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

#741

Post by secretsatan » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:27 PM UTC

Having a beard, i have a trimmer, i only just replaced one i had for fifteen years because i saw a sleeker, smaller and more modern one on sale. I still use razors occasionally for some things, but i’ve never bought more than one pack of blades a year, seems if you only use them for bits of hair in weird places and rinse them well, they last a long time

Pans i understand and probably don’t replace my non stick ones as often as i should, i consider cast iron but it seems like a huge hassle.

I do like teabags, actually particular cheap brands from my home country that i just really like the taste of. At work we have tons of fancy loose leaf tea, but i just really, really like my imported stuff.

I have a mocha pot at home, these are great. I always thought the nespresso machines were slightly less convenient. I have one coffee a day and those machines take up valuable kitchen real estate.

I walk to work or use public transport

I find the packaging of veg intensely annoying, if you’re single and want a handful of a particular veg for dinner it is hard to find. And i hate wasting all the excess i have to buy for one meal i want to cook. I have 2 supermarkets right by me, and they mostly offer loose veg, but on some they don’t (green beans seem to come only in hugely over sized bags) there’s some supermarkets (and markets) in the city that offer all loose veg, but i find i can only use them at the weekends. I find this ine particularly annoying as it discourages healthy eating.

My smart tv is disconnected from the internet and it works just fine with a combination of my playstation as media server, and a raspberry pi running a plex server

I live close to supermarkets, am a fussy eater and the idea of having unknown and unexpected food stuffs delivered to me frightens me

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

#742

Post by jokethrowaway » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:28 PM UTC

mordymoop wrote: post #708

nzealand wrote: post #596

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

I wonder if people know that electric razors last like … ten years. I’ve owned, I think, two electric razors in my life, and I’m in my late thirties. I never have to replace any part of it.

At a 50-100 price point they seem to break around the 3-5 year mark.

I got a cheap one sub 20 and it lasted 3 months.

I tried getting a wired one hoping it will last a bit longer.

It may just be me, my hair is really hard.

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

#743

Post by yojo » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:28 PM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #652

yojo wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The “once you use it correctly” is worth highlighting though. I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times. Somehow got a worse shave out of it. Ended up going back to the cartridge razor. I really want to be a double edge razor guy, but I was not able…

"I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times." Maybe it's the blades? I started with Derby Extra blades[1], and without using any special technique I've nicked myself only maybe once a year with them. The weight of the razor might also figure in to it…

I got a vintage Gillette handle off eBay - it definitely has heft.

Could be worth trying a different set of blades. The Astra Platinum were the Reddit hive mind recommend at the time, but this was ~8 years ago.

I’m also wondering if it might be a hair thing. My facial hair is thick/coarse, particularly on the upper lip, which is where I consistently nicked myself.

Short of a several pound handle I can’t imagine cutting it with the weight of the razor alone.

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

#744

Post by seanwilson » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:31 PM UTC

maxerickson wrote: post #149

seanwilson wrote: post #59

> 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. I fell for this marketing thinking non-stick was the best out of everything always and kept having to buy new pans and trays when the teflon would eventually flake off thinking it was my fault. Stainless steel is fine: works without a lot of…

The plastic waste thing is kind of silly. People commenting here mostly live near well managed landfills and aren't worrying about burning 10 pounds of oil driving to work. Like fine, feel free to use less plastic, but it really isn't a big portion of most people's resource consumption.

Why create waste if you don't need to for no real benefit especially in cases where it's minimal effort to avoid? I'm not saying this tip alone is going to save the planet, but you could use the same reasoning to say it doesn't matter if you litter. Not creating waste and littering when it can be easily avoided should be the sane default.

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

#745

Post by betwixthewires » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:31 PM UTC

bbojan wrote: post #719

Bud wrote: post #687

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I started using Braun electric razors about 34 years ago. This turns out to have been a good choice. They are lasting around 16 years each, on average. I recently had to get a new one; only the 3rd one I have had to buy in all that time. No packaging used up for all kinds of shaving soap or cream or other products, no packaging or plastic or metal used up to buy thousands of blades, etc.

