03 May 2004 | Brad Hurley said...

It's the same sales strategy that printer manufacturers use: they make their money on sales of overpriced ink cartridges.

Sometimes I find disposable razors are actually cheaper in the long run, even though it always feels wasteful to me to buy them.

If you can live with the results of an electric razor, that's probably the best solution.

03 May 2004 | Geoffrey said...

I've often wondered about those prices as well. The only thing I can think of is that there is some serious quality control costs or something. I guess if you have to drag a razor blade all over your face at 7 in the morning you want some assurance that it's made well.

03 May 2004 | sam said...

Get an electric razor.

03 May 2004 | blakems said...

A month ago I got a free razor and blade in the mail from gillette. Not a disposable razor but their entire mach 3 package. You have to wonder how much they are making in profit on selling the blades alone if they are giving away the their product for free. I think it is a good example of starting brand loyalty.

I try to buy my blades in bulk usually from Sam's Club or Costco, you save about 30% and get a year and half supply.

03 May 2004 | ML said...

Get an electric razor.

An electric razor just doesn't cut it.

03 May 2004 | Ryan Schroeder said...

Its tough to think of any product that has a greater disconnect between its retail price and the value of what you actually get.

Popcorn and Soda and the Movies.

Anything at the Ballpark.

03 May 2004 | Greg said...

My dad called it the Gillette principal: We'll give you the (permanent, non-breakable product) for cheap but kill you on the (disposeable, impermanent, wears-out item). It's been going on since he started shaving a few decades ago.

03 May 2004 | Mike said...

Hey Matthew, I can't help with the pricing of razor blades, but what I can provide is a way to make your blades last a hell of a lot longer. If you shave in the shower (with a mirror or not, I don't need to use one) right up against hot water, your blades dull less, and even when they are dull you can't tell because your facial hair is butter soft from the hot shower water.

I use Mach 3 Turbo blades one-at-a-time for a period of 2 months before switching when using the aforementioned technique... I promise it'll save you money man.

03 May 2004 | Bryan said...

Before the Mach3 razor came out, I remember reading an article about the R&D cost for that particular blade. It blew me away how much energy was spent on this thing. Here's a snippet...

Gillette's commercials promise "the best a man can get". But the best doesn't come cheap. The company spent ten years and $750m of research developing their Mach 3 razor, launched with a media spend of almost $250m. Was it worth it?

Personally, I can't live without them. They're the only razor that doesn't give me razorburn. So I plunk down the $$, although I grumble every time.

One thing I've noticed is that most places lock the refill packages up. Most likely because people felt like they were getting screwed and were stealing them.

03 May 2004 | paul said...

this is why i don't shave often...

03 May 2004 | Don Schenck said...

I have this Braun and trust me, it shaves as good or better than any blade. I swear, I could sell the things. It's like taking a feather across your face, and it leaves you feeling like a baby-face.

Honest. I could not recommend it any higher. About $100.

03 May 2004 | Benjy said...

You have to wonder how much they are making in profit on selling the blades alone if they are giving away the their product for free. I think it is a good example of starting brand loyalty.

Gilette is literally the textbook marketing example for building this type of steady stream of business. Read any book on marketing and it's in there...

Funny this topic came up today because when I talked to my Mom just this morning, I reminded her to renew her CostCo card so that I could go with her and buy blades. I think they're like $22.99 for a 24 pack, which is a lot better than the price at Walgreen's, Jewel, etc.

BTW, how often do you change out your Mach 3 blades? I notice they conveniently don't give any recommendation. I know people who use a fresh blade every time they shave, and Mike's comment above said he goes 2 months on a blade...

03 May 2004 | Tim said...

I have to believe that somewhere, there is technology that will allow razor blades to last longer...yet, when they can charge about $2 per blade...why would they want to change? I forsee a future with razor blades made of hyper-sharp sugar...which dissolve in water.

Ever notice that Gilette blades are one of those items that are never on sale?

03 May 2004 | Brad Hurley said...

I shaved my whole face once in the last 20 years; it was a big mistake as I discovered that without a beard I look remarkably like Kermit the Frog.

