Shaving inflation

Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star has something to say about the price of razor blades:

I’ve got to shave. And you know what that means. I’ve got to get a second job.

I’ve run out of Gillette Mach3Turbo razorblades.

Maybe I could pawn my wedding ring.

Oh yeah, these blades are expensive. I have no idea how I got on this crazy Mach3 train. Maybe it’s the enhanced microfins that precede the blade and gently smooth down my skin so the blades shave evenly and effortlessly. Maybe it’s the patented anti-friction technology that reduces the cutting force. Maybe it’s the open cartridge architecture that makes rinsing and cleaning the blade easier than ever. Maybe it’s the indicator lubricating strip, also patented - this razor has more patents than General Electric.

Maybe I’m just a sucker.

It's an observation made by many shavers during their trips to the supermarket. Modern cartridge razors keep getting more and more expensive. Mr. Posnanski points out that he can't even get the cartridges off the shelf; you take a ticket to the front to get your blades. That's because they're expensive and small, so they're heavily shop-lifted.

What's a poor shaver to do? You can always try making your blades last longer. There are two ways of doing this that I'm aware of.

You can get cryogenically-tempered razor blades online. These blades are put into a machine that makes them extremely cold, which (apparently) does something to the structure of the metal and makes them harder. I've tried them before, and they definitely lasted longer than the regular blades I had used before and after. Comments I've gotten from others appear to confirm that.

Alternately (or in combination), you can store your blades in oil. Wet-storage systems keep air off of the blades, reducing the dulling that occurs due to oxidation. As an added bonus, the oil adds a bit of lubrication when you're shaving. I tested the RazorMax system (back when it was called EdgeSaver), and had good results, which are also confirmed by many other comments I've read online. Some people just stick the razor in a cup with some mineral oil covering the blade, which works just as well.

It's always a good idea to avoid the hype when possible. For instance, instead of the Mach3Turbo cartridges that Mr. Posnanski buys, I tend to stick with the regular Mach3 cartridges. I don't get any improvement with the Turbo blades, so they're not worth the extra couple of bucks. That goes doubly for the M3Power blades. All 3 cartridges work with all 3 handles, so even if you like the vibration feature of the M3Power, you can use regular Mach3 blades.

Doing the 'do

The Herald & Review of Decatur, Illinois has some comments about the trend towards bald-by-choice.

There are economic advantages to the 'do, Bill Deetz said. "I probably haven't gone to a barber in five years," he said. "It's a lot cheaper."

Deetz said he was surprised how a bald head feels. "It felt really strange," Deetz recalls. "Believe it or not, it feels a lot different than the skin anywhere else on you. My skin almost felt like rubber on the top of my head."

It's a lower-maintenance look, said Roy Winings of Decatur. "I don't have to wash my hair," Winings said. "I don't have to worry about it blowing when I'm on my motorcycle."

Many find the Kojak look sexy. "You cannot believe how many women come up and want to rub your head," Danny Hoult said.

The article also has brief comments about the history of headshaving, and lots of quotes from Illinois locals about why they shaved.

Shaving improvements

Ashish Jagtiani of Mid-Day Mumbai in India wonders about the improvements in shaving technology.

I remember when the Mach 3 was launched, that’s all it was called. Then they added Turbo and now Champion. I’m sure there is some technological advancement involved with each name extension, I’m just not sure what it is. All I know is that I’m paying almost twice as much for my blades with no perceptible change in my daily shave.

At this rate I’m expecting to soon see the Gillette Mach 3 Turbo Champion King of the World Master of the Universe shaving blade. I miss the days when I could say the word razor and everybody knew what I was talking about.

Just wait until Gillette unveils the M3Power in India. The name hasn't gotten longer, but the price certainly has gone up again.

Toupee or not toupee

The Sacramento Bee has an article (registration required) about Neal Young, a toupee stylist. Neal's been in business for a long time, and he's good at his job, according to him and his customers. Because he's good, of course, it isn't cheap.

Young has been trying to look young since he was young. He went bald at 22 and got his first hairpiece that same year, shelling out $400. Wall-to-wall carpet was selling for less in those days.

[...]

An entire new hairpiece from Neal's is $588 installed. They last one to two years before they wear out, Young says.

I hardly need to point out that two years worth of razor cartridges and shaving lubricant are significantly cheaper, of course. Mr. Young has an opinion about headshaving as an alternative to getting a rug.

"Right now, there is this fad out there of shaving heads - and it is a fad," says Young. "It doesn't look good on everyone. You see odd-shaped heads - dimples, bumps, flat spots."

I'm sure Mr. Young desperately hopes it's a fad, lest it cut further into his business.

Personally, I'm amazed that people spend the time and effort that a hairpiece requires. Different strokes for different folks, though.

Gillette re-packaging could be costly

Further fall-out from the recent court case in which a judge ruled that Gillette's advertising for the M3Power razor was deceptive and misleading. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Gillette Co. could spend up to $1.6 million to change 6.5 million razor packages that claim its battery-powered Mach3 razor can lift hair up and away from the skin, the Boston-based company said Thursday in court papers.

After they lost the case, Gillette updated its website and commercials so they no longer featured the visuals that the court had ruled misleading. Gillette's competitor, Schick, which had brought the case against Gillette originally, says that Gillette has to change the packaging on it's razors, too.

Gillette said it would cost about $400,000 to resticker, or cover, the back panel of 3.3 million razor packages coming off its production lines or those stored in its regional distribution centers. And it would cost another $1.2 million to resticker about 3.2 million M3 Power packages already in the hands of retailers, Gillette said in a motion asking the court to clarify its injunction.