I've been using an electric razor for years, too, and I agree that they are much cheaper and more environmentally friendly. The only reason I've had to replace them so far is that it becomes impossible to buy replacement blades and foil. So I have to buy a model that is only superficially different, instead of just replacing the expendables.

They do this on purpose, create non-interchangable disposable parts and EOL the system by ending manufacture of those parts.

You can do what the article says and just buy a double bladed razor, more environmentally friendly because you don't get stuck in this trap, the disposable part is just steel, it's easily manufactured and not proprietary. Or, you can buy the disposable parts for your electric shaver with the shaver, keeping in mind the actual, working lifespan of the device. Or, you can use a straight razor and a strop, no disposable parts necessary.

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

#746

Post by tagawa » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:32 PM UTC

Did this submission’s title really have to be changed? It went from the author’s choice

“Shaving is expensive”

to:

“Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money”

I appreciate the HN mods’ often thankless task, but there are times when title overrides feel overzealous and IMO this is one.

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

#747

Post by jokethrowaway » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:32 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…

Frying an egg is a common test to check whether your pan is non stick or needs seasoning.

You may want to avoid vegetables that lose a lot of water as that will wear your non-stickiness faster.

Nothing than rubbing some oil and putting in the oven won't solve.

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

#748

Post by autoexec » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:34 PM UTC

eastbound wrote: post #729

autoexec wrote: post #660

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is no reason for someone to not live it up if the collective is not going to also sacrifice. If everyone thought as you do saying "Until everyone agrees to sacrifice, I won't either" then no one would ever sacrifice. Leading by example on the other hand is a proven way to help inspire change and can help avoid adding to harms caused by people who choose to live selfishly as long as they can point to anyone el…

The collective has entire power over what you do. Global climate change was never solved by individual decisions, because when you live a different lifestyle than your workmates, you basically give up both the jobrace and the friends. As for myself, I absolutely blame society for having a house. I live in France where class warfare is still a thing, and living in a block with people of the other ethnicity is unthinka…

> The collective has entire power over what you do.

No, they don't control you, but they can influence you, just as you can influence them and their choices.

Climate change isn't solved by individual decisions because the worst of it isn't the result of an individuals choice. Corporations are primarily responsible and as individuals we are largely powerless to change their practices. That doesn't mean we can't make personal choices that reduce the harms we cause, it's just not going to solve the problem.

I have yet to visit France, but I doubt everyone there would share your view that living with people of another ethnicity is unthinkable or would by necessity result in rape. That doesn't mean you shouldn't make sensible decisions to protect your safety. If your train stations are unsafe, don't feel bad about driving a car, but you should probably be pushing for improvements to the security of your public transportation. Make choices that are good for the environment where you can. Our circumstances may limit our choices, but if we're doing our best that's all anyone can ask.

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

#749

Post by mcronce » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:34 PM UTC

zgiber wrote: post #723

mgraczyk wrote: post #680

I appreciate the writing style, but this article is shockingly naive to me. Convenient consumer products tend to sell better than less convenient ones, even if the product is worse. That's the entire story. People have finite time, so when they receive more income they will tend to spend it to reduce the time they spend doing things that they don't care about. I for one hate spending time doing all the things that th…

I get the convenience part but the waste reduction itself is already worth the switch. Yeah your shaving cartridge or flaking teflon pan might be a drop in the ocean (perhaps literally) but when there are billions of humans around we should think about what inconvenience does it worth to keep our environment lovable.

Also, in what universe are those expensive multi-blade razors faster or more convenient than a safety razor with a Feather blade?

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

#750

Post by jokethrowaway » Sat, May 07, 2022, 7:36 PM UTC

evilduck wrote: post #591

stouset wrote: post #510

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 hig…

It's not a waste of time. Sometimes the pan will get sticky. Coating it with oil and putting it in the oven at high temperature will make it as good as new.

It's just not as common as people think when they hear about it.