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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 Dec 6 th ,2021
Today on the Show
The Holiday Season is Here
Black Friday Sales
New Adjustable Slant Razor from Rex
Another Toggle replica
Collector’s Corner: Gillette Techmatic
Black Friday Sales
- This year I found Black Friday Wet Shaving sales to be one of the best yet.
- West Coast Shaving, AOS, PAA, to name a few.
- Sharplologist Black Friday Shaving Deals page https://sharpologist.com/black-friday-cyber-monday-shaving-deals/?utm_source=sendfox&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=updated-cyber-monday-shaving-deals-convenient-summary
New Razor from Rex Konsul
Toggle Replica
- Crowd Funding Campaign from Global Shave
- Razor will be cnc machined and made mostly of stainless steel
- 350 units for initial release
Collector’s Corner: Vintage Gillette Christmas Stuff
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!!!!
Don’t forget to check out my blog site www.shavestraightandsafe.com for the tips and interesting wet shaving stories!
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for videos regarding some interesting wet shaving content.
Our next show will be 12/20/21 (Joe’s B-Day)
Until then….
Shave straight and Shave Safe!
Transcript:
You’re listening to Wet Shaving Talk, powered by Sharpologist dotcom, where we’re dedicated preserving the art and skill of classic shaving. I’m your host, Joe Borrelli, and Today is December sixth, twenty twenty one.
All right, everyone, welcome back to the podcast and I can’t believe we’re already in December. That’s right. Most of the year is over. We are looking into 2022, but before that let’s do a little holiday season. So first guy I want to say: I apologize for missing a show. Yeah, we missed the Thanksgiving show, mainly because of my. I’ll be honest, my work has been crazy right now. If you live in South Florida, Or have been to South Florida in the winter time. In this area, especially where I live, it’s very seasonable. There’s a lot of snow birdsw e call them people that commute. They basically are running from the snow. They they, they live here part-time and they usually live here during the winter months because because of the weather and they go back home during the summer, they go to New York, they go to Michigan, all the other places in Canada as well, and when the canadian border opened up for the United States from Canada to come, be able to leave and go whenever you please again actually surged the area. So every retailer in this area is doing 20 30 40 50% over projection and sales and over last year and everything like that is very busy retailers and being a retailer myself working in retail, well, I definitely have the effects too of that. So in our area it was very crazy and we all know the world we’re in right now. It’s just everybody’s trying to get some normal. So I apologized for missing that, been doing a lot of hours. I just couldn’t get anything together. With Thanksgiving being a record year for for a lot of companies, it was just record for for me as well it was, I’ll be honest, guys, it was. It was pretty strange, it was. It was intense I’ve been doing. I’ve been a retail manager for a long time and I’ve been doing retail for over 20 years and this was definitely one of the most challenging Thanksgiving weeks I’ve ever had. So I do apologise for missing the podcasts. I hate doing that, especially during the holiday season, but we’re back now and we’re in December. So who knows what December will bring.
So the the holiday season is here. Guys, I hope you all have your wishlist out and everything ready to go, because the vendors are are in full-fledged they have, they have a lot of stuff in stock and they are ready to rumble. If you know what I mean,
First thing I want to talk about on the cast today. Guys would be the black Friday sales were incredible. I mean I could not believe how many vendors had something going on and there’s a way, actually a really cool webpage to check out and see all of them being updated. I’ll talk about that.
The adjustable slant raiser from Rex Supply Company or razor emporium came out. That was really something that I heard about, heard Matt talk about it previously in the past, and then finally, it’s a reality. It’s out for preorder, really looking at revolutionizing kind of the the safety razor world. Actually it’s something. It’s actually a new concept that we haven’t seen yet and it’s really exciting. I’ll talk about a little bit about that to the new adjustable slant raiser from Rex Supply Company.
I found another tag replica while looking around the other day. This has been work for a little while by Global Shave, but they’re building a tag replica. We’ll talk a little bit about that and collectors corner. That’s right, guys. It’s that time in the air were going to talk about vintage Gillette, Christmas and Christmas backers and Christmas stuff, because that’s something that they do a lot during this time of the year. So without further ado, let’s get on with the show.
