Can anyone offer a guess as to the production cost of a present-day multi-bladed razor 'cartridge' - and how this relates to its retail price?
I know the manufacturers have to make a profit, but - sheesh!
Although I also have an electric shaver, somehow it never feels as satisfying as a good lathering-up :-(
It's enough to make one grow a beard!
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I can't answer your question but in my experience in retail, they need to factor into account that 4 out of every 5 will be pinched!
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Unbelievable - I was just contemplating this earlier having just spent 7.50 on a fourpack of Mach 2 blades - I was wondering whether there was a cheaper source.
As Bobby says high value items for drug users, along with nappy liners etc. Easily nicked and easilly sold on.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Mon 4 Oct 10 at 13:55
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A friend of mine was in the transport business years ago.
He said his most valuable cargo, pound for pound weight, was razor blades.
They have a high retail value, as has been remarked, and stolen ones are easy to resell to the low-lifes who are happy to buy stuff that's been knocked off.
Many shops now put out only dummy packs and keep the real stock behind the counter.
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Gilette Fusion are expensive but they do seem to last longer than others I've tried. Contour are the worst for wear. Couple of shaves and you might as well use a blunt butter knife. Can't be doing with disposables. Don't weigh enough.
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I've heard you can get them cheap at car boot sales, ebay etc but they're likely to be fakes.
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Gillette were a pioneer in this form of marketing. Produce a razor that has a unique blade/cartridge. Virtually give it away and make all your money on sale of the blades. Computer printer manufacturers use the same marketing model.
The only way to buy cheap blades is from the dodgy looking guy in the pub, although you can save a little by buying on line.
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I got 16 x Gillette Fusion + Razor+1 blade for £23 about 6 months ago @ Costco.
Good value until your sons come along and help themselves.
I am sure the EU could have a field day on Pricing of such things as Razor Blades and toiletries as there always seems to be about a 5p difference between the major supermarkets 5p on a product costing about £8 or £9 is nothing.
When there is a price offer it is orchestrated by the manufacturers and lasts a few weeks only in Boots or some supermarket..
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'Cut Throat' blades can be had on ebay - £1-99 for 10 inc. p&p.
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Pal of mine worked in the industry. Apparently it would be easy to produce a blade that would last a man all his life. Of course they don't want to do that !
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Ah a variation of the everlasting light bulb myth.
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>> Ah a variation of the everlasting light bulb myth.
>>
It's true though. Cut-throat razors were sharpened with a leather strop and would last a lifetime. I still have my grandfather's, with a lovely ivory handle and a lethal folding blade. But it's easier to plug in my old Philishave.
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Sort of things you get time to ponder in my situation - There was a discussion on HJ's place about the benefit of old fashioned brush over spray can foam - I found that blades lasted longer with the shaving bowl approach - when my life became rather transient I went back to foam - may dig out the bowl and brush.
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Have you tried Noxzema shaving foam, PU? Best there is, in my experience...
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Give it a whirl next time.
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Just done some research on line - from Amazon as cheap as 1.19 a blade including a Mach 3 Razor
I paid 1.86 a blade at Waitrose as cheap as 89p (BIN) on Fleabay...makes you think
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I wouldn't touch them from either Amazon or ebay (or car boots sales, or market stalls). So many knock offs around. Proper ones from Waitrose last much longer than the 89p ones, and they don't help to fund organised crime.
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Saw some cheap-looking Gillette blade offers in Superdrug a week or two ago.
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i just buy the cheapest throwaway type in poundland
tried electric razors ,they cause rashes after a while
tried multibladed fandangos
prefer use it once and either try and get another shave out of it next time or throw it
cost approx 5 new pence per shave plus an aerosol of shaving gel warmed up in the sink prior to application
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"i just buy the cheapest throwaway type in poundland"
I've just done that, got a bag of about 16 for a couple of quid in Lidl but I come out of the bathroom covered in blood no matter how careful I am.
Mach 3 really are the best, I think I'll just ask everyone in the family to buy me a set of blades each for Christmas instead of the usual thoughtless tat I get every year.
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...Mach 3 is the best...
I like Mach 3.
Mine's the battery powered buzzy one and I reckon it does make a difference.
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>> ...Mach 3 is the best...
>> Mine's the battery powered buzzy one and I reckon it does make a difference.
