Laser razor binned from Kickstarter resurfaces on Indiegogo

The Skarp Laser Razor has resurfaced on crowdfunding portal Indiegogo, shortly after being ejected from Kickstarter for breaching rules "requiring working prototypes of physical products that are offered as rewards". According to a post on the Skarp Technologies Facebook page, Indiegogo "have been incredibly helpful & they …

[x 7]

what happened to the Kickstarter money? Was it returned?

[Eddy Ito]

Kickstarter doesn't collect the money until the end of the funding period. If it doesn't succeed in reaching it's goals or is pulled before the period ends, no money needs to be returned as none was collected.

[VinceH]

"Kickstarter doesn't collect the money until the end of the funding period. If it doesn't succeed in reaching it's goals or is pulled before the period ends, no money needs to be returned as none was collected."

Indiegogo has the option of 'flexible funding' - whereby the money is collected and handed over to the people waving the collecting tin, even if they don't reach their target. (Though, obviously, that still only happens at the end of the funding period). It wouldn't surprise me if Kickstarter had a similar option.

(And I've just looked: The Skarp Razor is set as flexible funding on Indiegogo.)

[John Gamble]

It wouldn't surprise me if Kickstarter had a similar option.

Be surprised then, Kickstarter does not have that option.

It's one of the reasons I don't support Indiegogo projects. Not because the projects are necessarily bad (I've been frustrated by two that were very good but went to Indiegogo), but because Indiegogo has an option that enables fraudsters.

[VinceH]

Ah, a little kudos for Kickstarter, then, because that (along with the requirement for a working prototype - the reason they kiboshed the razor) means they're providing some degree protection for punters.

[John Gamble]

It looks like it was suspended before the deadline was reached (the last update talks about it being the second week update), so no money would have been collected.

[elDog]

They stole my idea for a laser-based lawn mower - just moved it to the chin/legs/etc.

I'd like to vote up or down on this, just because it seems like an idea that "should" work but probably won't for a while.

A micro-laser that can singe hair (smelly!) will require quite a bit of power. And of course it will singe anything else that might be caught in its rays, including eyeballs, etc.

I think you'd need a very good imaging system to analyze everything in the path of the laser and very rapid bursts of light to pinpoint the scorching.

[Suricou Raven]

Re: They stole my idea for a laser-based lawn mower - just moved it to the chin/legs/etc.

I tried a laser lawnmower. I think I may have scared my retina with a reflection, but didn't cut the grass effectively. There's a problem: Even dead plants have a fair amount of water in them, and it won't cut until you've evaporated the water out, which takes too long for just slice-and-cut to work.

[jonathanb]

Re: They stole my idea for a laser-based lawn mower - just moved it to the chin/legs/etc.

Laser based hair removal systems do exist, though you generally go to a clinic where a skilled operator uses it. There is also something called intense pulsed light, which you can buy to use at home, if you have white skin and dark hair.

[TeeCee]

Re: They stole my idea for a laser-based lawn mower - just moved it to the chin/legs/etc.

If you refer back to the original article you'll find that the bloke behind the razor is the same bloke who came up with that.

Most of the research effort for this thing was actually in biology, identifying a chromophore common to all hair colours for a single-frequency laser to target.

This does actually look kosher to me, although I expect the things to be ruddy expensive until the price of led lasers of that frequency drops with volume sales.

[Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse]

As per Sir Bedevere in Monty Python and the Holy Grail...

Oh... ummm... look, if we built this large wooden badger...

[Stevie]

Re: As per Sir Bedevere in Monty Python and the Holy Grail...

Well done. Busted for laughing out loud in the middle of the training presentation I was supposed to be paying attention to.

Your work is done.

[Amorous Cowherder]

Snake Oil!

Good to see the art of the flim-flam man is still alive and well in the digital age!

