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Why High End?

If you troll the DE forum you’ll find consistent high praise for the Gillette Tech. Whether paired w a Feather for a more aggressive shave or w a host of other blades for milder shaves, comments indicate a high degree of satisfaction for a majority of those who comment.
A cruise through Etsy or the Bay shows hundreds of these razors available for $15-20 and many antique shops sell them for $5 or less. I found my first Tech in a drawer for nothing.
Given the consensus that it is a great razor, it’s general ubiquity and modest cost, why don’t we all use one, or a SuperSpeed or Schick injector with similar universal approval and low cost?
I see many comments concerning the Wolfman. If you go to their website you’ll see that the cheapest model costs $200 and is not available. They actually offer for sale a titanium model (also not available) for $650. !!!!
If you’re a high-end fan attracted to such products, can you explain to a rube like me WHY? What makes a product like the Wolfman or other high-end razors desirable?
I’m not picking on the Wolfman or those who like them. I’m simply trying to understand the attraction. I am equally mystified by consumers who prefer expensive watches, luxury cars, etc
 
R

romsitsa

Personal preference. I, for eg. prefer highly effective razors, so the high end offerings and Gillettes are not that interesting.
 

Hannah's Dad

I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
If you troll the DE forum you’ll find consistent high praise for the Gillette Tech. Whether paired w a Feather for a more aggressive shave or w a host of other blades for milder shaves, comments indicate a high degree of satisfaction for a majority of those who comment.
A cruise through Etsy or the Bay shows hundreds of these razors available for $15-20 and many antique shops sell them for $5 or less. I found my first Tech in a drawer for nothing.
Given the consensus that it is a great razor, it’s general ubiquity and modest cost, why don’t we all use one, or a SuperSpeed or Schick injector with similar universal approval and low cost?
I see many comments concerning the Wolfman. If you go to their website you’ll see that the cheapest model costs $200 and is not available. They actually offer for sale a titanium model (also not available) for $650. !!!!
If you’re a high-end fan attracted to such products, can you explain to a rube like me WHY? What makes a product like the Wolfman or other high-end razors desirable?
I’m not picking on the Wolfman or those who like them. I’m simply trying to understand the attraction. I am equally mystified by consumers who prefer expensive watches, luxury cars, etc
If shaving is merely a chore — removing facial hair — then luxury would seem unnecessary. But if shaving becomes a hobby, a pleasure or a respite, then variety and even luxury may become an important part if that hobby, pleasure or respite. It’s all very subjective and very personal.
 
Well, yes it’s personal preference but that doesn’t quite explain it. Why does a person prefer it? If a razor costing $x and a razor costing $10 x provide great shaves why prefer the latter?
And it’s not as if the Techs and SuperSpeeds and classic Schicks aren’t well made and durable. I shave w a 100 year old Gillette that has at least another 100 years left in it. So, why high-end?
 
Many reasons each of us purchases a razor. In no order for me, functionality, form, curiosity. Specifically I have half a dozen techs, ball end, fat handle, they are all unsatisfactory, too mild. I cannot get a BBS or even DFS shave with one. I have other mild razors, AS-D2 which do a better job. As for other ’premium’ razors. The Timeless hold a blade amazingly rigidly and if you have not shaved with a rigid blade, the difference in smoothness and feel is very noticeable. The Rockwell is a top heavy smooth razor with adjustability, allowing aggression to match daily changes in beard and skin condition. Just ordered Gamechanger SB .84 because it appears to clamp a blade like a Timeless and gets great reviews. Another pleasure for me is the variety my different razors provide with their different shave characteristics. That all is just my personal take on your question. There are as many answers as shavers. Of course many shavers find the razor that works for them and stay with it.
 