>>
I agree. I got by last supplies from the USA even before the buzzy was available in the UK.
For general use I have a twin blade from WILKO. Does the job reasonably well and is cheap.
Mach £ for holidays and formal events.
Last edited by: henry k on Mon 4 Oct 10 at 16:50
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Basin, unless you are shaving in the Kitchen! :-o)
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>>i just buy the cheapest throwaway type in poundland>>
For several years I've been buying Wilkinson disposable razor blades at the local Pound shop - you get five + five free (obviously for a quid and cheaper than elsewhere).
Each lasts me at the very least a week to 10 days and I've got a tough beard.
Remember the Wilkinson Sword Edge blades which you slotted into a razor?
They were lethal if you hadn't closed the razor's top section properly....:-)
PS
Bics are awful.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Tue 5 Oct 10 at 17:43
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>> PS Bics are awful.
Their pens aren't too bad though.
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They used to make Papermate pens at the Gillette factory as well.
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You could write upside down with those. So they said anyway.
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...You could write upside down with those. So they said anyway...
They called it Powerpoint.
The refill was spring loaded in some way and seemed to 'pump' ink to the ballpoint.
I think NASA solved the problem of gravity fed ink pens by issuing astronauts with pencils.
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>> I think NASA solved the problem of gravity fed ink pens by issuing astronauts with
>> pencils.
Don't constipated maths teachers also get supplied with pencils so they can work it out?
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 5 Oct 10 at 21:35
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>> I think NASA solved the problem of gravity fed ink pens by issuing astronauts with
>> pencils.
>>
www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp
a different set of problems
Last edited by: borasport on Wed 6 Oct 10 at 11:47
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>>may dig out the bowl and brush.
>>
Must be a Badger brush I am advised. Mind you I fancy they'll be much cheaper soon.
M
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I recently reverted to the old fashioned double-sided safety razor a few months ago - ca £1.80 for 10 for Boots own brand, £2.30 for Wilkinson Sword.
Proraso and Edwin Jagger soaps and creams form 'the english shaving company' could almost convince me I'm a gentleman in the mornings, although if ordered in small quantities the postage renders them fairly costly
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Would Amazon risk its image selling moody stuff ? Even through their Marketplace it was my understanding they're pretty stringent...
Mid-range ones 1.47 are direct from Amazon - whisk (er) free I think.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Mon 4 Oct 10 at 14:46
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Amazon is no different from ebay, is it? There are people on there with feedback of 5 selling razor blades; they're not exactly Boots, are they!
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The one for 1.47 is from Amazon itself not third party sales.
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I suppose the price per shave is the proper test - I only shave every other day now as I decline to a shabby dotage - so reckoning on blades lasting a month at least must be around 10-15p per day..(maybe)
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Just bought 50 Wilkinson Protector 3D Diamond blades from an approved seller on Fleabay for 30 Euros. The price of these things in the supermarket always puts me in a bad mood. Think I last paid around 9 Euros for a pack of 5.
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I wonder when the convention of men shaving their faces began and why? I like to be clean shaven but it's not a natural state is it. Many cultures favour it though and have done for generations. Wonder why. Does it coincide with the development of tomato soup do you think ?
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"I wonder when the convention of men shaving their faces began and why?"
I do it because my wife says I look younger...
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>> I do it because my wife says I look younger...
Well, OK, but she likes you to dress up as a cowboy too apparently. Is she big into the Milky Bar kid or something?
:-)
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>> >> I do it because my wife says I look younger...
>>
>> Well, OK, but she likes you to dress up as a cowboy too apparently. Is
>> she big into the Milky Bar kid or something?
>>
>> :-)
A pair of round spectacles and the image would be complete :-)
Gillette Mach 3 Turbo are very good. They have disposable blades and a permanent handle. They're cheaper than fusion, but give a close shave and last well after the lubrication strip has changed colour.
I only use them occasionally though. I prefer something cheap like Gillette Blue II most of the time, because I usually go around with a bit of stubble, and it takes less time to grow it back. I've lost count of the number of times I've got halfway to growing a beard, then it becomes itchy and makes me moody, so I shave it off again. People reckon you need to let it grow, then it stops being itchy. One of these days... I must admit I like that clean shaven feel with hot water and patted dry with a clean towel. Ooh yes! But I don't like the 'hands that do dishes' baby face look :-)
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Re soap/foam/gels I prefer gel and the own brand one from Superdrug does the Biz for me. Boots one tend to run out of pressure while there is still content in the can, in my experience.
