THE KING'S BLOG

It's always a pleasure to receive emails from people who enjoy using our products, and wish to feedback their experiences. More often than not, these are wildly positive, but not always... But, I'm delighted to say, this one concerning the new Azor is.

Thanks Mike for letting me publish it - read on below:

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First Name: Michael
Last Name: Salt
Company:
Address:

Postcode:
Country: United Kingdom
Telephone:
Email:

Enquiry Type: Message for Will King

Will,

I have used your shaving software and skincare products for several years now since a recommendation from a friend. They are the only products that succeed in keeping my skin in tip-top condition, and for that I thank you. When I heard about your Azor razor through Facebook, I knew it would be a quality product and bought it as soon as possible.

Up until this point, I have been using a Gillette Mach 3 Turbo razor. I have used a Wilkinson Sword Quattro, but only once. It clogged so quickly that it was completely unusable.

Last night, I had the pleasure of using your Azor, and it really was a pleasure. The 'tuning fork' design afforded a degree of control and pressure feedback matched by no other. The flimsy sprung hinge on the Mach 3 offered none of this feedback, often flicking out at an inappropriate moment and causing a cut. I appreciate the reliability of simpler, minimalist designs, hence the fact that my favourite car is the Ariel Atom.

I also see that you are a fan of James Dyson. I am sure that he will be proud of your Great British design. Have you sent him a freesample to review yet?

Once again, thanks. Keep up with the good work.

Mike
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What a day! As well as a stunning review of our new King of Shaves Azor in this month''s (August) issue of Esquire magazine ("A cut above the rest" no less), the July issue of Director magazine was also published, where the story behind the Azor launch has made it my first ever cover page!

The article is well worth a read if you'd like to know a little more about the 'why' behind our Azor launch - I don't give these sort of interviews often, so hopefully you'll enjoy it!

There's also an interview with me on business matters in general on the Real Business website, click here to see it.

An amAzoringly Awesome day!

If you manufacture product, it's always a huge thrill to see it actually in-store. At that point, it's ceased to be completely under 'our' control, as it's now up to the consumer if they want to buy it, try it, and more importantly, buy it again.

I dropped into our local Sainsbury's this morning in the hope the Azor would be up, having visited yesterday when it was still in the back store room. Even then, a chap came along and asked a store assistant "if they had one of those new King of Shaves razors?".

So, here it is - jostling for position with Fusion (with our slim width, two hanging up where one 'Fat Fusion' normally is). And if you look at the price tags of our 8 pack replacement blades versus Gillette's, you'll see why we believe you don't need to charge a King's Ransom to enjoy the King of Shaves. Even whilst I was standing there, a chap picked up one of our AlphaGels, and when I explained we'd launched our new Azor, he said he must give it a try. Result! It took me 9 years to see one of our shaving oils bought at fixture, and within a week of launching our latest product, I saw two bought at once.

So, even in a credit crunch, you can "shave & prosper..."

