Micro Touch One (Double-Edge Safety Razor) – A Marketing Review

Shaving has been a grooming habit since stones were sharpened into knives thousands of years ago.

While the electronic age has introduced conveniences such as electric razors, many people still prefer to use a metal blade as their instrument for shaving.  These razors can be in the form of a straight razor, a safety razor, a cartridge razor, and the cheap, disposable razor.

Micro Touch One safety razor website — www.OneRazor.com

Here we have the Micro Touch One, a double-edge safety razor being marketed as the preferable way to groom.  Let’s take a look and review the Micro Touch One’s TV commercial and see how it’s being presented as a great way to shave.

To view the TV commercial you’ll have to visit the Micro Touch One’s website.  As of this article’s publishing, there isn’t a good version of the commercial on YouTube.

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – Hey, kids!  It’s Rick Harrison from TV’s ‘Pawn Stars’!

Promoting the Micro Touch One double-edge safety razor is none other than Rick Harrison from one of TV’s hit reality shows, Pawn Stars.  Pawn Stars is a reality show based in a pawn store in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Rick is one of the hosts along with his father and Rick’s son.  The people are all history buffs, and most of the time the seem to know what they’re talking about when it comes to quality and great values.

Just remember that in Pawn Stars we also see the darker side of them as they try to coax the sellers into as low of a sale price as possible.  Knowing that, is Rick going to be completely honest with us viewers in this advertisement?

The Micro Touch One’s commercial begins with Rick Harrison introducing himself and telling us a little bit about his pawn store.  This establishes some credibility with him appearing to know what he’s talking about when it comes to cool items and good values.

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – So what’s the best way to shave today?

Rick then shows us an antique safety razor.  He then claims that, “For almost one hundred years, the single-blade was the best way to shave.”

Uh, okay.  So does that hundred-year time period include today, or are there better ways to shave?  I’m guessing that if Rick meant to include today when talking about the safety razor, then he would have said something like, “For the past one hundred years . . .”

Remember that working at a pawn store, Rick deals with negotiating on a constant basis.  It’s his job to educate the customers and make sure that they perceive that Rick is offering a really good deal, whether that’s true or not.

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – They want your money!

And just why do those big and sinister and evil companies add more blades to their razors?  According to Rick, it’s so that those horrible and blood-sucking companies can charge you more money!  Noooooooooooooooo!

Could it be that having multiple blades on a razor speeds up the shaving process?  Yes, those cartridges are expensive at times, but many of those expensive razors can give you a really close shave very quickly.  Using a single-blade commonly takes longer as you need to shave the same patches of skin a few times to effectively cut the hairs as close to the skin as possible.

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – As Rick shows us, the classic design for safety razors has not seen much change over the years.

According to Rick Harrison, we only need one blade when it comes to shaving.  No more, no less.  He shows us the new Micro Edge One, a modern safety razor that still looks much like the classic razors from years past.  Yeah, at a glance it looks like a classic double-edge safety razor from the past.

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – Professional barbers, hunters, soldiers, serial killers, etc.

Rick goes on to emphasize the point that professional groomers like to use one blades, like that really makes a difference when talking about a safety razor.  The biggest fault with his statement is that the barbers also use straight razors and NOT safety razors.  They know how to properly shave a man’s face and neck without cutting him with that one blade.

But Rick likes to emphasize the fact that those professionals are only using one blade.  Come to think about it, hunters, soldiers and knife attackers also frequently use knives with single blades.  Perhaps there’s something to this single-blade talk after all . . .

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – That’s clearly not Rick shaving his face.

Rick then claims that his Micro Touch One delivers the same quality shave as a barber using a straight razor.  He says that one blade gives him a “. . . perfectly smooth and comfortable shave every time.”  How many of those other razor blades, especially the more expensive, cartridge razors we frequently see in other commercials, use that same description in their marketing?

Of course, that’s not Rick Harrison performing a shaving demonstration in the advertisement.  If the razor is so good, then why couldn’t Rick bother to give us an example?  Didn’t they pay him enough as the pitchman?

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – That’s right!  Those motherf&#%ers are hard to clean!

