Why are razor blades so bloody expensive ?

melekalikimaka · 05-01-2009 6:30pm

Jaysoose wrote: »

Why would people use an electric? then they would have nothing to whinge about...seriously gillette and wilkinson are not the only two razor manafacturers. This is the whingiest thread in a long time.

baby soft and electric dont works

MediaTank · 05-01-2009 6:32pm

danzig wrote: »

the reason why is because like with most things in life, they are selling the actual razors at a loss, and the way they make up the difference is by charging the extras such as blades at a very high cost. its the same with consoles, they sell the console at a loss and charge through the roof for things like games and controllers.

The so called Gillette Model is a staple of many courses in economics.

MediaTank · 05-01-2009 6:32pm

keane2097 wrote: »

How long would one of those Merkur blades last?

Depending on how tough your beard is etc. 5 to 10 shaves. You should on average get a week out of one.

seclachi · 07-01-2009 9:10pm

The story about cermac blades made me smile, cut throats have been around for ages, but of course were impossible to make money off, as you just sharpened it every time it got blunt. Then bic and the rest discovered selling bits of foil that are only good for a few uses and made a fortune off people who dont like slicing there faces open or sharpening stuff.

I just use an electric myself, I`m more in the bumfluff end of things as opposed to fellas who have a thicket after a day or two.

dfbemt · 09-01-2009 10:18pm

If you know somebody up north (yes, that cheap place) try out Makro cash & carry outside Belfast. Pack of 4 packs of Fusion - £15, pack of 5 packs of Mach3 - £16.

No comparison with the proces down here.

Good ol' Rip Off Ireland

bladebrew · 09-01-2009 10:39pm

as some people mentioned razor blades used to be the most popular thing to be stolen from supermarkets (most now are behind the till or have a security camera looking directly at them),i used to work in a big supermarket,they actually had a top ten list of the most common things being nicked and razor blades were at the top,
and i think the price is a lot to do with (as already stated above) the profit margins they make on the actual razor compared with the profit on the blades! they have to make money somewhere:rolleyes:

Omnipresence · 09-01-2009 10:42pm

buy them in bulk on ebay.. !!

thats what i do

nevaeh-2die-4 · 09-01-2009 10:45pm

its a ****n joke the prices of gillette fusions 17euro for 4 blades!!!

i have very sensitve skin and if i use cheap razors me mush goes all red & hot so me needs to buy gillette fusions , im buying them in bulk from ebay so **** you rip off ireland

brian ireland · 09-01-2009 11:01pm

jester77 wrote: »

Why not get a decent razor like a Merkur and pickup some Feather blades, you can get 50 blades for under £10 here and they will give you a better shave than any Gilette or Wilkinson blade will ever give you.

Me DA used to us one of them. Are they really good? I like to try them, Can you buy the razor part easily.

Omnipresence · 09-01-2009 11:07pm

Sounds like the job...

Any idea what the numbering system means or is it just model numbers

41, 39C etc..

brian ireland · 09-01-2009 11:19pm

Anyone where you can get a 'stepic pencil" Its deadly piece of kit. It you nick your face this thing (looks like a white lipstick) stops the bleed instantly, so you don't have to go to work with jax roll stuck to your face.

aligator_am · 10-01-2009 10:31am

I find the ones in Lidl / Aldi for €6 are grand, you get 20 blades and the razor itself

I know my dad has some of those open / straight razors at home, may try using one next week, just hope I don't do a sweeney todd on meself :P

andrew1977 · 10-01-2009 8:16pm

dfbemt wrote: »

If you know somebody up north (yes, that cheap place) try out Makro cash & carry outside Belfast. Pack of 4 packs of Fusion - £15, pack of 5 packs of Mach3 - £16.

No comparison with the proces down here.

Good ol' Rip Off Ireland

Is this place open to the general public to purchase items or do you have to be a business ?

Cabaal · 10-01-2009 9:08pm

for awhile now I've been looking at safety razers, going on the back of this I finally made the dive and got myself one...its in the post....blades work out at less then 50c each

MediaTank · 12-01-2009 11:07am

andrew1977 wrote: »

Is this place open to the general public to purchase items or do you have to be a business ?

Business only

MediaTank · 12-01-2009 11:08am

Cabaal wrote: »

for awhile now I've been looking at safety razers, going on the back of this I finally made the dive and got myself one...its in the post....blades work out at less then 50c each

Good man. Blades sound a little expensive though, what did you buy?

