

The Razor Blade Business Model - avner
http://thehopkinsonreport.com/2009/05/20/episode-57-has-gillette-taken-the-razorrazor-blade-model-too-far/

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bmcleod
Surely at some price point people will just move back to old fashioned safety
razors.

Mine costs me a few cents per blade and gives a very close shave.

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olliesaunders
Yeah I do that too. Even then I shave as rarely as I can bare to, both to save
blades and time. The old safety razors take some getting use to and practise
but I consider that part of the fun.

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karzeem
I got pretty obsessed with safety razors and wetshaving a little while ago.
The blade is unquestionably less forgiving than your standard 3-5 blade Shave
System™, and you have to unlearn some sloppy technique that pivoting-head
razors promote. I.e. you have to pay attention to the angle at which you're
placing the blade against your skin.

But I pretty quickly got to a point where cuts were even less common than they
were before I started using the safety razor, and I think my experience is
pretty much the norm for anyone who sticks with it for 5-10 shaves. It takes a
bit longer, but it's a better shave with less irritation, and the ritual of it
is a lot of fun.

And some of the shaving creams that you apply with a brush (I'm thinking
specifically of Taylor of Old Bond Street's rose-scented one) smell absolutely
incredible.

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pxlpshr
I am very obsessed with safety razors. Been hooked on it for about 2 years now
and haven't gone back: 1) save a ton of money 2) feel like I have that "best
shave of my life" at least once a week. 3) local product I use is much better
for the face.

It is definitely an adjustment, I'd venture to say it took me about 3 months
of experimenting (shaving 3-4 times a week) before I was getting extremely
close shaves. The best analogy I've heard is that using a safety razor is like
driving a manual sports car. It's a lost art of being a man.

I started with a basic $20 razor and common mekur blades... But about a year
ago I upgraded to Markur Futur, and more recently switched to Feather
(japanese) blades. If you haven't tried the Feather blades, definitely
encourage you to do so.

[http://www.truefittandhill.com/catImages/large_MerkurFuturSa...](http://www.truefittandhill.com/catImages/large_MerkurFuturSatin.jpg)

<http://www.fendrihan.com/images/feather_10.jpg>

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bmelton
I personally like the Derby blades I picked up off of Amazon, they still get
just as close as anything else I've used, but they somehow feel 'softer' than
all the others. Perhaps more forgiving is a better phrase. What's so great
about the Feathers?

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Rabidmonkey1
Feathers are made by a Japanese surgical tool company. They are considered by
many to be _the sharpest_ blade you can purchase.

That said, practice with Merkur or Derby's before you graduate to feathers.

I bought the Derbys on Amazon as well (100 pack for 15 bucks! Two year supply,
basically, instead of a stretched 2 month supply for 30 dollar Gillettes) but
I have to say I prefer the feeling of the Merkurs. Still, the price is right
for the Derbys, though I do want to try feathers in the future.

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cwan
I guess I'm one of the few dupes here :). I recently switched to using Fusion
blades (not the power ones where you also have to worry about the battery)
because I forgot to bring my shaving kit when traveling.

I have to say I was pretty pleased by how quickly and consistent the shave was
relative to Mach 3. Being accident prone and generally impatient in the
morning, it's resulted in no blood loss so far (it's been about 2 months since
I started using them). I've used 2 blades in this time which to me is worth
the cost relative to the time I save and the quality of the shave I get.

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pmichaud
The software equivalent of this model is probably Freemium. You give away part
of the package for free, but then you charge a "subscription" for the rest.
Razors are the free, Blades are the "subscription."

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olliesaunders
This sort of reminds me of the HP printer cartridges (cheap printer, expensive
cartridges). I saw a TV interview with a HP executive who was asked to justify
why the cartridges were so expensive. He said that it was because the most
sophisticated technology was in the cartridge.

Of course this business model is quite immoral in a world where disposable,
non-recycleable things are known to be unsustainable.

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euroclydon
I use the Gilette Fusion and have a heavy beard, but one cartridge lasts me
two weeks. Here's how: I shake the water off my razor and then use a blow
dryer to completely dry the blades after each shave. Supposedly it's not the
cutting of hair that really dulls the blades, but rather the corrosion that
occurs on the wet edges after you put it up.

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narag
That's a big surprise to me, the same as some thing the article says.

For more than thirty years, I've used disposable Blue II (dirty cheap, they
last one or two months each), cream (not sure if that's the word in English...
2€, it lasts a whole year, no kidding) and a brush (natural weasel hair, they
last an average of twenty years). I make the whole thing in three minutes, no
cuts, no pain, very close.

I've tried electrical shavers, gel, more than two razors and all sorts of
novelties, but nothing was a real improvement. I think they can insult us,
cheaper customers because we really couldn't care less. While they keep making
the cheap stuff, they can bark all they want :-)

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dtf
I think I read somewhere that Mach 3 refills are the most shoplifted item
ever. Gillette's marketing is a truly incredible machine. I finally gave up on
their extortionate cost about 5 years ago and bought myself a Merkur Futur.
Blades cost £3 for 10, and cut as close as you want but require a little more
of a delicate touch. So I still keep a Mach 3 on standby for my hung-over
mornings.

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croby
Razor and Blade?!? They're freaks!

