what is the state of the safety razor industry?

Coda_ said:

...like over at PSF...

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Lol yuppers just like PDF

All this Bread talk is making me hungry, Especially Fresh Warm Seeded Italian Bread from Gramaldies Bakery in NY. Ohh man you guys are going to make me break my Diet /

somebody said:

Gillette's newest shaving system has just one blade, a light plastic handle and a sharply lower price. And it isn't available in the U.S.
The Gillette Guard, the latest razor from the Procter & Gamble Co. PG +0.74% unit, instead will begin hitting stores in India next week.
The move by the maker of five-bladed, battery-powered gizmos reflects P&G's aggressive push into emerging markets for new customers and growth. That focus is forcing P&G to be more modest on scale and more flexible on price.
Gillette commands about 70% of the world's razor and blade sales, but it lags behind rivals in India and other developing markets, mainly because those consumers can't afford to buy its flagship products.
The stripped-down Gillette Guard is designed to be affordable. The razor costs 15 rupees, or 34 cents, and uses blades that cost five rupees, or 11 cents.
By contrast, the Mach 3 blades that Gillette has been selling in India cost about 100 rupees, around $2.24.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704789404575524273890970954.html

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This was an interesting article; thanks for the link. I especially like the "reverse innovation" concept . But, if the sales of the Guard keep up they may provide serious competition to SuperMax in India.

After reading this thread, I may have to increase my stockpile of blades. My current inventory will only last me for 5 years!

It was mentioned in this thread that there may be a good profit margin on DE blades. But they're such a commodity, with many manufacturers. Shouldn't competition keep profit margins fairly slim? Especially since the overwhelming majority of consumers of DE blades are presumably price-sensitive.

BBrad said:

Modern production of DE blades is geared to the demands of certain parts of the world where DE shaving is the norm. We are now seeing that market start to shift to low-priced carts that can compete price-wise with DE blades. Once the demand for blades drops to the point that it is no longer profitable to manufacture them, they will be no more. The reality (for our market) is that shaving with classic DE and SE razors is a geek hobby thing and sadly will never make its way back to mainstream. When was the last time you bought a loaf of bread that wasn't sliced?

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Extremely well said. I got into this 'hobby' because I was looking for another alternative to shaving, fortunately I found a whole lot more, most of which is suitable for another topic. I grew up in an era where Mach 3's were the newest and all the rage. 15 years later I learned that their is a better method. This 'geeky hobby' you speak of has definitely made me a better man.

Great insight, and awesome topic for discussion. Thumbs up!

The last three safety razors I bought were second hand !

gingerweir said:

The last three safety razors I bought were second hand !

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Yes but even that creates revenue, I am sure that ebay keeps tabs on sales of razors and well you cant buy second hand blades. Your buying of 3 used razors will generate revenue in blade sales.

Maybe Gillette and other companys look at razor sales online ?

I predict that the safety razor industry will flourish...in China and/or Korea. Perhaps the quality of Parkers and Weishis will get better. In about 40-50 years, new BBers will start posting..."Just scored a vintage Weishi at a post-wake crematorium fire sale! What do you think? My wife thinks I'm crazy, LOL"

Of course, by then Merkur will have discontinued the Vision series and implemented something the size of a small hammer that you'll need two hands to use. "Just got a BBS using a Merkur Hatchet with one pass. But it is hard to comfortably shave the sub-schnoz area. Any suggestions?"

Oh well, thanks for listening.

I just started shaving with a DE safety razor (Muhle) in 2010. I like it. The shave is better than my electric shavers. I also like the historical tradition of the DE.

But I like older things with some history and tradition...battery less watches, fountain pens....Buicks.

I know I'm in the minority.

I like to think that a worst case scenario for wet shavers would be a reduction in the number of choices and a commensurate price increase as the industry reverted to smaller niche manufacturers. But as the straight razor business proves, there is little likeliness that DE hardware will disappear from the face of the earth no matter what market pressures are brought to bear on it.

Teddyboy said:

Of course, by then Merkur will have discontinued the Vision series and implemented something the size of a small hammer that you'll need two hands to use. "Just got a BBS using a Merkur Hatchet with one pass. But it is hard to comfortably shave the sub-schnoz area. Any suggestions?"

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I think Merkur already developed a prototype. Here is a photo of it undergoing tests.

razorx said:

I honestly believe that it would be entirely possible to make DE shaving much more popular were it marketed correctly and based on DE products that are user friendly enough to build a growing customer base.