MediaTank · 12-01-2009 11:09am

aloleary wrote: »

Sounds like the job...

Any idea what the numbering system means or is it just model numbers

41, 39C etc..

Model numbers. They indicate whether the razor has a comb head (C) or not, and then whether it's slanted etc.

MediaTank · 12-01-2009 11:10am

brian ireland wrote: »

Anyone where you can get a 'stepic pencil" Its deadly piece of kit. It you nick your face this thing (looks like a white lipstick) stops the bleed instantly, so you don't have to go to work with jax roll stuck to your face.

You mean styptic pencil. Any of the online shaving sites supply them.

Cabaal · 12-01-2009 11:33am

MediaTank wrote: »

Good man. Blades sound a little expensive though, what did you buy?

Well price I quoted may not have been 100%

Bought everything from http://www.shaving-shack.com/

I bought the Merkur Progress and a selection of blades

At current exchange rates (£6.99 = 7.81e) the blades actually work out at 26c per blade for that selection pack...much much cheaper then the 3.50e or so for a Fusion blade.

MediaTank wrote: »

You mean styptic pencil. Any of the online shaving sites supply them.

http://www.shaving-shack.com stock them

ciscokidder · 12-01-2009 11:53am

They certainly have their fingers on the pulse

http://www.shaving-shack.com/shop/catalog/Parker-89R-Credit-Crunch-Kit-p-2834.html

Cabaal · 12-01-2009 12:10pm

In relation to using a safety razor people might find this helpful..learning to use one properly - http://www.youtube.com/shavetutor

Amalgam · 12-01-2009 12:59pm

I'm eyeing up a Merkur Futur 760 at the moment, matt finish.

I like the simplicity of the 760, not keen on the bulges\hexagonal\ridged handles of the other models.

Does anyone manufacture a very light safety de razor?

Any Merkur sold over the counter in Dublin?

Cabaal · 12-01-2009 1:32pm

Cost wise and for ease of ordering I'd say just ordering off the net, odds are even if you source one in Dublin it'll be more expensive then on-line in the end.

Raiser · 12-01-2009 1:51pm

People think they have to pay huge money for blades - not sure why

If they found a bit of cop-on within themselves I'm sure the manufacturers and retailers would fairly suddenly be left with no choice but to stop robbing people blind.....

- I love the Tesco twin blade disposables; you get a big 10 bag of them for €1.08

And because they are are so cheap you'll just immediately bin anything that isn't lethally sharp instead of doing the usual 1/4 shave with a blade just because you you can't remember if it is crap or not!!!

P.S Or are some patiently waiting for the first 12 blade system with vibrance control and follicle fallout agents !!!

ciscokidder · 12-01-2009 1:54pm

Their toothbrushes are similar - get a pack of 5 for a fraction of the price of the usual colgate ones. Once they off-peak just break out a new one.

Amalgam · 12-01-2009 2:04pm

ciscokidder wrote: »

Their toothbrushes are similar - get a pack of 5 for a fraction of the price of the usual colgate ones. Once they off-peak just break out a new one.

I use them. Not to take the thread off topic, but yes.. amusingly cheap, I think about 4 or 5 Tesco toothbrushes for a euro.

Jip · 12-01-2009 2:17pm

Amalgam wrote: »

I'm eyeing up a Merkur Futur 760 at the moment, matt finish.

I like the simplicity of the 760, not keen on the bulges\hexagonal\ridged handles of the other models.

That's the one I have, it's fairly heavy but the weight benefits you when you get used to it as you don't need to use as much pressure as you would with other razors when shaving. Got it from www.4.men.ie , a site I use alot.
I haven't seen any on the shelves anywhere though.

Ardscoil Ris · 12-01-2009 2:23pm

alan dunne 27 wrote: »

€10.50 for 5feckin blades ? What the hell! They're about £3 a pack in the UK.
What makes them so special that they're abhorrently overpriced here ?

Cos Emo's keep buying them to cut themselves...

Amalgam · 12-01-2009 2:51pm

Jip wrote: »

That's the one I have, it's fairly heavy but the weight benefits you when you get used to it as you don't need to use as much pressure as you would with other razors when shaving. Got it from www.4.men.ie , a site I use alot.
I haven't seen any on the shelves anywhere though.

