Men's Disposable Razors: Why Are Manufacturers Duping Us?

[Deactivated] on 24/06/2017 - 08:35
Last edited 24/06/2017 - 09:54 by 1 other user

Gillette and probably other manufacturers are recently turning old favourites into rubbish, while claiming the new model was 'state of the art' and the best thing since sliced bread. I have been using the 'Gillette Mach3' (the original all in one handle and blade, not the current cartridge rubbish) for the past 10 years after finding that one blade will last me up to 2 months!!! In the past 6 months they have disappeared, being replace with a cartridge of the same name. Absolute rubbish and expensive!

But I found in the past few months very difficult to find my favourite disposable razor. I finally stumbled scross it in the ebay eofy sales, for about $27 for a 14-pack, and from a local supplier:

I tried it, AND IT WAS JUST AS I REMEMBER IT! No coming out of the bathroom looking like Norman Gunston! I am thinking about buying a few more packs before the disappear. I think these were old stock,

Like most men I suspect, I spent a lot of time and money trying to find the perfect shaving tool and method. I had tried it all. Electric, disposable, feather blade, spent money on expensive electric machines. But to me they were all rubbish. Bit as often happens in life, the cheapest was the best. For 20 years I used the Gillette twin blue (the original disposable razor) until I found the Mach3.

BTW: Similar thing happened to me with the Rosken Skin Repair, the original one I had used for more than 30 years. A few years ago that was replaced with Rosken Dry Skin Cream. Again, rubbish! Lucky I managed to track down and buy some some old stock of the original from Amcal Online, and bought a few. But that stock has run out too. Now no more.

What do others think? Why do manufacturers think they can get away with replacing a good product with rubbish and claiming it was 'the best'?

Answer: probably because they can.

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • Slippery Fish on 24/06/2017 - 08:43
    +6

    Just buy a double edge razor… Get a big sample pack so you can try diff blades, the razor costs more but blAdes are cheap as,

    http://www.tryablade.com/blade

    Or if your set, blue2
    http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/63435/Gillette-Dispos…

    Mach3 sensitive 3pk
    https://www.target.com/p/gillette-mach3-sensitive-disposable…

    Mach3 14pk
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N6RVR23/ref=mp_s_a_1_32_a_…

    • nov on 06/11/2018 - 15:59

      Gillette Mach3 was designed as a handle with a replaceable cartridge since the very beginning.
      So the all in one handle and blades head came as a disposable version of it much later.
      Gillette Mach 3 commercial (1999)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqgP7Ti0r4A&t=29s.
      The quality is the same as from the beginning.
      And yes it is expensive.
      In June 2009, Gillette manufactured and packaged razor blades for about US$0.10 each, and customers paid 48 times that amount in stores.
      Now the manufacturing is cheaper and the profit is higher.

  • Lando on 24/06/2017 - 08:48

    Just buy a Braun or Phillips electric shaver. Been using my series 6 Braun for years. Does an excellent job. I am someone who does not care about how close my shave is, so it does a great a job for my standards.

    Good Razor blades are expensive to manufacture. The diamond like coating they have to use isn't always top grade on the cheap razors.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/06/2017 - 09:02
      +2

      Thank. But using any electric razor and I turn out like a 16 year old meeting a girl for the first time: red all over!

      • Slippery Fish on 24/06/2017 - 09:10

        That's why I switched to de, no more redness :)

      • Geoff-bargain on 29/06/2017 - 11:25

        Try a good Panasonic. I have very sensitive skin and is the only shaver that works well for me

    • Sensiekatie on 25/06/2017 - 10:21

      My husband has that issue.

      The Razor Shop have an oil which helps avoid that.

      He also has a cordless Braun Cooltec I bought him a few years ago. With The cooling technology activated, he is happy with the results - no irritation at all. The charge lasts a week but it goes longer without the cooling activated.

      We bought it when it went on sale and was 1/2 price. Online Razor Shop often cheaper than instore. No one can beat them at times.

