6 blades... really!?!  Read on...

When I was in college Gillette came out with the innovative Trac II- two blades on one razor. The logic made sense to me- the first blade does most of the work and the second blade gets what the first blade missed. That was 30+ years ago.

Today's razors have not two, but up to six blades! The value proposition just isn't there. There's incremental improvement, and there's improvementless improvement. Here's a scathing commentary (rated R for language kids!) from the Onion, written a year before the five bladers hit the market. And check out this video contrasting the Trac II with Gillette's new (as of 2010) ProGlide razor.

I understand the need for continuous innovation and improvement. And the need to to create a "felt need."Every marketer does. I get Gillete's oft-cited mantra of giving away the razor and making money on razor blades. And generating a perpetual revenue stream at $10 for a handful of razor blades every few weeks. 

But six blades?! Maybe it sells and is a money-maker. From a customer point of view, it appears manipulative and disingenuous. As a proponent of honest marketing and customer intimacy, I think Gillete, Schick, or a new entrant in the market would garner far more trust, competitive advantage, and market share by going back to a two-blader and telling customers exactly why. Who wil take the risk and reap the rewards?

Me? I just bought an old-fashioned double-edged safety razor. Classic design, far more economical, and closer shaves. Yeah.