and loaded up, and scraped away at their facial skin like it was nobody’s business.

But all good things must come to an end. Carts have dominated since the 80s, and DE was left to the old guys. Once they died out, DE was dead.

But there has been a renaissance, and this thread is about asking why.

People have pointed to the Internet. But how has the Internet contributed? Wider dissemination of information? Greater choice in products? Maybe. But something has to be contributing to that curiosity. What is it?

I posit ‘fashion.’

Yep, just as beards, sailor tattoos, and quiff/fade haircuts were/are all the rage recently, so has DE shaving become a fad.

We’ve seen the rise of specialist shaving stores like Art of Shaving, Etsy stores full of wood turners making brushes, and artisan soap companies trying to recreate ‘vintage’ scents. Even regular barbers now stock TOBS soaps, and at least have a couple of safety razors to choose from.

But you’d have to say the the final nail in the coffin to this DE shark-jump was Gillette’s ‘retro’ Heritage offering. Complete with faux leather case and traditional-style scrawl on the front, the Heritage completely captures the essence of a hipster led sell-out. I mean, doesn’t this razor come with a Muhle head? It’s not even a Gillette razor; it’s a composite razor designed to cash in on the fad!

That’s right folks, DE shaving has become a fad. And we only have ourselves to blame.
 
We'll never know if it's a FAD until years down the lane. I think it's an alternative way to shave and enjoy doing so. So far, I'm continuing to see more interests into DE shaving.
 
The whole climate debate helps the fad being an old type razor less waiste....
And you can proudly tell your friends no plastic waiste of carts no pressurized cans all vegan and you can recycle everything
Of course they forget the nasty detail that a lot buy more than they can ever use in this life and most likely the next.
 
Placing blame implies that a fad is inherently a bad thing. That fashion is a bad thing. You need to make that argument before placing blame. As for my part, I'm 52. I've converted several young men to DE wetshaving over the years. I'll enjoy the fad, if it is such, and if it passes, I'm stocked up for a couple of decades. My supplies may well outlast me. I'll take no blame, only a small bit of credit.

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There are alotta factors at play, no way to single out any one reason why it's making a comeback...but you need to also consider why it went away in the first place.

If you've seen vintage shaving ads on ebay from the 1950s onward, especially Barbasol brushless.....speed was the main selling point getting people away from old-timey shaving. With drawings of successful businessmen and sexy women along with very long wordy ads- they brainwashed everyone to stop using a brush & soap, like you were nuts to keep doing it that way. I've even seen a vintage barbasol tube cream where the directions actually stated - "just apply to face, don't rub-in, don't try to over-complicate it".

So then guys of my dad's generation, learning to shave in the late 1960s and thru the 70s/80s/90s....were really busy, working their asses off, long days, plus long commutes back and forth. He didn't have time for a luxurious shave, just a quick few strokes with a cart (Atra, Sensor, Mach3) , splash on some Old Spice and he's out the door. There was no time for self-pampering and no internet forums to learn about new hobbies/interests/better ways of doing something. When I asked if he'd ever used his Dad's Gillette Slim he was emphatically like - "NO WAY !!!" ...He said that he learned with an Atra, and the main objective was just to get the shave over with as quickly as possible.

But now in 2020, guys of his generation (65+) are retired, have more time to sniff the roses, try new stuff, and access to anything they want online. And for guys like me (42 years old) in this crazy modern world of ours, the wife is the one hustling out to the office everyday, and I'm the one at home with the kiddo and have all the friggen time in the world to read about shaving and soaps and things that smell nice, and scour ebay for cool vintage items. ....

So here we are....that's my take on it...guys just have more time to actually take a little bit of care of themselves nowadays, more products available, more information on how to use them...you can learn how to do pretty much anything on youtube, how to shave, how to find/identify/restore old razors, it's all out there and easily available.