But I do shave almost every day around the outskirts of my beard and the back of my neck to keep things presentable. Even a cheapo disposable razor can last me 2 or 3 weeks.

I bought an electric razor a while back but my girlfriend's teenage daughter took it to shave her pubies, and I just couldn't quite bring myself to use it on my face after that.

03 May 2004 | Edw said...

As someone with a very tough beard (the kind that electric razors are useless against, the kind that shreds the collars on shirts like sandpaper) I can't tell you what a boon it was for me when Gillette released the Sensor Excel. Finally, a blade that actually gave me a really close shave with no cuts.

When they introduced the Mach3 I was skeptical: How could it be an improvement. But it was. The Mach3 was an advance over the SE that the SE was over what existed before.

For me, the price is well worth it. Works out to something like a dollar a day I think. Don't know about you, but my face is certainly worth a dollar a day.

Besides, as a Patriots fan, I don't mind spending money on Gillette products :)

03 May 2004 | waylman said...

About 10 years ago I got a nice little unexpected package from Gilette in the mail that included their then new 2 blade system with only one refill blade. As I didn't have one at the time I have used it ever since. I find that, to avoid spending alot on blades I use them until it no longer feels like I just shaved after just shaving. Thats probably about 2 months, although I have gone longer on occasion (not recommended).

Whenever I go to buy another refill and see the price, I consider looking for different options but then I look at the price of the Mach3 refills and feel like I'm getting a deal. Their little marketing ploy seems to have worked on me.

03 May 2004 | Chris said...

I was shaving in the shower this mornig with my Mach3 (also recieved
gratis in the mail) when I wondered "Why no knock-off razor blades?"

The printer companies are constantly battling the re-fill kits/no-name ink cartridges, why is no one copying the blades?

Does gillette have a patent or something??

just curious

03 May 2004 | jerel said...

I've found it difficult to actually find the blades in my particular neighborhood. The Rite Aid doesnt lock them up, they just don't order them that often and when they do they fly off the shelves (thinking about making an "at about mach 3" joke here). There's another drug store around the corner that doesn't even seem to carry any Gilette products, it's like some kind of vendetta. I'm hooked on the Mach 3, but I can't get my hook-up. Now I get them through the mail of all things. It seems hardly worth the price and the effort - and yet, somehow it is.

03 May 2004 | waylman said...

I have to believe that somewhere, there is technology that will allow razor blades to last longer

I seem to recall reading about a base that had magnets in it that were supposed to pull on the tips of the blades keeping them sharp for an extended period of time. It was a few years ago, I don't remember where I read it, I was sceptical at the time, and I have never heard about it again, so my bet is it didn't fly. At least some people seem to be trying.

03 May 2004 | Darrel said...

COMPLETE OFF TOPIC COMMENT:

Can 37sig fix the centering bug with this page? I've recently switched to Firefox and the left side of the page is always cut off in my default browser viewport and I can't scroll to the left to get to it. I believe the fix is for you to give your BODY a min-width equal to the width of the wrapper DIV that is centered.

OK THANKS! Now back to the topic...

I just shave less than once a day. Saves razors, saves my skin, but yea, I look a bit the slob at work some days. So be it. ;o)

03 May 2004 | RS said...

As someone with a very tough beard (the kind that electric razors are useless against, the kind that shreds the collars on shirts like sandpaper)..

Aha -- Context! Most discussions about shaving ignore the wide variety of face and beard types. Some of my friends shave electric once a week, while others are sandpaper-shadowed by noon.

03 May 2004 | Dr_God said...

Just stop shaving. Trim instead. I just buzz my face and neck with a mustache trimmer once or twice a week. It's not a handsome look, but I'll be damned if ain't cheap! ;)

03 May 2004 | Justin said...

Does gillette have a patent or something??

A search at http://uspto.gov/ for "Gillette" results in 3078 patents.

