SKARP IN TROUBLE....

The Kickstarter campaign stated a 50,000 hour life cycle.  If you shaved with it for 10 minutes a day/everyday - that would be 300000 days or 821 years.  So to answer your question it would be the last razor you ever bought.  You would have to replace the AAA battery every month - that would be your only cost.

Interesting. Based on the Indiegogo page, then, they've backed off on that claim a bit.

The new fiber design has an extremely hard surface. We expect it to take several years to wear it out with normal use, but that can’t be tested until we have made it.

Or perhaps they meant 50,000 hours for the electronics, but nothing they've mentioned has indicated the fiber is replaceable.

I don't know that I would use one of these. Making and applying the lather is my favorite part of the shave, and the Skarp wouldn't work with that - or at least wouldn't need it. But I'm definitely interested to see how it develops. I hope it's a great product that happens to be developed by people with terrible planning and public relations skills.

I think they were refering to the laser with the 50,000 hours - I did not see on Kickstarter the shorter life of the fiber. So their new campaign gives a little different story. The biggest issue with lasers and fiber is dirt/dust/anything in contact with the surface. Oils from your skin will get on the fiber and attenuate the light level so you would have to almost clean and polish the fiber prior to use.

This may become a commercial product in the future and maybe they will make it work. Currently they have $232,162 or 145% of their goal so they will get some money and we will see what happens.

As for me - I will stick to my DE's, soap, and brushes.

Very good article here on Skarp. Apparently, their new platform for fund raising allows them to keep the funds regardless if the product ever comes to fruition.... Snake oil?? Popular mechanics calls the science behind this junk..... Hmmmmmm

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technolo...-problems/

steeleshaves, that was a very interesting article. The nice thing is, I can see how this develops while sitting on the sidelines.

Yeah, when both of the guys behind the project have full beards, and they give a nonsense answer to the direct question "why don't you shave with your razor?", it's a dead giveaway they aren't forthcoming. After getting kicked off KickStarter, anyone who throws money into the project is irresponsible. In my case, when I first saw the project at KS, I was obviously interested in the razor. Then when it became apparent that getting one of these razors was going to cost close to $200, it was an easy decision to wait until they go into full production and sales to buy one, IF the price was much lower after mass production began. Let them get the bugs out and put it on the market at a reasonable price, then read the reviews on it before actually buying one. Moreover, let these two guys each make a video and show them cutting off these bushy beards with their own razor, before they can honestly say one word about how well or how poorly they perform. Pros and cons also.

There was another thread here on the SKARP and it laid out some of the concerns of the people behind this. The lead guy has been involved with the development of lasers for dermotology applications and has credible work behind him.

The problem is what I was saying before and what Popular Mechanics mentions. The lasers he was involved with are Class II which are regulated and require training to use such as a Doctor. What you and I can typically get and use are the Class IIIB lasers that are pointers. The article is clear - they will have to get FDA approval - which I can imagine takes more than a few months.

I am skeptical that this will work but if they have a way of making this work - I would like to see it made. Will I buy one - probably not - but I always root for the little guy to come up with a new idea to challenge the status quo. Afterall we are wet shaving and buying new products from the small vendors because we don't like what is being mass marketed.

If they can make it work as advertised, it'll be one of those products that could change the way people shave forever.

If they can make it work as advertised, it'll be one of those products that could change the way people shave forever.

Unless the burning hair smell turns people off.

My meaning was that it is advertised as having no burning hair odor. I agree with most people that it cannot work as advertised, in all respects.

well, I guess we'll find out sooner or later.

it's definitely an interesting concept, if it can be refined enough to work as efficiently as a regular razor. from the demo video, if it cuts facial hair as slow as it did with his arm hair - hair that probably isn't anywhere near as densely packed in as facial hair - it'll take 2 hours to shave.

well, I guess we'll find out sooner or later.

it's definitely an interesting concept, if it can be refined enough to work as efficiently as a regular razor.  from the demo video, if it cuts facial hair as slow as it did with his arm hair - hair that probably isn't anywhere near as densely packed in as facial hair - it'll take 2 hours to shave.

More like two years and by then you'd still end up with a beard bigger and bushier than what those men on the video are sporting. (See, they do use their own product. )