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Ah PP - try submersing the can in hot water to eke out the last remnants.
This - along with extracting the last of the toothpaste - is one of life's great challenges :-)
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Did I read something recently about water being better for wet shaves than any soaps, gels or foams?
I wouldn't know as I use electric, when I remember.
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I was a longtime Sensor user till something persuaded me to try Quattro Titanium. I still find the four-blade head cumbersome but the edges are superb - I never get neck rash now and find a cartridge gives me 25 or 30 shaves.
I try to buy them in quantity when Tesco or Superdrug has a promotion on, but that hasn't happened for ages and last month I had to stump up and buy four - for £5.69. Still not a major dent in the household budget, though, so I reckon I'll still be able to afford them when I have to hand back Mrs Beest's Child Benefit in 2013.
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Cor, this is all interesting. Now I know why I've had a 'full set' since 1980. It's mostly white now but I guess I've got it for life.
I had a haircut the other day and the barber shaved the back of my neck with a real cut-throat razor. It gave a lovely finish. I haven't seen one used since my grandad was a barber and used to strop up the edges on a leather strap.
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I had a proper shave in Northern Cyprus back in 05 - excellent, tried to get one in Key West this year but it was a non-starter - best done with a few days growth.
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>> but it was a non-starter
No blinkin' wonder if you haven't had a proper shave for five years...Must've looked like Fu Man Chu's cousin !
:-)
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"I haven't seen one used since my grandad was a barber and used to strop up the edges on a leather strap."
Was common until the arrival of AIDs in the 1980s
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Much prefer shaving gel to squirty cream. Goes in the right place more easily, is harder to leave behind the ears, and a single purchase lasts about five years.
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Real men use waxing strips or grow a beard.
Pat
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The beard - started at Xmas - saves me daily grief from swmbo about being unshaven, I would call it designer stubble. Tidy the beard up up every 10 days or so.
Saves a lot of time, and the electric trimmer cuts down the frequency at which hair cuts are required, a bonus I had not thought of at the time. And it all started with a shaving rash.
I will save the waxing for the legs ;)
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"and the electric trimmer cuts down the frequency at which hair cuts are required"
Yes I do my own now, as well as chest hair, legs and a neat front lawn. Again, it's all down to what the wife likes...
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I am finding the need to shave diminishing, since I've been taking the hormones.
:)
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I bought a job lot - 40 baldes of Gilette Mach2 Fusion for the battery operated three foil razor fo £22 on ebay 3 years ago and have almost finished them..
Anyone who buys in a supermarket is paying three times the price they should..
(but someone has to pay for their chrome palaces, parking and high staff checkout salaries.- and the comapy cars.. as anyone who buys 15 Stella 330ml bottles in Aldi for £9.99 knows... ).
Last edited by: madf on Mon 4 Oct 10 at 18:00
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Support your local independent retalers. Use them or lose them !
:-)
Last edited by: Humph D'bout on Mon 4 Oct 10 at 18:55
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Just another scammeryt trick. Its like cars, sell the car at a loss make a fortune on parts over the years :p.
Shops do the same thing, they will sell you a laptop at cost price then make all the money up on the warranty and useless software.
I just use as cheap electric razor as can't be bothered.
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Jews should not wet shave (no blade next to the skin - which also rules out Philishaves I understand) but I get such a rash using electric that I have wet shaved since I was 18. I have always preferred Wilkinson Sword disposables or the Gilette twin blade Sensor but tried the Fusion blades recently. I don't like them. They cut me up and lose sharpness too quickly.
I found some Sensor copies at Aldi - will let you know how they are when I start them.
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The price of Gillette blades would be a lot lower if some over the hill footballer who doesn't shave, except in the commercials, wasn't paid a shed load of money to be in the adverts
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My theory and experience is that when a manufacturer produces a new razor and hence a new blade system they sharpen the blades in a particular way that makes them cut sharper and last longer. Once they have hooked the customers they change the cut on the blades so they blunt much quicker and therefore need replacing sooner.