Gillette said razor package advertising that says, "Gentle micro-pulses stimulate hair up and away from the skin," isn't covered by the ruling.

Hmmm... I just can't seem to get enough of this legal stuff, can I?

Baldness leads to scholarships

Eleven-year-old Warren Woods is the head of Education Means Something To Us Crew (or EMSTU) at Barstow Intermediate School in California. This group, started by Grade 5 students at the school, raises money for college scholarships. One person he approached had a challenge for him:

"If you truly believe in this cause; shave your head, and I will give you $50," Eason said. "I saw his long raggedy hair; I had just shaved my head, and I thought he needs to look like me."

Though initially reluctant, Woods agreed. He got other offers of $50 as well, raising the total to $200.

His decision became more profitable when Olguin, Police Detective Tim Heiden and a business, Marshall Pools, each offered Woods an additional $50 to shave his head.

"It is a great cause and we want to encourage students to pursue further education," Mary McClure, president of Kiwanis, said. "Children excited about education is amazing."

Heiden organized a police truck to be at the school. A chair was put on the back and Woods sat on the chair at lunchtime on Wednesday awaiting his fate, with about 50 students cheering him on.

Though the group was only started 2 months ago, they've raised $1000 for scholarships, and recently handed out a $500 scholarship to a Barstow High School student.

I find it quite impressive that a group of Grade 5 students is raising money to support education. It's great to see this kind of enthusiasm for learning and school.

Father's Day bonuses

If you tell Modern Gent why your Dad deserves a treat, you have a shot at getting a free "Dad Bag" from them. Contest closes tomorrow (so that there's time to ship the Dad Bag out for Father's Day), so enter now. Just for entering, you get 10% off any purchase.

Also, we've got a discount code that's good until June 19th:

Vh5amR

Use it for 10% off of your purchases at Modern Gent until Father's Day.

The Gillette Man

Bryan Curtis of Slate gives us a take on the Gillette Man and Proctor & Gamble. P&G recently purchased Gillette for $57 Billion (USD). The article goes into the history of the Gillette Man, and it's pretty entertaining.

The Procter & Gamble sale may pose a threat to the Gillette man. It's a shotgun wedding of the grooming categories. Just as Gillette dominates men's shaving products, Procter & Gamble provides the top toiletry brands for women: Tampax, Olay, Cover Girl, and Max Factor. Will P&G's femininity nag the machismo out of the Gillette man?

Mailbag: extending blade life

Razor blades never seem to last long enough. A little over a year back, I received this suggestion through email about extending the life of a razor blade.

As you know, both Braun and Remington have introduced electric shavers with an automatic cleaning feature. These units sit in a bath of an alcohol-mixture.

Well, if it's good for a shaver, then it may be good for a razor, too. I've taken a tall coffee cup that has a cover and partially filled it with some cheap alcohol. The cover reduces the amount of alcohol that evaporates. I use it to clean my razor and it does a good job, too.

But I went one further. I got a second coffee cup and partially filled it with -- vitamin E oil. And it is here where I store the razor. The oil serves two purposes. First, it locks out both water and air thereby eliminating the possibility of rust. Second, when first used, it carries with it some oil that serves as a lubricant (at least for the first few strokes). One could also use jojoba, baby oil, or whatever is lying around the house.

So, two coffee cups that were gathering dust, some alcohol and vitamin E oil, at a cost of under $3 and will probably last for months. I cannot scientifically prove that this technique makes razors last longer but I believe it does. If any of you out there try this and do have measureable results, please write back and share it with the rest of us.

There was a discussion on FatWallet.com in December 2002 that discussed thesame issue. The majority of people there seemed to prefer mineral oil, but as the emailer suggested, it seems a number of products will produce a similar effect. Personally, I've tried this with baby oil and it seems to work fine.

Along the same lines is the Edge Saver, a commercial product. I didn't spot anything on their site that mentioned the type of oil they use. I tried and reviewed the EdgeSaver a while back.

The thin blue line

Tammy Hansen Snell of Nebraska StatePaper comments on the blue comfort stripes on modern disposable and cartridge razors:

The packaging states that the razor "..has a blue stripe that fades away when you are no longer getting the optimal shave"

Poppycock. The blue stripe has been gone from my razor for two months now, and my shins still get as smooth as they did three months ago.

Indicator strip, schmindicator strip. It’s a ploy intended to make me throw away a perfectly good razor and buy another one.

Well, I’m tired of playing along. The economy will have to adjust to the fact that I refuse to throw the razor away until it no longer does a decent job.

I agree fully.

Personally, I find that the blue stripe tends to fade completely after one or two shaves. I still end up using it for about 10 to 12 shaves, though, with good results. No, the razor isn't as incredibly sharp as it was on the first two shaves, but it doesn't need to be. In fact, I find the shaving more comfortable once the blue stripe is gone; that's when the razor's finally been 'broken in', so to speak.

Cash crop

The hair removal market (excluding shaving) represented an estimated $8.3 billion global market in 2001, with $3.8 billion in the United States. The world market is expected to grow to an estimated $11.1 billion by 2005, with commensurate increases in the U.S.

That quote's from a press release by a company that thinks it's found a better way to remove hair permanently. Human trials on its product (which targets a certain gene to "permanently disrupt hair follicle integrity") won't likely be starting until 2006, so it's too soon to talk seriously about it.

I'm just amazed that there's that much money to be made by removing hair.