Reviews from the Great British Shaving Public have been flowing into Nicky Springle, head of our customer care at King of Shaves regarding the Azor - here are (just a few!) of them!
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'I have just purchased (online) an Azor Razor and Alphaglide Shaving Gel. I have used your products for the first time. All I can say is: I just had the best shave of my life.
Thank you'
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'I'm delighted to hear you are entering the razor market in the UK. The big two have had it too easy and been ripping the customer off for years'
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'I received my new Azor today and couldn't wait to give it a try, as someone who has tried all the other brands and found them lacking I pulled it out of the packaging with some reservations. Other brands either became blunt after 2 shaves or would not shave me as closely as claimed (I obviously don't have the chiseled features of the models in the ads) so for the last 17 years have suffered with a homer Simpson shadow J.
Ok so I can't comment on the blade life but I can say without hesitation that this is the first Razor that has given me a shave that is close and has finally got rid of the shadow. I'm not someone that normally writes reviews but felt compelled by such a great product, it looks good too. Thanks KoS, you have hit a hole in one'
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'Got the product today. All I can say is "WOW". Great design and very easy to use. In my humble opinion, it's better than the leading Gillette Brand.'
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'I used the new razor today and have to e-mail you on the closest shave I have had in years. My Gillette Fusion has gone in the bin as the King of Shaves is far superior. I have a deep cleft in my chin and have always had a problem but your razor had no such problem and performed effortlessly. The price is just right and I have no doubt that it will soon outperform the rest.'
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'I have used your shaving software and skincare products for several years now since a recommendation from a friend. They are the only products that succeed in keeping my skin in tip-top condition, and for that I thank you. When I heard about your Azor razor through Facebook, I knew it would be a quality product and bought it as soon as possible. Up until this point, I have been using a Gillette Mach 3 Turbo razor. I have used a Wilkinson Sword Quattro, but only once. It clogged so quickly that it was completely unusable. Last night, I had the pleasure of using your Azor, and it really was a pleasure. The 'tuning fork' design afforded a degree of control and pressure feedback matched by no other. The flimsy sprung hinge on the Mach 3 offered none of this feedback, often flicking out at an inappropriate moment and causing a cut. I appreciate the reliability of simpler, minimalist designs, hence the fact that my favourite car is the Ariel Atom.'
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'Two days ago I ordered your new Azor from the KMI website and would like to share a major complaint with you: this product (which arrived less than 24 hours later) is simply too good! How dare you produce a product that puts all others so well and truly to shame? Your new razor has made it more or less impossible for other brands to compete, which wasn't very nice of you really. Seriously though, I just had to let you know how impressed I am with it and say thanks for making a razor that's a fair price and doesn't hurt my skin (I'm 18 years old so my skin damages easily). I wish you every success with this endeavour and shall most definitely be telling my friends to give the Azor a go. I would however like to know what shaving software works best with it? I currently use Gillette foam, but it's not especially kind or smooth on the skin - can you help?'
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Fantastic feedback! And with the Azor now available at Boots stores (it goes on sale 'officially' on 21st July) you can now buy the Azor easier. Have a great weekend!

There's a great piece in this month's (August edition) Esquire on the Azor, fantastic! Buy the Azor online from kmishop.com, or from Boots or Sainsbury nationwide.

100,000,000. 100,000. 10,000. 10. 1.

Seemingly meaningless numbers, but they mean a lot to me. In today's world of hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and hyper-speed spread of information, there is an unprecedented opportunity for asymmetrical brands like King of Shaves to truly leverage their competitor advantage. Where we're concerned, "it's about YOU, not us". Where our competitors are concerned, "it's about THEM, not you".

By the end of the year, with the exception of the final "1" digit, I fully intend to have "leveraged our cutting edge" on an increasingly global basis, to ensure that every man or woman who shaves in the UK, can shave, without being overcharged and with complete satisfaction, or "your money back".

Be sure to listen to Capital FM w/c 21st July. If you live in London, maybe consider paying a visit to a store I'll be listing on the King of Shaves Facebook products page. Maybe visiting us at a secret location on Friday 25th July to 'baldly go...' And there's a lot more coming. If you find this a bit cryptic, well - that's sorta deliberate, because it's meant to be.

But if you watched Wimbledon yesterday, the asymmetrical competitor (one arm is much more developed than the other) beat the seasoned all rounder. The King is dead, long live the King (but the King was vanquished valiantly). And if you see the simple photo of our new King of Shaves Azor next to Gillette's 3 year old Fusion, you'll see why we're promising "a better, fairer future for shavers".

Even 8,000lb gorillas can be moved, if the leverage exerted on them is unprecedented And with an (estimated) £1.9m spent by our primary competitor in the last month during our Azor launch, well - you can spend at the problem, but will that make it go away? Hillary spent and spent and spent....

There 's a great review of the Azor on electricpig.co.uk - the UK's fastest growing tech webiste. Read it here!

To celebrate the launch of our new King of Shaves Azor, we're teaming up with the legendary Johnny Vaughan and Denise van Outen, hosts of the award winning Capital Breakfast show "To Baldly Go" and shave 50 volunteers heads using our new Azor in aid of Save a London Child.

Yes, come along to Canada Square, Canary Wharf on Friday July 25th and you will be able to check out our amazing amAzor 'Shave Trek' Battlebus, play Wii Guitar Hero III (Legends of Rock), do lots of fun, interesting things (not like at a Gillette launch), see two of the coolest petrol powered gadgets you will ever lay your eyes on, and into the bargain, get a King of Shaves Azor.

Check out the link to this event here on the Capital website, and be sure to check out the King of Shaves Facebook Products page for up to date information.

Live Long, Shave & Prosper - our Azor will 'Make it So'. It's time to get the Klingon on Shaves! Phew!

