Overlooks the obvious

This article here in the Wall Street Journal is about the author's search for a good, close and especially cheep shave. The guy eventually settles on a CVS house brand three blade cartridge at about $1.25 per cart as the best he can do. But what I find amazing is that never once in the article is even the possibility of using a DE blade ever mentioned. I can't believe that he is so unaware of the DE razor. He mentions using the Trac II as a young man, so surely his father used a DE. Seems to me to be a disservice to the WSJ readers to leave out so obvious a choice as the DE.

 

Agreed. it's a disservice that the WSJ writer didn't investigate DE shaving, but to be fair, I didn't realize these safety razors were still available just 5 weeks ago.

 

It's possible that he briefly considered seeing if those old grampa razors were still around, and just thought "nah" without doing any further research. We're in our own little world here, and it's easy to forget just how invisible classic shaving is to most people, at least in the USA.

I'm 53, and actually started out with a DE razor, but until about a year ago, I just assumed that you couldn't get those any more. The DE blades still in the shaving section of the drugstore didn't really register with me. Had no clue about SE or injectors at all. Of course, I'm not a professional reporter for a major newspaper.

 

Being arguably TSD's largest advocate of affordable shave gear, I'm quite perplexed by this as well. There is undoubtedly a mountain of difference between good affordable shave gear (i.e. Arko shavestick, VDH soap, Omega and Semogue brushes and vintage razors form an antique store) and downright cheap crap (i.e. budget disposables from CVS).

After he's had a few shaves with cheap crap he'll likely abandon the entire thing and either a. Decide to grow a full beard. b. Go back to the overpriced crap or c. Learn how to get a great shave with good affordable gear. So there's still at least a 33.3% chance he'll come around in time.

 

Anyone contemplated the thought of a letter to the editor? Maybe with a link to the article from playboy?

 

In defense of the article the Mach3 knockoff from CVS is a fairly nice cartridge system. Bummer that he wasn't aware of, or didn't take the time to explore DE shaving.

 

If everybody was like us we wouldn't be cool anymore.
Wise old biker said: "They laughed at me because I was different and I laughed at them because they were all the same." DO WE REALY WANT EVERYBODY DOING THIS? Look at all the things that the masses have screwed up. Lets have some special things left.

 

I can sympathize with this. My own personal dream is to come up with the kind of money it would take to move me & my wife to some place where there isn't so much crime and heavy traffic. Robert Redford echoed these sentiments in the movie, Jeremiah Johnson, by replying to Will Gere that he had been to a town and had no desire to return.

No doubt, a major increase in the popularity of retro shaving would bring us a major increase in prices, and probably a rush to introduce junk products that would appeal to everyone.

 

I think we should want everybody returning to DE shaving. Here's my logic:

1. sustainable growth for the economy. Reopen some of those blade and razor plants and have some home grown manufacturing jobs.

2. a greater range of products. The blades in production right now are good- but we could see even better with more competition. There aren't many razor manufacturers, esp. twist to open. A majority returning to DE razors would spark the creation of a whole new range of DE razors, and maybe even some SEs...

Sure, we'd see some increases in price and junk products, but we already see that right now with the cart "systems." A mass return to DE shaving would open up all kinds of opportunities for soap/ cream makers and small scale razor manufacturers (pureslab, etc...) I think it would be a net good.

 

Typical self indulgent journalism. He wanted to write a story about his CVS brand razor so that's what he did. He didn't want to write a story about saving money, or shaving gear, he wanted to write his story.

There is a bit of banter in the comments section about DE shaving.

 

You can email the author at cheapskate@wsj.com

A number of DE users have not commented in the comments section, so maybe they'll pick up that story line.

Jordan

 

I didn't read the comments, but I emailed the author about DE shaving shortly after reading the article. I will report if I get a response.

 

Nice thoughts, but I bet it wouldn't work that way. We would end up with cheap junk, much worse then the new stuff out there now, higher prices for accessories. I would bet that once the mindless morons out there start hurting themselves because they were text messaging while shaving the lawyers would sue the industry into oblivion.

 

I have to agree with at least some of this sentiment. This would be a good example of "be careful what you wish for." Having the DE razor actually become mainstream would definitely have some unforeseen consequences. Maybe I should be all for keeping it on the down low. Still, it would be nice to be able to pick up some Feather blades on the way home at the local store. Not that I think that there is any real possibility of DE shaving really going mainstream. The corporate juggernaut of Proctor & Gamble et al is not worried about DE shaving taking their market share.

 

I emailed the author to point out that DE shaves are MUCH cheaper and Straight Razor shaves are INFINITELY cheaper. Here's the text of my email:

 

Good catch. I just emailed the guy to offer a complimentary copy of Leisureguy's Guide to Gourmet Shaving.

 

Well as a newbie to this, I'm certainly thankful that everyone has been so welcoming and helpful, even if you don't want it mainstream. i promise not to create too many converts.:signs136

 

From the WSJ article:

Gillette used to think so. They sold outstanding razors for decades. Merkur, Edwin Jagger and Muehle think so today. Consumers are willing to pay up for a better performing razor. They are not willing to fork over a mountain of cash for overpriced multiblade razors, however. Don't take my word for it:

Googling on +"Gillette Fusion" +price returns 132,000 hits.

Googling on +DE +razor +price returns 2,950,000 hits.

Looks like the Fusion is losin'. Is it less expensive to buy a razor that is thrown away after a week or one that will still be serviceable 150 years from now?

Like this one?

You mean at 15 cents to 30 cents a blade cheaper? That fancy $33 razor in which they are used will pay for itself awfully fast. It is just pure savings after that point. Not to mention the shaves are much better.

 

We would still be cool because we are the vanguard of the wetshaving renaissance. Nothing can ever take that away. Besides, the masses have already screwed up shaving enough. It is high time somebody unscrewed it, which is why many traditional wetshavers are spreading the word.

 

For me the cheapest shave is with an electric. I used to use a Remington I bought for about 35 bucks. Replacement blades cost a little over 20 dollars.

Since I started DE shaving more seriously, I've probably spent about 200 bucks on razors, blades, soaps, creams, etc in the past 2-3 months.