Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money • Hacker News Board

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#231

Post by sandworm101 » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:08 PM UTC

caymanjim wrote: post #205

gruez wrote: post #158

>Other examples of products that seem to exhibit a similar trend, where purported convenience leads to higher prices >Cooking equipment: essentially indestructible Cast Iron skillets transition into teflon pans. The newer pans perform worse, and must be replaced on a shockingly regular basis. They also seem to be poisonous. They have their uses. I wouldn't try frying eggs in a cast iron, for instance (technically you…

> I wouldn't try frying eggs in a cast iron, for instance (technically you can, but it requires an absurd amount of oil). You need to learn how to season and care for cast iron. It doesn't take an absurd amount of oil, and the egg should slide out with ease.

>> season and care for cast iron

So they need more work and skill than other pans. In other words: they are in fact less convenient.

Cast iron also has multiple issues when used with induction ranges, which are by far the most efficient/environmental cookers.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#232

Post by Spoom » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:08 PM UTC

seanwilson wrote: post #59

> Cooking equipment: essentially indestructible Cast Iron skillets transition into teflon pans. The newer pans perform worse, and must be replaced on a shockingly regular basis. I fell for this marketing thinking non-stick was the best out of everything always and kept having to buy new pans and trays when the teflon would eventually flake off thinking it was my fault. Stainless steel is fine: works without a lot of…

You can fairly quickly get a temporary non-stick coating on a stainless steel pan by seasoning it as you would a cast iron pan: spread a tiny amount of oil around the pan, heat until just smoking, allow to cool.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#233

Post by browningstreet » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:08 PM UTC

gruez wrote: post #158

>Other examples of products that seem to exhibit a similar trend, where purported convenience leads to higher prices >Cooking equipment: essentially indestructible Cast Iron skillets transition into teflon pans. The newer pans perform worse, and must be replaced on a shockingly regular basis. They also seem to be poisonous. They have their uses. I wouldn't try frying eggs in a cast iron, for instance (technically you…

Even the Nespresso inventor regrets the waste involved. Convenience, even non-superficial, has to be weighed against the negative aspects.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#234

Post by dfee » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:08 PM UTC

methodin wrote: post #95

CoastalCoder wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aside from differences in cost, do you find anything about a straight razor compellingly better than e.g. a Gillette Mach 3? I go through Mach 3 cartridges pretty slowly, so price isn't a big concern. And I don't notice anything deficient about the quality of my shaves. But one thing I really like about safety razors is that there's zero risk of serious injury.

There's a ritual to straight razor and traditional single-blade safety razor (what I use now) that is compelling in modern times when everything tells you to shave off minutes from every single thing in your life so you can free up your time. Seemingly this means just more time for internet browsing and things that have no impact on your life but I digress. The daily or semi-weekly ritual that takes time, attention a…

Nailed it. Almost as if I wrote this. One difference in application, though, is it seems you change your blades every time. I’ve not found a good / meaningful cadence.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#235

Post by samstave » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:08 PM UTC

gruez wrote: post #158

>Other examples of products that seem to exhibit a similar trend, where purported convenience leads to higher prices >Cooking equipment: essentially indestructible Cast Iron skillets transition into teflon pans. The newer pans perform worse, and must be replaced on a shockingly regular basis. They also seem to be poisonous. They have their uses. I wouldn't try frying eggs in a cast iron, for instance (technically you…

>>*Also, claiming that they "seem to be poisonous" without any qualifiers is a little misleading. To my knowledge they're only poisonous during manufacturing (ie. the precursor chemicals) and when they get too hot.*

Watch this documentary, "The Devil We Know" (About the history and toxicity of teflon.

tl;dw - its a cancer causing birth defect, testosterone/endocrine system atomic bmb and there isnt a single person alive today who can be found (according to the doc) who does not have measurable amounts of teflon in their blood.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_We_Know

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#236

Post by oblak » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:08 PM UTC

Liquix wrote: post #188

oblak wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

Does someone's opinion on recycling differing from yours truly qualify them as a "creepy dude"?

