Would you pay $100,000 for a razor?

[aerius]

Man, what a rip off, 100 grand and I don't even get a diamond blade with a lifetime sharpness guarantee, they seriously cheaped out on the quality there.

[Simon_Jester]

I know Starglider likes to defend the concept of luxury consumption and particular examples of it as well. I wonder how he'd defend this piece of stupidity.

I wouldn't, but the notion that it is depriving millions of poor third worlders of anything is ridiculous. Just because you can denominate everything in dollars does not mean they are fungible. There is absolutely no way that donating $100k to your supposed worthy causes would actually employ 33,000 people for a year or fix child malnourishment. Monetary payment is passing tokens around and one rich person paying one oversold crafstmen or entertainer an excessive number of tokens does not alter the amount of food, minerals and mass market manufactured goods available for the real economy.

I think Stas would rather just have the money be taken from the rich idiot, who obviously stands no chance of spending it in a particularly useful way unless we live in a Panglossian fantasy universe. Then he, or duly appointed specialists, would figure out how to spend the money in ways that would achieve the desired effect- if it would be useful to buy yachts, then perhaps this money will be spent buying yachts, or some other (cheaper) maritime craft. And so on.

This does at least have the advantage of taking the critical step of the process (where the money gets spent) out of the hands of the gullible moron who is making his purchasing decisions based on factors that have nothing to do with things like "utility" or "multiplier effect."

Whether it's better to spend the money on African famine relief or metallurgy or boatbuilding is an open question- but it's damn sure that the decision won't be made optimally by trusting the vanity of idiots to get it right.

[Dalton]

Why the fuck is this in N&P?

[Havok]

You get what you pay for. I mean, I drop my razors in lava all the time, and this baby would survive that. Seems like a good investment.

Best post I've seen in a long time. Almost put hot chocolate through the nose.

[Faqa]

Whether it's better to spend the money on African famine relief or metallurgy or boatbuilding is an open question- but it's damn sure that the decision won't be made optimally by trusting the vanity of idiots to get it right.

Nor will it be made right by putting it in the hands of self-righteous ideologues. Particularly when the money would not exist without said rich idiots, and if such a system were made common, would not exist at all.

I'm not saying the current system is exactly morally sound(though it's a good deal more complicated than "This inflated amount of money could do XYZ in a country where money goes a lot further, therefore guilt"), but wealth is not created without incentives, most of which really have to be constructed while keeping in mind that humans are, by and large, selfish shitheaded apes.

*sigh*

We really have to find a way to institute noblesse oblige.

[Zixinus]

Wow, and here I thought regular straight razors were expensive. Someone really gone out to make something as expensive as possible.

[aerius]

Wow. This product is just incredible. An Incredible waste of what must have been a very pretty collection of meteorites!

Not really. Iridium doesn't come from shiny meteorite chunks, it's the byproduct of nickel, copper and other metals mining. We get a whole bunch of platinum group metals including iridium from the nickel mines up in Sudbury, they basically take the slag from the refining and process it to get all the precious metals out of it. Iridium ain't super expensive either, it's only 2/3 the price of gold at the moment and not too long ago it was only half the price of gold.

[Broomstick]

Screw the yelling over starving Kenyans, luxury yachts, and all the rest.

Just give me the $100,000 - I could live on that for 5 years quite well. But more likely, I'd invest it in the business I'm trying to start up, and that might result not only my household being employed but, if things go well, other people as well.

Damn sight more useful than a fucking iridium-handle razor.

[Iroscato]

Ok, so who was the ridiculously rich guy/troll that said yes? Vortex Empire?
My triple-bladed razors actually give an incredibly good shave for their price, so I really can't see any need to upgrade. Oh, and the fact that the son of a bitch costs more than my entire family makes in a year.
And yes, I really am that poor.

[J]

Ok, so who was the ridiculously rich guy/troll that said yes?

It wasn't me since I have no use for a razor. Nair all the way!

[GuppyShark]

Wow. This product is just incredible. An Incredible waste of what must have been a very pretty collection of meteorites!

Not really. Iridium doesn't come from shiny meteorite chunks, it's the byproduct of nickel, copper and other metals mining. We get a whole bunch of platinum group metals including iridium from the nickel mines up in Sudbury, they basically take the slag from the refining and process it to get all the precious metals out of it. Iridium ain't super expensive either, it's only 2/3 the price of gold at the moment and not too long ago it was only half the price of gold.

