How Harry's Bought a German Razor Factory • Hacker News Board

Re: How Harry's Bought a German Razor Factory

#41

Post by unwind » Mon, Jun 15, 2015, 7:16 AM UTC

steadicat wrote: post #19

blinkingled wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have long pondered using old fashioned blades - but the ones I used in my time were all very much inferior to Gillette or Harrys which is what I am using right now ( they are cheaper, are good quality and last far longer than Gillette btw.). If you don't mind answering - what blades/razor combo you're using and are there any downsides (ex. easy to cut yourself, shave quality etc.) that you choose to live with?

Check out https://getbevel.com , another modern startup with a polished brand and service that focuses on double-edge razors instead.

The article mentioned that the German factory bought by Harry's also manufactured the blades for Bevel. It doesn't say how the takeover affects this, though.

I guess it would make sense to not continue building a competitor's product, but on the other hand there might have been contracts in place before the takeover. I found it confusing that this rather interesting point wasn't invetigated. Perhaps I missed it?

Re: How Harry's Bought a German Razor Factory

#42

Post by felixvolny » Mon, Jun 15, 2015, 7:16 AM UTC

baby wrote: post #36

nostromo wrote: post #14

Pro tip: just get an old fashioned safety razor. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003LW4L2W/ It will last longer than you do and gives you a perfect shave. A box of 100 blades will last for years and will cost you almost nothing. All disposable razors, including Harry's, are overpriced.

That's what I do, but the bad thing is that they get "rusty", maybe because they stay wet? Also I use these blades: http://www.amazon.com/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B00... They are pretty cheap but I feel like they are not well made sometimes. Any tips on what blades to buy?

Yes, you always have to dry your razor after use. Disposable or not, the hour or so it needs to dry is actually enough for razor blades to noticeably loose their edge. This is part of what makes razor blade manufacture hard - you have to use very hard steel that can hold an edge, but the harder the steel the more prone it is to oxidation aka rust.

Re: How Harry's Bought a German Razor Factory

#43

Post by wink » Mon, Jun 15, 2015, 8:35 AM UTC

What I found most baffling is that they don't sell in Germany when they manufacture here, I would've tried them as I've never been happy with my Gillette razor (using a newer electrical one now again).

Re: How Harry's Bought a German Razor Factory

#44

Post by ovi256 » Mon, Jun 15, 2015, 9:45 AM UTC

morgante wrote: post #16

vnchr wrote: post #10

Harry's right now has their biggest advertising push of the year, leading up to Father's Day. I admit some suspicion of this being an advertorial--as I write this, most comments here are discussing Harry's from a consumption PoV--especially since we are one week from Father's Day. The content doesn't look atypical for the author Maya Kosoff--does anyone know Business Insider's advertorial policy?

Sponsored content is designated as such with a "SPONSORED" message in the top left. Like so: http://www.businessinsider.com/sc/value-proposition-for-cust... This Harry's piece isn't an advertorial. Money isn't changing hands. Rather, Harry's is probably doing a big PR push right now and PR makes it easier for writers to create pieces quickly.

This is called a "submarine" piece.

Re: How Harry's Bought a German Razor Factory

#45

Post by sliken » Mon, Jun 15, 2015, 9:57 AM UTC

discardorama wrote: post #28

I tried Harry's when they first started. I was excited at the prospect of ditching Gillette. For some reason, I get nicks and cuts when I shave with a safety razor (the last time I tried). I do shave after showering, to keep the hair soft. But Harry's just didn't cut it (no pun intended). I got many more nicks and cuts with Harry's than I did with Gillette. Plus, their shaving cream gummed up the razor, and cleaning…

Yeah, I tried Harry's as well. Seems like they have a couple of serious faults: * head doesn't easily pivot so it follows your face less well. * they back too many blades into too small a space, so it packs up easily. Even strong stream of water doesn't clear it. * their shaving cream stinks to high even, for a long time.

Generally it seems like Harry's requires twice as much cleaning and twice as manys strokes to match the normal gillete or similar brands.

Re: How Harry's Bought a German Razor Factory

#46

Post by NoGravitas » Mon, Jun 15, 2015, 1:04 PM UTC

mdonahoe wrote: post #38

ChrisGranger wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can use a disposable razor, you can use a double-edged safety razor. You absolutely don't need "extensive training" to shave with one of these.

I bought one a few years ago and found it to be a much less enjoyable experience than a multi-blade razor. The single blade would pull at my hairs a painful amount before cutting them.

That's a problem with the specific brand of blade you were using, not with single blade razors in general.

Re: How Harry's Bought a German Razor Factory

#47

Post by ChrisGranger » Tue, Jun 16, 2015, 3:48 AM UTC

mdonahoe wrote: post #38

ChrisGranger wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can use a disposable razor, you can use a double-edged safety razor. You absolutely don't need "extensive training" to shave with one of these.

I bought one a few years ago and found it to be a much less enjoyable experience than a multi-blade razor. The single blade would pull at my hairs a painful amount before cutting them.

As NoGravitas mentioned, that's a problem with the specific blade you were using. You can get blade starter packs that have quite a variety of blades in them, so you can find the one that works best for you. Everyone has different needs, so YMMV, but I use Feather blades.

Re: How Harry's Bought a German Razor Factory

#48

Post by jessaustin » Tue, Jun 16, 2015, 2:00 PM UTC

unwind wrote: post #41

steadicat wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Check out https://getbevel.com , another modern startup with a polished brand and service that focuses on double-edge razors instead.

The article mentioned that the German factory bought by Harry's also manufactured the blades for Bevel. It doesn't say how the takeover affects this, though. I guess it would make sense to not continue building a competitor's product, but on the other hand there might have been contracts in place before the takeover. I found it confusing that this rather interesting point wasn't invetigated. Perhaps I missed it?

Much more has been invested in purchasing this factory than had been in the rest of the company. This would be the wrong place to impose a strategy tax.