03 May 2004 | SU said...

Can 37sig fix the centering bug with this page? I've recently switched to Firefox and the left side of the page is always cut off in my default browser viewport and I can't scroll to the left to get to it. I believe the fix is for you to give your BODY a min-width equal to the width of the wrapper DIV that is centered.

What's weird is that this doesn't occur in Camino, which uses a slightly earlier build of Mozilla's rendering engine. Have you run across other sites that experience this problem in Firefox?

03 May 2004 | monkeyinabox said...

I think refill blades are manufactured by Iraqi terrorists. That's the only reason for their price. I started with a Gillete Sensor (2 blades) back in the day. I've stuck with it because it works and the blades are cheaper than those 3 or 4 blade systems. I might not be so pissed at the prices if I didn't get so many damn cuts from fresh blades.

03 May 2004 | Iolaire McFadden said...

On the flip side, for about the last year or two I've managed to use mostly free after rebate cheap (Gillette, Schick or Bic) disposable type razors! (I use discontinued Schick blades for between free blades.)

Its seems like the manufacturers keep upgrading the razors and having promotions a couple of times a year, with careful scanning of the Sunday circulars you can keep a good stock of free or near free non-premium razors.

Also, thanks to Rite Aid's online rebate service I get lots of razors, toothpaste and tooth brushes for free after rebate. Their service is great, just enter the information on the receipt online and request a check each month.

03 May 2004 | Ed said...

I couldn't live without my Norelco 6735X electric razor AND my Gillette Mach 3. I feel dirty if I don't shave every morning so I first shave with the electric and then I go over my face again with some Edge shaving gel and the Mach 3 (I switch blades every Monday morning). Consistently baby butt smooth skin and I certainly do believe my face is worth $1/day. Some of us spend a lot more than that on our coffee every day.

03 May 2004 | brian b said...

I too received a free mach3 on my birthday some 3+ years ago when I turned 18, and thought it was funny that they knew when my birthday was, etc.

Now here is my semi-related shaving question: how do you prevent razor bumps/burn in the neck area where the hair is coarser? I am constantly battling this now (I had a beard for a while, and didn't have to worry about this).

Also the Shick Quattro is a POS, it has no lubricant on the cartridge, and is no closer of a shave than the mach3, the mach3 actually gives me less missed spots.

03 May 2004 | Darrel said...

"Have you run across other sites that experience this problem in Firefox?"

Yes. Actually, Macromedia's site is one of the big ones.

I finally got curious enough to track down the issue and the solution is that min-width on the body. Not sure if this is a bug or standard CSS behavior (I have to assume a gecko bug, but I'm not sure).

03 May 2004 | dmr said...

The razor and blade paradigm is exactly what MS did with the XBOX—sell units at a loss betting on making the profit in the games. I would think lots of companies are going for this kind of relationship.

As a poor soul falling victim to razor burn and ingrown hairs quite frequently I find some positive reactions to using exfoliator (St. Ives is very good) prior to shaving.

03 May 2004 | beto said...

Good to see I'm not the only one feeling raped by overcharged razor prices. These days, I'm using disposable Gillettes since I discovered they not only last longer, but also are cheaper than fancy Mach3 blades. Plus you end up paying for all that fancy packaging that is useless once you open it, what an utter waste.

04 May 2004 | Scott said...

I love my Mach3, but I want the one that vibrates.

Chris, 57 patents on the original Mach3, 62 on the vibrating one.

04 May 2004 | scott said...

Get an electric razor.

An electric razor just doesn't cut it.

No, they don't, but neither do these disposable pieces of junk everyone is talking about. I have been using the same kind of old-school double-edge Gillette razor ever since my dad showed me how to shave, about 20 years ago. Why would I ever change?

I tried disposables a couple of times, but they left my face a bloody--and hairy--mess. I don't get why everyone bought into these new razors. The economics are bad (as is being discussed), they are environmentally ridiculous and they don't even work.

The sad thing is I left my original razor in a hotel room a couple of years ago, and it took several months to replace it. I thought you could still get them at any drugstore, but I ended up having to buy one on eBay after searching for a long time. Sigh.

