# How many blades will Gillette razors have in 10 years? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 9, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143 "2003-11-09T00:39:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Faruiza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@Faruiza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faruiza)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/61 "2003-11-11T22:18:42Z")
Yep. I thought it was all hype. I went on and on to my husband about what a doofus he was for buying the hype. I looked up one of the old S.D. columns on razor blades and did the full-on… :rolleyes: But. I had to eat my sarcasm with a side of shut the fuck up. I love my little four blader now. Works better than my Mach 3, and my Sensor XL before that. My legs thank me! ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/62 "2003-11-12T18:34:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Creative\_Munster \* > \*\*If you can afford the Mach 3, it’s the way to go. Agreed. \*\* How much is this thing? Or are you a werewolf? ---
**Author:** ![Palewriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@Palewriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palewriter)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/63 "2003-11-12T21:11:11Z")
My barber gives me a wonderfully close and smooth shave. He uses a real straight razor, which he hones to perfection using a leather strop. He’s been using the same razor for at least 30 years. He uses real barber’s soap and a brush, too. And he splashes bay rum on afterwards. It’s decadent and worth every penny of the $5 it costs. Screw you, Gillette. - PW ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/64 "2003-11-12T21:25:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sperfur \* > \*\*How much is this thing? Or are you a werewolf? \*\* I bought a whole bunch of replacement blades about 2.5 years ago from [Shavethis.com](http://www.shavethis.com/refcar.html) , yes it does sound like a fetish pron website and no, that’s not how I found it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/65 "2003-11-12T21:30:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Palewriter \* > > He’s been using the same razor for at least 30 years. Cite! 😛 **stpauler** : BTW, it’s “pr0n” not “pron,” you p053r. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/66 "2003-11-13T02:12:57Z")
Mach 3? I bought one, hated it, threw it out. I was on a trip, forgot my razor, bought another Mach 3 for the hell of it - and I like it. I have a little goatee-ish thing on my chin right now, and have no trouble dealing with precision. But the biggest advantage is that I get more shaves from the Mach 3, I think because the design lets it get cleaned more thoroughly (the holders are on the sides of the blades, rather than the center as in Sensor/XL). ---
**Author:** ![Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dreaming_of_Maria_Callas)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/67 "2003-11-13T02:22:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Palewriter \* > \*\*My barber gives me a wonderfully close and smooth shave. He uses a real straight razor, which he hones to perfection using a leather strop. He’s been using the same razor for at least 30 years. \*\* Are you sure he sterilises it properly? Straight razors fell out of popularity because of AIDS fears. UnuMondo ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/68 "2003-11-13T03:12:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sperfur \* > \*\*How much is this thing? Or are you a werewolf? \*\* The blades are about $2 apiece in stores. Looks like [shavethis.com](http://shavethis.com) has them for $1.50 or less. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/69 "2003-11-13T21:25:53Z")
Holy whiskers! They just did this thread as a routine on The Daily Show! Rob Cordrey interviewed a woman who was on the R&D team, and gave he the “First blade sets up the second whisker, second blade calls it a name” etc, etc, and then said he had a ten-bladed razor which turned out to be about 6 plastic razors duct-taped together and mounted on the table/. When activated, they rotated in place and the shavee lowers his face into the maelstrom of whirling blades! I think it was to be continued last night, as they left you with Rob lowering his face to the spinning blades. (I see the next days reruns at 4:00PM). But I couldn’t believe how much of that routine mirrors this thread! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/70 "2003-11-14T00:46:02Z")
I have a leaked confidential report here that states Gillette’s 2004 marketing slogan will be “A shave so close, you can see the white gleam of exposed bone”. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/71 "2003-11-14T07:39:53Z")
The Mach III is the way to go, but it ain’t the the # of blades - it’s the angle. I believe the reason why some are having so much trouble with the thing is that they are using it wrong. On a standard safety razor, such as the sensor XL, the handle is mounted on a swivel set behind the blades and then angled. It is designed to be held like an upside-down pen. On the Mach, the handle is mounted _below_ the blades. You are supposed to hold it like a paint brush. If the angle is too steep (ie, if you are holding it like a sensor XL) the blade is swiveled too far back and all the play in the swivel is lost. The thing will bite. Look at the two side by side some time. The angle of the blade head is much different. Remember: Like a paintbrush, not like a pen. Once you do that, you’ll never return to the standard blades again. Because the angle is what I like about the Mach, I’m highly skeptical of the Quad 4. If the blades are mounted from the back like the sensor XL, I would think adding more blades would just make it clumsier than your standard two blade. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/72 "2003-11-14T07:52:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by singular1 \* > \*\* I think it was to be continued last night, as they left you with Rob lowering his face to the spinning blades. (I see the next days reruns at 4:00PM). But I couldn’t believe how much of that routine mirrors this thread! \*\* Nah, they didn’t continue it, that was just a gag. Funny bit, though. I’m starting to wonder if they’ve got someone at the Daily Show whose job it is to read the SDMB and steal ideas. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/73 "2003-12-07T18:35:33Z")
* * * Originally posted by Palewriter ## He’s been using the same razor for at least 30 years. Whoaa… I hope not. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/74 "2003-12-07T18:52:01Z")
Nanotech. The future is nanotech. A packet of Gilette Shaving Powder contains millions of microscopic nano-bots that will crawl over your skin, eating anything that resembles hair. Do not apply near eyelashes, eyebrow, and hair that you don’t want eaten. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Green\_Feather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_Green\_Feather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Green_Feather)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/75 "2003-12-07T23:53:37Z")
I use a Mach 3 but I’m waiting for the Speed Racer Signature Series **Mach 5**. ---
**Author:** ![Nurobath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a88e57/32.png) [@Nurobath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nurobath)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143/76 "2003-12-08T05:23:30Z")
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! Stop it, you guys are killing me. This is the funniest thread I’ve read in a long time. I’m actually in pain from laughing so much. 😃 oh yeah, I use cheap disposables because it doesn’t seem to mattter to my face how many blades there are…none of em get close enough to suit me. I’ve have the mach3 but don’t use it. It works okay but the blades are just too damn expensive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-blades-will-gillette-razors-have-in-10-years/212143.md?page=3)