Wet shaving renaissance

[Paper Plane]

Perhaps I didn't phrase the question correctly. It was what has been described as 'traditional' tools and methods I had in mind, rather than carts'n'goo.

Thanks to Shave X for his erudite reply which explains a lot. Also thanks to those who also added other perspectives.

steve (A thankful convert to traditionalism)

 

[Sabre]

Perhaps I didn't phrase the question correctly. It was what has been described as 'traditional' tools and methods I had in mind, rather than carts'n'goo.

Thanks to Shave X for his erudite reply which explains a lot. Also thanks to those who also added other perspectives.

steve (A thankful convert to traditionalism)

Well being as you're in North Yorkshire, Steve's viewpoint is only valid from a North American perspective. In the UK, you could have acquired most traditional items continuously. The products never left, and are not really in a renaissance.

 

[R181]

Well being as you're in North Yorkshire, Steve's viewpoint is only valid from a North American perspective. In the UK, you could have acquired most traditional items continuously. The products never left, and are not really in a renaissance.

I don't think the availability traditional items has anything to with there being no renaissance but it is their resurgence in usage that constitutes a renaissance. With that resurgence in use has come a tremendous expansion in availability and variety of traditional shave products no seen in decades.

The horse and buggy never went away entirely but they are still not a common sight on the roads either. Until that happens there is no renaissance for them.

Bob

 

[Sabre]

I don't think the availability traditional items has anything to with there being no renaissance but it is their resurgence in usage that constitutes a renaissance. With that resurgence in use has come a tremendous expansion in availability and variety of traditional shave products no seen in decades.

The horse and buggy never went away entirely but they are still not a common sight on the roads either. Until that happens there is no renaissance for them.

Bob

What resurgence? I work for P&G's closest competitor, who are now also in the shaving industry with their third attempt. I have seen market research reports commissioned for hundreds of thousands pounds into this industry. We're literally talking 0.000 percentages.

 

[R181]

What resurgence? I work for P&G's closest competitor, who are now also in the shaving industry with their third attempt. I have seen market research reports commissioned for hundreds of thousands pounds into this industry. We're literally talking 0.000 percentages.

What does P&G and your outfit offer in the traditional shaving gear line that may appeal to traditional minded shavers rather than the cart&goo group?

Bob

 

[Sabre]

What does P&G and your outfit offer in the traditional shaving gear line that may appeal to traditional minded shavers rather than the cart&goo group?

Bob

P&G own The Art of Shaving, Bevel, and are the largest DE blade manufacturer in the world.

 

[R181]

P&G own The Art of Shaving, Bevel, and are the largest DE blade manufacturer in the world.

OK, have heard of The Art of Shaving but no store in my town of about 100,00 pop. I can get AOS shave cream at a recently opened Saphora store though. Never heard of Bevel at all. About the only DE blades to be had locally are Wilkinsons. There is a drug store chain that has carried a selection of Proraso products for years as well as Walmarts limited section of traditional shave gear. Both have far more items for the cart and goo crowd and that has been the case for many years now.

Where I have seen an increase in the availability of traditional shave gear is in online stores and they carry a large variety of items. Traditional wet shaving is still a niche market but it is healthier now than it has been in the past. So I'd still say there has been a bit of a renaissance in traditional wet shaving but huge companies like P&G may not be well positioned to take advantage of it and have ignored it for years as being too small a market to bother with any more until recently.

There has been an increase in makers of straight razors from companies who left the field but have returned in recent years to restart production. In some cases that has lead to a spotting QC rep as new employees do not have the years of experience the old hands had and they are long gone. Also in some cases the demand for new straight razors has been hard to meet and left retailers without stock to sell for periods of time. I am sure those teething issues have or will be settled shortly as experience in production grows.

Bob