What would take to make Safety Razors mainstream again?

[fingerguy]

Yeah you can find them in specialty knife and shaving stores which quite frankly they aren't around as much as they used to be. Online, well you can find just about anything online. But what would you think it would take to make them mainstream again to the point you will find them in Walmart or wherever?

I think it would take pics of a famous person especially sports using them to get it there.

 

[michiganlover]

First, and foremost, it would take a large company with millions upon millions of dollars to throw at marketing. Getting a mainstream presence is super expensive these days.

Even if one had that kind of money, I don't see it happening, as a DE razor is not idiot proof. A cartridge razor may not provide the best of shaves, but one doesn't have to endure months (potentially) of crappy blood filled shaves while you learn your technique.

The average American male would pick up a safety razor (not having any idea what they are doing), cut their face up badly with it (or get horrific razor burn), and never use it again.

In a culture where everyone wants instant gratification, most people would not be willing to put forth the effort, and time necessary to learn how to properly use a DE razor.

In my opinion, we will always be a novelty/ fringe product without mainstream distribution.

 

[fingerguy]

Good point.

 

[BBrad]

Just take a look at what brought the mainstream consumers away from DE shaving in the first place and then go backwards.

Seriously, though . . . spend about 40 years of intense advertising indoctrinating two generations of men that a multi-blade cartridge shaves better, and that it is the Best a Man Can Get. Make tons of money selling cartridges that have a proprietary design, and make them obsolete with the next "new thing" before the patent protection expires.

Remember also that most men did not get the high-quality results from their DE razors that we do. Canned goo along with the "get this chore over with" attitude that most men have while shaving adds up to a less than quality shave.

Back in the 1960s consumers were expecting tried-and-true designs to be replaced by something new, modern, and "space-aged." My generation grew up watching astronauts reach for the moon . . . the Trac II had the exact look and feel that the consumers were looking for. And just think . . . your fingers never have to touch a nasty, sharp, and dangerous razor blade ever again!!!!

While DE, SE, and Straights appeal to a niche market (that would be us . . .) that market is not large enough to justify a company like PG/Gillette to pay much attention to us, let alone reverse the course that they spent the last 40 years charting. In fact, Gillette recently introduced a new low-cost razor in India aimed at eliminating the last stronghold of DE "mainstream" shaving.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

It ain't gonna happen.

 

[David in Boston]

...
In a culture where everyone wants instant gratification, most people would not be willing to put forth the effort, and time necessary to learn how to properly use a DE razor...

Good point.

The only way I see a change if DE razors are marketed as a "Green" way of shaving. In other words it is better for the environment etc.

 

[Slivovitz]

It ain't gonna happen.

Succinct and true. As others have pointed out, too many people are likely to be put off by the need to learn proper shaving technique. Even back when DEs were the main choice, many men never learned to use them properly, and accepted nicks and cuts as a matter of course.

Another thing, there's less social pressure than there used to be to have a clean shave every day. It's not just beards, general scruffiness has become mainstream. We're unusual here, not just because we tend to use old fashioned razors, but because we take shaving itself very seriously. Most people don't care, and never will.

 

[Blue58]

First, and foremost, it would take a large company with millions upon millions of dollars to throw at marketing. Getting a mainstream presence is super expensive these days.

Even if one had that kind of money, I don't see it happening, as a DE razor is not idiot proof. A cartridge razor may not provide the best of shaves, but one doesn't have to endure months (potentially) of crappy blood filled shaves while you learn your technique.

The average American male would pick up a safety razor (not having any idea what they are doing), cut their face up badly with it (or get horrific razor burn), and never use it again.

In a culture where everyone wants instant gratification, most people would not be willing to put forth the effort, and time necessary to learn how to properly use a DE razor.

In my opinion, we will always be a novelty/ fringe product without mainstream distribution.

+1 to that, and don't forget the mega lawsuits for producing a product that is dangerous and not supplying addequate instructions for its use.

Remember this is generation "Me"

Good point.

The only way I see a change if DE razor are marketed as a "Green" way of shaving. In other words it is better for the environment etc.

That won't ever happen, there are too many factors that would outweigh the "Green" value

 

[Delawareguy]

I think if it were to happen it would have to be a grass roots movement. I don't know anyone that uses cartridges and canned goo that is happy with the products or results. If these people tried DE shaving and all that goes along with it I think a good percentage of them would make the change. I think the biggest obstacle would be overcoming the "whatever" attitude that most men have toward shaving. I don't know how you convince someone that just doesn't care about an issue. If we all made the switch others would too.

 

[drandall]

when a fusion cartridge delivers several thousand percent profit for gillette, there is zero incentive to do anything else.

hundreds of millions, possibly billions of dollars in advertising have gone into convincing consumers that multiple blades are better. they're never going to deviate from that message until they absolutely have to.

the best we can hope for is that their greed will force them to continually raise cartridge prices and this will encourage more men to break away and try other options.

 

[michiganlover]

the best we can hope for is that their greed will force them to continually raise cartridge prices and this will encourage more men to break away and try other options.

If you are an 18 year oldish male, you may have no idea that a Double Edge Razor ever existed. The "other options" are going to be what you can find on your shelf locally: The Wilkinson Sword Tech 3 cartridge razor, and cheap horrid quality disposables. And of course electric razors (shivers in fear. )

To do an internet search looking for other options, you have to care enough about the cost, and poor results you are currently getting to initiate such a search.

