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I don't know all the details here but by what definition of "better" are we using? I think there are two disrupters here, DSC applied a different business mode

I don't know all the details here but by what definition of "better" are we using? I think there are two disrupters here, DSC applied a different business model and distribution model to razors and blades. Dorco, possibly because of DSC money, showed that they can mass produce good enough blades in multi-blade cartridges cheaper than Gillette, who builds billion dollar machines to manufacture them. If blade count is "better" then Dorco is on par or better. If it's the coatings and springs and the whole package then maybe Dorco is merely good enough. Either way, Dorco is able to compete at a quarter of the cost and that seems disruptive. DSC found a great partner though, that has been key. I suspect Gillette has oversold their innovation too.

Bartweiss 10y ago
I guess I was treating "better" as "delivers a better shaving experience". That's subjective, but I don't know anyone who reports that DSC razors, even the top-tier ones, are more desirable than a decent line from Gillette. Pretty much across the board, the conclusion is "not enough worse to care about". I do wonder how much Gillette oversold their innovation, or at least made advances that could be copied just by looking at their product. They certainly seem to have been throwing a lot of R&D at near-zero returns on actual quality.
- joe5150 10y ago
  Definitely worse enough for me to going back to buying Gillette blades at the drug store, after spending $9 a month for at least a year on DSC's best razor.
  - Bartweiss 10y ago
    That was my experience too. I eventually traded for a good electric razor, and I'm considering a straight razor. But DSC's blades just weren't good enough to keep me as a customer - Gillette still has the market cornered for disposables that work for me.
    - joe5150 10y ago
      Right. And I don't have the numbers at hand but I don't think I spend more than $15-20 every couple of months on blades, so I'm not really losing on price either.

Bartweiss 10y ago

I guess I was treating "better" as "delivers a better shaving experience". That's subjective, but I don't know anyone who reports that DSC razors, even the top-tier ones, are more desirable than a decent line from Gillette. Pretty much across the board, the conclusion is "not enough worse to care about". I do wonder how much Gillette oversold their innovation, or at least made advances that could be copied just by looking at their product. They certainly seem to have been throwing a lot of R&D at near-zero returns on actual quality.

joe5150 10y ago
Definitely worse enough for me to going back to buying Gillette blades at the drug store, after spending $9 a month for at least a year on DSC's best razor.
- Bartweiss 10y ago
  That was my experience too. I eventually traded for a good electric razor, and I'm considering a straight razor. But DSC's blades just weren't good enough to keep me as a customer - Gillette still has the market cornered for disposables that work for me.
  - joe5150 10y ago
    Right. And I don't have the numbers at hand but I don't think I spend more than $15-20 every couple of months on blades, so I'm not really losing on price either.