P&G announced yesterday that the prices of most all of its brands will rise in September, including Gillette products. Read the announcement here

I leave you to draw your own conclusions. Suffice to say, you'll be able to get the King of Shaves without the Ransom, as we're committed to driving the price of our Azor cartridges south rather than north, especially as the UK faces the most challenging economic times in the past 15 years time. For more info on our 'fair shave manifesto' in these challengnig 'credit crisis' times, read our 4 edged pledge here.

So, team our Azor up with our AlphaGel, shave better and save cash!

Fantastic reviews for the Azor continue to flood into Nicky's inbox at King of Shaves. Here are just a few.

• 'Hi, I thought I would drop you email on my thoughts about the new Azor. Just purchased this morning and used it for the first time. What a brilliant rAzor. Cleanest, closest shave of my life. Will defiantly be using more King of Shave products in the future.'

• 'I feel compelled to write back to thank you for your so very prompt reply to my query and also to tell you that I have managed to find some Azor razors in Sainsbury's and they do in fact live up to the good reports I have read.'

• 'Success! I bought an Azor at Sainsbury's store at Castle Marina Nottingham on July 4. I thought it would be useful for you to know that it was the last one in stock. I have now used it 3 times and am pleased to report that you have developed an outstanding product. May I wish you and your colleagues every success.'

• 'I have tried the Azor again, with a fresh blade and a different shaving gel (KOS Kinexium (the orange one)) and have to say the results were quite amazing, I feel a bit foolish after my original e-mail to you in such a negative tone, is it possible the first blade was no good? A good, very close shave which has passed my wife's kiss test!'

• 'I would like to give some feedback on the use of the new Razor. Having used king of shave products in the past I thought I would give the new razor a go, I was more than pleasantly surprised with the ergonomic feel to the form, also how well it cuts through the stubble. I have been using the initial blade daily for over 1 week with no cuts to face,(goodbye Gillette power super dooper), my only criticism is that it could do with a extra blade for under the nose area. Again thank you and if you would like to send me any samples then I won't complain.'

• 'I recently bought an Azor having seen the article in Shortlist magazine.
To be honest I've never used any King of Shaves products before. I had also bought a cheap Boots own make razor a few weeks previously having got completely fed up of the rising cost of a Gillette razor. As the Azor appeared at a time when I was getting frustrated with the poor shave from the boots razor I've been delighted with the results. I'll definitely be using the £1 voucher to stock up on cartridges. I felt I had to get in touch and let you know how pleased I am with the Azor. Whilst I know about introductory pricing, I hope that positioning the Azor as a cheaper alternative to top of the range Gillette and Wilkinson sword razors will be a permanent strategy. Particularly given the rising cost of living as a whole.'

• 'Just wanted to say 'good for you' with the launch of the new Azor. Good to see someone who embraces the less is more (mor) approach and understands what the consumer really wants.'
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So, that's good news! Of course, there are some people who haven't got on with the Azor quite as well as the guys above, however these are in the tiny minority compared to overall feedback. It's important to note that you can easily shave under your nose by holdint the tip of your nose back & up with your index finger, and shave vertically down - the TST hinge will bend back and its pressure will allow you to get those pesky hairs immediately under your nostrils

In addition, regarding storage - some of you have pointed out that we don't supply a 'storage unit'. This was a deliberate choice to avoid extra packaging, as in our research most of these were simply binned. You can store the Azor particularly elegantly by sliding it back into the cartridge tray - see the photo above!

Happy shaving!

I snapped these two pictures whilst in Marlow today. One's taken at Superdrug, where Wilkinson Sword (the 'Wilkin' in Wilkinette) are offering 50% off handles (that's original) and the other is from Boots, where Gillette are giving away a Fusion HydraGel (if you buy four super expensive Fusion replacement blades).

Well, I guess you've got to do something to defend your territory when a market 'disruptive' competitor like King of Shaves turns up outside your drawbridge, and starts bashing it in. But 50% off or a free shaving gel is more than unoriginal, it's just plain silly. And I'm repeatedly emailed by people wanting to trade in their Gillette Fusion/Quattro handles (that they've bought half price for the blades) for an Azor (but as I don't have any as they're all being sold, that's a little challenging at the moment...)

