# But what does it DO! (Gillette M3 Power... With a battery) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277 "2004-10-08T22:10:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/21 "2004-10-10T05:04:02Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Anyone know of any plans to make a similar razor for women? > > I suspect this thing is waterproof, right? I don’t douse my razor (women’s) in water but it does get wet. > > And if they DON’T make a similar one for women, what do you think about me using a Mach3 Power on my legs? I am always looking for the perfect shave, too 🙂 > > Someone with a Mach 3 Power, please have your female SO shave with it and let me know the results! Tell you what. You use ours, and we’ll all feel your legs to check the results. OK? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/22 "2004-10-10T05:56:12Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > First Impressions cunt. Shaved? ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/23 "2004-10-10T05:58:52Z")
I like it a lot. The feeling of the vibrations is pleasant and it definitely seems more effective. I also think it might work well on a woman’s legs. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/24 "2004-10-10T13:31:58Z")
> [@mike1dog](#): > > Remington had the same thing years ago, except that the handle was huge to accomodate a double A battery. I had one and liked it. It used Gillete Atra blades. I may try the new thing. I had one of those also, and liked it alot. It started out retailing for about $19.95 but after it failed to catch on you could pick one up for 5 bucks. When Gillette marketed the new gizmo the first thing I wondered about was a patent violation. The Remington claimed to vibrate side to side and as a result shave close. Gillette seems to claim that an electrical charge causes the whiskers to rise. I think that’s BS but is it just a way for Gillette to rip off Remington’s development? Or, did Gillette buy the patent (assuming there was one) and use their marketing muscle to make the product go? Any Remington or Gillette insiders that can give us the Straight Dope? ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/25 "2004-10-10T17:13:23Z")
> [@Spartydog](#): > > Gillette seems to claim that an electrical charge causes the whiskers to rise. Ah, but clearly you aren’t as savvy as Gilette’s copywriters. Behold their exact wording: > [@](#): > > Gillette M3Power features Micro-Power™, a gentle **pulsing action** powered by a Duracell AAA battery. > > The pulsing action stimulates hair upward and away from the skin, making it dramatically easier to shave more thoroughly in one easy power stroke. [http://www.gillette.com/products/grooming\_men.asp](http://www.gillette.com/products/grooming_men.asp) And: > [@](#): > > Turn on M3POWER and a motor sends **micro-pulses** to the blades. Micro-pulses raise hair up and away from the skin … [http://www.gillettem3power.com/home\_f.asp](http://www.gillettem3power.com/home_f.asp) Micro-pulses of WHAT? Electricity? Kinetic energy? It’s all delightfully vague. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/26 "2004-10-11T02:38:05Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Anyone know of any plans to make a similar razor for women? According to a local morning radio wag, they’ll soon be releasing a women’s version; it will be just like the men’s, except the handle will be long, thick, and black. He probably made that up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/27 "2004-10-11T03:35:11Z")
But can I use it on my _naughty_ hair? ZJ ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/28 "2004-10-11T03:45:05Z")
I would tend to cut Gilette a bit more slack about their marketing copy then their competitors. If I remember correctly, Gillette put several hundred million bucks ($500M I think) of R&D in developping the Mach 3 series. That included several patents in basic metallurgy for the blades. The seem to be a bit les gimmick/pseudo-science prone than the others, in that their changes are somewhat more functional. An interesting factoid I picked up when reading about this was that the average guy’s whiskers are harder to cut than pure copper wires of the same diameter :eek: The vibration does seem to make sense in that it would lower the coefficient of friction to the coefficient of dynamic, vs, static, friction. I haven’t tried it though. Every new improvement makes their blades even more $$$ and the classic Mach 3 does a great job on my whiskers as is… ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/29 "2004-10-11T04:47:39Z")
I just wanted to say that **First Impressions Cunt** would make a good band name. Although it doesn’t quite fit the standard mold of found band names, there is something about it that works really well for me (you’d have to have the right kind of band of course). ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/30 "2004-10-11T05:05:16Z")
> [@trupa](#): > > An interesting factoid I picked up when reading about this was that the average guy’s whiskers are harder to cut than pure copper wires of the same diameter :eek: Why not? Pure copper is very soft. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/31 "2004-10-11T13:31:09Z")
From the web Gillette site it appears that the ‘pulses’ are caused by a motor w/ a unbalenced load, which would seem to make the blades opperate a saw like motion in a single direction, either clockwise or counter depending on the direction of motor spin. This is how I think (but don’t know) such a vibrating load would make the blades act: As it rotates the blades moves into the face - increasing pressure against the skin, then will continue ‘around’ and move right (or left) against the skin (like a terrorist cutting off a head), then pressure is lessened as the blade backs off a bit, the blade is brought back around back to the left with reduced pressure against the skin. This is happening in a circular motion however not in the ‘square’ motion I describe. As for womens version, I think Cecil did a column stating there is no difference except for the handle, so you could use the ‘mens’ version w/o fear of growing a pair 😉 ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/32 "2004-10-11T16:00:26Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > Why not? Pure copper is very soft. Well, among metals, it soft, I will certainly grant you that, but copper is, well, a metal! My face is skin and flesh… This conjures up images of machine tools and milling machines approaching my face, kind of like a bad James Bond movie… That’s why the hardness of male facial bristles amaze me… ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277/33 "2004-10-11T18:09:32Z")
[QUOTE=kanicbird] From the web Gillette site it appears that the ‘pulses’ are caused by a motor w/ a unbalenced load, which would seem to make the blades opperate a saw like motion in a single direction, either clockwise or counter depending on the direction of motor spin. QUOTE] Unless you had a gear inside changing that circular motion to back-and-forth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-what-does-it-do-gillette-m3-power-with-a-battery/268277.md?page=1)