      There is a product called Razor Guard - a spray after cleaning and it helps the Razor to work smoothly and prevents deterioration of cutters. They last longer too. Still on first one.

      It does not last as long though as the previous version - new label = less use per can.

      Many products are rubbish these days as you say.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/06/2017 - 09:13

    Thanks guys. Will definitely try double edge. Can someone recommend the best brand. I remember my dad used Wilkinson Sword. Is that still a thing?

    • EightImmortals on 24/06/2017 - 11:43

      Google the 'Paste and Cut' Aussie shaving forum, plenty of good chaps and info there. If you have a DE razor you can buy sample packs of razors from Mensbiz or other places to can try a selection before settling on one brand and type.

    • SydStrand on 24/06/2017 - 13:23

      I use a Merkur safety razor. It's solid as rock and will probably outlast me. Bought a pack of sample blades years ago (something like this) to trial, and settled on Astra Platinum.

    • jzdhgkd on 24/06/2017 - 15:37

      The blades themselves can be quite different so also consider buying a blade "sample pack" off ebay such as here

    • kiitos on 26/06/2017 - 17:41

      How many shaves do you get out of a single double edge blade?

      • phocus on 27/06/2017 - 13:07

        prob as many as a M3 but cause they are so cheap you can just throw away after 2 uses and use a nice sharp one.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/06/2017 - 09:22

    I use a muhle r41 Grande with Astras blades but they say feather are the best. You definitely need a sample pack.

  • Halo375 on 24/06/2017 - 09:38

    Because customers are fickle and business is expensive. Every marketing manager wants the best product at the lowest price. They all want to be market leader and they all review industry sales data very closely.

    In your scenario they either found your product too expensive to produce or thought they could reduce construction costs to increase margin. They would have changed the design, the supplier or materials to achieve their aim. Unfortunately they must have screwed up because you noticed.

    Customer like "new" and "innovative" designs - forcing manufacturers to keep trying new things to see what sticks. When they find aomething that works, they then try to make it cheaper to make to recover all their research and development costs.

    Everybody wants a good product and a happy customer - in your case it sounds like they screwed up.

    • Baysew on 24/06/2017 - 09:55
      +9

      Yes it's a cut throat business.

      • EightImmortals on 24/06/2017 - 11:44

        Not as sharp as your rapier-like wit though…. :)

  • q98929 on 24/06/2017 - 12:16
    +1

    Many years ago, King Camp Gillette (yes, that was his name) adopted a pricing policy to sell his razors. The razors were virtually given away although the blades were not. The Gillette Model 159 (famous as the "Fat Boy") sold for US$1.59, hence the Model name. Other manufacturers followed this practice which still exists across a large range of products. Think computer printers ($30-$40 new) and then the cost of replacement cartridges.

    I returned to wet-shaving following many years of disposables and canned crap with chemicals galore. I now enjoy a shave every second day using a decent steel safety double-edge razor, badger hair brush and a soft shaving cream with all natural products. More enjoyable and better for your skin! You don't need to spend a small fortune to get started, there are good quality double-edge razors, brushes and soaps readily available at reasonable prices.

    Prices remain high for plastic c**p because customers buy them!

    Plenty of information, help, etc; here: https://paste-and-cut.com.au/community/articles/

    • [Deactivated] on 24/06/2017 - 13:50
      +1

      Got it! I just looked it up (thanks wikipedia). So, seems that quality went down after The Gillette Company was bought by Procter&Gamble, the multi-national conglomerate. Sell sh*t, make profit. Enough said.

      As for $19 printers / $60 cartridges business model, they just started doing it with laser printers too: $35 printer / $170 toner!!!

    • johninmelb on 24/06/2017 - 14:39

      It wasn't only Gillette.

      Eastman Kodak pulled the same stunt. Made the film dirt cheap, and processing costs sky high. Guess not many people left now who remember film cameras :-)

      Telstra or at least it's predecessor - Telecom Australia - discovered the same thing. Every time the call rates went up, people started cutting back on calls, hence revenue loss. So what did the buggers do? They practically gave away calls, and sent the monthly rental sky high.

