Some great pricing moves by Gillette

I get a perfectly good shave with the Fusion. My only issue is the 4000% mark up. I am quite happy with the Mach 3 or Trac II compatible Wilkinson Sword Profile carts. I do buy, and use the more expensive products when on a promotional offer. The only producers I have ever had an issue with are Bic, Laser or Super Max.

 

I sometimes wonder how some people accept such technologies as the internet, but constantly look to DE blades as the epitome of shaving. Do you still drive cars and automobiles or do you drive a horse and carriage?

 

*sigh*

Quite possibly you don't accept that the various companies that sold pens, razors, and lighters moved to the disposable items, not because they were better, but because they were disposable, and thus continuous profit items? It's the same reason that Microsoft is trying to move all of their software 'licensing' from buying the software to 'leasing' it to you every year.

 

Me too. BBS every time, zero irritation.

Same here.

Dorco Trac IIs shave me just fine, and I've never had a bad SuperMax, but I respect anyone who shaves with anything that works for them. I also respect them when what works for me doesn't for them. #IamTSD

 

A few possibilities...

Simplicity.

Reliability.

Effectiveness/quality of shaves.

Lowest possible (next to straights) residual environmental impact, both in manufacturing and eventual disposal.

Perhaps unmatched cost effectiveness re: cost per blade vs # of shaves per blade.

Just offa top of me head.

Same could be said, and some do say it, for SEs. Few would say it all can be applied to carts, though. Not a fault of carts...it just is what it is.

 

I do a first pass shave with an injector and occasionally get out my Krona for nostalgia, but a Mach3 is faster and closer. I am using my mobile in bed, a large VDU and tower PC were required 20 years ago when the Mach3 was launched. There are reasons for new products and development. Otherwise we would have stopped with that giant beige VDU.

 

Razors, lighters and pens all could be passed down, so were shoes and boots. But apart from a few guys who buys shoes off eBay or from thrift stores, isn't great to have your own pair of shoes? There is some sentiment to shaving with your Grandads razor, but I never had that experience. I would rather lose a cheap gel pen than a very expensive Mont Blanc.

 

My mainstay fountain pen cost $10nd lasted 30 years. I've lost fountain pens - they're more expensive than a 10 cent bic, but not so much that I panic. It still stands - they changed to disposables because of profit margins, not because they were better. (metal ball points with refills are refillable - like the Jotter, or Vector rollerball. all plastic pens are disposable)

 

I started shaving in the mid 90s . I had never seen a safety razor in my life. I used disposables mostly until the Mach 3 hit the scene. I just wonder with the popularity of DE shaving coming back to the US if Gillette will get back into the market. Time will tell I guess . I'd love to be able to walk in a store and buy DE blades , maybe even have a variety to choose from .

 

They're technically back in the market with the Art of Shaving stores, but they only sell some blades and 'smell swell' stuff. No razors, and none of the blades from their Russian plant. Only Brazil. They're probably just working the high end where they have some large profit margins. You can't truly blame them for that. They'd have to do a complete marketing reversal to put the DE's back in the mainstream market.

 

Gillette DE blades are available in most markets including the US- $6.99 for 9 at Walgreens. AOS was going to launch a Tech. However, there are plenty of upmarket handles and the cheap Chinese products seem acceptable.

 

As long as DE and SR are around I will never buy or use a cartridge. I am anti cartridge.

 

Now would you pay $6.99? When you can get developing world products for a lot less? Well these are probably from Brazil.

 

Welcome to the cartridge forum. Thanks for the insight.

 

You are quiet welcome. Glad I could help. @Sabre

 

_Brazilian_ Gillette DE's are available. They produce nothing in the US, and they don't bring anything in from the Russian plant(s). Also, I haven't found the Gillette blades actually _in_ any stores. Only orderable from the drug store web sites, and then you pick them up in the store. If I'm going to do that, I'll pay $10 for 100 Astra SPs from Amazon

 

I can get blades from Isreal at the local winn dixie and vietnam dorcos at Family Dollar. Both shave great.

 

No cart will ever shave closer then a good vintage safety razor. Maybe as good not better. I can knock out a SE or DE shave in 8 minutes and a little change...with a cake of Williams and a boar brush. Carts came along because of cost as near as I can tell. Also there is no skill involved so that is good to a lot of lazy ass guys.

 

I first started using those Israeli Personna blades when I found a seller on Ebay selling fifty blades for $5.00 shipped, great blades. I think just as good as the Lab Blues, but a bit smoother.

 

Awesome Jim. I am not really sharp on DE blades.(see what I did there. Woo) as I mostly SE. I do know they are smooth and shave great for me#