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Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money

johnwhiles.com

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

#661

Post by Der_Einzige »

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…

The whole "Teflon flakes are hazardous when consumed" thing is totally BS - it's the chemicals produced when it gets too hot that aerosolize which you breathe in during cooking that are so bad for you (and the other stuff you mentioned about it's production process)

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/is-teflon-coating-safe#:~....

This is not to go against your other points, but stop spreading FUD please.

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

#662

Post by adhesive_wombat »

bobthepanda wrote: post #573
onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #556

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 cast iron pan is $19.90 today on Amazon.

I got mine for £15 in TK Maxx (TJ in the States). It was a "Hairy Bikers" branded one, so presumably a white label manufacturer. That's not a one off either, there are always some in there at the price.

I did sand it a bit with a palm sander because the Internet told me to, but I'm pretty sure it would have been fine anyway.

It's been years, and I've deliberately seasoned it only once, and I don't think I actually really needed to. Sometimes when it's been used for tomatoes and looks thirsty, I'll put a wipe of oil in and heat it up for a bit.

I don't miss the very expensive Le Creuset wedding present non stick pan that turned out to be as bad as all the rest.

However, also in T[KJ] Maxx are 10 times more truly terrible Teflon pans.

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

#663

Post by yvdriess »

dorfsmay wrote: post #434
subhro wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I stopped using a straight razor since I couldn't get the edge as sharp as I'd like to Don’t get mad at me, but what you need is a 5000, 8000 and maybe 12000 grit Naniwa (or comparable) superstone. Also, a good strop. Leather would be sufficient. Send your razor off for establishing a good edge to Portland Razor Co. Once you get it back, you should be able to maintain that edge with minimal fuss. Carbon steels can…

How often do you use which stone? Like 1200 before every shave? 800 once a week? Etc...? Do you ever need to go back to a coarser one? Do you ever re-flatten your stones, or buy new ones? How often?

For a daily use straight razor, about once a season or twice a year.

Remember that you keep a razor sharp by using the pasted strop and having a good maintenance routine. After a while the cutting edge becomes more convex, which is where the stone is needed to straighten out.

A coticule is flattened on every use, because you rub a smaller stone on it to create the milky suspension that will do the actual abrading. I've had the same stone for 20 years.

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

#664

Post by pmoriarty »

brandonmenc wrote: post #308
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.

Safety razor user chiming in. The only bad thing about it is that it makes flying with just a carry-on impossible. I still spend a not insignificant ~$250/yr on blades and shaving cream to shave face and head daily.

I spend $0 on shaving cream, because I just use regular bar soap to shave.

I spent $15 on 200 double-edged safety razor blades a couple of years ago, and have used maybe 50 of them from shaving every-other-day.

At this rate that $15 in blades should last me 4 years.

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

#666

Post by mint2 »

SergeAx wrote: post #417
mint2 wrote: post #385

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If wanting a Teflon coating, is there any benefit for doing cast iron? Or do you mean ceramic coating. Isn’t a main reason people go to cast iron is to avoid Teflon and get the natural non-stick of seasoned iron? If that isn’t needed, what’s the draw? Seems other pans would be more suitable.

I was under an impression from Internet forums that massive cast skillet will have some benefit while dealing with larger pieces of meat, so the skillet will not drop the temperature the moment product touches it. Then I refreshed my memory on some thermodynamics, but it was too late.

Isn’t Cast iron heat conduction poor compared to copper or aluminum? I’d think a heavy copper clad pan would be better.

Or a giant salt block for meat cooking

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

#668

Post by karmakaze »

pmoriarty wrote: post #613
Tao332 wrote: post #486

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

It's funny that I used to buy 'sensitive' shaving gel, and one day I thought what makes me think I have more than average sensitive skin? I then found out that soap works well enough.

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

#669

Post by the_third_wave »

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).

I use nothing but cast iron,s on a wood-burning stove. Frying eggs is no problem at all and it does not take "an absurd amount of oil", just a light coat of butter or margarine will do the trick assuming the pan is well-seasoned. I make pancakes for 4 people about once a week, also no problem, using a silicone brush to coat the pan in a light coat of molten butter/oil (I often mix these two) and they slide right out. Just clean the hot pan with water and wipe it clean/dry after use, it will work even better the next time you use it.

PTFE-covered pans are only a thing because people have been told fat is bad. The truth is fat is not bad, just like other foods are not bad per definition. What is bad is too much fat, just like too much carbohydrates or too much salt or... etcetera. Knowing that fat is actually a good ingredient there is no reason to use those flimsy disposable aluminium pans covered in PTFE.

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

#670

Post by thrtythreeforty »

nzealand wrote: post #596
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 th…

Wait is it possible to shave with a laser? The only thing I've seen for that was the Kickstarter scam a few years ago
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