I don't think it's a passing fad. For those recently bitten by the bug, they'll probably be in it for the rest of their lives, I wouldn't ever want to go back to carts and cans of foam.
 
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And also if you look at this thread and poll - the majority of B&B members are middle-aged and up, ...not too many of what would be considered the younger "hipster" group. But just about anyone actively participating on B&B is ok in my book, regardless of age.

link-
 
Six or so years ago I was looking for a way of getting a better shave, and a cheaper one (ha), and thought I'd give DE razors a try. If the results hadn't been good I wouldn't have stuck with DE shaving, fashionable or not, but they were and I did. My teenaged son has now been using a DE for a few years and shows no sign of switching. He says he doesn't think any of his many friends use a DE, nor does he frequent online shaving forums, so it isn't matter of fad or fashion for him, either.
 
Fad or not fad. I cannot say it matters to me at all. Some sort of shaving has to be done as long as i don't want to sport a beard. I used to use a cheap electric for a long time. Nothing beats that from a utilitarian point of view. Nothing pleasant about it except the speed of the process. Dare I say about a minute?
I grew up with instant coffee being the only coffee in the house. My dad worked construction before he retired, and was always in a rush. No time to pamper himself with fresh brewed coffee. Today he drinks coffee from a french-press. He has the time now being retired. I have retired the cheap Braun electric and prioritize the hobby of shaving a stellar daily shave. Btw, I still drink instant coffee most of the time. No time to pamper myself in that department.
 
Whether it is a fad or not, I don't see it as a bad thing either way.

How much it has contributed I don't know, but a friend of mine who I didn't realise had recently started DE shaving did so after Gillette's insulting "Woke" advert and decided he didn't want to purchase another Gillette product. During his research for other options he came across DE shaving.

On a similar note, I think the resurgence of "Manly" hobbies/activities in some way combating the toxic masculinity rhetoric has had an influence.

I would also agree people becoming more aware of their affect on the environment has people looking for alternatives.
 
It's not a hipster fad. It's more of a niche that has been around for a long time, with different groups of people getting interested and joining in along the way. There was a wave back in the early 2000s when it got popularized by people who were interested in technology and cool gadgets. Way before the hipsters.
 
If it is a fad as you call it let it be and if it passess I think blades and soaps will always be available. Even if blades are not produced anymore we will se signs of deminishing offerings and will have time to stock up. Soap...well that goes without saying, it will alwys be available. If they stop producing razors...well BOO HOO my Rockwell 6S is built like a tank :D

I noticed average age here is prety advanced compared to my 28 :D and I got into DE because I wanted better shave tht did not chew my neck up and empty my wallet and I don't care if it's popular or not
 
Fad? I’m not so sure.

Maybe it has a following due to our ability to mix and match razors to blades. We have hundreds of combinations to choose from. Think about the variety of soaps. We have hundreds of scents to choose from. Brushes? Synthetic, boar, badger and horsehair. There’s a combination for everyone.

Another thing to consider is many men like gadgets. Think about three piece razors, adjustable razors, injectors, etc. for me, my den is like a toy box, with a new one to play with every day.

Buy a cartridge razor and you’re stuck in their ecosystem, buying only their blades. No fun, not a toy and no variety. What fun is that? Also, those cartridges clutter up the landfill. Yuck!

As far as speed goes, DE shaving takes me no more time than cartridge shaving. Granted, I do need to rinse the brush afterwards and that takes another 30 seconds. However, I’ve gotten to a point where my DE shaving time is on par with my “old time” cartridge shaving.

Fad? I’m not so sure.
 
I will say: it never died. Things in life are cyclical.....up and down. I wonder if youngsters recurring to cutting themselves also had a negative effect as stores put away blades!!! I did not know of that trend till I had a trainee who was recovering.....
So why do people get into DE: multiple reasons.......... I got in because I was unable to get a decent shave using an electric or a cheap cart.....so tried this and fell head first into the black hole.....
 
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