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Shaving "innovation" is often like the guy who buys chrome adhesive crap at Autozone to stick all over his car.
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(11-22-2016, 09:49 PM)fiendishrazor Wrote: Shaving "innovation" is often like the guy who buys chrome adhesive crap at Autozone to stick all over his car.
"Ohh, look in the distance, what is that shiny thing! It must be another new limited production razor...or is it a new billet dipstick handle?"
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MD Eastern Shore
Posted by fiendishrazor - Yesterday, 08:49 PM
Shaving "innovation" is often like the guy who buys chrome adhesive crap at Autozone to stick all over his car.
Yes, I think that's true but not for the reasons one might think. From where I sit, I see basically two kinds of "shavers:" those who demand what I'll call "classic" designs--or designs made in the classical tradition--and those who prefer more free form patterns. The free form designs are comparatively easy to develop: just follow your mind's eye. The problem is that most of these pieces look, IMO, impractical. They seem to have been made simply because the maker had the ability to create them but without giving much thought to the underlying function. Patterns in the classical tradition are much more difficult to develop for several reasons, and therefore we don't see many that make sense aesthetically AND functionally. Notable exceptions are the Paladin brushes our friend Ken Lynn creates. Razors, on the other hand--especially in the currently popular single edge craze--are especially challenging. But without going into a lot of detail, let me suggest that classically inspired designs take a LOT of thought, time, trial and error, and often money. Getting them "right" can be maddening and not many have the resources, not to mention the discipline to stick with it to the end. My hat's off to those who do.
Shaving "innovation" is often like the guy who buys chrome adhesive crap at Autozone to stick all over his car.
Yes, I think that's true but not for the reasons one might think. From where I sit, I see basically two kinds of "shavers:" those who demand what I'll call "classic" designs--or designs made in the classical tradition--and those who prefer more free form patterns. The free form designs are comparatively easy to develop: just follow your mind's eye. The problem is that most of these pieces look, IMO, impractical. They seem to have been made simply because the maker had the ability to create them but without giving much thought to the underlying function. Patterns in the classical tradition are much more difficult to develop for several reasons, and therefore we don't see many that make sense aesthetically AND functionally. Notable exceptions are the Paladin brushes our friend Ken Lynn creates. Razors, on the other hand--especially in the currently popular single edge craze--are especially challenging. But without going into a lot of detail, let me suggest that classically inspired designs take a LOT of thought, time, trial and error, and often money. Getting them "right" can be maddening and not many have the resources, not to mention the discipline to stick with it to the end. My hat's off to those who do.
Posting Freak
Right now as I sit typing this post with my left hand only because my right arm is in a sling for the past 2 1/2 weeks and with another 2 1/2 weeks to go following shoulder surgery, my mind turns to innovations that would allow persons with disabilities to experience a TWS safely and more or less conveniently. This condition for me is temporary but for many others, be they veterans or otherwise its a permanent condition.
The biggest challenges I've encountered involve, first, blade handling and loading. Those double wrapped gooey wax coated blades are out for sure. Sure you can always ask for help with this but the point is to be as independent as possible. Schick and Gillette used to make those blade dispensers that allowed one handed blade removal for loading into a TTO razor but consider how you're going to do that and twist the razor closed securely with one hand. A three piece razor may be easier if you place the top cap on a piece of silicone/rubber mat, place the blade on then the bottom plate then screw down the handle relying on friction to provide adequate resistance so that you can adequately tighten the handle.
The other issue is loading the brush from a tub of soap with one hand. The potential solution I visualize involves another silicon/rubber mat but with a ring/ridge in the middle about the diameter of a soap tub. Place the tub in the ring and use the friction to open/close the tub and the ring keeps the tub in place while you load the brush. I think that would work pretty well. Pump dispensers/atomisers would do the job for postshave product application.
I think a line of accessibility tools for disabled wet shavers would be a great add to a vendors/artisans product lineup. Here's a couple of other excellent one handed products that I've found that work very well:
https://www.amazon.com/Emson-EZCracker-E...B0050IEN46
https://www.amazon.com/Listerine-Ultracl...ne+flosser
Think of all the things you do with two hands and imagine doing them with only one hand. Tying your shoelaces?