So this year black Friday sales and Cyber Monday sales probably were the best for wet shaving that I have ever seen since I’ve started wet shaving just over ten years now. So I can, I’m going to go back a little bit back in the past and tell you a little bit about my experience in Black Friday sales. I could tell you right now that when I started what shaving I looked around for black Friday stuff and I think maybe one vendor had something going on. I think it was Maggard. Maybe I don’t even know if it was. I don’t even if they were around then I’m not sure. But it was like one vendor had ten percent off or had a special release soap or something like that. But there were no sales like nothing, no discounts. Well, this year this was the best yet to the point where actually Mark on Sharpologist created a web page or a live link with the shaving deals as they updated as he found them. As he got the emails he said he updated it and made a whole page and still actually there. If you want to check it out just to see what was there. And there was over 20 vendors that had sales. One vendor, the Holy Black, had 50% off everything on their site. I mean they just went nuts, even even Phoenix Arts and Accoutrements that had a sale, all of the smaller vendors that usually don’t they had something going on and I was just amazed to see that because you know I understand we’re smaller businesses and sometimes you just can’t do, you know, discount like that for a day or two. But a lot of the vendors did this year. So I was really impressed and really happy to find that you know you had fine accoutrements. They had 30% off everything on their side, no coupon needed. I mean that’s like something you don’t really see: the 50% off everything with a secret stash launch with wholly black.
Now I got to be honest guys, I was very intrigued by this. I wanted to buy some stuff, the only thing holding me back. I’ll be. No, I haven’t really mentioned this on the cask. I don’t have a sense of smell or taste anymore still, so I don’t I can’t smell soap. I can’t smell. No food or anything like that, can’t taste anything. So for me buying more software it’s just it’s difficult because I can’t really enjoy it. I bought a soap this year once open, just smelled it and I was like, well, this is amazing, but but I can’t smell it. You know I’m sure the lathering was great, but I just couldn’t get. I’m getting some of it’s coming back a little bit. But for the most part I don’t have that ability since July, so fingers cross to have that come back. So when that does come back, vendors, beware that I am going to go and read some of your stuff like I’m going to make some decent purchases of some soap and stuff like that so I can get back to normal here. Yeah, so sorry for sidebar ing on that one, but yeah. So West coast shaving had a big sale, Art of shaving, had a big sale. All of these vendors had some really really awesome things going on. Just goes to show you how big the wet shaving world.
think it’s starting to get with us, the vendors, with us as consumers. And one thing I’ve noticed, and the reason probably why this is getting bigger, is because I’ve seen a lot of new names on Facebook, in fact the new generations out, a lot of people that you know. You look at it, you don’t know the names are, are new from last year and they’re mean this. It shows you that a lot of people are joining the hobby and having fun with it, and that’s something that’s really exciting. Great, seeing that you know, ten years ago we had several tubers and maybe four artisans. Ten years ago, four or five artisans and now we have, you know, over a 100 artisans, hundreds of tubers and just lots of websites and podcasts. To him he’s more than one podcast for shaving as well. So Cyber Monday, black Friday, some sales left the link in the show notes for you. If you want to check out the sharpologist page that Mark did which, by the way, every wet shaver should send him a thank you pat on the back, virtually virtual pat on the back, because honestly that made it a lot easier for me to find everything and it was really exciting to watch them pop-up I was actually watching it alive on Black Friday and so all the way through that last weekend actually to see what was going on. What was the sale?
And I did buy a couple of things. Not much. But yeah, like you said, once I get my sense of smell back at everything I’m definitely gon to be buying more software. So hopefully that comes back soon so I can get in on some of these new senses. Becase there’s a lot of new stuff out there now too, guys. It’s great, really exciting. So black Friday to Cyber Monday, definitely best year ever. I think if not two to three since I’ve started wet shaving and it’s just really exciting, I can’t wait to see what next year will bring and the rest of the holiday season.