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I have a contact in one of the personal grooming companies. The moment may take a while to arise but I'll see what I can find out. In the meantime, we could test the cynical hypothesis by setting aside launch examples of the Next Big Thing to test against blades from two years into the run.
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I normally change blades every month but have used the same blade for a record 3 months... It did not give a very good shave at the end,,,
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WDeB. If that was the case I would consider that it would be closely guarded on the knowledge front, 'need to know basis' and all that. Might have to buy them a few beers to loosen their tongue :-(
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My MIL worked on the production line at the Gillette factory on the Great West Road. She retired before the factory closed.
Spoke with her today and she relished telling me about the processes and what she did in different parts of the production line.
She could not price the blades at the factory but she did confirm that there are no blades cut sharper for commercial reasons then revert to a lesser cut. She said they are ALL made to the same standards. So FC, your conspiracy theory has no substance. ;-)
The company is now in the hands of Procter and Gamble.
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I've discarded the packing now, but I think they were made in Germany. BTW same price exactly at Tesco.
I've decided now to analyse how long they last - figure out a cost per shave and take it from there...!
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>> .. as anyone who buys 15 Stella 330ml bottles in Aldi for £9.99 knows... ).
I tend to buy Stella from Tesco's when they are selling three 18 x half pint bottle boxes for £20, or more commonly two boxes for £16.
Mercenary shopping. Usually in conjunction with a "spend £x, get £y off" voucher they send if you don't visit very often.
Sometimes made up to £x with Gillette Mach 3's.
I used to use the "sensitive" twin bladed BIC's, but was converted to Mach 3 recently: in a totally different league.
For a week, then it feels like the bristles are being pulled out one by one, and it's time for another Mach 3 cartridge.
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>>Yes I do my own now, as well as chest hair, legs and a neat front lawn.
Walking past a beauty parlour with SWMBO we saw a sign advertising 'Brazilian blow-dry'. I wonder?
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Never wet shaved in my life. Probably had 5 or 6 rechargeable shavers since I started shaving approx 26 years ago. Can't recall ever changing the heads other than on a Remington that had a habit of shredding the thin foil quite regularly - ouch! Since then I've always used Philips 3 head shavers.
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>> Real men grow a beard.
>>
>> Pat
>>
Thank you Pat. Nice to be appreciated! ;-)
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>>Real men use waxing strips or grow a beard.<<
Ah,ha ... So Mr pda is a beardy!
;)
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>> Real men use waxing strips or grow a beard.
>>
>> Pat
>>
Just for you, Tricia....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBl0GN8lDkc
Ted
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>>Real men use<<
Wrights coal-tar soap and a Bic!!!
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Don't know the production cost for blades but I can tell you that Gillette used to, and probably still do, buy their steel from here in the UK.
British Steel Special Steels Division at Stocksbridge, now Corus and soon to be renamed Tata.
It's produced, treated and rolled to Gillette's exact specification and tolerances.
My brother is in the metallurgy lab there.
Kevin...
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TaTa to the UK. Is TT an Indian company??
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>TaTa to the UK. Is TT an Indian company??
Yes,
Tata own Corus, Jaguar-LR, Tetley Tea and quite a few less well-known companies in the UK.
My workmates take great delight in reminding me that I drive a Tata.
Kevin...
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The sight of men with scruffy stubble, presumably as a fashion statement, lowers them, in my eyes to the status of common oiks.
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>> The sight of men with scruffy stubble, presumably as a fashion statement, lowers them, in
>> my eyes to the status of common oiks.
How do you know which ones are making a fashion statement and which aren't?
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>> The sight of men with scruffy stubble, presumably as a fashion statement, lowers them, in
>> my eyes to the status of common oiks.
>>
At weekends, or when working from home, guilty as charged.
No fashion statement unless you count "can't be bothered to shave when not in the office" as one such. I'd term it laziness, myself.
I will not even MENTION what the Americans call "leisure pants" at this point.
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>>>The sight of men with scruffy stubble, presumably as a fashion statement, lowers them, in my eyes to the status of common oiks.
I usually grow about 4 days of stubble like this before attending a rock concert so I lose my normally fresh clean shaven look and hopefully fit in a bit better with the students.
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...My workmates take great delight in reminding me that I drive a Tata...
No they don't, it's just their way of saying goodbye.
