Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
1–10 of 982 posts
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#2Oster small animal trimmer: $100 or so initial investment; no ongoing costs. Electricity to run it is trivial compared to the light to see yourself shaving.
Might need a new set of blades after a couple decades.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#3There is maybe another reason why cartridge razors are standard now, apart from the lower upfront cost: They are foolproof. It's more or less impossible to hurt yourself with it. On the other hand, it's absolutly possible to cut yourself with a double edge / safety razor, as you have to handle a razor blade and you can scratch yourself quite badly if you don't hold it at the right angle.
But IMO, as with many of the other things mentioned in the blog post, the "additional hassle" to stay out of such closed ecosystems is often worth it. It's a nice experience and I can absolutely recommend the DE / safety razor. Also try different blades from different manufacturers, there are real differences between them :D
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#4The Gillette cartrdiges last quite a while and, for me, 15 shaves would be a conservative guess. I don't recall ever cutting myself either, unlike with old style razors and cheap disposables where it was pretty much a daily hazard.
Nonetheless, I often go a week between shaves nowadays and this seems to be much more socially acceptable than used to be the case.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#5And RMS was right again.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#6They work fine for years, you just need to put them away for a while and the blade will literally rearrange itself to be sharp again.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#7I switched to double-edged wet shaving years ago. Not mentioned is that they also are a better shave, and less prone to causing ingrown hairs / bumps. A 100-pack of Astra platinum blades costs me 10 bucks, and lasts 3 years.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#8I just use my clippers and call it a day.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#9There is maybe another reason why cartridge razors are standard now, apart from the lower upfront cost: They are foolproof. It's more or less impossible to hurt yourself with it. On the other hand, it's absolutly possible to cut yourself with a double edge / safety razor, as you have to handle a razor blade and you can scratch yourself quite badly if you don't hold it at the right angle. But IMO, as with many of the…
Not to nitpick, but more for other readers that want to read more, the term is "safety razor"
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#10It is, however, hard to find these sorts of razors. If you go into a shop to buy a razor, you will almost certainly not be able to buy one - but you will be faced with a wide range of very similar cartridge razors. The double edged razor has become a product that you can only buy on the internet, and which you will only buy if you know that it exists.
This was true -- in about 2010. My local CVS has three or four DE razor models available plus packs of blades, and has for several years now; it's been interesting to watch the market switch.
I stopped razor-shaving a while ago, and just use a corded trimmer without a guard to set neck and cheeklines when i trim the rest of my beard.
edit:
In fact, a lot of examples listed in this piece have a similar pushback story. This is encouraging!
- cast iron pans are ridiculously available, cheap, and heavily marketed.
- shaving soap pucks (and bar shampoo, upscale bar soap, etc.) over body wash are pretty hyped at the moment.
- 2.5 kilo bags of loose-leaf brand teas are available widely (taylor's of harrowgate, etc) as well as from more specialty shops.
- everyone i know shits on pod coffee machines (though they are widely used, alas; some shifts towards compostable pods have been made)
- retrogrouch cycling, which never left, has been boosted with "party pace" cycling advocates. eTAP is certainly here to stay, but quality mechanical components are and will remain widely available.
smart TVs, food deserts, and bullshit food subscription services are harder to rebut :/