Jip, that URL needs tweaking. http://www.4men.ie

MediaTank · 12-01-2009 2:53pm

Cabaal wrote: »

In relation to using a safety razor people might find this helpful..learning to use one properly - http://www.youtube.com/shavetutor

Agree, Mark is a legend. Check out his video series on Method Shaving :eek:

MediaTank · 12-01-2009 2:56pm

Amalgam wrote: »

I'm eyeing up a Merkur Futur 760 at the moment, matt finish.

I like the simplicity of the 760, not keen on the bulges\hexagonal\ridged handles of the other models.

Does anyone manufacture a very light safety de razor?

Any Merkur sold over the counter in Dublin?

I wouldn't recommend a Futur as the safety razor to start with, try the Progress instead. The Futur is difficult to adjust, the snap on blade holder takes getting used to and because the finish is smooth is difficult to hold safely.

For Merkur in Ireland try irishbarber.com, don't know of any bricks and mortor shops though.

Amalgam · 12-01-2009 3:07pm

Surprised at how stubby the shaft on the Progress is. (or maybe he has big hands..)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FZvMmuX_GE

who007 · 12-01-2009 3:23pm

I'm liking the look of this: http://www.executive-shaving.co.uk/shaving/gift-sets/open-razor-gift-set.php
I would never have thought of getting one of these until I read this thread but I have been pissed off spending money on blades for ages and the economy seems to make sense. Plus it would be pretty cool to be able to learn how to use one of these.

One question for anyone who might be in the know - I shave my head, so could I use a cut-throat for that? Or a safety razor?

MediaTank · 12-01-2009 3:32pm

who007 wrote: »

One question for anyone who might be in the know - I shave my head, so could I use a cut-throat for that? Or a safety razor?

Not a cut throat, but yes with a safety razor.

who007 · 12-01-2009 3:37pm

MediaTank wrote: »

Not a cut throat, but yes with a safety razor.

OK thanks - so one of those Merkur ones would do? I am out of blades at the moment so may invest in a Merkur today...

jdivision · 12-01-2009 3:41pm

Gilette price to market meaning they keep pushing up the prices until they find that it's no longer worth their while doing so - the drop off in sales exceeds the increased profit margin. The result here has been much higher prices for blades. The same applies to Duracell by the way.

axer · 12-01-2009 3:41pm

jester77 wrote: »

Why not get a decent razor like a Merkur and pickup some Feather blades, you can get 50 blades for under £10 here and they will give you a better shave than any Gilette or Wilkinson blade will ever give you.

Thats where i get mine too. A merkur slant bar and feather blades - will cut through heavy stubble so easily without any drag.

fenris · 12-01-2009 3:49pm

Knight's Barber upstairs in St Stephens Green stock some Merkur stuff - I got my Hefty there. A Porasso "Starter Kit" is worth getting, it has a shaving brush, pre-shave and shaving cream.

Another option is some of the Trumper solid soaps already in a bowl - they last forever!

MediaTank · 12-01-2009 4:01pm

who007 wrote: »

OK thanks - so one of those Merkur ones would do? I am out of blades at the moment so may invest in a Merkur today...

Yes, I have a couple of friends who shave their heads with them.

MT

Jip · 12-01-2009 4:01pm

Amalgam wrote: »

Jip, that URL needs tweaking. http://www.4men.ie

Cheers, don't know where that extra fullstop came from.

Agree with the fact that the Futur is hard to adjust, especially when wet but once you find the right setting you never need to adjust it anyway. Ironically the very first cut I got from this was to a finger when foolishly adjusting it with a wet hand !
And again when changing blades, it's not really a problem as you wouldnt be doing it on a regular basis and I usally do it again when dry and covering it with a towel.

For the people looking to shave their heads, check this out
http://www.4men.ie/index.php?sid=4847f8bb087ea26d174403f8faa09c3f&cl=details&anid=MY10&listtype=search&searchcnid=be34356d662538a32.82424460

who007 · 12-01-2009 4:08pm

Jip wrote: »

For the people looking to shave their heads, check this out
http://www.4men.ie/index.php?sid=4847f8bb087ea26d174403f8faa09c3f&cl=details&anid=MY10&listtype=search&searchcnid=be34356d662538a32.82424460

Was actually just looking at that on Amazon, but if the Merkur works I don't think I'd be bothered buying an extra razor with different blades - would prob defeat the point of saving money on those other expensive blades. And take up more space!

syklops · 12-01-2009 4:15pm

I heard from a friend, that the reason there is such a difference in prices between the UK and here, is that there is only one company importing them(Tesco I believe) and that they specify the price to all shops here, including Dunnes, and Boots.