And now even the blades are getting harder to find. At this point I have calculated how many I'll need for the rest of my life (52 a year x 50 years = around 2500) and have contemplating ordering a big box and being done with it.

That is, until they figure out this whole laser-guided sonic shaving thing I see so much about on Star Trek. Also, those Braun Syncro System things are really cool.

04 May 2004 | rabbit said...

I've been using the Mach 3 since they came out. Before that nothing I used worked worth a damn. My face hates electric razors. My hair is so rough that by 5pm it's tearing up the collars of my shirts. The cheap cotton shirts are ok, but it's tearing up the expensive silk shirts. Damn.

Razor prices are actually one of the reasons I quit shaving my head. To keep my head looking good, I would shave once every 3 days. Coarse as my hair is, that's two razors a week, and that's just a lot of money to spending to keep a bald head. My hair's starting to look kind of fro like now, though, so I may have to start shaving it again.

Slightly OT: Am I the only one that shaves against the grain *on purpose* ? Whenever I watch these stupid shows like Queer Eye, the groomer guy yells at people for shaving against the grain. I find that if I don't shave against the grain (after shaving *with* it, mind you) then I end up still having hair all over my face.

04 May 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Your impressions of electric razors don't include the Braun Syncro System, believe me. It is much better than your outdated blades. Trust me on this one. Heck, it's probably guaranteed, so give it a try. No blades to purchase, no razor burn ... I'm tellin' ya, guys, it's love.

04 May 2004 | Hofo said...

Slightly OT: Am I the only one that shaves against the grain *on purpose* ? Whenever I watch these stupid shows like Queer Eye, the groomer guy yells at people for shaving against the grain. I find that if I don't shave against the grain (after shaving *with* it, mind you) then I end up still having hair all over my face.

It is especially ironic given the extra "lotion strip" on the new Mach 3 to make it "nicer" to shave against the grain.

04 May 2004 | Edw said...

rabbit, I'm definitely an against the grain type for the same reasons you spoke of. If I don't, it looks like I didn't shave.

Meanwhile, I've tried the Braun you guys are all fawning off: useless on my beard. Just can't get me baby smooth which is what I demand even if it only lasts a couple of hours.

I always remember that line from Lolitta when Humber says, "A civilized man always shaves twice a day."

I keep shaving cream and an extra Mach 3 (the free one Gillette sent in the mail) in my desk drawer at work in case of a client meeting or some important function in the afternoon, otherwise, it looks like I didn't bother to shave in the morning.

04 May 2004 | Darrel said...

The big question: Do we shave because we like to, or because society says we should?

I say bring back the mutton chops!

04 May 2004 | Thomas said...

For the guy who gets nasty razor burn on his neck, here's a tip:

Shave in the shower and exfoliate first. I use St. Ives Apricot Scrub. Works like a charm. You may also want to try the shaving products manufactured by Kiehls, at www.kiehls.com. They're the absolute best I've ever used. Sure, they're expensive, but they last a while (a little is all you need) and the quality is outstanding. For sensitive skin like yours, try the "Blue Eagle Formula." The stuff is so good, I've used it for waterless shaves. I've also used it with an old-fashioned straight razor.

After shaving, dab your neck with a mild astringent. (It hurts like a mother, but will eventually clear up the problem.) Then apply soothing aftershave. If the razor burn persists, dab the area with astringent at night before you go to bed.

Again, I recommend you check out other Kiehls products (astringent/toner, soothing aftershave lotion). Yes, they're that good. And, no, I don't have a stake in the company. I just have one tough, dark beard and very sensitive skin.

As for the other guys who shave against the grain, I always do it. That's the only way I can get a smooth, clean shave.

04 May 2004 | Cameron Moll said...

Ladders are *way* overpriced, too. $300 for two pieces of aluminum or fiberglass with a few steps on it??

04 May 2004 | Dan said...

Slightly OT: Am I the only one that shaves against the grain *on purpose* ? Whenever I watch these stupid shows like Queer Eye, the groomer guy yells at people for shaving against the grain. I find that if I don't shave against the grain (after shaving *with* it, mind you) then I end up still having hair all over my face.