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I agree 100%...... if the major companies were start production of high grade DE razors and blades and market them as a premium product, they could win over a large market share of those who only want "the finer things" in life.....same market as BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Rolex.....none of those products are superior to less expensive products....but the perceived value and quality makes them very desirable for many.

bluesbishop said:

I agree 100%...... if the major companies were start production of high grade DE razors and blades and market them as a premium product, they could win over a large market share of those who only want "the finer things" in life.....same market as BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Rolex.....none of those products are superior to less expensive products....but the perceived value and quality makes them very desirable for many.

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You've got it Ken,and it's one of "the finer things in life" that really doesn't cost much unless one starts acquiring RAD style.I think a company like Edwin Jagger would tear the market wide open with some "finer thinks in life,gentlemen shave with DE razors" type advertising in magazines like:Gentlemen's Quarterly,Esquire,Details,Men's Health etc,etc.


Although I've not owned an EJ,but I cite them as an example because they're offering nice looking,decently performing products at a price point that won't prospective new DE shavers away.

Were EJ to do that, I think they should launch a new line made out of stainless steel. They could double or triple prices. Then regular Joe guys like most of us might gravitate toward the contemporary pot-metal razors.

nick/cut said:

Extremely well said. I got into this 'hobby' because I was looking for another alternative to shaving, fortunately I found a whole lot more, most of which is suitable for another topic. I grew up in an era where Mach 3's were the newest and all the rage. 15 years later I learned that their is a better method. This 'geeky hobby' you speak of has definitely made me a better man.

Great insight, and awesome topic for discussion. Thumbs up!

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Thanks, Nick, for the kind words. While this "hobby" has given me better shaves and a much smoother face (that SWMBO adores . . .) it is the friends here at B&B that have helped me enjoy being a better man. Great people, great discussions, and always something to look forward to!

Now if I just wasn't taking so much heat for that "sliced bread" analogy . . .

BBrad said:

Thanks, Nick, for the kind words. While this "hobby" has given me better shaves and a much smoother face (that SWMBO adores . . .) it is the friends here at B&B that have helped me enjoy being a better man. Great people, great discussions, and always something to look forward to!

Now if I just wasn't taking so much heat for that "sliced bread" analogy . . .

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Well no,that would mean it's actually a toast analogy......

razorx said:

Well no,that would mean it's actually a toast analogy......

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Or it could be that my brain is toasted . . .

Thought provoking topic. As if I needed much encouragement to find an excuse to start hoarding blades. Let's see... I go through about 2 blades a week (heavy beard,) so on the liberal side of things, I'd better estimate for 3 blades per week. That is 156 blades a year, which means for a 50-year supply I would need to stock pile 7800 blades. I'd better get started... and find a way to do it that my wife won't divorce me. Of course, if I do make it to age 83 and run out of blades and they no longer make DE blades, I am OK with letting the beard come in. It should be all white by then (there is already a lot of salt at 33!)

A few words on the Gillette Guard supplanting DE usage in India... I recently acquired a Guard handle and some blades in my quest to find a suitable (i.e. not uber multi-bladed) TSA-approved carry-on kit. I used it for a week straight and while it does work OK and I would easily pick it over a Bic disposable, I could never get a great shave with it. I think Indian shavers will come to the same conclusion and the Guard will not be the death of the DE blade in Central Asia. I'm planning on doing a full review on the Gillette Guard this weekend in the Razor Reviews section.

BBrad said:

"I just don't know what today's man is thinking . . . shaving yourself with a thin slice of sharpened steel . . . don't they know that to really shave one needs a well-crafted straight razor, properly honed and stropped . . . not to mention a professional barber to do the job. It's the most stupid thing I've ever seen apart from sliced bread . . ."
-- Great Grandfather, 1905

Modern production of DE blades is geared to the demands of certain parts of the world where DE shaving is the norm. We are now seeing that market start to shift to low-priced carts that can compete price-wise with DE blades. Once the demand for blades drops to the point that it is no longer profitable to manufacture them, they will be no more. The reality (for our market) is that shaving with classic DE and SE razors is a geek hobby thing and sadly will never make its way back to mainstream. When was the last time you bought a loaf of bread that wasn't sliced?

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2 hours ago. I never ever buy sliced bread. NEVER !