Laser Razor suspended by Kickstarter

aram wrote: post #2

Since we all check the comments first, here are some links: KickStarter project page (suspended): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skarp/the-skarp-laser-r... IndieGoGo project page (they re-posted the project there after being suspended): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-skarp-laser-razor-21s... Demonstration video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOLwNJ7TXWA

There's no laser there. If there was a laser there it would be a significant hazard to everybody in the room, so it's good it's completely fake. With the sort of power you would need to be cutting hairs in any capacity simply looking at diffuse reflections (think a laser dot at a wall) would have the ability to permanently damage your vision. The video is someone fooling around with a piece of aluminum and a hot wire[0]. It's a testament to human stupidity that something this blatant managed to get $4M.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot-wire_foam_cutter

Re: Laser Razor suspended by Kickstarter

#4

Post by k__ » Tue, Oct 13, 2015, 1:52 PM UTC

steckerbrett wrote: post #3

aram wrote: post #2

Since we all check the comments first, here are some links: KickStarter project page (suspended): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skarp/the-skarp-laser-r... IndieGoGo project page (they re-posted the project there after being suspended): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-skarp-laser-razor-21s... Demonstration video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOLwNJ7TXWA

There's no laser there. If there was a laser there it would be a significant hazard to everybody in the room, so it's good it's completely fake. With the sort of power you would need to be cutting hairs in any capacity simply looking at diffuse reflections (think a laser dot at a wall) would have the ability to permanently damage your vision. The video is someone fooling around with a piece of aluminum and a hot wire…

I don't know much about lasers and the videos seemed convincing to me...

Now I'm sad that it's a fake, even if I wanted to wait till the first version came out.

Re: Laser Razor suspended by Kickstarter

#5

Post by hoopism » Tue, Oct 13, 2015, 1:54 PM UTC

hackaday.com had a good writeup that was skeptical of this.

http://hackaday.com/2015/10/01/ask-hackaday-i-love-the-smell...

They have generally been good at writing up some of the more sketchy kickstarts.

Re: Laser Razor suspended by Kickstarter

#6

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Oct 13, 2015, 1:57 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Laser Razor suspended by Kickstarter

#7

Post by cabbeer » Tue, Oct 13, 2015, 2:01 PM UTC

steckerbrett wrote: post #3

aram wrote: post #2

Since we all check the comments first, here are some links: KickStarter project page (suspended): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skarp/the-skarp-laser-r... IndieGoGo project page (they re-posted the project there after being suspended): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-skarp-laser-razor-21s... Demonstration video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOLwNJ7TXWA

There's no laser there. If there was a laser there it would be a significant hazard to everybody in the room, so it's good it's completely fake. With the sort of power you would need to be cutting hairs in any capacity simply looking at diffuse reflections (think a laser dot at a wall) would have the ability to permanently damage your vision. The video is someone fooling around with a piece of aluminum and a hot wire…

> It's a testament to human stupidity that something this blatant managed to get $4M.

That's a bit harsh. Most people don't understand technology on a functional level. Ask a "regular" person how programming, the internet or their mobile phone works and they won't be able to give you a technical explanation. In fact, most modern technology tries to hide the internal workings.. "it just works".

Re: Laser Razor suspended by Kickstarter

#8

Post by thehodge » Tue, Oct 13, 2015, 2:01 PM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #6

[deleted]

> The Skarp razor is powered by a small laser which cuts through hair for an incredibly close shave without irritating or damaging the skin.

I would read that as them seeing that the laser is cutting the skin but that could be easily be intentionally misleading marketing speak

Re: Laser Razor suspended by Kickstarter

#9

Post by dhimes » Tue, Oct 13, 2015, 2:03 PM UTC

steckerbrett wrote: post #3

aram wrote: post #2

Since we all check the comments first, here are some links: KickStarter project page (suspended): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skarp/the-skarp-laser-r... IndieGoGo project page (they re-posted the project there after being suspended): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-skarp-laser-razor-21s... Demonstration video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOLwNJ7TXWA

There's no laser there. If there was a laser there it would be a significant hazard to everybody in the room, so it's good it's completely fake. With the sort of power you would need to be cutting hairs in any capacity simply looking at diffuse reflections (think a laser dot at a wall) would have the ability to permanently damage your vision. The video is someone fooling around with a piece of aluminum and a hot wire…

If it's a single beam, yes. But what I find incredible is that it didn't work worth a damn. They were struggling to cut one hair at a time. Definitely not the razor I want.

I wonder how much scamming goes on with kickstarter, etc. I've been involved in a couple of projects (as payer, not seller) and am batting about 1/3.

Re: Laser Razor suspended by Kickstarter

#10

Post by anon4 » Tue, Oct 13, 2015, 2:03 PM UTC

steckerbrett wrote: post #3

aram wrote: post #2

Since we all check the comments first, here are some links: KickStarter project page (suspended): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skarp/the-skarp-laser-r... IndieGoGo project page (they re-posted the project there after being suspended): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-skarp-laser-razor-21s... Demonstration video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOLwNJ7TXWA

There's no laser there. If there was a laser there it would be a significant hazard to everybody in the room, so it's good it's completely fake. With the sort of power you would need to be cutting hairs in any capacity simply looking at diffuse reflections (think a laser dot at a wall) would have the ability to permanently damage your vision. The video is someone fooling around with a piece of aluminum and a hot wire…

The guy invented Intense Pulsed Light, i.e. the laser technology used in hair removal, so it sounded plausible he might have found a way to cut hair with a lower-intensity laser. Even if it cut it slowly, it might be better than razors for a lot of people.