State of Wetshaving

Sharpology has a long article about this dated 3/14 (I presume we can talk about other places on the net - if not mod just delete this)

Much of what he says is true, particularly the issue of customer service. ALL business, nm small businesses, should heed those warnings. However, the very next article dated 3/16 (yesterday) is about a brand new soap maker.

This is why recent closings mean little WITHIN an expanding bubble. The bubble expands, contracts, and then another company takes its place. Maybe it survives, maybe it doesn't, or maybe it lasts 150 years like the British companies. Regardless, any business should heed the advice there about customer service and what sets you aside from the others. The bigger the bubble, that is, the space of all vendors grows, very little separates the average costing products. Customer service can set you apart.

I agree with you completely, but in this situation I find it hard to believe that Tim's Soap suffered from poor customer service. He's a wonderful guy.

Sharpology has a long article about this dated 3/14 (I presume we can talk about other places on the net - if not mod just delete this)

Much of what he says is true, particularly the issue of customer service. ALL business, nm small businesses, should heed those warnings. However, the very next article dated 3/16 (yesterday) is about a brand new soap maker.

This is why recent closings mean little WITHIN an expanding bubble. The bubble expands, contracts, and then another company takes its place. Maybe it survives, maybe it doesn't, or maybe it lasts 150 years like the British companies. Regardless, any business should heed the advice there about customer service and what sets you aside from the others. The bigger the bubble, that is, the space of all vendors grows, very little separates the average costing products. Customer service can set you apart.

I agree with you completely, but in this situation I find it hard to believe that Tim's Soap suffered from poor customer service. He's a wonderful guy.

Oh, I was just responding to the criticism I read about Strop Shoppe in the article. I have no input to the other two companies that closed shop. A generic comment about customer service is an important differentiator among a sea of common products all about priced equally.

grim, that is certainly an interesting take and I cannot dispute what you say; I just hope you're wrong.

As long as there is a place at the wetshaving table for everyone, hobbyists and average Joe shavers alike, I wouldn't worry.  Even if hobbyists will always be in the minority, there are still plenty around, and a ton of wetshaving supplies and equipment to try out.  That would hold true even if no new products were introduced from now on, and it stands to reason lots of new products will be introduced.  Besides, it it the hobbyists and the information they disseminate that enables the average Joes to get better shaves.  The shaving world is much better than it was 15 years ago, is it not?  No matter how things turn out, at the end of the day it's all good.

Like most of the other posters, I got into wet shaving because for years, pretty much since I started shaving at 16, I have been searching for something better. I always have had problems with razor burn and ingrown hairs, particularly on my neck. The new cartridge would work better for a little while, then the problems would be back. Then they became so incredibly expensive ($140/year on cartridges alone during grad school! Yikes!). As I graduated, and got my first job, everything revolved around cutting edge technology, and I craved something simple, something old. That is when I got into fountain pens, straight razors, anything my grandfather had used on a daily basis. I also came to find that I could have much better products, be more environmentally friendly, and finally, my holy grail of an irritation free shave. Granted, I am not much of a collector. I buy products to consume them. However, I really love the fact that I can have things that smell like something other than Edge gel!
Fast forward to today, I have a 2 year old son. He actually likes to sit and watch me rub the brush on my face and the white lather appear, scrape it off, and smell the soap. I can't wait for the day he has a beard and I can teach him to shave in the traditional fashion.
Also, thank you ezlovan for your service, and the sacrifices you and your family have made to make and keep our country the great place it is today!
-Chris