The Best Razor On Earth

[MachineGhost]

http://www.onebladeshave.com/

[Pointedstick]

Hmm, $300 for the razor and you supposedly need a new blade every day at $1 a pop. No thanks.

[dualstow]

That is gorgeous, but don't tell all the people who just received a  $15 Truman kit from me (harrys dot com) as a gift. Harry's is getting a lot of business from me this summer.

For myself, I still prefer the Edwin Jagger razor I learned about from none other than gyroscopic investing's own Ryan Melvey.

But again, that is a really nice piece of metal!

[D1984]

http://www.onebladeshave.com/our-story/

Porter Stansberry?!?!?!? No wonder they are trying to sell us some sort of hyped-up super-duper razor for $300 if this "Porter Stansberry" is the same one I think it is.

For those who wonder what I mean by that, Porter Stansberry (if this is indeed the same guy) is a stock tout that runs a stock/investing newsletter (several of them actually) that gives ordinary investing ideas new names (for instance, they called Dividend Reinvestment Plans/DRIPs "801Ks" and "The Canada Pension Plan", they called collectible gold coins and collectible stamps "The Secret Currency" and "The Royal Currency", they touted investing in royalty trusts as "Mainz income" and implied it was some sort of secret that Hillary Clinton used to get rich, they hyped REITs as the "Eisenhower Trust", they relabeled cash value life insurance as "The Secret 770 tax-free bank account". and as "Underground Wealth secret used by FDR and JFK"...heck, they even called investing in Wal-Mart stock and other dividend payers in order to reinvest the dividends to grow one's retirement savings "Wal-tirement" until Wal-Mart sent them a rather strongly worded cease and desist letter telling them to knock it off.

Bottom line - maybe it is an excellent razor, maybe it isn't, but I wouldn't buy anything from Porter Stansberry or his associates at all. If what one is selling is good enough to begin with, one doesn't need to hype it and make puffed-up claims about it.

[craigr]

I have used a Merkur double edged safety razor with Feather Razors for years. Cheap shaves and as close as my straight edge razor can give me. Costs pennies per day at most. I now shave in the shower and don't even use a brush and soap any more. Just a handheld mirror is all that's needed and works great.

Merkur Razor

Feather Blades (Japan made). Surgical sharp!

Feather Razor Blades

The above two products are way better than Gillette and comparable disposable blades. Much cheaper as well. No contest really.

[MachineGhost]

Bottom line - maybe it is an excellent razor, maybe it isn't, but I wouldn't buy anything from Porter Stansberry or his associates at all. If what one is selling is good enough to begin with, one doesn't need to hype it and make puffed-up claims about it.

You obviously have no real world business experience.  Hyperbolic copywriting is how you get new subscribers to investment newsletters.  99% of people are ignorant, disinterested, cynical, skeptical, etc. so it takes a lot of mystery sizzle to attract and keep their attention.  Don't confuse copywriting with the actual steak.  I wouldn't even characterize this as "financial porn" because everything must be legally correct and vetted by the attorneys; compare that to all the tripe coming out of Wall Street and CNBC which is self-serving deceptions, lies and untruths.

And I do think your outburst just proved my point.  The fact you even know about these "outrageous headlines" but haven't bought just indicates that you're way too skeptical rather than open-minded.  Being skeptical is as deadly to your wealth as being too risk-averse.  You need to have a healthy balance or you will never take ever a risk on an opportunity.

As far as I can tell, they're not hyperboling the razor.  The blades are from Feather of Japan and the handle is just an exquisitely fine-toothed piece of engineering that eliminates the issues with using disposable plastic or old school safety razors.  Since Feathers blades aren't available in the USA, they are importing them and will offer them as a monthly auto-subscription or 90-day bulk order.  The first 101 orders of the razor also gets a years supply of the Feather blades.

I have no vested interest in case anyone was wondering.  I just know breakthrough quality when I see it.

[MediumTex]

I started using a Panasonic electric razor a couple of years ago and have been very pleased with how it performs.

The Panasonic is IMHO easily the best electric razor there is.

[Mountaineer]

I started using a Panasonic electric razor a couple of years ago and have been very pleased with how it performs.

The Panasonic is IMHO easily the best electric razor there is.

I sense a razor debate on the horizon.  I would modify MT's statement slightly as follows:

The Panasonic Braun Series 7 is IMHO easily the best electric razor there is. 

