Why Should the Average Man Join Us?

I haven't really looked at this thread for a day or so and it has really moved along.  

Why should the average man join us?  By joining us I mean shaving with soap, brush and DE blade and not becoming a dedicated hobbyist / collector of all things shaving.

Jumping in, I think I'm an average guy and I think I could justify shaving with B&M soap exclusively even if I were on a limited budget.  First off its just so darn good - I used LGC today after a few days of using other soaps and B&M really is that good.  Secondly, I could afford to buy one tub at a time and use it until its gone while saving to buy the next one.  It starts to get "expensive" when we choose to acquire more soap than we could ever reasonably use in our lifetimes but the "average guy" doesn't have to do that.  He can find his favourite and stick to it and lots of guys do.  There are decent reasonably priced razors, brushes and aftershaves out there too.  For many, perhaps even most men shaving is still a daily activity rather than a hobby.  Granted, it can be a pleasant daily activity but that still doesn't have to break the bank and done practically it can even save the average man money. Thats why the average man should join us.

+1

Great post!

Great points Marko! There is a difference between average users and enthusiasts, and not everyone will make the transition between normal user and enthusiast. I've converted quite a few people to wet shaving - for many, cost is one of the main considerations. Out of those, only two or three have become enthusiasts and now own numerous soaps/razors/brushes.

It's a large market and there is room for all sorts of people.

With regard to traditional wet shaving and the average man, one should note that VDH is now selling their DE razors in Walmart and other retail outlets. Additionally, it is rumored that Gillette is going to release a new DE razor of their own that closely resembles the Fat Boy razor of old in their AOS stores sometime in May. Also, according to someone in AOS, DE razors are their top selling item -- even at the prices they charge for them. So while the "average" man may not have an interest in traditional shaving, there's plenty of others who do.

I'm not surprised that shaving forums are down in the last three months after Christmas, this should be expected in yearly cycles. But Alexa results are not indicative of all factors either. Maybe the general public is using the web to research candidates in this year's election more, or something particularly popular has happened with the Kardashians, or teenage girls have a new heart-throb. This is an apples to oranges comparison, and does not show what is going on with cart shaving vs. safety razor shaving.

In fact, a website or forums' traffic may go up, while the overall Alexa results compared to other sites might be down.

Anyway, for me, I'm not a collector, and shaving used to be mundane for me until I discovered a razor that changed my shaving life. The forums gave me the reviews I needed to make the purchase, and now I have soaps and brushes and aftershaves I would have never bought otherwise.

I agree with Len here. I will say this...our pageview numbers from 1/23/16-2/23/16 compared to 2/24/16-3/24/16 are up 118K

Well that's interesting . Congrats to DFS.

Well that's interesting . Congrats to DFS.

thanks. everyone who visits and posts on the site makes it successful. so, really, I'm thanking everyone that spends time here!

just to add some juice to the thread...

these curves though!

Wow... Hawt .

The distinction between a guy who just wants a better-than-cartridges shave and a shaving hobbyist is an important one. A surprising number of guys at my office shave with a brush and DE razor (this in itself is notable, I think). But only a few of them have collected soaps, razors, brushes. I'm certainly the most "hobbyist" among them.

Why should the average fellow switch away from modern cartridges and canned gel/foam? That, I believe, is the main question of this thread, right? Looks like we've otherwise been derailed into discussions of the popularity of non-cart wetshaving, the pros and cons of it as a hobby, etc. Those are beside the point of the question.

To offer my perspective, and this is based on the "conversions" I've seen among friends and coworkers: cartridges, despite being easy to use, have two big drawbacks: skin problems (for many, at least), and cost. What tends to convince guys to try DE shaving, in my experience, is pointing out that a DE shave resolves irritation and bumps, and costs much less after initial investment.

Guys today simply don't know it's there as a viable alternative. That's the power of decades of cartridge marketing. Gillette began selling carts when they lost patents and saw the disposable Bic as a threat. Their cartridges are priced with great margins for them. To get us to pay those prices they have to convince us that they're technologically advanced; the best way to shave. For most of us, they're not. They may have been worth the convenience in the Atra and Trac II days; once most switched to cartridges then, we kept looking at Gillette for where to go next. But again, that (or electrics) is all most of us know.

So, the appeal is better, cheaper shaving. That's the core. It helps that we're in a time when many people are attracted to going back to classic, "artisan" ways of doing things. We're more receptive to the idea that an older method can be better. Also, the "cool factor" of shaving with a safety razor, which next to a cartridge seems dangerous and manly (heh), is a real contributor.

Every guy I've talked to who has taken up DE shaving says he enjoys the experience, whereas he used to find it tiresome. That becomes compelling, too. It's like making the argument for cooking at home rather than eating quick take-out food: it's better for you, often less expensive, and much more rewarding. People get that argument.

There's appeal in finding a seemingly forgotten method turn out to be better. It's a revelation for many guys that irritation and bumps are not inherent to shaving. The hobbyist side rarely enters into it. I wouldn't tell someone they're gonna really enjoy collecting soaps, brushes, and obscure vintage razors. That'd be intimidating and a turn-off. Instead, it's: hey, those cartridges do a number on your skin and charge you too much to boot. A simple, single blade works really well, costs much less, and you'll enjoy the whole thing as a bonus.

Plenty of guys will still be content with their expensive cartridges, but I know many guys who respond well to the above case being made.

aside from physically buying wet shaving items, I think the "average man" might want to find a place that's inviting and helpful while they embark on their new endeavor.

I first used a brush, mug and a puck of soap about 10 years ago. the items were all purchased at walmart. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but the nostalgia appealed to me. I'm not sure if there were any forums or sites around about 10 years ago, though if there were and had I known about them, I would of stuck with it.