It's my belief that the average male has accepted irritation, and cuts as being a normal part of shaving that has to be tolerated.

 

[Gray Wolf]

The new razors would be made of plastic and break easily so they would have a limited life span built in. Producing razors with the same quality and durability like the ones many of us use would be very expensive today, and probably not cost-effective.
It would take a massive advertising campaign to woo the public away from cartridges, and without an equally massive program to teach the general public about how to use them, would be automatically doomed from the start.

 

[BBrad]

If you are an 18 year oldish male, you may have no idea that a Double Edge Razor ever existed . . .

. . . It's my belief that the average male has accepted irritation, and cuts as being a normal part of shaving that has to be tolerated.

+1, John!

It takes someone over 45 to (maybe) remember Dad shaving with "some thing dangerous that you can't get blades for anymore."

And yes, even the men of the Double Edge era accepted irritation and cuts . . . over the years shaving has never been as pleasurable for the average guy as wetshaving is for us enthusiasts.

 

[dirtdog]

A cartridge razor may not provide the best of shaves, but one doesn't have to endure months (potentially) of crappy blood filled shaves while you learn your technique.

I learned to shave in one day with a DE at 17. No blood.
I have nicked myself with both DE and cartridges .

How stupid have people become that it takes months and months ?

It can take months to settle on a blade , or a razor,soap -whatever.

But if it takes you months to learn how to shave maybe a beard is in order for you

 

[AmishFury]

if you were trying to bring a non cartridge safety razor back into the mainstream it would be far easier if it was in injector instead of a DE

convince schick to design the Type P pivoting head injector and you might have a chance

and even if you could get them to use an injector or DE they will still be using canned goo... you'll never get brush and soap/cream to be mainstream because no matter how skilled you are or how easy your soap or cream lathers simply shaking a can and pressing a button is quicker/easier

 

[ironbrewer]

The new razors would be made of plastic and break easily so they would have a limited life span built in. Producing razors with the same quality and durability like the ones many of us use would be very expensive today, and probably not cost-effective.

If Merkur of one of the other quality razor producers were making millions of razors the price would be much more competitive, and they are quality razors.

I think it would have to be a grasroots effort. If the big guys got even more greedy, and started raising cart prices even more they could loose more marketshare.

That along with the obviously more environmentally sustainable nature of DE shaving could make it a much more viable option.

If you google cheap shave 3 of the first 10 replies are for wet shaving including a Mantic video.

If wet shaving slowly catches on more there could be 5 out of 10 of the first google replies.

What would be the tipping point??

I don't know, but if even 5% of all people wet shave it would be amazing.

How many members here have given wet shaving stuff to members of there families or friends.

I have.

Lets change the world!!

 

[jgkeegan]

First, and foremost, it would take a large company with millions upon millions of dollars to throw at marketing. Getting a mainstream presence is super expensive these days.

Even if one had that kind of money, I don't see it happening, as a DE razor is not idiot proof. A cartridge razor may not provide the best of shaves, but one doesn't have to endure months (potentially) of crappy blood filled shaves while you learn your technique.

The average American male would pick up a safety razor (not having any idea what they are doing), cut their face up badly with it (or get horrific razor burn), and never use it again.

In a culture where everyone wants instant gratification, most people would not be willing to put forth the effort, and time necessary to learn how to properly use a DE razor.

In my opinion, we will always be a novelty/ fringe product without mainstream distribution.

I hate it that I agree with what you wrote above. But I do agree and I am certain you are right.

--james

 

[gull]

I learned to shave in one day with a DE at 17. No blood.
I have nicked myself with both DE and cartridges .

How stupid have people become that it takes months and months ?

It can take months to settle on a blade , or a razor,soap -whatever.

But if it takes you months to learn how to shave maybe a beard is in order for you

You're not thinking like a regular young guy. Forget about months, without B&B I would have never gotten good shaves.

I'm willing to bet that most people that are using cartridges don't know that shaving can be pain and blood free. Even if they switched to DEs, they still would never know that cuts and irritation are not normal, and when they get bad shaves, they never improve because they don't know that there is anything better.

Let's also consider that people switching over to DEs wouldn't even know about soaps and brushes. The regular Joe would just step into a supermarket, see form and buy it. That's what I did!

 

[Chevyguy]

If you are an 18 year oldish male, you may have no idea that a Double Edge Razor ever existed. The "other options" are going to be what you can find on your shelf locally: The Wilkinson Sword Tech 3 cartridge razor, and cheap horrid quality disposables. And of course electric razors (shivers in fear. )

To do an internet search looking for other options, you have to care enough about the cost, and poor results you are currently getting to initiate such a search.

It's my belief that the average male has accepted irritation, and cuts as being a normal part of shaving that has to be tolerated.

The newer electric's shave as close as a blade and give an irritation free shave. You have to let your skin heal from blade shaving as a thin layer of scar tissue does build up. It can take up to three weeks for your face to adjust to an electric shaver. And then just like a DE razor you have to find out which shaver will work best for you and give you the best shave. Sorry to get off subject but this past summer I experimented with electrics and found that a Braun Syncro foil shaver combined with a preshave talc powder stick gave me a BBS irritation free shave.

Clayton

 

[ironbrewer]

I don't really think it will go mainstream either, but one can hope. Also with the internet it is way easier to learn new things.

If somebody had some spare time and stumbled across the Mantic videos....

My first DE shave was almost as good as my last cartridge shave (except for the ocasional trak 2 shaves).