[Dadmin]

A bit disappointed in the lack of names

A laser razor is not enough for today's teens. If they fail to make the goal, it's only because they failed to call it the Laser Razor Phaser Tazer Vocalizer Criticizer

Special thanks to "egrep 'ser$|zer$' /usr/share/dict/words"

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: A bit disappointed in the lack of names

"A laser razor is not enough for today's teens."

They need to shave ?!

[phuzz]

Re: A bit disappointed in the lack of names

If you don't get at least a bit hairy as a teen then you probably have a developmental disorder, it's part of puberty.

[Antonymous Coward]

"Skarp Technologies"

I wonder, is "Skarp" an intentional evocation of scam and crap or something Freudian?

[DaLo]

Re: "Skarp Technologies"

scarp•er (ˈskɑr pər)

v.i. Brit.

to depart suddenly; flee.

(with the cash)

[KjetilS]

Re: "Skarp Technologies"

It's swedish for "sharp"

[Mutton Jeff]

Re: "Skarp Technologies"

No, a Fruedian slip is where you say one thing and mean a mother.

[Anonymous Coward]

airports

Since there is no blade, can i finally take a razor in my hand luggage or is the hipster thing (which is 100% a result of frequent travellers attending meetings after a short haul flight) going to have to stay?

[Gordon 10]

Re: airports

No coz the TSA will have you on suspicion of dazzling pilots with it.

[lnLog]

skarp may scarper?

Think they may make a run for it?

[Stevie]

Bah!

A nuclear laser razor.

It's the next inevitable phase.

[Lester Haines]

Re: Bah!

No - we're already ahead of the game with a triple-blade cold fusion laser razor. No prototype, but send us your money anyway.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Bah!

I knew we could count on SPB to be a few steps ahead :D

Any word from FAA BTW? I expect that last article threw them into a ten year sulk. Although they'll probably manage to contrive a steady stream of excuses for further "fees" along the way.

[Lester Haines]

Re: Re: Bah!

No word from the FAA, but if they do take umbrage it'll be difficult to spot the difference, tbh.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Bah!

Good point. Although I suspect you'd notice some "special" treatment if you attempted to fly to/through the US. Remember to wear clean underpants next time you fly..

[Lester Haines]

Re: Re: Bah!

A fair point. An Amazon drone will deliver half a dozen pairs of clean undies tomorrow straight to my door, assuming it gets FAA approval.

[Captain DaFt]

Re: Bah!

"we're already ahead of the game with a triple-blade cold fusion laser razor. No prototype, but send us your money anyway."

Too slow, mine has Five triple action ultrasonic green powered blades, Iot capability, WiFi Stereo, and 8K video streaming!

Only $7K more needed to reach our goal!

[Lester Haines]

Re: Re: Bah!

Dammit. Now working up a video for our septoblade model - USB, MIDI, Firewire, Bluetooth and 3D HD selfie stick capability, hydrogen fuel cell, 1.2 million shaves between recharging and good down to 1,300m depth in sea water. Optional shark mount. £3m should see us through to prototype stage.

[TeeCee]

Re: Bah!

Can I get that in a watch?

[Mephistro]

I keep telling myself ...

... that one of these days I can device one of these scams and live my remaining years in luxury.

;-)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I keep telling myself ...

"I can device one of these scams and live my remaining years in luxury."

If your criminal mind is as good as your spelling mind you'll spend your days in jail !

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I keep telling myself ...

Devise.

Someone's been hanging round with to many Merkins and lost the ability to distinguish between a noun and a verb.

[Vector]

Re: I keep telling myself ...

"...lost the ability to distinguish between a noun and a verb"

We do so know the difference. Nouns are those thingy thingies and verbs are those dooey thingies. And adjectives are those describey thingies. Unless it's a verb, then it's something else...

[TheProf]

Re: I keep telling myself ...

I'm English and I can't get my head to remember what all those nouny verby words are.

And please don't ask me about sin/cos/tan because that doesn't want to stay in there either.