      Then Electricity, Gas and Water got in on the act introducing so-called "daily service charge" to counteract the loss of revenue when people started cutting their consumption to try and lower the bills.

      And as as been mentioned, the printer companies with ink and toner etc.

      There's probably other examples.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/06/2017 - 13:51

    Thanks guys! Really helpful. :) Definitely giving double edge razors a go!

  • KitchenSink on 24/06/2017 - 16:37
    +1

    Have you tried Dollar shave club? They're alright for me in my experience but I don't have a lot of facial hair but damn they're cheap and good quality. Prefer them over disposables

    • Callum22 on 25/06/2017 - 08:24

      I was going to ask if anyone has tried The Dollar Shave Club.

      I'm looking to get rid of my Shick Hydro because replacement blades are too damn expensive.

      • KitchenSink on 25/06/2017 - 13:18
        +1

        Give them a try - I have the 4 blade one.
        Initial postage may be a bit slow like around a week from memory (blame Auspost), but once you sign up it you get 4 cartridges for a month or you can change it to 4 for every 2 months if you dont have a lot of facial hair like me.

        Prices are going to increase on July 25 for extra $1. But still way cheaper than Gillette and much better than disposables.

        • Inzo on 25/06/2017 - 19:28
          +1

          I'm an executive customer - i think it;s the 5 blade and the trimmer, 4 cartridges a month for 10 (soon to be 11 as mentioned).

          Recently I went on holidays, about a disposable for the holiday - a mach 3 or something similar - it literally tore my face to shreds.

          I was so happy to get home to me old cartridge on the dollar razor, which felt like a hot knife through warm butter compared to the rusty hatched i used on my holidays!

          Would recommend!

        • Callum22 on 27/06/2017 - 20:32

          @Inzo: Thanks for the responses Inzo & KitchenSink.

          I will give them a go once I've used up my latest pack of Shick cartridges.

          $8-11 is still about 1/2 the price of the Shick so at the least it's worth a try.

  • altomic on 24/06/2017 - 16:45

    have you tried buying your blades from aliexpress?

  • altomic on 24/06/2017 - 16:49
    +1

    you need The Gillette 3000

  • smalltime0 on 25/06/2017 - 07:49

    I just use electric.

  • x2r9ypbj on 25/06/2017 - 10:55

    The best razor blades I currently use are Levon's from Germany. A bit expensive but they last and are good quality.
    I think the company has been around for over 100 years.(As in everything German they are superior).

  • [Deactivated] on 25/06/2017 - 11:56

    I have also noticed this drop in quality with the mach 3 disposable cartridge after stocking up on turbo heads
    One used to last month's ,
    but now barely 2 weeks
    After a bit of research to find , Gillette have moved the manufacturing of mach3 from their facility in Germany to a new factory in Poland
    The new Fusion 5 blade razor may be of a quality of the old mach3 but at those prices , forget it
    Glad I only paid 5 bucks each for half a dozen 8 packs of M3 turdo heads at woolies, cause that's all their worth

  • Scorpex on 25/06/2017 - 22:55

    If I was young again (!!) I reckon I'd get my face lasered. No intention of ever growing a mo or beard. Puts an end to the shaving debate. Cost would be offset by a life time of shaving materials, electric shavers, electricity and, above all, time and convenience.

  • TransportPosters on 26/06/2017 - 08:19
    +1

    I've been using the Coles 5-blade ones and found they are the best I've ever had.

    Earlier this year I discovered a bag of 10 Wilkinson single-blade disposables for $1 at a discount shop. I thought I'd give it a try and found that they performed almost the same as the 5-blade Coles ones. Now I alternate between them. I bought $10 worth of the Wilkinsons so have about 95 left.

  • [Deactivated] on 02/07/2017 - 14:20

    Thanks guys. Luck I guess I dont have a heavy beard, like some of my friends of lebanese or greek origin!!! I would definitely consider laser hair removal to thin it out a bit ;)

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