The biggest challenges I've encountered involve, first, blade handling and loading. Those double wrapped gooey wax coated blades are out for sure. Sure you can always ask for help with this but the point is to be as independent as possible. Schick and Gillette used to make those blade dispensers that allowed one handed blade removal for loading into a TTO razor but consider how you're going to do that and twist the razor closed securely with one hand. A three piece razor may be easier if you place the top cap on a piece of silicone/rubber mat, place the blade on then the bottom plate then screw down the handle relying on friction to provide adequate resistance so that you can adequately tighten the handle.
The other issue is loading the brush from a tub of soap with one hand. The potential solution I visualize involves another silicon/rubber mat but with a ring/ridge in the middle about the diameter of a soap tub. Place the tub in the ring and use the friction to open/close the tub and the ring keeps the tub in place while you load the brush. I think that would work pretty well. Pump dispensers/atomisers would do the job for postshave product application.
I think a line of accessibility tools for disabled wet shavers would be a great add to a vendors/artisans product lineup. Here's a couple of other excellent one handed products that I've found that work very well:
https://www.amazon.com/Emson-EZCracker-E...B0050IEN46
https://www.amazon.com/Listerine-Ultracl...ne+flosser
Think of all the things you do with two hands and imagine doing them with only one hand. Tying your shoelaces?
Member
I don't know when Feather Artist Club blades and similar stock (e.g., Kai Captain Mild) first came out, but for me these are the single best recent innovation in wet shaving. My daily shaver is the Kai Captain Excelia kamisori-style straight with Feather AC Pro Super blades. The blades, when new, are too sharp, IMO, but once they settle in, they are good for a month or more of superb shaves. (My current Feather AC Pro Super blade was new on 15th October and is still going strong as we head into December, about 30 shaves in.) Hopefully the recent surge of SE razors that take these blades will ensure that the supply remains constant into the indefinite future.
Shaving is essentially a low-tech activity, and I think it's fair to say that much of the innovation of the last 120 years has been driven by perceived need as much as actual need (pace, King Gillette). The Feather AC and other replaceable straight blades were probably the product of relatively recent regulations that prohibited professional barbers from reusing their cut-throat blades. Blood-transmitted diseases created a need, and the industry responded. Innovation for its own sake is hard to come by, due to market realities. Even innovators need to make a living, after all.
Shaving is essentially a low-tech activity, and I think it's fair to say that much of the innovation of the last 120 years has been driven by perceived need as much as actual need (pace, King Gillette). The Feather AC and other replaceable straight blades were probably the product of relatively recent regulations that prohibited professional barbers from reusing their cut-throat blades. Blood-transmitted diseases created a need, and the industry responded. Innovation for its own sake is hard to come by, due to market realities. Even innovators need to make a living, after all.
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Viseguy
Viseguy
Posting Freak
Viseguy , I agree, innovation for its own sake is generally the road to losing money. The innovation that was disposable cartridges was driven by the perception of convenience in the 50s and 60s when it seemed everything was driven by the need for convenience and the space age. TV Dinners? As a kid I dreamed of Swanson TV dinners having seen the commercials. The reality didn't live up to mom's home cooking however.
I think if the cartridge razor makers hand;t got so greedy with the ever increasing number of blades and the price tag / profit margin, guys wouldn't have been driven to find reasonably priced alternatives in TWS and wouldn't have discovered how much better the old way was and really not inconvenient. Also I think North American society has stepped back somewhat from the convenience at any cost mentality of the latter part of the 20th century. Slow food, mindfulness, stop and smell the coffee man, because we all know what the ultimate destination is so whats the big hurry to get there?
I think if the cartridge razor makers hand;t got so greedy with the ever increasing number of blades and the price tag / profit margin, guys wouldn't have been driven to find reasonably priced alternatives in TWS and wouldn't have discovered how much better the old way was and really not inconvenient. Also I think North American society has stepped back somewhat from the convenience at any cost mentality of the latter part of the 20th century. Slow food, mindfulness, stop and smell the coffee man, because we all know what the ultimate destination is so whats the big hurry to get there?
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