My only comment to this entire article is that businesses primary goal is to make money, everything else is the outcome of this
Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
611–620 of 982 posts
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#612>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…
Unless you're getting Finex or bidding for sought-after collectors' cast iron on Ebay, you can get a plain cast-iron skillet from any big-box store for $20-$30.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#613While 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…
I used a double-edge for years. Then I tried Harry's and was amazed. However, the real trick is to get the eos brand sensitive shaving cream with shea butter and colloidal oatmeal. It might be marketed for ladies, but it's way better than anything you could waste your life whipping up with a brush.
"the real trick is to get the eos brand sensitive shaving cream with shea butter and colloidal oatmeal."
I simply apply ordinary soap to my face with my hands when I shave with my double-edged razor.
It works just fine.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#614Earlier 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…
Which model? I have a Philips one blade and it is pricey to replace and needs to be replaced often
For the Philips with 3 circular blades, there are good replacement blades fabulously cheap on AliExpress. $3 for a set.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#615Earlier quoted context omitted.
What the heck are y’all doing that you are flaking off the non-stick coating? We have a nice set we got for our wedding, and even after using them nearly every day for a decade they look brand new and the coating is still flawless.
Maybe it’s the cheaper pans. I’ve had multiple that just start to “dry” and flake eventually
That I can believe. The non-stick pans the grocery store sells are barely thicker than disposable pie tins and can be bent with your own two hands. Wouldn’t surprise me if the coating is poorly applied as well.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#616Earlier quoted context omitted.
Modern mass-market cast iron is garbage. Lodge's marketing department has managed to convince people that their garbage pans are actually better, and that the texture holds on to seasoning, but it's all nonsense. It's vastly cheaper for them to produce pans by skipping the polishing step. You can still get good polished cast iron, but the pans cost hundreds of dollars. Next time an old relative dies, go raid their ki…
What’s a good brand? I am new to cast iron and have a lodge and am okay with it for breakfast stuff.
Lodge is just fine. All of the cast-iron snobbery overlooks the fact that it's a big hunk of metal that cowboys used to throw on a campfire to make beans. Keep cooking with it, and the bottom and its seasoning will smooth out.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#617Why 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…
Yep, I've had two electric razors in my adult life (now in my late 40's) and they do the job well enough for me. Need periodically washed out and regularly charged, but apart from that they're maintenance free. Both Philips, only got rid of the first one as it got broken by being knocked off a high shelf. The idea of shaving being expensive, just seems ... odd.
Got a Moser 1400 years ago for like 30€ or so, it just works. For a plain presentable 1mm trim in 2 minutes every few days, it's more than enough.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#618Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is interesting. For me shaving with DE razor is miles ahead in comfort over cartridge
The thing is it takes skill and time to get there. Look at the reddit groups with everyone having some favorite brush or soap lather. The first few times you do it will probably go terribly too, maybe even ongoing. Meanwhile, 3 blade gillete can do an OK job with only a splash of water and a dozen strokes if you were in a true pinch. the skinguard is even better than old man mach 3. in a world where a pint of beer at…
"The thing is it takes skill and time to get there."
This is what I fretted over to no end before I actually tried shaving with a double-edged razor.
Turns out I needn't have worried, as shaving with a double-edged razor turned out to be exactly the same as shaving with a cartridge razor.
No special techniques needed.
"Look at the reddit groups with everyone having some favorite brush or soap lather."
All that stuff is completely unnecessary.
I just lather up some ordinary soap with my hands and smear it on my face before shaving with my double-edged razor and it works great. No need for any fancy equipment, creams, brushes, pre/after-shave, etc.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#619>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…
My wife and I got rid of our TV last year when we moved. It was a nice break, but we want at least one in the house, so we're currently shopping around for a nice 4K 70+ inch. I've come to realize the market is headed toward a TV without any ports. You'll plug it in and immediately prompted to link with wifi so you can log into your streaming services. Fuck that. I'm hell-bent on getting something with zero smart fun…
From no TV to 70+ inch!!!
Look for a used signage panel. No commercial smart functions and quality that's barely available in consumer TVs but sometime can be had really cheap if you find the right place, look on govdeals, if your patient.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#620My dad never taught me how to shave, and for the longest time I just used these disposable Gillette style blades, and got terrible results. Missed spots, cuts and skin infections. At some point I decided to do some research and settled on double edge disposable blades. I've never been happier, and feel much better about my skin too. These are the products I use: * A wooden synthetic shaving brush (I felt bad about th…
> I felt bad about the beavers Beaver fur is for hats; good shaving brushes are badger (I'm sure that's what you meant).
You're right of course!