This only lasts for a little while. I've got a gnarly beard as well, and I always shaved against the grain -- I figured the bumps (ingrown hairs, mostly) were just part of life. Turns out that your beard will retrain itself and start growing in a way that allows you to shave with the grain. Took mine a couple weeks. Worth a try. Remember, there are gay men with heavy beards, too.

OT: I've always considered learning how to use a straightedge, which does a beautiful job, is a near-permanent artifact (with honing), and never clogs.

Dan

04 May 2004 | pb said...

I would not trust Schenck as far as I could throw him.

I shave both with and against the grain.

There's at least one interchangeable knock-off: http://greatrazors.zoovy.com/category/allproductspricelist/

I can't stand sites like Peapod's where all the URLs include a URL-based token which prevents you from going to the URL after the session has expired.

04 May 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Ha ha pb ... you couldn't throw me with help from a friend!

I wouldn't steer you wrong regarding my Braun shaver. It's awesome.

06 May 2004 | Phil McCracken said...

TIPS: When shaving in the shower, soften your beard by applying a hot washcloth. Then shave with the grain, followed by shaving against the grain. Afterwards (maybe at the sink), cool your skin with a cool washcloth.

I've been blessed with a fairly light beard, so I don't need to shave every day. Most growth occurs in the mustache area and on the chin. Hardly anything grows on the sides or neck; can't even get a full goatee.

I go through a Mach 3 blade cartridge about once a month. Tried electric razors but the suck bigtime. Another benefit of sparse growth is that my beard requires less shaving cream.

Drawback: without a heavy dark shadow, most people think I'm a lot younger (mid-twenties) than my true age (33).

Pathetic confession: Photoshopped a beard of a snapshot I took of myself. I actually liked the Fu-Manchu option, but looked a bit too odd with just a regular 'stache. Few men can top Burt Reynolds.

06 May 2004 | Erik Hansen said...

Several days/weeks ago I was reading (or watching) an article on RFID tags (I think, might have been pirated cds) and they were saying that 3-blade razor refills were the 2nd most popular black market items. Probably cause there so expensive.

I love Queer Eye, but I shave against the grain as well (and in the shower).

06 May 2004 | One of several Steves said...

Shaving against the grain is a bad idea if you're prone to ingrown hairs. If you've got curly hair (like I do), you're more prone than others. The neck is especially prone to this.

If you're not prone, shave against the grain all day long. For me, it's a recipe for disaster.

And, btw, I hate all of you who can use the same cartridge for a month. I get a little more than a week before I start noticing significant comfort issues. Of course, I should be shaving twice a day, so that's probably got something to do with it.

07 May 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Doesn't Gillette now have an ad campaign that says, in effect, "change your blade every Monday"? I think I saw it in Men's Health magazine.

07 May 2004 | -b- said...

from the onion . . .

Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades

Would someone tell me how this happened? We were the fucking vanguard of shaving in this country. The Gillette Mach3 was the razor to own. Then the other guy came out with a three-blade razor....

08 May 2004 | brian b said...

ok, too bad i have to wait till i am back home (miami) to get some kiehls products. Has anyone tried the new sensor excel 3?

i get a close shave w/my electric razor (braun freeglider) but it misses tons of spots, and my skin feels torn afterward....

I think I need to try a hot foam shave @ the barber's soon.

10 May 2004 | Hugh said...

I'm usually a little put off by the price of razor blades (particularly at Wal-Mart, where two five packs usually are cheaper than a 10 pack. Aren't you supposed to get a deal when buying in "bulk"?), but I find the Mach 3s to be reasonably priced given how long they last. Other disposables just can't "cut" it in that regard.

11 May 2004 | Mike said...

There is a product out that extends the life of your blade and give you a better shave... Try it, it works... Razorguard.com

12 May 2004 | jamie corcoran said...

God if only we had it so good we pay the equivalent of 17 dollars here in Ireland for 8.Its really terrible!!!