I was the one who started this thread. You could at least mention the name of the member you got the idea from, as well as the forum. Nikos.a and DFS. At least this is what I would do, if I were you. Of course, it's not copyrighted and you can do whatever you like, but it's a bit more gentlemanly way to go.
It turned out political because there are members on forums who think it's a good idea to belittle a nation's efforts and hard fights against the Nazis, implying that only the Americans fought them and because of them the whole Europe does not speak German today. I'm Greek by the way. This happened on DFS. This discussion came out of nowhere. Basically it started because I said that Italian and EU products in general has much more demand than American artisan products, which is absolutely true. An established company's turnover with decades of history can't be compared to a person's that makes soaps at his house with no certifications and regulation compliance. This hurt their feelings.
I also posted the same thread on B&B. They vanished it in a few hours with no explanation. TSN has also a very bad habit of vanishing posts and threads without an explanation. Really, I'm sick of this. I don't care if they ban me, even though I'm a long-standing member.
I'm in no way a communist, but I hate the fact that the American imperialism is still a thing on US based forums. The world does not revolve around them, they must get it at some point.
Anyway, what I said in my original thread was the following.
"I have a feeling that when this comes to an end, the wet shaving world won't be the same.
Personally, I am one of those that won't need anything for the foreseeable future. I used to be a hoarder in my early days and still have dozens of untouched products. My enthusiasm for new fancy products is long gone, but even if it were up there, I'd have lost my interest due to the latest events.
Italy, one of the most important countries shaving wise, if not the most important (that's what I believe to be honest), is having a major issue. The whole country is in quarantine with thousands of cases and over two thousands of dead people. Will the famous companies come out as survivors despite the huge economic crisis? I hope so. The same with Spain.
How about the shaving stores, artisans, online vendors? Are they able to withstand the massive economic hit? Only the largest I think. Buying shaving stuff is certainly not a priority anymore for the majority of the hobbyists, even if it were prior to the virus outbreak. Hoarders will probably stock some of their favorites, but I think that most already have a large stock of them. How many more do they need? I am of the opinion that this will affect the artisans' creativity. If the demand is not like it used to be (it won't be for sure) and humanity has more important things to deal with, then why continue offering innovative products? Would that make any difference? Would it be a better idea to offer them in the future, when all these come to an end? If I were an artisan, these would be some of my thoughts. I'm not in the business, so I just make a few assumptions. If some go out of business, this will be awful, but I won't care that much as that's how the market works. Economy needs crises like this from time to time but that's a different discussion. I also happen to have lots of products, so my routine won't change. That may sounds selfish of me, but we can't do anything about it. Only the best and the luckiest survive. That's how our society is built.
The forum participation will most probably increase, as most people now have lots of time on their hands. Many counties are in quarantine and people are locked up in their homes (the smart people at least). BST section will reflect the market trends, there won't be much interest for products, unless they're offered in very low prices (this already happens).
We'll see. This will last for months (hopefully, not more) and we'll be here to see the outcome."
