So yesterday I took shave one with a Dorco ST-301 blade in my '63 Gillette Slim razor. Today will be shave two on the blade but this time in my Parker Variant razor. I will continue to alternate daily shaves between the two until the blade is completely used up.
Then I will report the results in an article.
This process was very useful in understanding the relative performance of what many consider to be the alpha and omega of shave soaps: Martin de Candre and Williams. Much to my surprise, after alternating between the two for my daily shaves, I saw little difference between them -- virtually no functional difference to justify the huge disparity in retail pricing.
That soap test opened my eyes once again to the influence that price and other marketing tactics have on perception. It also made me regret some comments made and likely harm done to a now-defunct soap seller, Pyrate Cove Soap Works (PCSW).
Taking my experience from the MDC-Williams comparison to my remaining inventory of PCSW soaps, I found that their modest price adversely influenced my opinion of the product -- and I shared that opinion publicly in this blog. I regret that.
I turns out that I'd much rather buy and use PCSW shave soap than many others, and not just for the price, but also for the performance. I regret that I didn't support PCSW more. I also hope that the prime movers behind that company see this article and resurrect their product line and company name, but this time charging a bit more so that the market can appreciate their products' performance without being negatively influenced by the perception that the soap is cheap and therefore inferior.
But I digress.
Stay tuned for my outcome of the duel in Detroit (apologies to the Indycar race, the Dual in Detroit). Slim versus Variant: the stuff of legend. More to come.
Happy shaving!
Artisans who enter the soap making business find themselves in an over crowded market. Especially those who seek a retailer for their products. Sadly, many good soaps will disappear simply because their product doesn't reach the majority of users. Marketing and pricing have to be right to even have a chance.
ReplyDeleteLately I have been rethinking soaps. With sensitive skin I just can't use anything on the market. Williams, for example gives me a great shave but will dry me out something fierce. VDH on the other hand gives me an acceptable shave but leaves my skin feeling great. I have a tendency to read the ingredient list before I look at the catchy picture on the label. Anything over ten dollars generally gets passed by. But not always.
I think that I am going to start pairing blades to soaps. A soap should leave the skin feeling good after a shave, but it is the performance during the shave that is also important. Some soaps are slick and allow the blade to glide over the skin and some soaps tend to increase the contact more. Matching a soaps quality to a blades sharpness and smoothness character can make shaving that much better. No more "grab and go" and hope for the best.
Looking forward to see how your adjustable razor match goes!