Ta-ta, Kevin.
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"My brother is in the metallurgy lab there."
Is he a Rhesus monkey?
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Albeit one with a close shave.
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I hate the razor blade scam.
I wore a full set for many years and then shaved it off around 15 years ago as it started to go grey.
I have just this year returned to wearing a moustache and goatee ( now in in pure white. )
I take care to ensure that it is trimmed to length and properly defined weekly with a No 2 trimmer and I shave around it every day.
I use Palmolive shaving foam and whatever cheap razor is to hand ....usually Boots or Wilkos.
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I experimented with some cheap disposable razors which were available in the local chemist in a bag of 10 for about £2. They work, but they're not as smooth or effective as the expensive ones. I tend to buy the expensive ones as "starter sets" with a handle and a couple of blades for £3-£4, then bin the lot when the blades go blunt and start again.
For day to day shaving, I use a Philishave. The wet shaving gear comes out maybe once a fortnight, but I do much prefer the results compared to the electric razor. So does SWMBO.
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>> The wet shaving gear comes out maybe once a fortnight, but I do much prefer the results >>compared to the electric razor. So does SWMBO.
There are not many men would broadcast that SWMBO prefers wet shaving results - very subtle or was that stubble!
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>> There are not many men would broadcast that SWMBO prefers wet shaving results - very
>> subtle or was that stubble!
Not a secret, FB. She'd tell everyone on here if she met you all. :-) One of her pet hates.
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>> I know the manufacturers have to make a profit, but - sheesh!
I buy own brand twin blade cartridges from Wilko and Superdrug and I can't say I've noticed they're expensive. I can't remember the last price I paid because I buy them in packs of 10, sometimes more than one pack at a time, and they last for ages.
Don't forget that the shop selling price is affected by many more factors than just the manufacturer's price ~ all sorts of overheads come into the equation. In point of fact, the shop price may bear no relation to the manufacturer's price. For example, the shop may set the price according to how much income it wants per unit of sale from that product, rather than how much profit. The shop needs to cover the periods of time during which it isn't making any sales.
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Shaved to day with the first from the refills - see how long they last as a benchmark an then invest in a new razor with blades....
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At the other end of the scale I have just bought an old fashioned handle and 2 part razor and 5 double edged Wilkinson blades for £3.50 and another 10 blades for another £3.50. I too will report back on shave quality and blade life!
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"At the other end of the scale I have just bought an old fashioned handle and 2 part razor and 5 double edged Wilkinson blades for £3.50 and another 10 blades for another £3.50. I too will report back on shave quality and blade life!"
Snap, before reading your post, I was prompted by this thread and purchased same this morning (apart from the additional 10 blades) as it was a saving over a new pack of 5 Gilette Sensor blades.
PP, did you also buy a shaving brush and a soap bowl?
Will also report back after hoping that I don't cut my face to ribbons.
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Cheapest plaster thread is a separate one !
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I've stopped buying Gillette blades as they seem to spending 000s on advertising, usually by paying some already super rich footballer/golfer/tennis player to look smug whilst shaving. And then they charge £10 for 4 blades!
So I've switched to tescos own make Matrix - triple blades and do the job nicely at half the price!
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No I am still using Superdrug own brand gel. First shave was fine, blade life will be a problem, perhaps. Only "Real" shaving brush is a badger hair one and they are VERY expensive.; I remember from 60 years ago that my father had a small device which moved a twin blade between 2 sets of honing stones in a small plastic box, about the size of a large matchbox. I also have 2 Rolls razors but I don't think I am brave enought to risk my neck on them!!!!
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They stopped making the Gillette sensor or i can never get any in Asda but this gave me a great shave and was a good price for 5 or8.
But Gillette mach 3 is a very expensive razor blade,Those blades they use in the barbors with a single blade looks great and feels the buisness on the back of my neck but just afraid i may slip with it on my throat.!!
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>> Will also report back after hoping that I don't cut my face to ribbons.
>>
If I find anywhere selling styptic pencils, I'll let you know :-)
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Well, first shave with the WS Classic was promising. Here is the item :
www.wilkinsonsword.co.uk/men/showroom/classic
Nicely weighted steel and plastic shaft. The screw on safety head (and thread) was disappointingly plastic but then again it was less than four quid including five blades.