If you troll the DE forum you’ll find consistent high praise for the Gillette Tech. Whether paired w a Feather for a more aggressive shave or w a host of other blades for milder shaves, comments indicate a high degree of satisfaction for a majority of those who comment.
A cruise through Etsy or the Bay shows hundreds of these razors available for $15-20 and many antique shops sell them for $5 or less. I found my first Tech in a drawer for nothing.
Given the consensus that it is a great razor, it’s general ubiquity and modest cost, why don’t we all use one, or a SuperSpeed or Schick injector with similar universal approval and low cost?
I see many comments concerning the Wolfman. If you go to their website you’ll see that the cheapest model costs $200 and is not available. They actually offer for sale a titanium model (also not available) for $650. !!!!
If you’re a high-end fan attracted to such products, can you explain to a rube like me WHY? What makes a product like the Wolfman or other high-end razors desirable?
I’m not picking on the Wolfman or those who like them. I’m simply trying to understand the attraction. I am equally mystified by consumers who prefer expensive watches, luxury cars, etc
In my experience it was that none of the Gillette razors ever gave me a shave comparable to what my Timeless has. You are very lucky in that you can get a great shave from a Tech but 2 hrs after I shaved with one I felt like I needed to shave again. Same went for all other Gillette's and other brands as well. My Ti95DC gives me a 2 pass BBS that lasts on average of 20+ hrs which is a win/win because I only have to shave every other day now!!

My journey through safety razors found me buying and selling off razors at a very fast pace because everything I'd tried that seemed from most descriptions would work great for me didn't! Though I'd ignored all the times I'd been suggested to give Timeless a try by a vast majority, I too couldn't get over the price so my search continued until one day I stumbled upon a BST ad for a Ti Timeless, .68SB and .95SB for $200, was just too good to pass up. It wasn't until that 1st shave that everything I'd been told made sense to me and I'd had the best shave of my life that I knew that was the one, and the only one I might add as all other razors I had in my cabinet had to go as they weren't even close to giving me what the Timeless did!! Today the original SB base plates have been sold off for $75 each and replaced with a .95DC OC/SB base plate and is the sole contender in my cabinet because it gives me what so many others couldn't!!

Long story short, YMMV goes a very long way in wet shaving...

Ti95DC.jpg
 
Joncr, I understand your point. If there is a functional difference between razors it is rational to choose the better performer. But when there is no significant functional difference why choose the high-end product?
 
If shaving is merely a chore — removing facial hair — then luxury would seem unnecessary. But if shaving becomes a hobby, a pleasure or a respite, then variety and even luxury may become an important part if that hobby, pleasure or respite. It’s all very subjective and very personal.

+1! Plus a ‘high-end‘ luxury razor is a super bargain compared to other luxuries such as a sports car! :a29: :a29:
 
I’m not picking on the Wolfman or those who like them. I’m simply trying to understand the attraction. I am equally mystified by consumers who prefer expensive watches, luxury cars, etc
The economist Thorstein Veblen attempted to explain this over one hundred years ago in his book The Theory of the Leisure Class.

The prices for most goods follow a curve of diminishing returns. As one pays more, better quality is obtained, but only to a point. Each additional increment of improved quality becomes progressively more expensive. So, the question is, why would someone pay more for something than it is actually worth, in factual terms?

Veblen explains this behavior using the terms conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure. Consumption of expensive goods and activities becomes a marker of social class and prestige. IOW, these goods have social value in demonstrating that the owner belongs to a higher class that others admire, but can only aspire to.

Producers of luxury goods and services exploit this tendency by marketing them as exclusive, which allows them to make large profits. Veblen was critical of this behavior because, in his view, it resulted in a society that becomes focused on the wasting of time and money on abstract symbols of little actual worth.
 
I am quite familiar w Veblen and I accept his analysis. The opposite is true and also applies here: the ubiquity of a Tech or SuperSpeed makes them less desirable to some consumers, in spite of their intrinsic qualities
It's interesting that some really wealthy people don't seem to care too much about status symbols. For example, they might drive an old car because "there's nothing wrong with the one I have" or "they don't make them like this any more". The real interest in status symbols seems strongest among the middle and upper-middle classes, "but Mr. Jones down the block just bought a brand new BMW", etc.
 
Quite true. Some consumers buy into “you get what you pay for” which is true only sometimes. Others feel that the more expensive product makes them a better person somehow, or lends them enhanced self-worth. Consumer choices are mysterious things. Madison Ave figured out a long time ago that you don’t sell a product to the consumer, you sell the consumer to the product
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
If you’re a high-end fan attracted to such products, can you explain to a rube like me WHY? What makes a product like the Wolfman or other high-end razors desirable?

Adam said it all for me too.

Personal preference. I, for eg. prefer highly effective razors, so the high end offerings and Gillettes are not that interesting.