So why are those multi-blade razors so evil?

Oh, that’s right.  In addition to them being more expensive, but also giving you a fast and close shave, they’re also harder to clean.  It’s a conspiracy by their manufacturers.  They want to get you hooked on the expensive cartridge razors, but they also make them hard to clean.  Therefore the razor blades will become dull faster and force you to purchase more of the costly replacements even more frequently.

Okay, maybe there really isn’t a conspiracy like that (Or maybe there really is one.  The theory is rather plausible when you think about it that way.), but the fact that those razors are tougher to clean is a valid selling point.  If you’re watching your money and shave with these razors, you know how the cost of those replacement cartridges can quickly add up over time.  Then again, I recall seeing an as-seen-on-TV product that claimed to sharpen those cartridge razor blades and extend their shelf life . . .

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – Cleaning the razor is simple and easy.  Just like your sister.

Cleaning the Micro Touch One double-edge safety razor is as simple as twisting the handle to open the razor, removing the blade, rinsing it, and then returning the razor blade to the holder.

For a guy who likes to save money, Rick neglects to mention the fact that you should also DRY the razor blade after rinsing it.  Wet pieces of metal tend to rust and dull quicker than dry metal.  Even thought the replacement blades for safety razors are ridiculously cheap, you can save even more money by taking care of your blade correctly.  I use a safety razor, and by drying my blade after cleaning it, I only need to replace the blades like once or twice a year.

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – Precision craftsmanship . . . by Micro Touch.

Take a quick look as this is the only demonstration as to how the Micro Touch One safety razor really works.  As Rick demonstrates, you have to twist the handle to open the safety razor and remove the blade.  In other words, this safety razor uses gears and moving parts.

Why could this be an issue?

When you introduce moving parts, you open the door to product failure, especially if the materials and craftsmanship are not of the highest caliber.  In this case, product failure can be a razor that has problems opening and closing, and where the razor blade itself is not held properly and wobbles when being used.  An insecure blade decreases its effectiveness and opens the door to cutting of the skin.

Unless you’re using an electric razor, do you really need moving parts on your razor blade?

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – It’ll save you money . . . in the long run.

So what’s a great reason for using a safety razor like the Micro Touch One?

It’ll save you money.

That is, it’ll help save you money in the long run.  These safety razors can be expensive initially, but the amount of money you save by purchasing replacement packs of razor blades (they’re dirt cheap at Wally World) will save you plenty of money in the long run.

Then again, an electric razor can also save you money in the long run, but it’ll take a while longer before you recover your loses from the high cost of the razor.

In this segment, Rick claims that with the Micro Touch One he gets, “. . . a perfectly smooth shave on my face and my beautiful bald head.”  Yet Rick wears a goatee and is not a clean-shaven man, nor do we see him actually use the razor at any point in the commercial.  We’re just supposed to take him for his word that he uses the product and it works as well as he claims.

Yeah, that’s really convincing.  /s

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – Over forty bucks for a 12-pack of replacement cartridges.

And just how much money can you expect to save versus purchasing those expensive replacement for the cartridge razors?

In this example we see that a twelve-pack of multi-blade cartridges from Gillette costs over forty dollars.  Keep in mind that the twelve-pack will probably last the person for a year’s worth of shaving.  It’s also important to note that Gillette is one of the best brands when it comes to cartridge-style razor blades.  This company has put a tremendous amount of time and money into their products, and their users swear by them.

And Rick is trying to compare the top-quality of Gillette with that of the Micro Touch One, showing us that it’s really just about the difference in price?  Does he also compare a car from BMW and Chevrolet the same way?  They’re both cars with wheels and seats and engines, so does it honestly make any difference as long as one of them is cheaper in the end?

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – If it’s such a good safety razor, does Rick Harrison really use it whenever he shaves?

This fabulous double-edge safety razor can be yours for only $19.99.  Plus shipping and handling.  Plus an extra shipping and handling fee for the freebie that you know is going to be offered with this as-seen-on-TV promotion.

According to Rick Harrison, ” . . . now you can save money and get the best shave of your life with Micro Touch One.”  Isn’t that convincing, or what?