Onto the shave itself and soap of choice was my usual £1 a can Palmolive 'Sensitive' foam. Surprisingly, the razor is smooth with no drag or burn provided kept wet. Being a double edged, two sided blade I'm banking on four shaves per blade.
Two thirds into the shave and the blade is blunting and the temptation is to use the other edge, but like Winston Smith from 1984 I like to eke my blades out so NO to that. On an extravagant day one would use a whole blade side per shave I guess.
Being a safety razor, downward strokes are difficult due to the cap head and angle so I had to use my blunt Gillette Sensor to do final trimming of the bottom of my sideburns (same as I'd have to do when using my Braun electric) Maybe more practice required here.
Overall the shave wasn't as close as my usual Gillette Sensor but it was smooth and comfortable. Also, the potential cost per shave is so much cheaper - less than £2 for a pack of 5 blades giving 4 shaves per blade.
Therefore recommended.
Further research reveals that the retro/old skool shaving scene is alive and well apparently - given the number of suppliers and websites. This one can sell the Penguin a badger brush for £20 :
www.gentlemans-shop.com/index.html
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I can remember when Wilkinson Sword introduced the stainless steel blades back in the 1960s. Gillette, the main player at the time were still selling carbon steel blades from which you only got one shave. Wilkinson Sword, a small company, who really did make swords, could hardly keep up with the demand and rapidly gained a substantial market share.
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Thanks for the very interesting link marc! If I have money left after fixing my boiler, see related thread, I shall get myself a brush and a soap bowl as an early Xmas Present!
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Offer in Tesco today 15 Mach 3 blades (plus razor) at £20.00 - working it out it's 1.33 a blade - Should last at least a year if not more.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Mon 11 Oct 10 at 12:36
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Bearing in mind they make money on blades and get you to buy the razor plus initial blades cheap... Sometimes worth it to buy a new razor to get cheap blades. Before I went on my holiday they were very cheap in Tesco for a Gillette Fusion razor.
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>> Offer in Tesco today....
Sounds a good deal, PU - I'll have a gander later, if possible.
With the state of my finances, cuts need to be made.....
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After 5 days of shaving with my newly acquired old fashioned razor, with Wilkinson 2 edged blades I can say that I am not too happy. As there is only one blade, instead of 3/4/5 it follows that more razor strokes neede to achieve a given result. The blade seems a bit less keen after 3 shaves and this morning I had a shower after shaving and my face stung/burned under the hot water and more than usual when I applied my after-shave.
My boiler is still not 100%, my new washing machine could not be fitted due to plumbing probs under the sink and I have just had the flu jab and feel like carp and I didn't win £113 million on Friday night!
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All in all a not so perky Penguin then :-( ?
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Dear not-so-perky penguin.
If wet shaving, you should shave AFTER showering. The point of shaving foams etc. etc. is to wet the hairs to make them soft and easier to cut, and the most effective way of doing that is a shower/bath beforehand.
If dry shaving, you should shave BEFORE showering. A dry shaver requires the hairs to be stiffer and more brittle so that they snap between the blade and the foil/cover.
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Thanks MM - you are right of course! I am beginning to cheer up - at least I am not Wayne Rooney! Plus I have a weekend with the Maharani coming up and I have got Christmas off from work for the first time in 4 years. There must be a few billion people in the world not having as good a time as I am!
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"The blade seems a bit less keen after 3 shaves"
Are you not just using one 'new' blade edge per shave. That's what I've been doing with no problems.
As you say you need two/three strokes each time instead of just one but I'm finding much less irritation with the safety razor each time than a part-worn Gillette Sensor Excel blade.
Just bought 25 Derby Extra blades for £4. I'm happy at 16p a blade/4p a shave.
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I used to have fancy razors but in the end, they are so expensive. I use cheap Tesco razors which are something like 65p for 10 and they last about 3-4 shaves. The shaving foam/gel has alot to do with how comfortable the shave is.
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Hi Marc - I am having a bad day here! You are suggesting that I will get the best results by using a new edge per shave so that is 2 shaves per blade - yes? that means that your 16p blades are giving you 2 shaves so that's 8p per shave, or have I missed something? Probably!
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All I can say is that I musta saved an awful lot of money over the last 30 years :)
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"or have I missed something"
After your two shaves, turn the blade over and get two more shaves from the other side.
