Why did people switch to Cartridges in the 70s?

[THall]

Undeniable for the 90 plus percent of shavers. This shaving hobby is very niche. Seems large when you are on the forums, but in a world of billions of shavers, it's not.



The Guard isn't currently marketed in the US, nor is it likely to be as it would cannibalize Gillette's more profitable lines. I don't see them jacking up prices on the Guard any time soon.

If I see them raising prices I'll just lay in a 1000+ piece supply like many have in blades

I enjoy my DE and SE shaves more, but I can't deny that carts can shave 99% as well for me and quicker and for many others.

The Guard is everywhere, at least in the state of Maryland. I noticed recently that there were more Guards hanging up in store isles than Fusions and disposables.

Maybe this is an east coast phenomenon. They actually have the big cardboard advertisements in some of the stores I frequent.

 

[Chandu]

The Guard is everywhere, at least in the state of Maryland. I noticed recently that there were more Guards hanging up in store isles than Fusions and disposables.

Maybe this is an east coast phenomenon. They actually have the big cardboard advertisements in some of the stores I frequent.

Are you talking Skin Guard or Guard? They are not the same at all. If they really are Gillette Guard's I'm very surprised.

This is the Guard https://www.pg.com/en_US/downloads/innovation/factsheet_final_Gillette_Guard.pdf

 

[THall]

Both

 

[Chandu]

Both

So retail stores in Maryland have the Gillette Guard which is/was originally in India and other countries, but not US?

 

[anoop]

Because they were (are) idiot-proof. For example, my dad refuses to use a DE because it "causes cuts". His technique probably needs work, but he didn't have to worry about technique with cartridge razors.

 

[Razorcan]

I have always shaved with a DE.
I tried carts and disposables but they add more time to my shave and I need to do a fast five minute four pass shave in order to achieve BBS every day.
Of course I only use canned foam .
Never understood how a cart is faster than a DE since it clogs way easier,I can do a four pass shave on my cheek without rinsing the razor even once.When I use a cart or disposable I need to rinse it at least three times.
This adds time to the shave not to mention water waste.

 

[Bogeyman]

Bic forced Gillette's hand when in 1975 Bic introd the first disposable. Gillette countered with the Good News in 1976 and upped the bid by using twin blades from their Trac II introd in 1971. It was economic survival. Thus began Blade Wars II, the first war being when Wilkinson Sword introd the modern stainless blade in the early 60's. Look at this from an economic standpoint. Evolve or perish.

 

[Rhody]

I think cost, easy to use and advertising.

 

[BigD]

Didn't Gillette purposely dull their DEs when they were transitioning to Cartridges?

 

[Razorcan]

Didn't Gillette purposely dull their DEs when they were transitioning to Cartridges?

Of course not.

 

[Jim99]

I started shaving with an electric razor in 1971, but quickly began to hate it due to irritation. Being young and easily swayed by tv commercials, I switched over to the Trac ll by 1975. I’ve used almost every multi blade cartridge system marketed by Gillette since then and the only ones I’ve truly liked was the Trac ll and the fusion. Fusion cartridge prices are just crazy and that led me to begin DE shaving about 5 years back. The only time I pick up a cartridge today is when I’m traveling by air.

So why did I not go to a DE or injector system back in 1975? Similar to what others said in this thread, the marketing at the time convinced my young mind that cartridge shaving was modern, advanced and way better than any other shaving system that came before. I didn’t want to use some old fashioned shaving system that my father was using. Once I was sucked into the cartridge camp, there was no turning back.

For me, whether it’s a DE, injector, or SE, the shave time is the same as a cartridge. It takes me less than 10 minutes to shave and that includes cleanup. Shave wise, my face feels better with a DE than with a cartridge post shave and I find the overall quality of the shave to be better. Maybe that’s due to improved technique and concentration when using a DE.

By bringing in a new generation of shavers into the cartridge camp and stopping advertising on DE blades and razors, Gillette successfully marketed cartridges and phased out their low profit margin DEs.

 

[BigD]

Of course not.

Thanks for the clarification. Someone told me this a few months ago they did to get people to buy Trac IIs, but I couldn't find anything to substantiate the claim. Figured I throw out the question and get a solid answer.

 

[VerbaVolant]

Because they were (are) idiot-proof. For example, my dad refuses to use a DE because it "causes cuts". His technique probably needs work, but he didn't have to worry about technique with cartridge razors.