Micro Touch One safety razor TV commercial – The BIG promotion for the safety razor and replacement razor blades.

The end of the commercial has the big promotion where they give you a “freebie” yet you’re still forced to pay shipping and handling for the “free” item.

The promotion here includes the Micro Touch One double-edge safety razor with travel case and twelve razor blades, all of that for $19.99 plus $7.99 S&H.  The “free” item is a set of twelve more replacement blades.  All we have to do is pay $4.99 S&H for the extra pack of blades.

The TOTAL COST of the as-seen-on-TV Micro Touch One double-edge safety razor promotion comes to $32.97 ($19.99 + $7.99 + $4.99).  That $32.97 doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as the $19.99 initial price that Rick gave us.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The art of shaving comes down to three factors: cost, convenience, and the amount of time it takes to shave.  Those are important areas to consider when comparing the different types of razor blades.

Electric razors – High initial cost, a very high convenience, virtually no skill is needed.

You may need to purchase replacement blades (fairly expensive) once every few years, but any idiot can use an electric razor.  These are common types of razors for beginners and others looking for an easy way to shave.  Some people still use a shaving cream with electric razors (it’s going to depend on the razor), but most don’t need to purchase the stuff.

Cartridge razors – Low initial cost, fast shaving speed, low to moderate skill is needed.

Cartridge razors don’t cost that much initially, but you’ll be purchasing replacement cartridges about once a month or so, depending on how frequently you shave.  Those costs can add up over time and you might be spending between $25-$50 each year for the replacement blades.

The good news is that because of the multiple blades on the razor, shaving with a cartridge razor is normally very fast and right to the point.  These razors are also easy to use, and as long as you’re careful, you normally won’t cut your face.

Safety razor – Medium initial cost, slow shaving speed, moderate skill is needed to shave.

If you want a quality safety razor, then you’ll be spending between $30-$50 for the razor blade.  The good news is that you can get a ten-pack of replacement blades at Walmart for less than $2.  They’re cheap blades, but they work and you’ll save a ton of money in the long run.

Shaving with a safety razor takes a balance between time and skill.  You’ll need to run the blade over your face multiple times as you’re only using one blade, and it’s very easy to cut yourself if you’re not careful.  If you have the patience and skill to handle it, you can have nice and close shaves with a safety razor.

Straight blade – Medium initial cost, slow shaving speed, moderate to high skill needed to shave with it.

These are what you’ll find at barber shops.  These are also what professional shavers use at home.  If you are able to handle using a straight razor, then you’re not going to waste your time with anything else.  At this point you’ve reached what many people consider to be the top level in the art of shaving.

And what about the Micro Touch One, a double-edge safety razor?

The advertisement uses several weak sales points that are obvious to anybody who has used a safety razor to shave.  What I believe that the advertisement is doing is really raising awareness of this classic form of razor.  You never see advertisements for safety razors, and I have yet to see any of them for sale in Walmart.  I’m sure that many people aren’t even aware that they still exist.

My razor happens to be a Merkur Classic 1904 Double-Edge Safety Razor, a razor that was made in Germany.  There are no moving parts, it’s very easy to disassemble and clean, and when I take my time I can get a great shave. But that’s just it.  It takes time to properly use and clean a razor like that.  If you don’t have the time, then safety razors probably aren’t in your best interest.

At some point I’ll upgrade my shaving gear to a straight razor.

In the case of this promotion for the Micro Touch One, the final price of $32.97 is pretty high.  You can easily take that money and put it towards a high quality safety razor.  Most of them cost anywhere from as low as $35 upwards to $45 and even $65.  If you want the quality, you’ll easily find it in those razors.

In the end it all comes down to your skill level with shaving, how much effort you put into it, and how much time you have to shave.  When you factor all of those areas, it’s fairly easy to find the right sort of razor.

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All of the Micro Touch One commercial images are screenshots of a TV commercial currently available on the product’s website.  For more product information, please visit the company’s website at www.OneRazor.com.

Micro Touch One is a registered trademark.

RellimZone.com is not affiliated with Micro Touch One.

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This article was originally published on September 22, 2013.