So guys, part of that black Friday excitement last week was the new razor from Rexsupply Company or razor Emporium, which is called the Rex Consul. Now the consul is a safety raiser that is built much like the ambassador, the same kind of design. It’s really the same design but with a slant, and that’s something that we haven’t seen yet: a 100% CNC machine made in us all that good stuff, stainless steel slant raiser that’s adjustable. And now I don’t think that I’ve ever seen anything like that. So I’m pretty sure this concept is fairly new to the watching world, something we don’t see too often. You know we see lots of replica designs and you know new items, but we don’t see new concepts. So this razor now is out or ready for preorder. I’m on the website right now and you’re looking at $350 for a preorder. So you’d have to, you know, get it first. Let’s see if he’s still open. I’m not even sure it’s still open. No, it’s till open and it’s about. It’s about the same size, maybe a little bit bigger or a little smaller than a regular ambassador, has the same adjustable mechanism in it and it’s 100% stain steel. So some item I love slant razors , I love, I love certain sciences, I think some sins are awsome and just shave great, and I have an adjustable one really interested in this in this whole this concept. So I can’t wait to see some of the reviews coming out when this razor is available, which will be probably pretty soon. If you do your preorder and can stay in contact with us and let us know, because I can’t wait to start seeing these out. I did not pull the trigger on it yet. I’m going to hold off a little bit on that one and wait for the reviews, not that I don’t believe in rex supply company. I have used an ambassador. I do own an envoy as well. I think they are great razors. I just I just want to see what, what, what these things look like. I want to see what they have like. I want to see all this interesting stuff on that, on that, on that adjustable slant, raise so great concept, hats off to Matt and team at Rex Supply Company, because that is a big deal. And just to see something like that out. After all this time that keep keep honestly being innovative, it’s a big plus. Rex Supply Company. We salute you here at the podcast. Keep up the good work and looking forward to seeing some of the reviews on the Council. New adjustable slant safety, razor.
Right guys moving along. Another tag tag replica is in our midst and it is on Crowd Crowd Funding site now from Global Shave. So we’ve seen toggles. We love tales. We talk about tales all the time from Gillette and it’s probably if not the most difficult or most complex razor design out there. It is definitely the most, I’m sorry, difficult to fix right just talking. We’re just mentioning razor emporium. Those guys do it for a living. I’m sure that they go through a lot of togglewars and to little toggle blues here and there with some of them because they are. There’s a lot of moving parts. It is very complicated to you know, to to put together and those razors were done. You know they were built-in factories, now they were really built-in factories that had maybe 20 30 different machines that would make parts for them and put them together. So it’s a little different back then than it is now when you see CNC machine every single part and have to really get all the tolerances right, a 100% instead of forging them and and having, like big presses and stuff to to make it.
So we’ve seen one Toggle replica come out and we saw the Janus razor last year or a year before that and I thought the concept was great. I think the the razor. I did get to try one. So I did. I did try it from Janus themselves. Let me try the razor. I thought it was great, I thought it did work as intended. I thought the mechanism was good. I did think that the blade exposure was a little bit off, a very aggressive Rasor, even at the lowest setting. So that would be the only thing I would have tweaked on it. But the build quality was pretty good. But I could see the pain and suffering it took to make that thing because there is so many parts and it took, I think, two or three years to make the 50 production models a reality and lots of setbacks for that company. So to see a tag replica coming back out. It’s very exciting from global shape Global have brought you. They brought the fat guy, the fat boy replica, which is basically one of those razors. You take it, they’re they’re copying it, they’re doing it in a machine shop and Pakistan and then they’re hand assembling them in Canada. So just to see this toggle replica maybe come into making it a reality is great, but 100 and $50 or $200 whatever it is, you know it does. Give you that that. So I can buy this or I can go out and buy another tale on now I will admit, togo prices are at the highest I’ve ever seen them. Even for regular Tale they’re going for I don’t know, maybe $500 now for case $700 for one of the box and then you can get one for a couple of hundred maybe with without decent shape. So yeah, you might save a few dollars, but I mean I bought my toggle several years ago for $180 right with the box, I mean it was. It was a good deal. I remember when toggles were like the hardest thing to get. They were the most expensive raiser. You know that the bottom dial was. That’s what everybody wanted.