... M

[Pointedstick]

Growing a beard was the best decision I ever made from the perspective of cutting the costs of personal grooming (rimshot). I can trim my beard and cut my own hair with the same tool: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JJ ... WUXU2K4OJF



It feels like it will survive the apocalypse and my personal grooming budget is now about $1 a year; the minuscule cost of the electricity it consumes.

[Pointedstick]

I do literally cut my own hair. There's a little patch in the back I often miss though; I need a spotter sometimes.

[dualstow]

I agree with Craig on Feather blades from Japan, which came w/ my Feather Popular plastic razor. I also use Crystal (Israeli) and Red Personnas (Israeli but sometimes Mexican? Can never figure this out). My razor came with Derby (Turkish) which was a bad first experience w/ double-edged {DE}  blade shaving. I won't buy them.

Electric: I do like my Philips Norelco sensotouch for just under my chin, which I always seem to cut w/ DE blades. It's electric, but you can get it wet. Remington Face Saver powder helps prevent burns, on my face at least.

Non-alcoholic aftershave: Thayers!

[dualstow]

P.S. D1984, I'm glad you caught that Porter Stansberry name. My dad gets his ads in the mail, like for investing in natural gas, and I spend a lot of time talking him out of it.

[Coffee]

I switched from electric shavers after getting tired of them breaking and ... not really getting a very good shave.

After much experimentation, I've settled on a Merkur 34C with either Derby or Blue Persona blades. Initially I thought the Derby blades sucked, but I guess my "technique" got better. 

I use supermarket generic shaving cream and CVS aftershave.

I tried the Japanese feather blades and they were just too sharp for me. Too many cuts. Same with the Astra blades that everybody raves about.

I want to try the Israeli blades to see if I get a better shave.

There is a forum of nancy boys who do nothing but talk about shaving all day long, at:
http://www.badgerandblade.com/

[Mountaineer]

Braun Series 7 (wet or dry),

Gillette Fusion Shave Gel,

Do it in the shower 

Mennen Skin Bracer.

Close, comfortable, worth every penny, and oh my my, will you feel great afterwards. 

Cost, priceless - perhaps $50 per year.  For everything else, there is MasterCard.

... M

[dualstow]

There is a forum of nancy boys who do nothing but talk about shaving all day long, at:
http://www.badgerandblade.com/

LOL, they seem to have a lot of military and police. I don't know that I would call them nancy boys, unless you mean it affectionately.
In any case, there's so much great stuff out there, more pleasing than generic and CVS.
Lilac vegetal is the only thing I can't stand. Smells like a urinal mint. I got a refund and poured it down the drain.

[l82start]

i am a total lazy-man, use an electric 98% of the time, never learned to do it "properly" or acquired the manly art in any fashion  ...type of shaver... so take this recommendation for what its worth..... but if i need a close shave i find  - cornhuskers lotion - makes any throwaway  razor i happen to have at the moment work like a champ, and gives a clean smooth burn free shave.. 
(i suspect it could only make a shave from a good razor in talented hands even better)_ 

[MachineGhost]

P.S. D1984, I'm glad you caught that Porter Stansberry name. My dad gets his ads in the mail, like for investing in natural gas, and I spend a lot of time talking him out of it.

You'd be better off letting him subscribe so the illusion is deflated.

[dualstow]

I did read your response to him, but really, all you need is a $30 handle and some quality DE blades, Stansberry or not.
That's $260-270 in savings that can be put toward elephant anti-poacher drones. 

[WildAboutHarry]

Gillette Super Speed from the late 1940s through 1950s.

Blades are practically free. 

[D1984]

Bottom line - maybe it is an excellent razor, maybe it isn't, but I wouldn't buy anything from Porter Stansberry or his associates at all. If what one is selling is good enough to begin with, one doesn't need to hype it and make puffed-up claims about it.

You obviously have no real world business experience.  Hyperbolic copywriting is how you get new subscribers to investment newsletters.  99% of people are ignorant, disinterested, cynical, skeptical, etc. so it takes a lot of mystery sizzle to attract and keep their attention.  Don't confuse copywriting with the actual steak.  I wouldn't even characterize this as "financial porn" because everything must be legally correct and vetted by the attorneys; compare that to all the tripe coming out of Wall Street and CNBC which is self-serving deceptions, lies and untruths.

