You’re listening to Wet Shaving Talk powered by Sharpologist.com where we’re dedicated to preserving the art and skill of classic shaving. I’m your host Joe Borrelli and today is Feb 14th ,2022
Today on the Show
Sorry I’ve been out
Analyzing the Wet Shaving Market 2022
New Releases losing their Appeal?
New Shave Brush From Wolfman
How to keep your wet shaving rotation fresh
Analyzing the Wet Shaving Market 2022
New Releases Losing Its Appeal?
New Brush From Wolfman
Keeping Your Rotation Fresh
Our show is powered by Sharpologist.com, “What Your Father Didn’t Teach You about Shaving”
Special Thanks to:
Mark aka Mantic 59
Most of All……….YOU!!!!
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Our next show will be 2/28/22
Until then….
Shave straight and Shave Safe!
You are listening to, wet shaving talk, powered by Sharpologist, dot com, where we’re dedicated, preserving the art and skill of classic shaving.
I’m you host Joel, and today is February 14th 2022. All right! Everyone, welcome back to the podcast on this beautiful Valentine’s day.
That’s right, happy Valentine’s day to you all. Happy day after Superbowl.
So hopefully you’re all recovering and this is also a national call out of Work day. So hopefully none of us did that.
But if you did, at least you have a nice broadcast to listen to. Hopefully right, all right.
So I want to apologize. I missed the last show.
I was under the weather, didn’t have much of a voice, so I was unable to come up with anything well had content. I just couldn’t do it, couldn’t say it wouldn’t have sounded very good.
So I do apologise for being out, but I am better feeling like a million bucks and ready to talk wet shaving this week. So few things did happen while I was gone, I did come out with that article analyzing the wet shaving market for 2022. This is something I do every year.
I like to look at the market and really figure out what’s going on and see you know what the trends are going to be or what the trends were and see if they’re going to keep going for 2022. So I would like to say first off disclaimer. It’s all in my opinion, so really opinion from my facts, from reading in the wet shaving market and, just you know, being very involved and in that area.
So that’s what I think is going to happen again. I will be honest: in 2020, came out with that article in January.
I was dead wrong. All right, so I’m just lettin you know, but two is definitely looking more a regular year for us, or the new new normal is well in place and I think we’ve got a great grab on the wet shaving market.
So looking forward to going over that, just breaking that down with you guys today and going over a few of the bullet points on that one. Also new new new concepts from Wolfman razors.
They’re coming out with a shave brush, believe it or not, Wolf Man has a shave brush and he is auctioning off the first one now and he will have, like, I’m pretty sure, a line of them coming out with different metals and stuff like that, not sure on the pricing yet, but looking forward to talking a little bit about that and seeing that come into fruition. New releases.
Are they losing their appeal? Are you not as excited about a new release?
Are you don’t really know, care about new releases any more? I’ll tell you my thoughts and what I’ve seen in the market and wet shaving in the wet shaving world in the last few months and then finally keeping your rotation fresh.
You know, keeping that rotation, those soaps and everything going. How do you keep it fun?
How do you keep it fresh for the long time Wet shavers. You’ve been doing this for a long time.
How do you make it fun every morning and not repetitious? I’ll tell you my thoughts and a couple of hints when we get to that segment of the show.
So without further ado, let’s get on with it. All right about the wet shaving market.
You know, analyzing the market itself has been very difficult for the last few years because everything keeps changing. But I’ve got a few ideas and a few things that I’ve noticed, for 2022 that I think you’re on and you might even agree with you might disagree with.
But I do want to hear your thoughts on that in the future if you tell me or if you think something else is going to happen in the wet shaving world. So the first thing that I’ve noticed is we’ve noticed a increase in, well first off.
You know before going into that you know price increases for software and inevitable right now. You know that’s something that a lot of people have been talking about.
Price changes for increase. Excuse me for software is you’re looking at, so you’re looking at.
You know aftershave shipping delays, price increases on on bulk material, on raw material. It’s happening, it’s real and it’s going to affect us at the point-of-sale so you know.
Looking at that, but all I got to say is: be mindful to vendors and artisans. You know it’s not their fault, there’s nothing they can do about it and also, and there’s also ways that you can battle this and fight back by taking advantage of offers that are given by vendors, artisans and other companies.
First you take advantage of bulk shipping. You know bulk shipping is where you can get.
You know, buy a bunch of items and you get free shipping. If you buy a $100 $200 worth of stuff, whatever it is right from a vendor, you know, get with some some wet shaving friends and talk to them and say: hey guys, let’s do this.
