I'll update it when I have a new product to write about. Better yet, I'd like my readers (both of you) to contribute ideas for products to write about.
Here's the brief: we'll discuss products that punch above their weight.
By that definition, I mean products that do the work of something that costs a multiple (let's start with 2x) as much either nearly or entirely as well. Obviously, this category has fuzzy, very subjective boundaries. I hate to quote Potter Stewart, but I think I'll know it when I see it.
What I'm not looking for is "best in class" or "as good as the best but 20% cheaper." If it isn't a great product at a substantially cheaper price, I'm not interested. Play the Kinks' song "Low Budget" over and over again until you get it.
God knows we all buy cheap stuff now and again. However, these cheap things sometimes turn out to cost more than a more expensive product--you may need to buy twice or pay good money for something you only use once. I'll try to avoid those products as well.
I owe a debt of gratitude to two sites for this idea. Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools site uses reviews from consumers of products they like. In fact, you can't get their newsletter without submitting a review. Also, Lifehacker frequently features good, inexpensive products. I'll try to stray away from Cool Tools' tendency to highlight very specialized tools. Similarly, I'll avoid Lifehacker's MacGyver tendencies. However, I can't say that I won't tread paths they've already cleared from time to time.
I'll try to hew to a consistent format for the blog, including fields for:
- What it replaces
- Cost differential
- Where you can buy it (if it's not a mass-market item)
- Why I (or if you want to write, you) like it/brief review
Feel free to email me or leave a comment if you want to suggest a product or write something yourself. I'm happy to share credit.
Owing to the original purpose of this blog, I'd like to start with:
Schick Quattro Disposable Razor
- Replaces: Pretty much every other razor you can buy, but only if you use the simplest trick in the world. After shaving, rinse the blade and wipe it dry on your towel. That's it.
- Cost differential: 5x vs. Gillette or Schick cartridge razors. And up.
- Available: pretty much everywhere. Amazon has it for what amount to less than $2 per razor.
- Why I like it: As I said, if you rinse and dry your razor, you can use this blade for a long, long time. I'm approaching 30 shaves over 2 months and haven't noticed any harshness. In truth, the rinse/dry trick works with any multiblade razor. However, I've noticed that after a few weeks, the head of a cartridge razor such as the Gillette Mach 3 will simply keep popping off. The one-piece disposable doesn't have that problem.
Considering that Amazon sells the Fusion for just under $10, disposables might actually make a lot of sense...as long as you don't actually dispose of them. The value equation gets radical when you realize that you'll have to replace the cartridges on a Fusion more often than you'll need to buy a new disposable.
I should say that I haven't tested every kind of razor, but I have been shaving for 25 years or so, so I feel I know what works. Would a Gillette disposable work just as well? Probably. Does the Fusion have the same weak joint problem as the Mach 3? Don't know, but I don't see how it would help Gillette/P&G to fix that problem.
If you have a different experience with razors, please share. Also, as I said, I'm happy to take suggestions or reviews from others. Let me know!
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