# Schick PWN3D! or WTF, Gillette??? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 2, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731 "2006-02-02T21:40:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/61 "2006-02-04T04:35:08Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Ridiculous. I paid about $60-70 for mine, IIRC. As I said, you need to acclimate your face when changing from blades to electric. It’s not going to be comfortable at first, but it will be. Give it at least a month. Too late for that, I guess. I threw the damn thing in the trash. Even if it had become more comfortable over time, though, I don’t see how that could have alleviated the increased time and frustration it caused me. I’d go over my cheek a dozen times and still usually find a couple remaining hairs that the electric razor couldn’t seem to get rid of. One quick swipe with a Mach 3 or a Quattro and they were gone. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/62 "2006-02-04T04:54:26Z")
> [@neutron star](#): > > I’d go over my cheek a dozen times and still usually find a couple remaining hairs that the electric razor couldn’t seem to get rid of. Huh. Technique, maybe? Electrics, at least the rotary types like Norelco, seem to work best when you go in a circular motion, rather than back and forth. You also need to pull your skin tight with your fingers. It’s a matter of practice, I suppose. And what brand was it? More importantly, what sort of shaving mechanism was it? In my experience, the rotary heads that Norelco uses are superior to the linear sort that Braun, Remington and others normally employ. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/63 "2006-02-04T05:14:34Z")
I’ve had a couple of expensive electric razors, and I’ve never really liked them. I’ll use one for a few weeks, and find myself just wanting to go back to the blade. They don’t shave as well, and they irritate my skin. As for this new Fusion razor - if it’s anywhere near $50 CDN I wouldn’t touch it. I think my M3 power was around fifteen bucks, and it came with 3 blades. I’ll pay that just to try something new, but not $30 or more. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/64 "2006-02-04T05:24:40Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Huh. Technique, maybe? Electrics, at least the rotary types like Norelco, seem to work best when you go in a circular motion, rather than back and forth. You also need to pull your skin tight with your fingers. It’s a matter of practice, I suppose. That may have been the problem. I didn’t know I was supposed to do either of those things. > [@](#): > > And what brand was it? More importantly, what sort of shaving mechanism was it? In my experience, the rotary heads that Norelco uses are superior to the linear sort that Braun, Remington and others normally employ. I don’t remember the brand (this was about three years ago), but I know it was one of the big names - one that gets advertised on national TV. Is Norelco the only company that uses rotary heads? If so, that’s it, because mine did have those. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/65 "2006-02-04T06:08:39Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > The Gillette Fusion was there… for $35.99 vibrating and $32.99 non-vibrating. That must have been a multi-blade pack or something. The starter kits with 2 blades are $10-15 in the stores I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/66 "2006-02-04T18:26:29Z")
I, for one, welcome our new vibrating Fusion overlords. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/67 "2006-02-05T20:54:40Z")
[Gillette Mach 9](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/farkyou123/mach9.jpg) (via Fark) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/68 "2006-02-05T22:09:57Z")
I work for the company that makes these razors and I got a whole slew of them in my Xmas basket. Good thing cause I’m not paying that kind of money for a razor. Ever. My boss used the vibrating razor and said it was awesome. I’m not convinced. I want perfect stillness when I’m razoring sensitive areas, thankyouverymuch. I must say that I just love the Bic Soleil disposable razors I got while vacationing last year. Went to Walgreens on Hilton Head Island and the kind lady asked if she could help me. I told her I was looking for razors and she said that they were running a great sale on these Bic Soleil’s 3 for $1. I ended up buying a dozen. They last forever! I’m on the lookout for another sale like this. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/69 "2006-02-05T22:28:16Z")
Just got back from the grocery store. Fusion+2 carts and a 4-pak of carts = $18.00. The wife inherits the Mach3, I guess. It has to be a step up from the 2 blade disposables she usually uses. Gotta use up the supply of Mach3 carts in any case. Tomorrow morning we shall see what Gillette hath wraught. ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/70 "2006-02-05T23:28:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Tomorrow morning we shall see what Gillette hath wraught. I feel vaguely responsible for the quality of shave you will receive with your new **Fusion**. Just as an FYI, I did use the **Fusion** shave gel on my melon, and I went against the grain, too. I don’t know if the **Fusion** will be my day-to-day razor, but it is getting exculsive rights to my head. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/71 "2006-02-06T00:25:10Z")
