Why do things seem to always change for the worse?

[bcraig.waciii]

Okay... So I have asked myself this question many times after starting DE shaving. Why do things change, and often times for the worse? I mean, look at the DE razor for example! You have a beautiful piece of engineering that withstood for about seven decades before being nearly exterminated by the disposable and cartridge worlds. My dad grew up in the fifties and sixties when DEs were still popular, and he said they were something that every man came to. Of course my grandfather was around when DEs were still in their infancy. They worked! They worked well too.

Then the electric came out. My grandfather was one of the first to make the switch because he needed a fast dependable shave. He found out the hard way that they weren't for him. So he went back to DEs. They just work!

I mean this doesn't just apply to DEs. This also applies to things like acne treatments. The other day (a while ago) I was just plain fed up with spending twenty dollars on something that was supposed to work miracles on my skin. At twenty dollars per month, I was just plain fed up! So I started to look around.

One thing led to another, and I ended up with a DE razor because I was willing to go for broke on this. I mean my acne was not bad, it was probably closer to mild, but still a bugger to deal with. So I spent all of maybe $20 putting together a shaving kit. (I did this kind of in secret because I was worried what my parents would say.) It was made mostly of stuff I can pick up at my mom and pop pharmacy. The razor of course had to be purchased online on ebay.

There was a learning curve for sure. Over time the acne on my cheeks began disappearing. At this time I was still using my acne treatment system to treat my forehead. There had been great improvement. Then, about two weeks ago, I was looking at my DE razor when I began to think. My thought processes brought me to the conclusion that there had to be something better out there than this stuff I was using. Afterall, my grandfather didn't have this stuff! So I turned to the web. Took me a while but I came across the Neutrogena facial cleansing bar for acne prone skin. I did some research into the ingredients. The one ingredient I was unsure of was Lanolin (Wool fat). When I looked it up, it was listed as comedogenic. I almost wrote it off, then my little DE diety sat on my shoulder and told me, "You know, remember that disposable razor you were using, and the electric you were using? You learned quite a lesson from me didn't you?" So, I got off the computer and went to Walgreens and picked up a bar. (Just so you all know I did call my more local pharmacy to see if they had it before going to Walgreens.)

Well, I have been using the bar as my forehead wash, my preshave wash, and my post shave wash (something I could not do with my previous wash which contained Salicyclic acid), and have been having great results. Yeah, my forehead isn't completely clear, but it is much better.

Thinking about this caused me to write this post. I mean, when something is so good, why change it? I know I know.... Money money money.... Some things you just wish you knew beforehand.


(DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying all advancements are bad, like seatbelts, airbags, lead free paint, etc. So don't go uninstalling the seatbelts or the airbags from your car. And also don't go painting your house with lead paint... even if it does taste good when it gets all crusty like my dad says it does .)

 

[burntraven]

Things mostly change because of the market, I think. Even more today. With the markets mostly surrounding money not the goods. Because there's thousands of products doing the same crappy job and you have to decide if these one is really different then the one.
You can easily point this to dish soap, shaving foam, modern razors, and soda to name a few.
Higher and higher cost for a product that is getting worse and worse quality wise and because people don't really do the research and more with their products they just accept this fact as "just the way it is".

 

[Jorocom]

Change happens whether we like it or not... even if it's for the worse.

 

[Shaving_CHENG]

Entropy

 

[Kevan]

DE's gave way to carts because compared to a pivot-head razor especially, they are creaky dinosuars. The pivot head is arguably Gillette's best innovation since the TTO razor because it made shaving easier and faster. No angle to pay attention to, no need to worry about locking the wrist or worrying about the neck. Just zip and go. I use DE razors almost exclusively but even I have to admit that there are some things that time improves.

Now, as for multiple blades on the other hand.....

 

[Dewaine]

I just saw this image a few days ago, and the OP question reminded me of it. This may only be partially related, but I do think there is some sense to make of things by considering the opposing, powerful incentives involved:

 

[Go West Young Man]

Cartridges are better than DEs by pretty much every standard except nostalgia and blade price.

Ask your dad how good his shave was back then. He likely tore himself up every day, and was grateful to switch when a better option came along

 

[BBrad]

Cartridges are better than DEs by pretty much every standard except nostalgia and blade price.

Ask your dad how good his shave was back then. He likely tore himself up every day, and was grateful to switch when a better option came along

We get outstanding performance from DE razors today, because we do not shave like Dad did back in the day. I remember in the 1960s my father cutting himself on just about every shave . . . he, like most, shaved in one pass using canned goo. It was a daily chore that had to be done, rather than the daily pampering that most of us here enjoy. Our prep is better, our techniques are refined. The DE design is unforgiving of poor technique and inadequate prep.

