Fads

It is funny how certain brands go in and out of favor. When I first started in the business, all vendors were scrambling to find a source for Irisch Moos shave sticks (and the other IM products as well). When we finally did find a source, the IM flew off the shelf. This lasted for maybe 6 months. Today? It still sells but nowhere nearly as quickly as it once did. The same phenomena was also true of two-band shaving brushes. When two band hair first became readily available, it was hard to keep the brushes in stock. Today though, I place much smaller orders as they may be on the shelf awhile.

I guess the trick is staying ahead of the curve. = )

Well, Phil, for most of us, many things in wet shaving are going to last for a pretty long time (and in the case of razors and brushes possibly a lifetime). Therefore, once the item has been added to an ever expanding shave den (or nook ; } ) there really isn't a need to get any more for a long time.

A phenomenon that's here to stay Phil, consider it not a fad but a trend!

ben74 Wrote:A phenomenon that's here to stay Phil, consider it not a fad but a trend!

True...more of a trend. The products are here to stay but they go hot and cold. The same is true for popular shave brush sizes. A few years ago it was all the 22 or 23mm knots with a short loft but now we are seeing bigger brushes become popular again. It is a pendulum that swings back and forth I guess.

When I was a newbie I bought at LEAST one of everything. Everyone wants what's popular or new. Now that I've settled into it all, I find myself with tons of goods that just don't disappear all that fast. A puck of soap lasts half a year if used regularly, and if you have 6 different soaps.........I have to live until I am 112 to use up all my stuff. Check back tomorrow, as that projected age number keeps increasing due to something new that's all the rave! pp

A much better way to stay ahead of the curve is to create the curve! ; } But yes there's a definite change over time. It all balances out in the end. My interest definitely gets piqued like MsBlackwolf says when something new comes out, but I find a little more control now with stuff than I did before. People going on about something gets you to start thinking about new stuff and how it is, and often before you know it it's on the way to your house. Recently heard the description of flavor of the month applied to stuff that generates a lot of interest and buzz, and then it sort of dies out. Most of us it's a hobby to which we dearly love, and it's a bit of an adrenaline rush with all the stuff! If the stuff is good though it'll always be around. bn

I remember having no clue what two band refered to. My guess was the two handle ridges on my Grosvenor.
My theory is many people come aboard and see what everyone is using to decrease the financial learning curve.
Then somebody 'takes the plunge' and a few others jump in on unknown products. I was intrigued by the green
colour and period bottle ofTOBS 74- brilliant meansto judge scent. Happily it has become one of two favourites!
I know a few guys tried it and then it quieted down again. At least I know it will be in stock when I reorder.

Interesting topic. I'm about three years into wet shaving, so when I started the cool tools were:

Merkur HD and Gillette fat boy razors.
Tabac soap in the milk glass bowl.
Red Pack Personna and Derby Blades.
A little bit later, Semogue boar brushes, especially the plush 1305 brush.

I recall reading an observation of Bruce Evans on his shaving blog about how earlier generations all used what we today would call small brushes, 19-20 mm knots and they were perfectly satisfied with them. It reminded me of my first brush, the humble Tweezerman which is probably 20-22 mm. Even though it took more work, I could whip up wonderful lather in a coffee mug.

Now my badgers are in the 22-24mm range and I'm very satisfied with that size. I arrived at that size on a recommendation from Mantic59 on a good all-purpose size to start with and found that it suited me perfectly.

Well, there was the rush on MR GLO from a few months ago that seems to be dying out now - which is good because I need to get some more soon!

landholder Wrote:Well, there was the rush on MR GLO from a few months ago that seems to be dying out now - which is good because I need to get some more soon!

Unless of course all the other people who made a run on MRGLO a few months ago will also need to buy more...

Songwind Wrote:Unless of course all the other people who made a run on MRGLO a few months ago will also need to buy more...

That could happen, but I beat the rush last time and I might beat the rush this time also... D,

There was a time when everyone and his mother had a Semogue.

(03-02-2012, 09:34 AM)boYexTRAORDINaRE Wrote: There was a time when everyone and his mother had a Semogue.

Well, my mother does not have any but...I own several.

(02-26-2012, 05:38 PM)bullgoose Wrote: It is funny how certain brands go in and out of favor. When I first started in the business, all vendors were scrambling to find a source for Irisch Moos shave sticks (and the other IM products as well). When we finally did find a source, the IM flew off the shelf. This lasted for maybe 6 months. Today? It still sells but nowhere nearly as quickly as it once did. The same phenomena was also true of two-band shaving brushes. When two band hair first became readily available, it was hard to keep the brushes in stock. Today though, I place much smaller orders as they may be on the shelf awhile.

I guess the trick is staying ahead of the curve. = )

+1 for staying ahead of the curve. I wonder if given enough time these same items will cycle back around to be "popular" or the "must have" again. Seems many times the old becomes the new fad again with enough time.

Fads seem to start on the shaving forums with one or a small group of hypesters. All it takes is a lack of easy availability and a few excited guys with a genius for over the top enthusiasm and boom every one wants one and its something that must be had .

(03-03-2012, 01:45 PM)Hanzo Wrote: Fads seem to start on the shaving forums with one or a small group of hypesters. All it takes is a lack of easy availability and a few excited guys with a genius for over the top enthusiasm and boom every one wants one and its something that must be had .

Yea...that pretty much sums it up.

(03-03-2012, 01:46 PM)bullgoose Wrote:

(03-03-2012, 01:45 PM)Hanzo Wrote: Fads seem to start on the shaving forums with one or a small group of hypesters. All it takes is a lack of easy availability and a few excited guys with a genius for over the top enthusiasm and boom every one wants one and its something that must be had .

Yea...that pretty much sums it up.

In one! It sure was confusing for me as a newbie. I'm easily confused, but asking 5 guys what the best shave cream is....the 8 answers were tough to sort out! I HAD to buy 1 of each!

(03-03-2012, 03:19 PM)MsBlackwolf Wrote: In one! It sure was confusing for me as a newbie. I'm easily confused, but asking 5 guys what the best shave cream is ... the 8 answers were tough to sort out! I HAD to buy 1 of each!

Some serious truthin' there! Sometimes I grind another molar into powder trying to keep from buying more s/creams I read about on the boards. Struggling with an urge for Cella vs. Speick is getting my goat lately. :-/

Don't know if it has been mentioned yet. On another forum not WS related, that I and at least one other TSN poster post on, a lot of converts to the WS have gone with the Edwin Jagger DE89. Which isn't a bad razor to start out with, I don't think anyone went with a merkur or a parker product.

So whats next...

How many times can the wheel be re-invented and how much are you willing to pay for the next fad. I guess that is a seasoned shaver speaking here and I know what works and what does not.

I don't so much mind the fads as much as I despise the drum beating on the boards. Many newbies jump in with an opinion of a product they never even used just to show they "know" what they are talking about since they read someone else's post on a product. Often times the legend becomes the fact because of the drum beating and the bandwagon.

I had to laugh, on B&B a guy posted about "obsecure creams on Shave a buck" in the shave cream forum just a few days ago. These creams that have become so obsecure were selling like hot cakes when Giovanni Abrate was doing his thing. Does anyone remember his old site before he sold out to Shoebox shave shop.