And I do think your outburst just proved my point.  The fact you even know about these "outrageous headlines" but haven't bought just indicates that you're way too skeptical rather than open-minded.  Being skeptical is as deadly to your wealth as being too risk-averse.  You need to have a healthy balance or you will never take ever a risk on an opportunity.

As far as I can tell, they're not hyperboling the razor.  The blades are from Feather of Japan and the handle is just an exquisitely fine-toothed piece of engineering that eliminates the issues with using disposable plastic or old school safety razors.  Since Feathers blades aren't available in the USA, they are importing them and will offer them as a monthly auto-subscription or 90-day bulk order.  The first 101 orders of the razor also gets a years supply of the Feather blades.

I have no vested interest in case anyone was wondering.  I just know breakthrough quality when I see it.

What's wrong with skepticism? Skepticism, a well honed "bullshit detector", and demanding to see factual evidence and proof for a claim is what keeps us from falling for ridiculous ideas, be they in investing, science (or pseudoscience), medicine, religion, politics, etc. As far as skepticism in investing goes, anyone (and this includes me, you, and I'd guess pretty much everyone else on this board) who invests in any asset class besides cash is at least somewhat willing to "take a risk" in order to invest to grow one's wealth so I don't see your point there either.

If by "real world business experience" you mean selling investment newsletters (or anything else for that matter) then no, I don't have said experience. I wouldn't want to work in an environment where I had to hype up and puff up a product/service in order to sell it. If it's good enough, then the results (or comparative results when compared to a similar good or service) should speak for itself.

For instance, if Stansberry and Associates' (or Agora, or whoever they are now) newsletters are so good, why don't their tout emails provide GIPS-audited data showing that if you'd bought and sold the investments they recommended, when they recommended buying and selling them, then you would have made x amount of money on an initial investment, of, say $100,000. Or at least provide annual and quarterly results since the newsletter inception. Or heck, at least show a comparison (again, audited by an outside source to verify nothing was fudged) of what superior financial outcomes one would have achieved investing in what their newsletter recommended vs a similar benchmark portfolio (by which I mean a portfolio with similar risk vs return, % of winners vs losers, maxDD, standard deviation, etc). The fact that they don't (AFAIK) provide such audited data is telling. After all, if their newsletters provided such superior results, why wouldn't they be touting those results to the skies as proof of how good their ideas were, instead of thinking up inventive/creative new hyperbolic names for investment recommendations. Money talks and bullshit walks, and I'm sorry, until I can see some actual results, I'm calling bullshit (at least on their investment ideas....I have no idea if their razor is as good as they claim or not but I'm not spending $300 on a razor to find out. If it's as good as they claim, eventually someone else will make a knockoff copy and start importing the blades and maybe I might try it at that point when it's cheaper).

[Ad Orientem]

When it comes to shaving, as with so many things, newer is not better.

[Pointedstick]

I shaved with a straight razor for a while and grew tired of it. Stropping and otherwise caring for the blade is a big task, and eventually you have to have it professionally re-honed anyway. I was much slower and cut myself much more frequently than with a DE safety razor even after two years. I think that DE safety razors with disposable razor blades make much more sense for people who are not professional knife sharpeners.

[MachineGhost]

What's wrong with skepticism? Skepticism, a well honed "bullshit detector", and demanding to see factual evidence and proof for a claim is what keeps us from falling for ridiculous ideas, be they in investing, science (or pseudoscience), medicine, religion, politics, etc. As far as skepticism in investing goes, anyone (and this includes me, you, and I'd guess pretty much everyone else on this board) who invests in any asset class besides cash is at least somewhat willing to "take a risk" in order to invest to grow one's wealth so I don't see your point there either.

Have you ever subscribed to an investment advisory newsletter or trading service that used those "outrageous headlines and sales letters"?  If so, what was your experience?

If by "real world business experience" you mean selling investment newsletters (or anything else for that matter) then no, I don't have said experience. I wouldn't want to work in an environment where I had to hype up and puff up a product/service in order to sell it. If it's good enough, then the results (or comparative results when compared to a similar good or service) should speak for itself.

Here's the reality.  The job of "outrageous headlines and sales letters" is given to independent contractor/businesses copywriters who specialize in doing exactly that kind of thing.  The investment advisory writers/traders themselves have nothing to do with it nor is it infused in their work environment.  Even Porter himself cannot stand the sales letters and is embarassed by it -- but it brings in the revenue better than anything else.  When all you have is subscriptions to sell unlike Wall Street's armada of back office scams and wink and a nod crony interests, it is critical you convert as many readers into a paying subscriber as possible, since that is the only revenue source.

