Thread: Wall Street Journal on Shaving - Wrong on Straights

Today's WSJ had an article on shaving, including how long men took (anywhere from 4 mins. to 25 mins.), but they said that straights are used by barbers and cost more money. I think that's dead wrong. It's about $15-20 for a pack of 3 multiblade cheesegrater razors, and they don't last long. Anybody else see the article? Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Thirdman47

Today's WSJ had an article on shaving, including how long men took (anywhere from 4 mins. to 25 mins.), but they said that straights are used by barbers and cost more money. I think that's dead wrong. It's about $15-20 for a pack of 3 multiblade cheesegrater razors, and they don't last long. Anybody else see the article? Thoughts?

Perhaps the WSJ just factored in Razor Acquisition Disorder

Although, I might trust the Economist more for that level of depth!

(speaking of depth & financial industry publications, there is a great satire site Dealbreaker: Wall Street Insider that has some excellent articles - and pretty funny commentary)

That's what I'm thinking. We all know straight shaving COULD save money, but 6 weeks in I've already acquired enough to have supported disposables for many many many many years to come.

I haven't bought a plastic disposable razor in 5 years...I've had some good conversations with guys in the local store at the shaving isle and almost everytime they went home that night to look into wet shaving

Originally Posted by KenWeir

That's what I'm thinking. We all know straight shaving COULD save money, but 6 weeks in I've already acquired enough to have supported disposables for many many many many years to come.

Good one...you are in a safe place to discuss our mutual affliction...RAD...
Need to read that article.....

Just remember, for others Shaving is a Chore, we have turned it in to a Hobby and a Life Style...
and we are saving the planet by recycling and reusing "old" razors....
Not to mention saving the world by ending our use of canned foam....

Stand tall, stand together...and remember this is not for everyone so don't make fun of those who don't understand...

Originally Posted by MJC

Just remember, for others Shaving is a Chore, we have turned it in to a Hobby and a Life Style...
and we are saving the planet by recycling and reusing "old" razors....
Not to mention saving the world by ending our use of canned foam....

Stand tall, stand together...and remember this is not for everyone so don't make fun of those who don't understand...

What I've found amongst my friends is that almost all of them can be convinced... provided we can prove to them that we are able to shave multiple times constitutively without cutting our head off - or at least that seems to be the criteria for my friends!

There are still those who refuse to be converted though

What I found interesting in the WSJ article was that Gillette owns Art of Shaving. The article does talk at length about the importance of pre-shave-- something near and dear to all our hearts. Final interesting factoid was that Gillette watches 80 men shave every weekday morning at its shave-technology center in Reading, England. There are a lot of ways to make a living in this world.

Originally Posted by mumpig

What I found interesting in the WSJ article was that Gillette owns Art of Shaving. The article does talk at length about the importance of pre-shave-- something near and dear to all our hearts. Final interesting factoid was that Gillette watches 80 men shave every weekday morning at its shave-technology center in Reading, England. There are a lot of ways to make a living in this world.

They may still have the same facility in the Boston area. If you work for Gillette you may get asked to participate. Come to work un-shaved. Go in this booth to shave but the mirror is two-way and has a camera recording your shave. That's how they get time, count the passes, etc. Then you just go about the rest of your day. Some food manufactures screen every new hire as a potential tester. You never know when the guy on the loading dock happens to be one of those people who can put 8 samples in to the order of sweetness for instance.

if you factor in that your vintage razors will hold their value if you look after them, and maybe even increase in value over time, you have possibly made a good investment, at least that is what i tell myself every time i buy one.

Every razor that I've sold has sold for more than I purchased it at. I've also cleaned them all up, honed them, and rescaled a few, so factoring in my time... But still, I've never sold under what I paid.