Same thing can be said about shaving with a straight razor. People switched from straight razor to safety razor because the latter is "idiot-proof".
Comfort and convenience will take us down as species.

 

[Chandu]

Comfort and convenience will take us down as species.

Maybe in some areas, but I think moving on from SR to something else was generally good for humanity. Funny how the history of shaving was moving to better technology over the years, but many here try to live in a time warp and and feel nothing except software has improved since (pick a decade in the 1900's).

For those many or few that a top tier 5 blade works for, it's an improvement over all that came before. 10 years from now, the razors will have improved again. I wonder if 100 years from now forums will be fixated on the Fusion as the best ever and will discount the laser depilatory devices that are common place and have ruined wet shaving.

I'll happily embrace the old or modern technologies where I see an improvement. Carts are a great advancement for a great many people.

 

[Bakker1964]

Maybe in some areas, but I think moving on from SR to something else was generally good for humanity. Funny how the history of shaving was moving to better technology over the years, but many here try to live in a time warp and and feel nothing except software has improved since (pick a decade in the 1900's).

Carts are only "better" if your criteria is convenience. By any other measure, they are not an improvement.

For those many or few that a top tier 5 blade works for, it's an improvement over all that came before. 10 years from now, the razors will have improved again. I wonder if 100 years from now forums will be fixated on the Fusion as the best ever and will discount the laser depilatory devices that are common place and have ruined wet shaving.

100 years from now, the only place you will be able to see a Fusion is on a memory stick or holographic projector.

I'll happily embrace the old or modern technologies where I see an improvement. Carts are a great advancement for a great many people.

See bolded.

Carts are a great improvement in convenience. They are not an improvement in the areas of shave quality, cost, environmental impact, etc. I will not tell any man or woman what they "must" use to remove hair but, if asked, there is no way in good conscience I could recommend carts as anything other than an "idiot-proof" convenience.

 

[Chandu]

See bolded.

Carts are a great improvement in convenience. They are not an improvement in the areas of shave quality, cost, environmental impact, etc. I will not tell any man or woman what they "must" use to remove hair but, if asked, there is no way in good conscience I could recommend carts as anything other than an "idiot-proof" convenience.

So those that say carts give them a better shave than DE are lying? full of b.s.? There is NO ONE BEST method.

This being the "modern" method forum you'll probably find more support for carts. There are other forms, shall we call them the antiquated forums that espouse other methods of shave enlightenment. They are not more correct than this forum nor vice versa.

The only thing I hope we won't see in 100 years is the black and white opinions of DE superiority in an and all cases.

The entire world of shaving is YMMV. It's not DE is the end all be all and all other aspects are YMMV, it's all YMMV.

I think today I'm going to go out and help someone get started shaving properly with a cart, so they can avoid the absolute elitism that infects much of the DE users.

 

[Bakker1964]

Read the ad copy from the early days of multi-blade disposables and carts. "The first blade lifts the hair, while the second blade cuts it." That is a recipe for irritation and ingrown hairs. But hey, if you're happy with a less efficient razor, fill your boots.

 

[Chandu]

Read the ad copy from the early days of multi-blade disposables and carts. "The first blade lifts the hair, while the second blade cuts it." That is a recipe for irritation and ingrown hairs. But hey, if you're happy with a less efficient razor, fill your boots.

Just the sort of well thought out reply I expected of you. Glad you didn't disappoint. Crazy that not everyone that uses carts suffers from ingrown hairs. I would submit that hair type and growth pattern are key facilitators of one getting in grown hairs from a close shave or not. If the hair is straight, it's going to grow right back out. Curly hairs, or hairs growing at acute angles to the skin are going to be the ones that are prone grow into the skin.

Just as some were pleased as punch about the closer shave carts provided with less passes than a DE, some having hair prone to ingrow, were not so pleased. For those users we have DE, SE, Injector, Gillette Guard and Gillette Skin guard and a few others.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...The only thing I hope we won't see in 100 years...

...I wonder if 100 years from now...

The year 2119 will see more and more people with Lhx2 switched off. Mark my words.

 

[Sabre]

See bolded.

Carts are a great improvement in convenience. They are not an improvement in the areas of shave quality, cost, environmental impact, etc. I will not tell any man or woman what they "must" use to remove hair but, if asked, there is no way in good conscience I could recommend carts as anything other than an "idiot-proof" convenience.

What cart razors have you used? What prep did you use? When did you begin DE shaving?