You know, let’s split a box. I’ll buy $20 you by our dollars, you by one, and then we’ll split-up and have a little bit of meet up to disperse the goods.
That’s a great way to save a few bucks. You can save about ten and $15 on shipping.
You know certainly a big deal when you’re looking at you know if you’re spending a 100, that’s about ten to 15% decrease in price. So looking at that, you can really save some money there.
And taking advantage of sales and coupons and then doubling up on it. Take advantage of the sales and then use the buying in bulk.
You know a lot of vendors and artisans are are offering promotions here and there, and this was literally nonexistent about five or six years ago. We never saw any sales, you know talking about Black Friday, I think maybe one vendor did something five years ago on Black Friday and that was it.
Usually there’s nothing going on and now there’s a lot going on. So it’s very interesting to see the sales and coupons and promotions.
So look for that, take advantage of the free shipping and then split it with some friends and you will save anywhere from 15 to 20% off your overall bill by doing that which will actually combat those higher prices. So there you go some some hints and some tricks, tips and tricks to battle the increased price.
Another thing I noticed in the wet shaving world, really you’re going to start seeing a lot of innovation coming out. You know we’ve seen some new razors, a lot of companies coming out or razors are finally some new innovation with new designs.
You saw the Mag T come out in 2020. That was something with a magnet razor. Know whether or not you would think the the idea is great or works.
It’s still innovation. You.
know, it’s still something different. You know we saw Rex Razor, Emporium came out with a slant, adjustable razor.
You now that’s something that’s really exciting to see and really wanted to see. You know some more stuff like that come out.
You know that’s really a new concept, very, very cool. All right, so I think were going to see some more innovation.
You know, also saw Wolf Man came out with new razor last year. Know I’m a fan of Wolfman Razors and then the single edge was something that we’re he was talking about for years and finally came out.
So yeah, 2022 looks promising innovation also see items that have shown decrease in interest. You know I’ve seen decreases more more along the lines of high end software again now it’s just another thing that we’re just nobody’s really into it any more.
When high end soaps and going crazy over releases and stuff, it’s just something that that’s that’s slow down and pre shave products. Pre shave products have been, like you know, not really into it any more.
Not many people are advertising or it’s not something that I mean I don’t use pre shave products. I never really did some here and there.
I’ll try them, but I don’t really you know, live by them. So that’s something I saw.
Those two items. Really those two areas are really starting to decrease in interest, but increasing in interest is another story.
You got the gillette toggles on fire right now. You know, get toggles going for three or four times what they used to go for a few years ago.
You can, few years ago you can get one for a 150 to $200 now three and 400, or even close to a 1000 for case one. You know.
So I think the Gillette tagle is just the grail for so many wet shavers and so many guys just want it so they’re going after it like any way they can. They’re willing to pay a little bit more too, just because, you know, with the pandemic and everything it’s just I want my grail razor.
I don’t care anymore. You know I’ve been through so much.
I want this. So the tags on fire right now definitely is a big, big, collectable, non gulet vintage raisers are are really starting to show some interest.
You know the Apollo Micron. Probably you know it’s a german razor adjustable that’s big on the market right now.
That’s going for some big big bucks and you have a couple of the other smaller ones. They’re selling out quickly and going and going high in auctions online too.
So you know, looking at non gilette vintage razors, a lot of them have really well, a lot of them have cool concepts and original designs. So check them out.
Guys, when you get a chance, also recommend doing that soon, because there’s only a certain amount out there and a lot of them aren’t located in the US. One thing is: before the internet there wasn’t many items sold from other countries unless you would go to that country and see it and then buy it and bring it home, or if you’re from another country and you would bring it with you.
That’s how we see them here. So a lot of them are going to be overseas.
So utilize different types of accounts. Go on like a French one, go on like a Belgian one.
Stuff like that. Those those areas and you you’ll find you might get better luck finding some of these cool nonet vintage razors and then high and adjustable raisers are really are really solid right now, showing some real steady increases.
Like example, the Rocknel sailors been on fire. You know that razor has been really showing some a lot of interest and a couple of other ones as well.
You know you’ve seen some more innovation there coming out too. I think your going to a couple more enter the market and really this is the sleeper.
This is the one I never thought I’d be talking about. The Merkur vision 2000 in the vision regular wow!
This raiser which was used, which was actually a big bulky, wasn’t not. Many people were a fan of it back when it was being made, is now showing prices over $500 for a case set, one that was new old stock, I saw, wasn’t used, one for 600, and this is a little background.