Right so to see this replica coming out, it’s very interesting, very exciting to see and hopefully they do a good job with it. Now it’s going to be cnc machined and made mostly of stainless steel. There’s only goin to be 350 units on the initial release because they said global have admitted it does take a lot of time and work to get them together so they will only be able to do 350 and it will be available, I guess sometime next year. So if you want to check out the crowdfunding campaign, I have the link in the show notes for that. You can take a look at if you want to join this 150 guaranteed to razor and you will have to probably wait maybe another year, six months or so, before getting it. So if your tag fan, if you love that, that that whole concept, you are definitely modern day whatever. Because back in the fifties and early sixties consumers didn’t really like that total aspect. They liked the actual twist turn and that’s why the Toggle really never made it past 1960 and past that kind of like the initial stage, because really it was very expensive and it just the consumer like to twist open. They liked tto design, so that’s kind of where that went. So we, we love the tag because it’s unique. But again at the time when it came out it wasn’t really well-received or as well-received as the regular Gillette adjustable. So what better way to celebrate? You know that than to make it again? No, that’s okay, guys. That’s just a little, I guess, a little dig from me to to all the people trying to recreate this razor. It is very hard to recreate this design Gillett really knew what they were doing and they had the tools to do it. I commend you to try and looking forward to seeing some of the reviews on this one. But also if you really want a toggle, I would probably recommend just buying vintage toggle and then if you need to get toned up or fixed, there are services out there. They do it so you can get it and make it look brand-new they are very durable, they are great and their fund-raisers to shave, but they’re very nice and mild and they’re just typical, gilet, really good, really good, well made products. So take a look at the show notes. If you get in the show notes with the link, if you want to take a look at that crowd funding, site and see if that’s something you would like to do or get. And let me know if you have any experience with it or if you, if you get yours, you can send me an email. Send me some pictures so I can feature it on the show.
All right, everyone collectors corner, yeah, we got to talk about it, old Gillette stuff. That’s right, let collectible Christmas stuff. So there’s a lot little story, little backstory about Gillette. And the next show. I’ll have the videos on there, like the little old Christmas advertisements that you see on you too. We’ll put a couple of links on there for that on the next show. We do that every year, Gillette, honestly, in the back in the day people didn’t have online shopping and stuff like that, but they did have catalogue shopping. So the Sears catalogue was very much like an Amazon for back in the day, for back from 1800 all the way until about the 19 nineties. That sees catalogue was honestly though I was like Amazon. That was like it was like everything like that. It was online shopping, but through a catalogue and you would send in your order what you want, you send them a check, your credit card information, they’d build you and then ship it to you right, just like Amazon does now.