For instance, if Stansberry and Associates' (or Agora, or whoever they are now) newsletters are so good, why don't their tout emails provide GIPS-audited data showing that if you'd bought and sold the investments they recommended, when they recommended buying and selling them, then you would have made x amount of money on an initial investment, of, say $100,000. Or at least provide annual and quarterly results since the newsletter inception. Or heck, at least show a comparison (again, audited by an outside source to verify nothing was fudged) of what superior financial outcomes one would have achieved investing in what their newsletter recommended vs a similar benchmark portfolio (by which I mean a portfolio with similar risk vs return, % of winners vs losers, maxDD, standard deviation, etc). The fact that they don't (AFAIK) provide such audited data is telling. After all, if their newsletters provided such superior results, why wouldn't they be touting those results to the skies as proof of how good their ideas were, instead of thinking up inventive/creative new hyperbolic names for investment recommendations. Money talks and bullshit walks, and I'm sorry, until I can see some actual results, I'm calling bullshit (at least on their investment ideas....I have no idea if their razor is as good as they claim or not but I'm not spending $300 on a razor to find out. If it's as good as they claim, eventually someone else will make a knockoff copy and start importing the blades and maybe I might try it at that point when it's cheaper).

I share your sentiments, but see above.  If you want steak instead of sizzle, you're going to have to contact the company and ask for a track record.  Whether or not they will comply is beyond my purview.  But let me show you how different Stansberry is compared to any other publisher.  Each year they give a report card for all of their newsletters and trading services for the year.  Here's 2014:

[align=center][img width=800]http://s22.postimg.org/g72bk1vdt/reportcard.png[/img]

[img width=800]http://s3.postimg.org/asus6hks3/reportcard2.png[/img][/align]

Note that I don't believe Stansberry has the best advisory newsletters or trading services, so I'm not being partisan or anything.

Anyway, to bring this back to the subject of razors, there are two key breakthroughs compared to the old school double sided, single blade razors (they gave up building their own blade and went with Feather for a perfect leading edge, although they are using single use (literally) blades so it must not be stock Feather blades?):

Our razor will give you the quality and comfort of a straight-razor shave with the safety and convenience you're used to from your cartridge razor.

There are two key principles to understand in our design.

First, we've built this razor with the perfect amount of space between the guard and the blade. Our industrial designers spent thousands of hours with prototypes getting this spacing exactly right. OneBlade will give you a close shave while also making it difficult to cut yourself.

The second design principle is even more important. It's something you can't really see in the picture, though.

Our razor has an innovative floating head. There's a tiny joint between the razor head (which holds the blade) and the handle. Inside the handle, there's a tiny Teflon-coated stainless steel spring that regulates this joint and thus allows the head to "float" on your skin. This controls the amount of pressure you can apply against your face when you're shaving. Our razor was designed with precisely the amount of pressure needed to cut your beard and not your face.

I never thought there'd be a day I was defending Porter Stansberry.

[dualstow]

Here's the reality.  The job of "outrageous headlines and sales letters" is given to independent contractor/businesses copywriters who specialize in doing exactly that kind of thing.  The investment advisory writers/traders themselves have nothing to do with it nor is it infused in their work environment.  Even Porter himself cannot stand the sales letters and is embarassed by it -- but it brings in the revenue better than anything else. 

The whole idea of advertising is largely based on nagging and pestering, not to mention all the exaggerating. Of course there are plenty of exceptions out there. I love Hannah and her horse. But, the thing that sticks in my mind is the natural gas newsletter I got from P.S. (no, not our PS  ) touting those stocks just before they crashed.

I probably should feel no different about him whether those newsletters were well or poorly timed since no one knows the future. Still, I can't help it.

[MachineGhost]

But, the thing that sticks in my mind is the natural gas newsletter I got from P.S. (no, not our PS  ) touting those stocks just before they crashed.

I probably should feel no different about him whether those newsletters were well or poorly timed since no one knows the future. Still, I can't help it.

He doesn't publish a natural gas newsletter.  Are you're talking about this?  http://stansberryresearch.com/products/ ... ce-report/

These advisory writers don't time the market so of course you're gonna lose money when anything crashes.  I actually bought a natural gas ETF after the peak based on Badiali's writings and its now worth close to $1 a share due to continuous negative rollover.