On this razor, Merkur came out with a twist to open butterfly door safety razor back in like, I believe, the mid-nineties and it was out until about 2012 or 2013. It’s a massive razor. It takes a lot of turns to get that butterfly doors open and you could have bought it like matching brush to go with it, and I think brand knew the razor was like a 100 bucks, 150 at the most.
Now they’re going for like six, very collectible. So that would be, I think, the item of the year right.
There would be the Merkur Vision. If you have one collecting dust right now, I would take it out and start using it or if you’re going to move it, now’s the time to do it.
So all you older, what shavers have been around for ten years plus, and you have one of these that you got when, when there was nothing else available, definitely take it out and start using it because it’s it’s it’s it’s very popular right now. Everybody’s looking at them.
They want them, they want to see pictures of them and I don’t think there’s that many of them left. I don’t know.
I haven’t seen too many being posted. So get them out of those drawers, guys all right, so that’s about about it with the wet shaving market in a nutshell for 2022. If you guys like to see, just check out sharpologist dot com for the wet end.
It’s put in and search for it. It’s right there and you can read the entire article.
I really appreciate any feedback on that as well. So moving along, our new releases losing their appeal to the wet shaving.
What the average wet shaver. So new releases for a long time, especially in that stretch where we had 2015 and 2018. Right to that area we saw massive, you know, interest in new releases.
Everybody would stand-in line to get it. You know you had the Holy Black, you had a couple of other companies doing really crazy stuff, you know coming out with some great-great items and everybody was going after it.
You barrister and mann, and now lately I’ve seen these releases. I’ve been staying in stock longer and longer and even for days, and now in weeks.
Now, right so are they losing their appeal? I would say: yes, I think maybe we’re looking We need to see a little bit more in lines of new stuff here.
You know repeating a lot of the other items or repeating stuff. It’s just not working anymore because everybody has it and remembered this stuff lasts forever.
You know shaving soap can. If you have ten soaps in your rotation, you’re looking at at least eight years of using your soap, maybe six years.
All right if you use it, if you shave every single day or three times a week or whatever. Right.
So you have the same thing twice. Not many people are doing it.
So that’s the way I think Barrister And Mann skips a year for Hallows and they go for the next year. They’ll do it.
He’ll do something different because there’s really no reason to buy all the releases. So our new release is losing its appeal.
I think so I think we’re getting there. I think maybe it’s just time for some new stuff and I think really everybody’s happy with with the amount of stuff that’s available right now.
There’s a lot of artisans and stuff out there and they are really happy with that. So for you vendors and artisans out there do limited additions and keep doing it, but really innovate because first of I love it.
You know I love getting, especially if I get something special. You know it’s really it’s a big deal for me but also, you know, don’t replicate ideas, do something different and spend some time, you know, with advertising and stuff like that.
You know build up the hype because it does seem like they are losing their appeal here and there Wolfman came out with that new brush that we’re talking about in the beginning of the show.
It is CNC machine, copper, I think, or copper or bronze that came. I think it’s copper, the one that’s on the picture and it’s something that’s being auctioned off and I think James from Wolfman is going to start producing brushes is another concept he’s been talking about and you know, in addition to hire and raisers and now a brush will definitely be interested to see that and see what everybody says about it.
You know again used in machining is some way to do it. Everything from Wolf Man, I’ve got to say, is high quality.
I’ve never had a problem and I do know that a lot of people are are big fans of him. So the waiting list is a few months or so to get on to it, to get your razor made.
But you get a custom razor and you’re goin to be really happy with it. So this new brush definitely interested to see how this works out.
Guys take a look at it and that action is going now. I think it’s going on for the weekend of the Superbowl, which is this weekend that we’re in.
Unfortunately, the show will be coming out after that. But if you did get a chance to buy it, let me know and definitely looking forward to seeing some reviews on it in the future.
And finally we’ll conclude to show this week with talking about keeping your rotation fresh. Now if you’re wet shaver for several years right, you know for me I’ve been wet shaver since 2011, right, so that we’re going on to 11 years now.
Wet shaving and you have a lot. I have a lot of soaps and stuff like that and sometimes it becomes very repetitious and it gets a little boring.
You know what am I going to do? So how to keep your mutation fresh, the few ways to do it?
First off, switch it up, you know, kind of randomly go in there and try something different. Grab a different brush.
You know, grab a brush. Your goin to use soap that you really like, grab a brush that you don’t like that much or vice versa.