And knowing that the shopping people used to shop differently back, you know, 50 60 70 years ago, even 20 or 30 years ago, shopping before the internet, I think before the internet, was really big, was more along lines of the quarter of when Christmas was in. Most people shop. Then they did the majority of her gifts shopping. They did the majority of. They’re like shopping for certain things during that time. Because, they’re buying gifts right, they’re buying for other people. And that was when Gillette did most of their business and had all of their new releases, all the new releases of razors, all the gifts set, all the like, the bigger packs and stuff. Even to this day they still do it. They make the gift sets for this quarter for Q4, which is from around Thanksgiving time to the end of the year. And I’m sorry, like October to the end of the year. And the reason why is because that’s when they did the majority of their sales and that’s when they would sell those extra items and they would mark them up a little bit and be able to make more money. So there’s a lot of Christmas merchandise out there with gilt with Santa Claus on it. There’s different blade packages, there’s different brazier packages. There are blade displays. There are always a lot of things for Q4 the last quarter of the year that Gillette would would come out with and sell. So that’s why there are several Gillette collectors out there that have a ton of this stuff, like they have the shippers, the storefront displays they have. That’s when they came out with the big toggle or the big razors, the big, the big ones for the displays and stuff like that. They had a lot of that because they would sell a ton of these raisers and that’s why most of the raisers you get will have four on the date code, meaning for it was producing, for the tales were all made in Q four. They made the ages and that gift set and they charged a lot of money for them because they wanted them to sell and they felt that people would and they did. It’s proven we’ll spend more money during that time by a gift, a nice gift for somebody instead of just buying a razor to use. Do you get that nice gift set and everything like that? So you know that is one of the most popular. I’d say Christmas or holiday gift set would be like the Gillette toggle. Then you would see like in the show notes. Have a picture of some blades here with a shipper on it, a shipper is a display advertising these blades. Give this to him, and that’s just what Gillette usually used to do in a lot of companies did. They’ve focused a lot of their advertising campaign on that time of the year and that’s why there’s so many different Gillette products out there.
So one of my favorite, as mentioned just mentioned a couple of times in the podcast today, is my favourite. I’d say holiday gift would be the. You know, one thing I did myself was recreate a Toggle like I bought a tag a while ago and then I bought. I ended up buying that plastic blue case that housed the raiser separately because I just couldn’t find it at the time and I end up getting a really good one and being able to case it. And I love looking at that during the holiday season because I could think of it all I think of is somebody got this at a store. All right, they went to whatever Macy’s they went to Sears, they went to Woolworths, all those old stores that aren’t around any more really, and they went in there and they probably saw that one display and said: you know what, that’s a great gift. I’m going to get that even though it was ten bucks or $15 a little bit more than it would usually spend on that. Wow, that’s a lot of money, but you know that looks really cool. I’m going to buy that and then I could just see somebody opening that up on Christmas, taking a look at it and saying why this is really awesome and I can’t wait to use this and then putting it to the side and possibly never using it and leaving it in a drawer or using it later on, because it was a good gift and they thought it was too nice to use whatever. But that’s what I always think when I opened it up. I think about the person that got that in 1960 or 58 when they came out. I received that as a real gift and and what Christmas looked like back then and what it looked like that day and how it was still packaged in the same packaging. So that’s one of my favourite Christmas gifts. If you have any favorite like Christmas gift that you’ve received, wet shaving, wise. Please send me an email. I’d love the future and on the show and the next show for the final for the Christmas episode, which is coming up and holiday, whichever you like to call, I’m going go over some gifts and stuff like that, gift-giving guides and stuff and just talk a little bit more on the next podcast. So if you have anything like that, your favourite gift that you received in wet shaving, or if you have some of those vintage Gillette sets that have Christmas stuff on it or something along those lines, please share it with me. I love to excuse me, put it on the wet shaving pot tests and just have a good old-time with it. Really, just talk about and have everybody just get to see and share those pictures.
All right guys! Well, that concludes the show for this week. You know what a week I could tell you right now, the holidays are in full swing. Everybody’s going crazy out there buying stuff and getting ready for the holidays, and you know a little bit of sense of normal season. Last year we really most people didn’t get to travel or do anything or see their family other than zoom meetings or something like that. This year a lot of people are meeting up so great to see some sense of normalcy. One thing I’ve got to say is: just stay safe out there, guys. You make sure your your health comes first, health of your family and wishing you a happy holiday season, and and the rest of the year too. So us remember. Our show is powered by sharpologist dot com, what your father didn’t teach you about shaving. Special thanks to Mark Mantic59 for everything that he does for the wet shaving community and most of all you guys. The listeners. Don’t forget to check out my block when you get a chance. Have straight and safe dotcom. I’m rebuilding it right now. It will be coming out in January. We’ll have some new stuff and really, until until next time, our next show will be on the 20th of December, which is just what happens to be my birthday. So looking forward to that. Until then, shave straight and shave safe by by now.