Reading further into the subject of DE shaving it seems that things like weight of the razor head, blade brand, quality of soap/cream and the use of the afore-mentioned badger brush (for exfoliating purposes) all add to the quality of both the cut and feel also.
Thus PP, I feel we still have a long way to go yet on our quest for shaving nirvana.
Last edited by: Marc on Mon 11 Oct 10 at 17:47
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Totally clear Marc! I hadn't thought of turning the blade over! I will do so and if I get a better shave in the morning. Many thanks
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But you spent it on drink and women. Some of it you just wasted though.
John
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>>But you spent it on drink and women. Some of it you just wasted though<<
My ole brother used to say "You've got to give your money to someone, so it might as well be the brewery"!
Last edited by: Dog on Mon 11 Oct 10 at 19:08
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It's no good i've tried to keep out of this, what a load of old fashioned stick in the muds you lot are, poncing about with a flippin blade, bet you don't like the latest innovations in cars either, for goodness sake stop being so Luddite..;)
And please for the sake of the loved ones in your lives shave for her not for work, unless your lady dresses her fanciest for work and slobs around for you in which case the writing's on the wall anyway.
I'm sure this place is inhabited by real life Oz's from Auf Weidersehn Pet (speeling) fame.
Anyway, i use a Philishave washable wet shaver, designed for use with Nivea Coolshave shaving creams (as big a rip off as umpteen headed blades), but they work just as well with shaving gell, not foam.
I use a standard supermarket (Morrissons though any on offer will do) shaving gell after washing the clock with soap and water and leaving wet, it's excellent lubricant for the rotary heads and they seem to last for years by doing this...i think my present Philshave must be 3 years old and still on it's original blades.
It really works well doing this and gives every bit as close shave as a blade IMO, but a word of warning don't use this method for other parts of the body.
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>> ... what a load of old fashioned stick in the muds you lot are, poncing about with a flippin blade...... for goodness sake stop being so Luddite..;)
Luddites? Pah! I don't see multi-million advertising $$ devoted to many other olde-worlde products :-)
When I see razor blades in the same supermarket section as Fray Bentos pies, condensed milk, 'Camp' coffee and Ye Olde Oak ham - I'll throw in the (blood-stained) towel!
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>> Dear not-so-perky penguin.
>>
>> If wet shaving, you should shave AFTER showering. The point of shaving foams etc. etc.
>> is to wet the hairs to make them soft and easier to cut, and the
>> most effective way of doing that is a shower/bath beforehand.
I tend to shave before a shower. I find that shampooing your hair and rinsing tends to dry out the skin on the face by removing oils, so that dragging a blade over it after a shower produces more cuts.
Each to their own of course...
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My Dog hasn't had a shave, a wash, or a haircut in 10 years, and he looks better than all of ya,
Including me!
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>>Including me!
Yes, we know. Didn't you post a picture of yourself on here a while back? :)
I've just cracked open a new Gillette Fusion that I bought a few weeks back to replace my ageing Mach 3. Used it yesterday for the first time, so too early to comment.
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I actually use a Fusion to shave my neck, or a cheap Braun sometimes,
The neck area is obviously where most peops have trouble with a blade, and the Fusion is good,
from my experience.
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>> The neck area is obviously where most peops have trouble with a blade...
And the place where I have most trouble with an electric shaver - the hairs seem to grow in all directions, which causes difficulty. The neck area, for me, is where a blade really excels!
It's the bit between nose and top lip that causes me most grief with a blade :-(
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Me thinks Adolphus had the same trouble :-)
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>>It's the bit between nose and top lip that causes me most grief with a blade :-(
My newly acquired Gillette Fusion has a useful precision trimmer blade built into the back of the cartridge. Just the job for that area.
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>> I actually use a Fusion to shave my neck, or a cheap Braun sometimes,
>> The neck area is obviously where most peops have trouble with a blade, and the
>> Fusion is good,
>> from my experience.
Yeah, I use a pair of shears for my back. I seem to have trouble with blades in that area. They don't seem to be able to cope.
Last edited by: corax on Tue 12 Oct 10 at 17:30
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"Yeah, I use a pair of shears for my back"
My wife does mine with the clippers. I've thought about some kind of extension arm for a razor blade so I can do it myself. Maybe I'll suggest it to the "Innovations" catalogue.