Right, really make it do a combination that you’ve never done before, but like I’m going to do a single edge razor with a, I’m going to use art of shaving shaving cream and then I’m going to use. You know I’ll use a declaration brush right.
I’ll use okay, so that’s really way out there right and then I’m going. I’m going to.
I’m going to use. I’m going to bowl later.
When I usually face leather. That’s the way to do it.
Keep it fresh if you like the face lather bowl later. If you like the bowl, leather face later, try different ways of lathering, try different ways of using that and then try different combinations with your stuff.
This is for the guys out there that have a, you know, a decent amount of collection. Now.
If you don’t have a a big collection which is just as good, you know you can try just different methods of, you know, blooming your sup, which means putting water in, like kind of charging your sup before you use it. Try different methods of prep.
Try prove if you want. You know I know I’m not a big fan of peace.
But if you do that, try it, just keep it fresh and change up your routine here and there and then you know possibly talk to other people about it. Ask, ask guys online, get online and ask them what’s hot right now.
What’s good? What what are we doing?
You know what’s going on in the wet shaving world and try it like that. I think that’s the best way to keep the rotation as fresh as possible, because it can get a little boring if you’re using for me I got like four brushes that I love right, but I have 20 or so brushes, but I use the same four, probably 98% of the time.
So yeah, I can get a little bored with it if I’m using my, you know, my, let’s see, my Wolfman brush. Whatever I don’t have a wolf, my brush, my Wolf whiskers brush.
Excuse me, you know the same with the same knot all the time. You know, try different stuff, talk about a little bit, write it down, use, use an app.
There’s a couple of wet shaving apps out there you can use. That will randomize your stuff.
Try just keep it fun, and then the best thing to do, guys is actually, I hate to say it, I’m not the biggest social media fan in the world, but to go on line and to say, hey, look, I’m just going to post my shave of the day out of nowhere right on a facebook group or form and then you see, you know and start getting back into the game a little bit and that that’ll keep it fresh. That really does work.
Sometimes you can get a little repetitious and you know honestly, it’s shaving and it’s supposed to be repetitious. Right.
That’s how it is. We do it every day and that’s what makes this hobby so fun.
But if you’ve been around for a while, an you’re like nothing really appeals to me any more. You know, I think changing up the routine really works.
So my advice to you guys is: change it up. If you face later, bowl later, if you don’t bloom yourself, bloom yourself, use a different brush, use a brush that’s been collecting dust.
Go in the back of the drawer and grab that old razor that you haven’t used in a while and try it out and I guarantee you you’re going to bring some life to the, to your routine again and the repetition will go away and you’ll have a lot of fun. You’ll be and you’ll be like looking forward to those shaves again.
So yes, we all go into those ruts, don’t sell your stuff off yet. I’ll just change it up and I think you’ll have a good time with it.
All right, everyone so well that that actually concludes the show for this week. You know it’s been a fun ride this last two weeks.
I’m just looking at all this new stuff coming out and everything like that and just keeping wet, shaving real. You know, I think with the new normal of the pandemic we’re going to start seeing some changes and I think they might be permanent.
You know we’ll see some different ways of doing things, but first off I mean it’s just really fun and really great to be able to do this podcast every week. You know I still enjoy it doing it.
I think six years now, so I can’t believe we’ve been been that long and just really wet shaving every day. I will tell you guys one thing though: I did do something that’s against the wet shavers code.
No, I didn’t use electric. No, I didn’t use disposable razor or anything like that or cartridge razor.
But I did grow a partial beard. So I do have a little bit of a beard going.
So I’m not shaving my entire face, which is something I’ve never done so since about Thanksgiving I’ve grown a beard. So I’ve been just using my razors and stuff just to trim really my neck and part of my face.
And the only reason why I’ve done that because I’ve never done that before and you know I want to try something different. So yes, I apologize, I’m still wet shaving, just not as much of my face anymore and keeping it with a beard trimmer and stuff was fun.
I’ve never, like you, said new to me, new concepts. So ive been having a good time with that and also just in general, you know just hoping you guys are all well and happy out there, because I know still this covid things, still around the new, normal and just being safe.
So really guys, just stay safe out there, looking forward to the next show coming up here in a couple of weeks and until then, guys, that’s that concludes a podcast for this for this week. Our show is powered by Sharplolgist Dotcom, what your father didn’t teach you about shaving.
Until then, until the next show, guys, I will see you in a couple of weeks, have straight and shave safe by now.
