We'll be completely honest with you, the main reason we were kind of excited for that mythical laser razor that blew up Kickstarter a few weeks ago was so we could be actual grooming Jedis. We even considered lobbying for light saber sound effects every time you made a shave stroke, but thought better of it. The fundraising campaign led by Skarp, which you probably caught wind of, earned over $4 million as of early this week. However, Kickstarter pulled the plug on Tuesday, throwing our dreams of defeating the Empire every morning into the abyss. Apparently, the campaign was in direct violation of Kickstarter's rules because they did not have a working prototype of the final product. In an e-mail to Mashable, company founders explained that they'd "taken the prototype as far as they can." Which, you know, is fair, because lasers are complicated. With their suspension, Skarp will lose the approximately $4 million investment pledged. Oof.

In efforts to secure more capital, they've moved over to Indiegogo. As of early Wednesday morning, they'd earned just over $200,000, a mere fraction of what they'd picked up on Kickstarter (though still a nice chunk of change). Though they were flush with promised cash, in the weeks since their project debuted, they've also been met with skepticism. I'll admit that the promotional video they created was not enough to get me to reach for my wallet, and others seem even less convinced. More specifically, the laser-sharp users of Reddit who have claimed it's a crazy scam and backed up their logic with pretty convincing proof (but again, lasers, complicated). Aside from questioning the technology and promotional materials, there's the general question of whether or not we need laser razors. The age-old method of dragging tiny knives across your face works like a charm, and after all, companies like Gillette and Schick pump MILLIONS every year into R&D to deliver the best product possible.

It seems as though Skarp will secure a solid amount of funding to continue their work. And, you know, an advance in shaving technology would be interesting after all these years. More than anything it's Skarp's promise of no irritation and a gentler touch on your skin that is most exciting. A world with no ingrown hairs and razor burn would be a beautiful place. A beautiful Jedi-filled place.

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