I have a new theory regarding razor mfg's

[Shiny]

I have formulated a new theory...  Gillette, and others keep coming out with these new bigger, faster, more power, more blades razors but it seems to me that I used to get a fine shave back in the old days with a regular old razor, (one blade or maybe two) but now even my Mach III seems to not do such a good job anymore.  Do Gillette et al come out with these new, expensive razors (e.g. 4 + 1 Fusion) and then start making crappy blades for the other models, such as the Mach III?   Does that explain why they won't make the new razors interchangeable with the old system?

Have a chew on that for a while and then let me know what you think.  Is it just my paranoid, dillusional imagination working overtime, or what?    

This could be a serious issue.  At the rate they are coming out with bigger razors, by the time I am 70, I won't be able to lift my razor anymore.   

[PigPen]

Wow, that's heavy.

[schro]

No, it's Bush's fault! EVERYTHING IS BUSH'S FAULT. Even the 1906 San Francisco earthquake! Although he wasn't alive at the time, it's gotta be his fault. Also, you know the world isn't round...it's shaped like a burrito. And Global Warming is real, even though climatologists ascertain that the earth's average temperature was hotter in 1000AD than it is today. Guess our fore, fore, forefathers weren't driving hybrids back then either.

I think the reason that blades are not interchangeable is that it's all about choice. Certain types of blades (for whatever reason) appeal to certain people. Although I have never tried a Mach III or any four-blade razor, I have been a Gillette Sensor guy since the early 90's and have no desire to put that many baldes on my face at the same time. I can guarantee that I'm not the only guy that feels the same way. I've only recently switched to an Atra so that I can only buy one type of cartridge to use with my HeadBlade. And I'm certain others will subscribe to the "more blades is better" theory. Purely personal choice.

I think this is (litterally) a different strokes for different folks kinda thing. Why do we have more than one kind of car, SUV, motorcycle, or truck? They all do the same thing, right? What about clothing? All we're trying to do is stay warm and cover up our willies & beavers (sorry, MBabe), so why are their different colors, fabrics, and styles?

And that, my friends, is the rest of the story.
Your Humble Ordinary American not from New York/New Jersey,
Schro

[jusbnme]

I have formulated a new theory...  Gillette, and others keep coming out with these new bigger, faster, more power, more blades razors but it seems to me that I used to get a fine shave back in the old days with a regular old razor, (one blade or maybe two) but now even my Mach III seems to not do such a good job anymore.  Do Gillette et al come out with these new, expensive razors (e.g. 4 + 1 Fusion) and then start making crappy blades for the other models, such as the Mach III?   Does that explain why they won't make the new razors interchangeable with the old system?

Have a chew on that for a while and then let me know what you think.  Is it just my paranoid, dillusional imagination working overtime, or what?    

Man, that's deep!!!    But seriously, I'm sort of with you on this one.  I use to use a Mach 3 a while back and it did a fairly decent job.  Then I switched over to the Fusion but went back to the Mach 3 very quickly because of the cost of the Fusion blades.  I noticed that the Mach 3 didn't seem the same.  It's almost like you said about the blades...They just didn't seem to cut as good as they use to.  Then again it could be because the Fusion worked so good that going back to the Mach 3 couldn't compare.  Probably all in my head but who knows?  It don't matter now anyway because I'm a hardcore HeadBlader and will never go back to anything.  Speaking of that...just for the hell of it a few days ago I gave my old Mach 3 a test.  I was just curious to see what the difference would be between it and the HB.  I used the Mach 3 with some old shave gel I had.  It felt like the Mach 3 was dragging across my skin.  Needless to say, I'll never be curious agian.  HeadBlade all the way!!!!

This could be a serious issue.  At the rate they are coming out with bigger razors, by the time I am 70, I won't be able to lift my razor anymore.   

[Robmeister]

It ain't far-fetched, Shiny....and wouldn't surprise me.

[schro]

It ain't far-fetched, Shiny....and wouldn't surprise me.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but personally, I ain't buyin' it. Why would a company intentionally produce a product that declines in performance? I have found that Gillette Sensor blades perform just as well and last just as long as they did when I first started using them in the mid 90's. Granted, I never jumped on 3, 4, or 5 blade bandwagon as others did, so I can't comment on any decline in efficacy of such blades.
Oh, on a side note, the generic Atra Blades I got at Albertson's (Equaline) are awesome.

[Robmeister]

It ain't far-fetched, Shiny....and wouldn't surprise me.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but personally, I ain't buyin' it. Why would a company intentionally produce a product that declines in performance? I have found that Gillette Sensor blades perform just as well and last just as long as they did when I first started using them in the mid 90's. Granted, I never jumped on 3, 4, or 5 blade bandwagon as others did, so I can't comment on any decline in efficacy of such blades.
Oh, on a side note, the generic Atra Blades I got at Albertson's (Equaline) are awesome.

I dunno...corporate/manufacturers "obselescence" strategies are out there.

[schro]

Then I guess I was lucky and picked the ONLY type of blade that is still being produced at the same level of quality standards today as it was when it was introduced. Boy I'm not only an Ordinary American, I'm a Lucky Ordinary American.

I respectfully disagree on this one.
Let's discuss this over a beer.

[Tyler]

It's really just a marketing ploy.  The quality is still there in the older blades, it's just that the newer blades have shiney packaging with cool logos and stuff.  I boycotted the fusion for so long because I thought that many blades was lame, but once I tried it I fell in love with the blade on the end.  I wish they would make a double or triple blade with the same little end blade.

[Robmeister]

Then I guess I was lucky and picked the ONLY type of blade that is still being produced at the same level of quality standards today as it was when it was introduced. Boy I'm not only an Ordinary American, I'm a Lucky Ordinary American.

I respectfully disagree on this one.
Let's discuss this over a beer.

No, man...the gloves are off, buddy boy!!!

j/k ..... in the specifics, yer probably correct .... I was speaking of general possibility since some mfgs do have them obselescence strategies.

Let's have a pint anyway

[Paul]

It ain't far-fetched, Shiny....and wouldn't surprise me.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but personally, I ain't buyin' it. Why would a company intentionally produce a product that declines in performance? I have found that Gillette Sensor blades perform just as well and last just as long as they did when I first started using them in the mid 90's. Granted, I never jumped on 3, 4, or 5 blade bandwagon as others did, so I can't comment on any decline in efficacy of such blades.
Oh, on a side note, the generic Atra Blades I got at Albertson's (Equaline) are awesome.

I dunno...corporate/manufacturers "obselescence" strategies are out there.

Has no one heard of the American automotive industry?

[Kajun]

has anyone heard of the computer industry? most computers are obsolete as soon as you buy one.

[schro]

has anyone heard of the computer industry? most computers are obsolete as soon as you buy one.

Sounds eerily similar to the marriage industry. As soon as you get a wife, she doesn't perform as well as she used to!!

[schro]

The computer and automobile industries are examples of industries that put out improved products as technology improves. Shoot, you can make that argument for a multitude of industries (golf equipment, TVs, food & nutrition, lawncare, construction...I could go on & on). My point was that I find it hard to believe that a company would decrease the quality of its output to get you to buy a newer model. To me, that's would be bad business. If they want you to buy a newer product, they'd discontinue the old ones.

[Blagadan]

I still use the Sensor 3 ... it's as good as always ... it's just that Fusion is better (for certain areas only).