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

#591

Post by evilduck » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:31 PM UTC

stouset wrote: post #510

gruez wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>1. The manufacturing process results in those precursor chemicals entering urban water supplies where they are nearly impossible to filter out (only RO is effective and it's not even 100% effective), and once in the bloodstream of people are powerful endrocrine disruptors which circulate and are filtered slowly by the kidneys... and when peed out go right back into the water supply due to not being able to be remove…

> Sounds like a lot of work to me. In other words, the teflon pan is actually more convenient. It’s actually zero work, despite the recent uptick in people who think you need to coddle a cast iron pan. Most of the tips people give for dealing with cast iron are pointless extra work or actively make it perform worse. I wash mine with soap and water and it takes about a minute, or about as long as washing a Teflon pan.…

Cast iron does have a couple rules that are exceptions in the modern kitchen. You can’t leave them soaking in the sink or run them through the dishwasher without creating a bunch of maintenance work to remove the rust you just created but this is usually less work, just different. Instead of soaking in the sink I tend to just boil a cup of water in the pan and it loosens up anything stuck. You also shouldn’t cook high acid foods like a slow simmering pasta sauce in cast iron since it can have unwanted taste effects. But otherwise, anything you read about seasoning with flaxseed oil and building up layers is a waste of your time, just use it.

I can also sympathize with anyone who is of below average strength (children, injured or disabled, advanced age) not choosing cast iron, they are heavy compared to a Teflon pan.

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

#592

Post by hattmall » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:31 PM UTC

betwixthewires wrote: post #580

My dad bought me one of these bulky 12 speed razors, 5 years ago. I've used 1 cartridge from it about 6 months ago. I hadn't shaved my face since before they came out. I use a clipper to keep it trimmed. Why use any disposable product whatsoever. His point on single use plastics is spot on. I know a lot of people that love to lecture me about my moralistic views, the types of people who believe in overpopulation and…

Reminds me of George W Bush vs Al Gore in that Bush had a modest ranch house with all the eco friendly features and Gore, the environmentalalist had some 20,000+ foot megamansion.

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

#593

Post by rootusrootus » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:32 PM UTC

betwixthewires wrote: post #580

My dad bought me one of these bulky 12 speed razors, 5 years ago. I've used 1 cartridge from it about 6 months ago. I hadn't shaved my face since before they came out. I use a clipper to keep it trimmed. Why use any disposable product whatsoever. His point on single use plastics is spot on. I know a lot of people that love to lecture me about my moralistic views, the types of people who believe in overpopulation and…

> until then you should feel ashamed to lecture anyone about anything

I'd take it a step further and say -- just do what you feel is best, what matches your morals, etc, and skip the lecture in any case. 99% of what is wrong with social media has to do with people lecturing the world as if their own personal opinion deserves special consideration. Focus on doing, not talking about it.

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

#594

Post by robonerd » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:32 PM UTC

tristor wrote: post #378

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. 1. The manufacturing process results in those precursor chemicals entering urban water supplies where they are nearly impossible to filter out (only RO is effective and it's not even 100% effective), and on…

> 2. Teflon is extremely hazardous when consumed and it flakes off of the pans over time (which is why they must be replaced often) or when incorrect utensils are used (common among unsophisticated users).

It's very common to use incorrect utensils (metal) because the correct ones (wood, plastic) are are harder to clean and don't last as long, and few people would choose to use such utensils if all else were equal.

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

#595

Post by mrob » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

pbreit wrote: post #505

mrob wrote: post #418

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I started shaving a few years ago with a cheap Chinese electric razor. It needs cleaning occasionally but is otherwise trouble free. It shaves close enough to get a good respirator seal, which is close enough for me. It's impossible to injure myself with it, and it's so easy to use that I can literally shave while browsing the web. Unless you are concerned with getting the closest shave possible, electric seems the o…

May I ask which one? Flat across or the floating heads? Amazon is mostly the more expensive name brands.

I don't want to recommend a specific brand, but it's a floating head Philips clone.