Or, and perhaps more worringly for the Big Dog and the slightly Littler Dog, given UK market data is indicating that sales of both Wilkinson Sword handles and Gillette Fusion handles are down year on year, maybe the consumer has twigged onto the 'give it away 50% off and reap the rewards of expensive replacement blades' (you've got to fill the car up with petrol once you've bought it) business model?

So, what how will our King of Shaves Azor fare in our big 'market launch' shortly? And how will we convince people to shift from 'The Best Your Dad (and Grandad) Can Get' to our new King of Shaves iShave Azor?

How indeed...?

Courtesy 'PB'. Original blog posting here
Comment No. 1210412.

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Afternoon allofya!

I'm not sure why I'm making this post, but here goes.....

for those of us old enough to shave........

I've always bought Gillette razors - simply because they are good, and maybe due to the fact we are brainwashed into using Gillette razors during childhood...

Anyhowz, in a moment of wild abandonment the other day, I bought a 'King of Shaves' razor (twaz called summat exotic like Azor?) - and I kid you not, tiz a mighty fine shave (better than Gillette). The beauty is, its half the price of gillette, as are the blade, and it is a blighty company.

The point being........

Gillette is a mammouth (US) company and 'King of Shaves' is better, half the price and British!

Viva la Revolution!

(...I've got backache this morning and mefinks I might have taken too many tabs!!!!!)

I'm delighted that our new King of Shaves Azor has garnered another fantastic review from top UK men's magazine and style bible, GQ. The fact that four of the UK's most influential and heavily read magazines have voted tha Azor a great product means a great deal to me. The four magazines are Shortlist, Esquire, Arena and GQ. We also had an awesome review from the Mail on Sunday's Live magazine, where the Azor got five stars.

Click here to see the review online at the GQ website, or read it below!:

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GQ, August issue 2008

King of Shaves Azor
For some time, "innovation" in shaving has been a synonym for "adding an extra blade". But now King of Shaves is looking to take a cut of the UK razor market with a genuinely innovative wishbone-shaped implement. Looking not unlike a tuning fork, and feeling a little unwieldy at first, the Azor strikes the right note by pivoting to ensure that just the right amount of pressure is applied to your face. The elegant, lo-fi aesthetic meanwhile is about more than simply cutting a dash on your bathroom shelf - the Azor has been "ecoptimised" to chop out unnecessary waste in production and packaging, and thereby minimise any damage to the environment. Whether the Azor will see King of Shaves usurp the crowns of Gillette and Wilkinson remains to be seen, but as the first British-made razor in over 100 years, it certainly deserves a patriotic, if not royal, seal of approval. Jamie Millar

King of Shaves Azor, £4.99. Available nationwide at Boots from 21 July. www.boots.com

I enjoyed reading this blog posting, see it here

Hi, it's been a little while, but I've been a bit busy travelling around the country with the BattleBus (and according to my blog monitor team) I'm delighted views of my blog have been overtaken by people seeing the fantastic blog postings from our amAzor bus tour, so "well done the tour team".

But, I'm going to fight back with this posting.

Our Azor continues to fly off the shelves, and we can barely keep in stock, and our launch has provoked the expected 'half price on handles' reaction from 'Wilkinette' - I here are some photos taken at Liverpool Street Boots yesterday. Subscribers to money saving forums like Martin Lewis' 'Money Saving Expert' are loving the Azor launch.

But, before you succumb to buying yet ANOTHER half price Gillette Fusion or Wilkinson Sword Quattro handle, ask yourself, "Why?" Some people I've met have a dozen or more handles bought on promotion, but don't buy the replacement blades as they're either way too expensive (Fusion) or simply aren't that good (Quattro stacked blade architecture means they clog like buggery). And even at HALF PRICE, our Azor (at launch price) still represents great value for money. It's fairly priced £4.99 for a handle & three blades) and when you''ve enjoyed dozens of King of Shaves, buy our Endurium replacement cartridges at an equally reasonable price, £4.99 for 4 or £9.49 for 8. You even get £1 off voucher with initial Azor handle purchase. Can you imagine what would happen to our sales if we half priced.

Would Wilkinette follow.....? That's a very interesting strategic question. And I haven't even started on the next phase of our 'Rize of the ecoptimised asymmetrical Competitor yet.'

As I say, "Shave closer, longer, for less" with the Azor. Don't buy the Hummer in a time of £1.25/litre fuel, invest in the hybrid synergy Prius, and save a ton of cash in just a year. More musings on this coming very soon...