In my opinion, it was more to do with sheer vastness of the knife market vs. The significantly smaller and specialized SR market, cut throat profiteers, and the sheer vastness of selections in new knife steel alloys (mist of which are not ideal for SR's anyhow)

Considering almost everyone from boyscouts to grandma have a pocket knife some where accessible to them, be it a $5 gas station blade, a key chain knife, a classic slup joint, or a $300+ tactical folder; (and that's not even including the kitchen Cutlery market) whereas hardly anyone possesses straight razors these days, the sheer vastness of that market opens the door to more shady level cut throat companies and corporation looking for a quick buck on the cheap with no regard to quality, (one common practice is rather then investing into a better product, instead buy a well known "brand" or "endorsement" to sell a lesser quality product under a reputable name, like BudK buying kissing crane, hardly the Kissing Cranes of yesteryear, or a $20 "bear grylls" survival Knives made in china w/ mystery steel, or the cheap "gun brand" knives; browning, remington, s&w, etc, who sell/sold the naming rights to whoever is paying, but the average consumer associates it with the gun brand unawares), the trust has been compromised, as well as also it created a larger "need" to stand out in said market, explaining why your knife is not only more exoensive, superior to "just stainless", but also better then the other guys; while "surgical stainless" at a budget price will convince most common folk that it's good enough quality and a bargain, (and for many an average daily user, it very well may be), the guys/companies who are making higher quality products HAVE to stand out, not to mention compete with each other, so s90v, m390, n690co, s35vn, 3v, 52100, all become selling points...

In the much (MUCH) smaller and much more specialized market of SR's, that trust has been established by the top companies; and there really isn't much if any of a real "casual consumer", like Joe Blow the eskimo who wants a cheap folding knife for his upcoming camping trip, and sees a $10 browning at walmart and thinks, " they make decent guns, that MUST BE a decent quality knife," he's also more then likely not thinking about buying a SR to start shaving with, but rather has a bag if disposable bics in his shopping cart; also there is not near as much competition in said market, and the consumers who are in the market, be it professional barbers or you or me who intend on putting a very sharp blade up against our face, typically do our due diligence in research and have a good idea of what brands to trust before making that first purchase, be it a new DOVO or a 100 year old W&B, (thanks largely in part to place like this site right here and the wealth of information provided), not many people wake up one day and decide to put a sharp object up against their face, and run down to the flea market for a $10 special without any research first...

Definitely a bunch of variables at play for sure, and definitely understand the need "not to" advertise since the need isn't there, but what can I say, the knife-guy in me still wants to know...