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

#551

Post by drgvond » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:05 PM UTC

radicalbyte wrote: post #503

neltnerb wrote: post #437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And it's worth noting that a blade razor usually removes a bit of the top layer of skin, causing irritation, ingrown hairs (on top of avoiding injury from cuts). There are some really fantastic electric razors that are cheap and get close enough that it makes no visual difference, except they don't cut the hairs under the skin so I haven't had an ingrown hair in years and years.

I haven't had ingrowing hairs since I switch to a Merker razor with Feather (Japanese) blades. You have to be very light handed, mind. Blades cost $0.25 each and I use about 10 a year.

I too use a Merkur safety razor (for the past ~18 years) and Feather blades. I only shave once a week nowadays (with very few exceptions). It’s my weekly routine: it takes me some time, but I get the shave I want.

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

#552

Post by HalcyonicStorm » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:05 PM UTC

kareemsabri wrote: post #509

jader201 wrote: post #398

Why is a thread on electric razors not the top comment on a post about the expense/waste of straight razors? I get that they have some downsides, but if we’re talking about the expense/waste of straight razors, then it would make sense to consider electric razors. I’ve seen so many ads about companies trying to “invent” the most effective, lowest cost straight razor and it still confuses me, given we already have ele…

It's weird that men still shave at all to be honest. The world is casual enough that you're not expected to have a "close" shave. I use a Wahl Peanut with no guard, takes maybe one minute. Costs $65 and lasts 5 years easily. You can also use it to give yourself a buzz cut, if you're so inclined, and save even more money.

As a brown man living in a post 9/11 United States, I get treated extremely differently when I have a beard vs when I am clean shaven.

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

#553

Post by switchbak » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:05 PM UTC

slfnflctd wrote: post #117

h2odragon wrote: post #2

Oster 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.

The Wahl Peanut costs half that. It may not last as long, but I know someone who's used the same one for about 10 years. Zero ongoing costs as you say. Also saves time over anything involving shaving cream.

I bought a Hero some fifteen years ago. You can lap the blades if you like, or buy very good replacements for like $15 or less. You should be able to make this run for decades.

The cord annoys me though, but cordless will definitely not last as long.

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

#554

Post by kingnothing » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:06 PM UTC

tristor wrote: post #383

andix wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You probably want to use a wrought iron pan for that. They can be really cheap (starting from less than 10€), are indestructible (they don’t break if you drop them) and can be much thinner than cast iron. They are better for eggs, where you want to change the temperature during frying very quickly.

Yes, a good Matfer or Solidteknics carbon steel / wrought iron / blue iron pan is fantastic for eggs, omelettes, and crepes. Matfer as a French brand even has specific crepe and omelette pans made this way.

The only downside to a Matfer, or any other carbon steel pan, is that you need to be prepared to season it yourself. They do not come pre-seasoned like most cast iron pans and it is a good bit of work. Having said that, I absolutely love the one I have and plan on buying at least one more in the future.

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

#555

Post by solomonb » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:06 PM UTC

I mixed my own batch of laundry detergent before the pandemic for like $30 and am still using that batch today.

It is shocking how much of our economy is unnecessary products designed to extract money from us.

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

#556

Post by onlyrealcuzzo » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:07 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…

> 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.

No one should be surprised that people will pay more for the exact same thing over time. People want to get as much as they can as quick as they can. If you spend $100 for a cast iron pan now instead of $30 for a Teflon pan, then you have $70 less money to spend on other stuff. The average person doesn't care that over the long run they could spend $1000 on pans instead of a $100 pan that lasts a lifetime.

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

#557

Post by dehrmann » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:08 PM UTC

mirker wrote: post #200

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…

For coffee: French press + grinder is straightforward and has little maintenance. Machines have to be descaled.

Fresh press has more and messier cleanup than other options.

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

#558

Post by mirker » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:09 PM UTC

javajosh wrote: post #311

mirker wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For coffee: French press + grinder is straightforward and has little maintenance. Machines have to be descaled.

That is the best price/quality approach. However, if you love frothed milk a good little $200 espresso machine is good. And of course learning to make your own espresso is a fun little hobby, too. I have a strange fetish for Illy capaccino cups. My kids particularly love frothed chocolate milk! (What's really cool is that the chocolate milk can easily triple in volume, so the kids think they're drinking much more hot…

I make espresso, too. The problem is the espresso machine cost and quality impact the final product significantly. A high-ish grade machine is $700 or more. You can froth milk with less, but the coffee extraction usually is subpar. And actually, people who are snobby about espresso roast their own beans so it’s hardly comparable in effort. Espresso is basically the hot-rod of coffee.

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

#559

Post by asdff » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:10 PM UTC

steelframe wrote: post #50

Semi-serious cyclist chiming in about this part of the article: "Well understood mechanical bike shifting transitions to electronic shifting which requires you to pay more and charge your pedal bike (Not sure about this example, as in theory a bike derailleur needs not be a repeated purchased)" One of my bikes has a Shimano electronic shifter. The others are a mix between mechanical SRAM and Shimano components. The e…

You can eliminate the oops shifting uphill entirely if you let off on the power the moment you shift. You need to get a feel for it but it will feel perfectly smooth like it does on flatground. I use some ancient shimano 2x8 brifters too mostly 105 some ultegra and dura ace components in there.

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

#560

Post by 14 » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:10 PM UTC

I recently bought a 300 pack of double edge razor blades for $31Cad. You get like the article says 3-5 shaves. Gillette is crazy if they think you can get 15 shaves; ya if you want a screwed up face and a breakout rash from the roughness of it. You still only get like 5 shaves before those too start to hurt. You can actually get a double edge razor blade body in the stores Walmart has them for like $20. They also sell blades but they are like $5-$6 for 5 blades it was much cheaper to buy a 300 pack off amazon. The thing is when I started shaving I didn’t even know that type of razor existed. I would have switched years earlier but just didn’t know they existed.