That would depend on their opinion. They way I see it, there are two option:

- this person seriously believes the thing they said, which I find outrageous

- they lied which is just as bad

By all means, feel free celebrate your victory by throwing shit away and drive a 5 ton car. That will show people like me

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#237

Post by moron4hire » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:08 PM UTC

dghughes wrote: post #132

motohagiography wrote: post #11

I've used a straight razor for almost 20 years. Vindicating to read that the price of a Dovo pays for itself. I think my bar of shaving soap is probably the better part of decade old as well. In the interim, a whole peculiar subculture around shaving has developed, but you don't have to be a part of it to just use a razor. Makes you unreachable by corporate marketing as well, which is itself its own reward.

I have a straight razor it's almost a lost art using one. I tried one but I figured I'd end up killing myself by accident. Plus I don't have to patience to sharpen and strop the blade. A safety razor is also a great investment and cheap. I bought a Wilkinson Sword handle $20 and a pack of five blades $5. It's an old name-brand sold practically everywhere. I can get more than a month out of one double-sided blade. Plu…

I have a straight razor that uses replaceable blades (they're half-blades, not the double-sided mentioned in the article). I've been using it exclusively for the last 10 years. I'm only just now getting to the bottom of my original box of 100 blades.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#238

Post by gumby » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:09 PM UTC

As I became older I found that the fancy multi-blade razors don’t give as good a shave as the safety razor (called double edge in the blog post). The blades are just too flimsy.

The biggest advantage of the flimsy multi-blades is that groggy morning shavers are less likely to cut themselves (but at the cost of being less likely to get a complete shave). In this regard they are good for kids.

And what’s the deal with shaving cream? For my whole shaving life I have just used the same soap I use to wash the rest of myself.

Funny side note: webcams are almost all pretty terrible. I switched to using an iPhone as an external webcam (I use the camo app to make this work) and now it’s clear whether I have a good shave or not. Luckily most of the time I don’t care :-)

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#239

Post by llanowarelves » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:09 PM UTC

asciimov wrote: post #210

Word of warning from a 15 year double edge razor user. Just because it can theoretically be cheaper to go the double edge razor route, doesn't actually mean it will be. First there are all those blades to try. Then soap brushes, then soaps (so many artisan soaps). Then you find yourself looking at aftershaves (so many of those too), and balms, you might even decide to try pre-shave products. Then you will find more s…

You can extend the life of the blade by stropping it (reverse blade stroke) on a towel. And just use hot water, no creams or brushes.

Unless you have a lot of hair you're trying to shave, in which case clippers can quickly get it down to make shaving easier.

Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

#240

Post by dhzhzjsbevs » Sat, May 07, 2022, 3:09 PM UTC

flatline wrote: post #177

gruez wrote: post #158

>Other examples of products that seem to exhibit a similar trend, where purported convenience leads to higher prices >Cooking equipment: essentially indestructible Cast Iron skillets transition into teflon pans. The newer pans perform worse, and must be replaced on a shockingly regular basis. They also seem to be poisonous. They have their uses. I wouldn't try frying eggs in a cast iron, for instance (technically you…

I have never put the least bit of thought or effort into frying eggs in cast iron over, say, stainless. It is a better non-stick surface overall. Teflon is gross, do you really want to risk breathing the fumes and eating even more plastic?

Stainless is hands down the best fried eggs I've ever had. It and maybe carbon steel is the only thing that gets hot enough to make it crispy.

You just need to let the pan heat up, drop a teaspoon of oil or butter, let if soak in a second then blast it and drop your egg.

More butter more better but that's flavour at that point.

For figuring out if your plans at the right heat, a spalsg of water should bead and float around.

Going that hot with Teflon will give you the Teflon flu.

Only thing I use nonstick for is scrabled eggs and pancakes where a low heat is beneficial.