Thread: Huge price increase at Classic Shaving

If we had an American producer, it might help the prices against the falling value of the dollar.

E

Originally Posted by xman

*sound of whips cracking across America*

Aren't there any other real men left?

X

Yeah, but we're not married.

Only married men can be considered "real men". Only they have proven to be able to deal with pain, anguish, torture, and deprivation that determines real toughness. I'm divorced.

This price increase can only be good news for our members who are making razors from scratch.

With the price of most models of Dovo or TI (excepting entry level razors) climbing above the $150 for mid-range razors and closer to $200 for anything with decent scales and/or a blade above 5/8, the price increase can only encourage people to buy custom razors from board members.

It's possible that the price increse is because of the increased price of metal. I was told by a merchant the other day that the price of lead has gone up 80% in the last year, and steel prices have also gone up. This makes it more expensive to produce anything made out of metal, so the consumer has to pay more for the finished product.

Just my 2 cents.

Originally Posted by minstrel

It's possible that the price increse is because of the increased price of metal. I was told by a merchant the other day that the price of lead has gone up 80% in the last year, and steel prices have also gone up. This makes it more expensive to produce anything made out of metal, so the consumer has to pay more for the finished product.

Just my 2 cents.

Given the very small amount of metal used in a razor, I think that this is not likely the cause.

I think demand, exchange rates and inflation are more likely the culprits.

Well,

if you have to buy 1 ton of Sheffield steel you have to pay for 1 ton in advance, regardless how much metal you use for a razor. If you have to pay 20% more for it your price on a razor will increase by 20%.

But it is the same in Europe here.

Everything is getting more expensive. That is the common c(o)urse.
The Chinese are buying metal like crazy, the fuel prices are going up madly, the inflation, demand......I would say it is all of this and maybe some more things we do not know.

Please allow me to partly disagree on your reasoning: the price of the razor (and we're talking about production price) will go up by less than 20%, actually, only the fraction that represents the steel will go up. Something like 10% of total cost is steel cost and that's up by 20%, so we see a 2% price increase in final product.

On the other hand, I can only agree on the energy, fuels and materials price increases and all the other factors you mentioned.

Originally Posted by Rasorface

Well,

if you have to buy 1 ton of Sheffield steel you have to pay for 1 ton in advance, regardless how much metal you use for a razor. If you have to pay 20% more for it your price on a razor will increase by 20%.

But it is the same in Europe here.

Everything is getting more expensive. That is the common c(o)urse.
The Chinese are buying metal like crazy, the fuel prices are going up madly, the inflation, demand......I would say it is all of this and maybe some more things we do not know.

Originally Posted by xxscorp

Something like 10% of total cost is steel cost and that's up by 20%, so we see a 2% price increase in final product.

Yip you are right. I didn't consider that.

I do think the most likely culprit is the exchange rate - they probably bought all their stock in bulk two years ago, and set the prices accordingly. Now they have re-stocked, and a decrease in the value of the $ in between times plus increased costs of transportation can pretty soon add up to 20%. Of course any savvy businessman prices stock at replacement cost rather then at bought cost, so even the "old" stock bought two years ago goes up too.

Might be way off the mark, but it seems to make sense to me.

Si