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I read somewhere that men don't lose their hair completely, it just migrates to other parts of the body. If that's so, then why do they always show cavemen as being hairy all over, or do they only show the young ones? Didn't they go bald as well? Or maybe life was so tough in those times they died before they got to that stage :-)
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>> Or maybe life was so tough in those times they died before they got to that stage :-)
Isn't that obvious? Of course they died a lot younger. What was even the life expectancy two centuries ago?
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Am I the only King of Shaves Azor user? They are cheaper than the equivalent Gillette or Wilkinson sword, give a good shave, and the blades last for ages too.
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I have one, sadly seems designed for right hand drive.
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Blade replaced 6th October...Refill still going strong a month later - this has been an every other day story of scraping by.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Thu 11 Nov 10 at 23:45
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Finally changed it for a new 'un on Wednesday...well impressed.
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Can you elaborate on the comment on right hand use.... might try these out when my stock of blades runs down.
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They didn't suit me - I assume that this is because I'm left handed (and extremely so) and the thing is designed for right hand use, given its shape.
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I'd assumed (having not read all of the original posts) you were finding them okay. I take it you're using Mach 3 blades, as do I. And they do last a while although are pricey. Cost per shave is low though.
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I've stuck to the DE blades, with good results. No going back to cartridges for me.
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I haven't read through all of this thread so might be repeating others thoughts but I started a thread on another site a couple of years ago (might have been HJ) about my, then new, Gillette Fusion multi blade razor. It came with two blades and cost what I subsequently realised was less than the pro rata cost of one replacement blade. The purpose of me starting the thread was that at that time I had used the razor every day for two months and the original blade was still as good as new. It eventually became unusable after at least 100 shaves and all subsequent replacements have expired after about 20 shaves. So, do the makers load a new razor with a special quality blade to get you 'onside', so to speak?
As for the price, surely the Fair Trade people should have something to say.
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There is some discussion in this very thread about that which tends to suggest it's a myth !
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This has got me thinking of days long gone. When I started shaving in the mid fifties there were only Gillette wet razors or, very expensively, Phillishave electric razors which were very convenient but pretty hopeless if you were a dashing young blade (very punny) intent on impressing members of the opposite sex. Five minutes of trawling your face left you with something not much better than a five o'clock shadow so for me it was the Gillette. The holy grail was the blade and there were a few manufacturers of those. Gillette themselves, of course, were the leaders but Wilkinson 'Sword' came onto the market and there were others, the best of which in our gang of young dudes were 'Persona'.
Each blade was individually wrapped in greaseproof paper and sold in a plasic box containing 5 or 10 blades with a compartment at the back in which to place its used predecessor.
Those were the days.
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>>Those were the days.
Still are!
I use my late father's demob razor and wilkinson sword blades which are still available in the plastic containers and individual wrapping - I tend to keep quite a stock of them in, because I don't trust that they're going to be around for much longer!
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I remember finding my father's razor and wondering how sharp the blade was. Felt how sharp it was and of course cut my finger.... I was inquisitive then too.
Blade either side of that old razor protruded quite a bit so easy to slice yourself. As my father did judging by the bits of bog roll on his face every now and then. He used to shave twice daily - before work and before going to the pub.
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My youngest son did not shave his top lip for Movember Charity Moustache growing in a bid to raise money for Prostate cancer.
It cost me £40 as dad had to be up there with the best donations - he personally got over £500 "his team", colleagues, former Uni pals, friends etc made £3500 in total.
His brother offered 2 x his donation to keep it for another month for a "Dick Sawbridge" (IIRC) lookalike but he declined.
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>> Beards are sexy:)
>>
>> Pat
>>
Razor now in bin Darling!!
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>> Beards are sexy:)
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>> Pat
>>
Not on women.
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The blade in my Gillette fusion has been there 4-5 months (shave every 2 days) and still does the job.
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Glad to hear you will no longer be taking any part in this research then Martin!
Pat
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>>I've just cracked open a new Gillette Fusion that I bought a few weeks back to replace my ageing Mach 3. Used it yesterday for the first time, so too early to comment.
That was 11th October, and it's still going strong.
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The price of razor blades - BobbyG