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

#596

Post by nzealand » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

this_is_eline wrote: post #462

While I believe that many things stated in this post are correct, this still has that hard 'old man yelling at the internet' odor. If you are to compare stuff, stuff like modern razor cartridges and double-edged razors, you ought to mention the convenience side of the things. I hate being the devil's advocate, but shaving with 4-blade cartridge designed for easy shaving is still 'miles' ahead compared to shaving with…

Shaving. It's not a religion. It's easy to experiment.

1. Don't shave. Grow a wild and wooly beard.

2. Electric clippers. For that permanent five o'clock shadow look.

3. Electric shaver. Easy.

4. Cartridge + foam. Smooth.

5. Double edge safety razor. Very smooth. Requires some skill.

6. Straight edge razor. Super smooth? No idea personally.

7. Laser. Also no idea personally.

What this article completely misses, is that there are more than two options.

I personally switch it up depending on what I am doing that day.

There is no right way to shave.

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

#597

Post by juve1996 » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

jader201 wrote: post #455

rhacker wrote: post #447

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's preference. I started out using electric when I first started shaving when I was like 16 or something. As soon as I tried actual razors I couldn't go back. Been like 26 years now.

I guess it’s hard to imagine the upsides of straight razors justifying the (apparent) downsides. I mean, other than a somewhat closer shave, it seems like everything else about them is worse (expense, waste, time/effort, mess, cuts/removing skin, ingrown hairs).

It's not about "closer shave." Electric razors never get close enough for me. Complete areas of my face they do nothing to and it just causes irritation on my skin. Frustrating, takes way too long vs my DE razor.

> (expense, waste, time/effort, mess, cuts/removing skin, ingrown hairs).

Eh, shaving isn't that hard. I know we've gotten lazy but holy crap. A DE shave never results in any of that for me. Shower, lather, apply, shave. 5 minutes.

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

#598

Post by mattm » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

Another example is dishwasher detergent. I can rarely find the powdered stuff anymore. And even the gel is being pushed out in place of pods. I bought new detergent last week and the shelf was full of pods with only a couple options for gel.

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

#599

Post by moron4hire » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:34 PM UTC

convolvatron wrote: post #376

moron4hire wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Before something like the 1950s, casting techniques created a much rougher pan that fundamentally required grinding of the surfaces to make a usable cook surface. New(er) casting techniques developed that had a much tighter sand-pack for the casting mold, plus some sand blasting after the mold, made for a faster production cycle, but at the cost of leaving a slightly pebbly surface on the pan. Because the older techn…

I think even without the angle grinder it wouldn't take much work starting at 220 by hand. use vegetable or food safe mineral oil and wet/dry paper.

Years of working as a programmer have left me with little in the way of endurance in my ligatures. Anything involving "elbow grease" is not a great idea for me. Even an orbital sander has too much vibration/takes too much down pressure for me.

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

#600

Post by gmiller123456 » Sat, May 07, 2022, 5:36 PM UTC

this_is_eline wrote: post #462

While I believe that many things stated in this post are correct, this still has that hard 'old man yelling at the internet' odor. If you are to compare stuff, stuff like modern razor cartridges and double-edged razors, you ought to mention the convenience side of the things. I hate being the devil's advocate, but shaving with 4-blade cartridge designed for easy shaving is still 'miles' ahead compared to shaving with…

    >but shaving with 4-blade cartridge designed for easy shaving is still 'miles' ahead compared to shaving with double-edged razor

What is/are the things you prefer with the cartridge? For me, I switched to the double edge a long time ago, and didn't really notice a whole lot of difference in what it does, but a big difference in price. I keep a cartridge for getting under my nose, but doesn't need to be replaced very often. For everything else I really don't notice a difference in shaving. I don't shave every day, so my razor tends to get clogged, and the double edged can be disassembled and cleaned in a couple of seconds while shaving. The cartridges can't really be cleaned out at all which leads to premature replacement and costing a lot more $$. Even when I did shave every day, I found I would try to suck every dime out of the cartridge, so I'd end up using a worse blade anyway.

I actually tried switching to a straight razor. Found it requires a lot more skill than I'm willing to put in to learning. But it appeals to me as the ultimate in reusability.