There were multiple influences leading up to the development of cartridge razors. The "space-age '60s" saw technical innovations in every aspect of our lives. Consumers were flocking to products that were sleek, modern, and new. Gillette's primary need, however, was what drives every company that builds and sells a product: profits! Competition in the blade market eroded Gillette's market share. A new razor, using proprietary blades, was needed to help ensure ongoing profitability. Gillette's first attempt, the Techmatic, was a failure. Although new, space-aged, and proprietary, it shaved worse than a DE and was not accepted by the marketplace. The Trac II, however, was a hit. In reality, it was a damned fine razor! The rest, as they say, is history!

 

[HoosierTrooper]

If changes and improvements in shaving hadn't happened men and women would still be using flint or fire to remove hair. One thing I've learned is that the good old days never existed in the first place. People back in the good old days were complaining that things weren't as good as they were back in the good old days.

 

[El-a-Menthol]

Welcome!
Did you know that witch-hazel is not only a good and cheap aftershave but that it also helps with acne?
You food intake is also a factor by the way, but you probably also know you can never be guaranteed it goes away completely.
It's also part of the age. You probably want to minimize it as much as possible. And that is something that can be achieved.
And Mitchell's Wool Fat also contains lanolin (aka wool fat), you might want to give this soap a try sometime, also if you didn't had acne.

 

[Rodeoflyer]

Entropy

That's the second time this weekend this place has had me looking up words!


Disposables and cartridges are super cheap to produce. A company like Gillette was able to start selling consumers new razors every moth instead of a few times a lifetime.

 

[tacchini]

i think a lot has to do with the cash making side of things, 8 multi blade pack £20...100 de blades£10, a shave with a good de razor may take a bit longer, but is better on the skin than those multi blade razors, well for me anyway.

 

[Renato1]

I may be from your dad's era. I DE shaved for about three years before giving up and going electric from the aggravation. Back then we didn't have the internet which told you about the best creams and soaps. And choice of blades and razors was very limited.

Every month I'd wince when I had to break in a new blade - four or five days of razor burn and nicks (and the only soothing thing I could find was Proraso). Then the blade would settle down for two weeks. Then it would start going blunt, but I kept using it in order to avoid a new blade. And I could never get a close shave under my cheek bones without heaps of aggravation.

My point is, while DE shaving seems so simple and straightforward to you - either because your skin isn't that touchy, or you have the information resources of the world at your finger tips to solve problems, or because you have access to a plethora of products on the world market to fix your problems - it just wasn't that way back then. Electric and cartridge razors were solutions to very real problems that many men had, which they couldn't solve with DE.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Rufust445]

Entropy

+1

 

[rajagra]

It is the nature of business to try and sell us less, for more. The trouble is they get better at it every year.

Cartridges are better than DEs by pretty much every standard except nostalgia and blade price

... and build quality, heft, durability, style, class, beauty, environmental responsibility, ability to cope with very long beard growth (thinking of open combs).
But yeah, apart from that carts are better.

 

[mmack66]

I'm sure all those turn of the twentieth century straight shavers shared your lament when KG decided to make shaving more convenient.

 

[phattonez]

The change in it has to be advertising. When Gillette has Adrian Brody, Andre 3000, and other celebrities in their commercials, they allure lots of customers. Double edged safety razors are sharper, more efficient (in that they don't clog), and extremely cheaper. Advertising whizzes aren't going to a niche market with a tiny profit margin. Gillette has the power of patent protection which ensures huge profits for their products, as long as they keep coming out with some new "innovation" (which much like domestic beer companies, are just marketing ploys).

If Gillette didn't have their patents, I'm sure that they would still be big. After all, there is a big market for folks who want a quick shave with no hassle. However, I'm sure there are many men who want a quality shave, nice smelling products, and a face that doesn't feel like it's been in the oven for an hour even though it takes more time. Cartridges would be much cheaper without those patents, and would be much sharper as multiple companies would be able to make them. So don't fret it, I say. You've stumbled upon what these mega-merchants didn't want you to find out. Just spread the word and be happy that you have a nice smelling/feeling face. And don't lament those who don't have it. Some are just bored by shaving, it's understandable.

I would like to see straight shaving at the barber come back. What an experience. It's a shame how it's been driven out of the market and now the price is so exorbitant. It's a nice way to relax.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

I'm sure all those turn of the twentieth century straight shavers shared your lament when KG decided to make shaving more convenient.

And to make a boatload of money at the same time, something that some seem to think only started happening when Gillette began making cartridge razors.

 

[johnf7478]

I agree in some way with most of the above. However, change can often have ripple effects.

The shaving experience now takes me quite a bit longer, however, I enjoy every minute. As opposed to the fusion-proglide rush job, I am forced to slow down, take care and be kind to my face for a while.
With all the stress and worry the world attempts to inflict upon me, taking twenty minutes out each day to give myself some TLC sort of puts the day into perspective, may sound bizzare, but it's true for me

Peace out

 

[mmack66]

And to make a boatload of money at the same time, something that some seem to think only started happening when Gillette began making cartridge razors.

Yep.