Resurgence of wet shaving

I have not been wet shaving more than a couple of months but I can say there definitely is an increase in wet shaving interest based on the information I have been collecting over the last few weeks. The internet will make any brick and mortar retailer struggle I imagine as the online merchants don't have the overhead an actual store front operation would have. Although I don't see a stand alone wet shave shop popping up around here (the national capital region) any time soon I do see portions of the finer (more expensive) gentleman's stores including wet shaving in their inventory. Lots of USA and European online sources for great shaving gear but we in Canada get stung with the exchange and duty costs associated with going across borders. Toronto and Montreal do have wet shaving internet retailers though so many items are available there which saves the import fees to some extent.

If more people knew the ins and outs of wet shaving it would become much more popular, I believe. Cartridge razors do exactly as adverted. Easy, convenient, quick, less hassle, but more expensive generally, (except those of us who make wet shaving a hobby). Plus that is where the money is at, and thus R&D, and advertising.

However, it would be very nice to be able to go to a brick and mortar store to look at many of these products before you buy them. Especially the fragrances. I have bought quite a few things I wouldn't have bought had I seen it first. With that said I don't believe it will become economically feasible for any store to carry much merchandise for wet shaving with the current demand, or the demand in the foreseeable future. Sigh... Oh well, I still feel fortunate to have the new choices we have in the market today.

In the short time I've been DE shaving I've seen a lot of growth in the software available, which is a good sign. It's gotten very competitive for the artisan soap and AS makers. There has been a continual rise of prices of vintage razors, as well, but a handful of new models come out slowly, some excellent, some average. All in all, I'd say the interest is growing, but not exploding.

Internet illusion.

The Internet has created "The Golden Age of Hobbies" by making it easy to find information (and buy merchandise) for any interest.
Twenty years ago, it would have been a practical impossibility for someone from Fan Belt, PA to be "into the Estonian reindeer antler scene" ; today, the world of Estonian reindeer antlers is as close as the palm of your hand, all the required materials can be at your front door in a day or two and anyone can hold forth like an expert.

The Internet also makes everything seem like a mega-trend ; what appears to be a huge amount of activity may represent a tiny, statistically insignificant number of actual people in the real world. Twenty thousand guys hotly debating Estonian reindeer antlers can generate a lot of traffic ; in a nation of 320 million people, they represent 0.00006% of the population and could hold their National Convention at a McDonald's.
Many of the most ubiquitous and vocal "activist" groups commonly boil down to a dozen people with good Internet exploitation and a lot of time on their hands.

The number of people looking for that wet shaving starter kit at Wally World is probably dwarfed by the number of people that need a head-lice comb or a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in that same store .