My #1 DE, by far, is a Fatip Grande. I just finished a shave with it and a Derby Extra blade, shave #2 on it, and it still baffles me why I'm one of the very few that use this combination and find it gives an exceedingly nice shave.

Two passes. S>N, ATG. Minimal buffing. BBS finish. Using a Tech, with a fresh Feather blade, I'd need 4 full passes and a cleanup.

Inefficient razors and razors with excessive gap are unappealing to me. A razor doesnt need a yawning chasm of blade gap to be effective or efficient.

I am equally mystified by consumers who prefer expensive watches, luxury cars, etc

The last watch I bought was a Tag because I wanted it to be the last watch I bought. I will never need to buy another. I can also say that for my Fatip, but I cant say that for cars though.
 
It is a matter of personal preference and your financial situation. Some people want to drive the latest model luxury cars. If you can afford one and you enjoy driving it, go for it. Others are satisfied with a used sedan that is mechanically sound, but lacks the luxury features. Both will get you from point A to point B, hopefully. If the luxury model breaks down, repairs are likely to be far more expensive.

I once read a story about someone who was wealthy enough to own a garage full of cars, including a number of Rolls Royces. He stated that if he had to drive to the emergency room of the hospital, he would take one of his Fords as they were more reliable.

Thus, when it come to razors, if you want the latest and greatest luxury model and can afford it, go for it. However, an moderately priced, mass-produced razor or a used vintage razor might get the job done just as well, perhaps even better. Thus, do not feel left out if you cannot afford or do not wish to spend your money on a premium razor. I have a Karve stainless steel open comb razor, but I have far less expensive razors that give a better shave.
 
It is a matter of personal preference and your financial situation. Some people want to drive the latest model luxury cars. If you can afford one and you enjoy driving it, go for it. Others are satisfied with a used sedan that is mechanically sound, but lacks the luxury features. Both will get you from point A to point B, hopefully. If the luxury model breaks down, repairs are likely to be far more expensive.

I once read a story about someone who was wealthy enough to own a garage full of cars, including a number of Rolls Royces. He stated that if he had to drive to the emergency room of the hospital, he would take one of his Fords as they were more reliable.

Thus, when it come to razors, if you want the latest and greatest luxury model and can afford it, go for it. However, an moderately priced, mass-produced razor or a used vintage razor might get the job done just as well, perhaps even better. Thus, do not feel left out if you cannot afford or do not wish to spend your money on a premium razor. I have a Karve stainless steel open comb razor, but I have far less expensive razors that give a better shave.

If I had to go to the hospital and I was bleeding I would also take the Ford. I don't want any blood on my Rolls!
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
For me the the price, value for money, and to some extent performance is largely irrelevant. I do not care about a particularly close shave, I care about the pleasure I experience and the thoughts and feelings I have when shaving. My purchases, both expensive and inexpensive, give me pleasure and that is reason enough for me to acquire them. That is what money is for, or should be; it does not have to be any more complex that that, nor does it have to make sense. The tech, or the Wolfman, may be the best razors ever made but neither interest me and I would get no pleasure in owning them, so I have not purchased them. I do not believe the purpose of life is to go through it spending as little money as possible. I have what is for me an expensive watch which performs poorly and loses minutes per week, but I have a cheap car, because owning a watch gives me pleasure and owning a car does not. To each his own 👍
 
The problem with razors is that until you try it you will never know for sure if it's good for you or not. Following the hype train and buying expensive stuff, because others are doing it and they like it is something I wouldn't recommend. A few years back I almost bought a Timeless razor, but how can I know which head of all of them is going to be the ''perfect'' for me? I decided to get a Rockwell 6S, but it was too mild for me and I sold it.

There's no 100% guarantee that spending lots of $ on a razor is going to make your shaving necessarily better and just because it might work for some people it doesn't mean it's going to work for me like it happend with the 6S. For some people it's just important to shave with expensive modern or super rare vintage razor and using rare vintage blades, expensive soap and expensive high mountain silvertip badger brush while others don't really care.
 
I have a Wolfman, a Tech, and a $17 CAD Baili. They all work great, but the Wolfman is that 10-15% better. Is it worth the upgrade? Heck no. But, it has the magic combo of efficient, easy on my sensitive skin, and the workmanship is stunning. They are made three hours away and I also like the idea of supporting a local-ish craftsman who has invented a better mousetrap and makes a nearly perfect product that could last hundreds of years.
 
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