So the marketing scree wasn't even truthful? Nice.

[Mr Bean]

Not really. Iridium doesn't come from shiny meteorite chunks, it's the byproduct of nickel, copper and other metals mining. We get a whole bunch of platinum group metals including iridium from the nickel mines up in Sudbury, they basically take the slag from the refining and process it to get all the precious metals out of it. Iridium ain't super expensive either, it's only 2/3 the price of gold at the moment and not too long ago it was only half the price of gold.

Are you sure about? There is a gold bubble going on at the moment so 1040$ per ounce (Irdium) compared to 1430$ per ounce (Gold) when Gold was less than 300$ less than ten years ago compared to Iridium which has been around 700$ at the same time.


Also Yes Aerius Irdium does come from shiny meteorite chunks, it was the only place to get it until about a hundred years ago, now we can get it as a mining byproduct.

[LadyTevar]

I'm honestly wondering about the Sapphire blades. Would they truly hold up to the claims?

[Broomstick]

Sapphire is just another word for aluminum oxide, which is pretty tough stuff. If you can get it to take an edge, sure, it should stay sharp for ages particularly if it's only facing facial hair. Getting it sharp in the first place would be the trick. It rates a 9 on the Mohs scale, you'd probably need a diamond grit grinder to work it.

[Zaune]

You get what you pay for. I mean, I drop my razors in lava all the time, and this baby would survive that. Seems like a good investment.

Mandate a lot of clear glass items in a fortress dug into the side of a glacier, do you?

(Late to the party, I know, but that was too good an opening to pass up.)

[Molyneux]

Sheer and utter waste - at least for the handle.

If it seriously were guaranteed for ten years of shaving, a hundred-dollar or five-hundred-dollar razorblade might well be worth the expenditure. Anything more than that? You could buy laser hair removal for your whole fucking face for less than this razor costs.

[Havok]

Ok, so who was the ridiculously rich guy/troll that said yes?

It wasn't me since I have no use for a razor. Nair all the way!

Finally admitting that you are a troll and a guy.

This thread actually has merit.

[J]

Hav, I've heard football causes brain damage so I'll spell this one out for you; I'm referring to my legs, not my face, my legs.

[Zablorg]

You responded to a question directed at guys/trolls. It's not difficult.

[Havok]

He's a sharp one Zabs. Watch out.

[houser2112]

Just give me the $100,000 - I could live on that for 5 years quite well.

Ok, so who was the ridiculously rich guy/troll that said yes? Vortex Empire?
My triple-bladed razors actually give an incredibly good shave for their price, so I really can't see any need to upgrade. Oh, and the fact that the son of a bitch costs more than my entire family makes in a year.
And yes, I really am that poor.

I can't be the only one to notice that these two comments are consecutive, but far enough apart to discount concurrent posting. Can you really be that insensitive, Spiro?

[Iroscato]

Just give me the $100,000 - I could live on that for 5 years quite well.

Ok, so who was the ridiculously rich guy/troll that said yes? Vortex Empire?
My triple-bladed razors actually give an incredibly good shave for their price, so I really can't see any need to upgrade. Oh, and the fact that the son of a bitch costs more than my entire family makes in a year.
And yes, I really am that poor.

I can't be the only one to notice that these two comments are consecutive, but far enough apart to discount concurrent posting. Can you really be that insensitive, Spiro?

I'm...sorry? In what way am I being insensitive?

[The Vortex Empire]

Ok, so who was the ridiculously rich guy/troll that said yes? Vortex Empire?

Wasn't me, I actually voted for "Can I just have the money."

[houser2112]

I'm...sorry? In what way am I being insensitive?

I'm sorry, I was assuming Broomstick's financial situation was more well known.

[Iroscato]

I'm...sorry? In what way am I being insensitive?

I'm sorry, I was assuming Broomstick's financial situation was more well known.

Hadn't even seen that post lol.
Now then, to me it seems the iridium handle is there just because, while there seems to be a grain of credibility to the sapphire blades. A bit like an Iphone absolutely covered in diamonds, because fuck it, why not.