Anyone for a verbatim Monty Python routine?

[Z80]

Obligatory xkcd

https://xkcd.com/1443/

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I keep telling myself ...

Someone's been hanging round with to many Merkins...

...said the person whose "too" misplaced an "o" somewhere.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I keep telling myself ...

"...said the person whose "too" misplaced an "o" somewhere."

Shhhh........

Must have struck the O to quickly. Didn't notice it until it was to late to edit. Was expecting a good kicking from the hypocrisy sensitive commentard soviet but they don't seem too have noticed in time... Thank God!

[Charles 9]

All this talk reminds me of my days playing Monday Night Combat at LaseRazor Arena (6 blades and a built in gel dispenser).

[Kevin McMurtrie]

Please clean every ten whiskers

Part of the physics behind this razor are sound. You constrain a medium power laser within a light pipe using total internal reflection. As soon as a whisker contacts the light pipe, the laser will leak out and burn the whisker away. A smart circuit could vary laser power so that it's only running on high when the light is leaking.

Now for the bad part: A dirty light pipe doesn't work. Every bad cook knows that burned proteins and oils stick to anything, and more heat makes it worse. I doubt anyone has yet invented a tiny light pipe that will keep itself clean without lots of smoke, burned skin, and maintenance.

[flszen]

Burn my face fur off?

I don't think I'd ever want to start a morning with the smell of my facial hair being burned off.

[Pookietoo]

Re: Burn my face fur off?

Clearly they need to build some sort of extractor and filter or catalytic converter into the thing - or maybe offer it as a $300 add-on after all the new users discover the problem.

[John Tserkezis]

Re: Burn my face fur off?

"Clearly they need to build some sort of extractor and filter or catalytic converter into the thing"

Perhaps they can take a few pointers from Volkswagen?

Yes, ok, you don't have to tell me twice, I'm going...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Burn my face fur off?

I love the smell of burning in the morning. Smells like...breakfast.

[sisk]

Eh?

But they do have a working prototype. They've got a video of the thing. Mind you it doesn't work WELL, but it does work.

They claim the production model will work better because it'll be using better fiber. I want to believe. I really really do. But I'm skeptical. And until it's proven to me I just can't bring myself to drop more on a razor than what I normally spend on shaving supplies in a decade (no, really, a $4 puck of shave soap lasts me about a year and I'm on year 2 of the last $20 box of blades I bought -- the advantages of using a razor obtained from an antiques shop).

[justsomeone]

Re: Eh?

Yeah, as cool as this device would be, I wont be putting money down on it until its seamless (so 2020?)

I've moved considerably "backwards" technologically for a variety of reasons - find it easier to shave with the straight razor* (after getting used to it) and never really felt good about throwing away all those plastic "disposables".

(*The recyclable blade variety, haven't gone "full-strop" quite yet)

[graeme leggett]

Re: Eh?

Bic (and the like) plastic disposable? Might as well attack your neck with a wire brush.

[sisk]

Re: Eh?

Bic (and the like) plastic disposable?

No no. He's talking about newish straight razors with replaceable blades. The blades themselves are a lot like the blades for single edged safety razor blades, but longer and, obviously, held in place via different mechanisms.

Personally I'm not brave enough to try a straight razor, but for good reason. My hands shake. Not enough for it to be a cause for concern, but more than enough to make putting a naked razor blade to my face foolish at best.

[BitDr]

Prior foolishness....

Mad magazine, July 1979 "The Space Age Razor Race".

http://imgur.com/gallery/fDkFb

I remember reading this at the time and getting a chuckle out of it, only to see the insanity actually begin to unfold less than 20 years later with the Gillette Mach III.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

The Skarp Laser Lady Razor

Identical in every way but the colour (pink), and at higher cost

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Brazilian?

Can the design cope with short and curly hair?

Paris should stick to waxing, else run the risk of scorched nether regions.