Standard Rip Off Ireland rules apply. If you can get it cheaper else where, do.

tribulus · 12-01-2009 4:16pm

I've recently started using the Wilkinson Sword classic stainless steel razor and much prefer it to the usual Mach3s etc.

Can you interchange the type of blades though for these? I find the WKS blades give an extremely good shave but blunt after three shaves (though I do have coarse stubble) The Merkur and Feather blades look good and cheap and also look like they'd fit in my razor.

andrewh5 · 12-01-2009 4:23pm

tribulus wrote: »

I've recently started using the Wilkinson Sword classic stainless steel razor and much prefer it to the usual Mach3s etc.

Can you interchange the type of blades though for these? I find the WKS blades give an extremely good shave but blunt after three shaves (though I do have coarse stubble) The Merkur and Feather blades look good and cheap and also look like they'd fit in my razor.

You can use Merkur, Feather, Derby and other blades in your WK razor without problem. Feather are by far the finest blades and give a very close shave.

who007 · 12-01-2009 4:39pm

Having decided on a Merkur - €53 from 4mEN.ie and feather blades from Connaught I want to get soap and a brush - however the 10 quid brush I want from Connaught is out of stock as is the Tabac bowl with soap and the brushes with stands on 4men.ie are around €45!! Any suggestions?

sorry - just saw the €15 ones...

still - any recommendations for a good and inexpensive soap?

axer · 12-01-2009 4:41pm

who007 wrote: »

Having decided on a Merkur - €53 from 4mEN.ie and feather blades from Connaught I want to get soap and a brush - however the 10 quid brush I want from Connaught is out of stock as is the Tabac bowl with soap and the brushes with stands on 4men.ie are around €45!! Any suggestions?

Why don't you buy the razor from Connaught shaving too. Couldn't be a better time with the sterling exchange rate. They seem to have a better choice too. Plus you save on combined postage.

axer · 12-01-2009 4:43pm

tribulus wrote: »

I've recently started using the Wilkinson Sword classic stainless steel razor and much prefer it to the usual Mach3s etc.

If that is the razor I think it is then I shudder. The problem with that razor is the blades stay straight coming out of it whereas the likes of the merkur bend the blades down making them easier and better to use.

who007 · 12-01-2009 4:45pm

axer wrote: »

Why don't you buy the razor from Connaught shaving too. Couldn't be a better time with the sterling exchange rate. They seem to have a better choice too. Plus you save on combined postage.

Duh.. yeah that would make sense! I will get the €15 brush and stand from 4men and the razor and blades from Connaught.. now for the soap..

What is it about unplanned internet shopping when bored that makes me lunge for my credit card?!

axer · 12-01-2009 4:50pm

who007 wrote: »

Having decided on a Merkur - €53 from 4mEN.ie and feather blades from Connaught I want to get soap and a brush - however the 10 quid brush I want from Connaught is out of stock as is the Tabac bowl with soap and the brushes with stands on 4men.ie are around €45!! Any suggestions?

sorry - just saw the €15 ones...

still - any recommendations for a good and inexpensive soap?

Also I would seriously recommend getting the blade sampler pack from connaght shaving. Then start with the least sharpest and work your way up until you are happy. The feather blades are not recommended for learning - they are way too sharp.

Those brushes you are looking at are synthetic brushes. Seem a little pricey for that. Id say either of the two on connaught at least as good and way cheaper.

Regarding soap, I have manly just used cream (trumpers and taylor) but just ordered D.R. Harris soap in a bowl (about 16 euro).

tribulus · 12-01-2009 4:51pm

axer wrote: »

If that is the razor I think it is then I shudder. The problem with that razor is the blades stay straight coming out of it whereas the likes of the merkur bend the blades down making them easier and better to use.

I'm not sure of the exact model but I'm pretty sure as you tighten the handle back on it does that, I'll have to check!

Why are razor blades so bloody expensive ?

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