> [@Alan Smithee](#): > > I used to have a razor like that that I bought in a local drug store for a couple of bucks. Ever since I lost I’ve looked for another one, but although **every** drug store seems to sell the blades, no one sells the razors anymore. This thread (and that link) have just about convinced me to shuck the whole thing and get an old fashioned straight razor. I had a barber use one one me once and _loved_ it! The ones on that site are ungodly expensive, but ebay has them cheap cheap cheap. I have a straight razor, but I’d never buy one from ebay. Most of those being sold there are made of what’s known as pakistani steel – horrid stuff that can’t hold an edge. Check out the yahoo group [Straight Razor Place](http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/straightrazorplace/). Those guys know what they’re about, they’re collectors and regular users, and very often someone is selling some of their excess blades. The only reason I bought the Feather was since the birth of my daughter I didn’t have the time to give myself a proper straight razor shave every other day. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/72 "2006-02-06T00:49:27Z")
> [@usar\_jag](#): > > I feel vaguely responsible for the quality of shave you will receive with your new **Fusion**. Just as an FYI, I did use the **Fusion** shave gel on my melon, and I went against the grain, too. I don’t know if the **Fusion** will be my day-to-day razor, but it is getting exculsive rights to my head. I always shave against the grain. It’s the only way to get a close enough shave for me. But yes, you are to blame, for good or ill, what befalls my pate tomorrow morning. :eek: 😃 Barbarian, I still have my grandfather’s straight razor. I’m scared to get it anywhere near my face, because knowing my luck, I’d be possessed by the spirit of Vincent the moment I did. But it is a shiny, sharp little piece of equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Yeeter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/96bed5/32.png) [@Yeeter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeeter)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/73 "2006-02-06T01:40:50Z")
I have a pretty weak beard, so I don’t change my blades too often, it seems to me that if there are more cutting surfaces, these 5 bladed razors should last even longer. Does that make sense? Did anybody have an opinion on the Schick Quattro? I’m not going to be an early adopter on this one. The only reason I moved to the Mach 3 was because the twin blades were getting harder to find, then I lost the handle to hold them and couldn’t find a new one (admittedly didn’t try that hard). That and Cecil did say that there wasn’t any scientific proof that 2 blades were better than one (article linked somewhere near the beginning of this thread). Maybe Cecil needs to re-visit this one? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/74 "2006-02-06T01:54:39Z")
> [@Yeeter](#): > > I have a pretty weak beard, so I don’t change my blades too often, it seems to me that if there are more cutting surfaces, these 5 bladed razors should last even longer. Does that make sense? I don’t think so. Razors get dull only in part because of the friction of hair against the cutting surfaces. I think the real culprit is oxidation. I just read somewhere thaat if you take the time to completely dry your razor blades they last significantly longer. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/75 "2006-02-06T16:53:13Z")
OK…first report on the Fusion shave. Very nice. Very nice indeed. Almost zero drag over the head, and zero nicks, even against the grain and around the bumps. I like it. I noticed a smoothness over the Mach3, and I considered **that** to be the best shave I had ever had. For me at least, there is a new king. We’ll see how long the carts last, and whether it keeps its edge over time, but for now… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/76 "2006-02-06T17:02:22Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Almost zero drag over the head, and zero nicks, even against the grain and around the bumps. AROUND the bumps??? Wimp! 😉 Glad to hear that you liked the shave, and I no longer have to fear you seeking me out and beating me to death with your **Fusion** , that did not live up to expectations that I helped create. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/77 "2006-02-06T17:40:01Z")
> [@Cleophus](#): > > That must have been a multi-blade pack or something. The starter kits with 2 blades are $10-15 in the stores I’ve seen. Don’t forget that that was in Canadian dollars. But still… I’m going back to that drugstore to check (the Shoppers Drug Mart next to Royal York subway station in Toronto). I didn’t take an extremely-close look at what was in the package. I think I’ll check out the straight-razor stuff linked. I have a suspicion that I’m going to go retro on the whole issue. 😃 And an update on the comparison with Wal-Mart DVD players. My friend was saying that the forty-dollar one was not their least expensive player! They have a $34.99 one. So, yes, you can get a DVD player for less than the Fusion razor. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/78 "2006-02-06T19:15:09Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > I have a straight razor, but I’d never buy one from ebay. Most of those being sold there are made of what’s known as pakistani steel – horrid stuff that can’t hold an edge. Check out the yahoo group [Straight Razor Place](http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/straightrazorplace/). Those guys know what they’re about, they’re collectors and regular users, and very often someone is selling some of their excess blades. > > The only reason I bought the Feather was since the birth of my daughter I didn’t have the time to give myself a proper straight razor shave every other day. I’d actually already found those guys at their website [straightrazorplace.com](http://www.straightrazorplace.com). Some of them seem to have bought razors on ebay successfully, but it probably wouldn’t be smart to buy one there without knowing something. One newbie posted a link to an ebay razor he was considering, and the concensus was that it wasn’t a shaving razor at all. I sure couldn’t tell! Another newbie bought a lot of about five old razors for about six bucks, and the concensus was that he’d gotten a good deal. If/when I decide to make the switch, I’ll go there for advice first. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/79 "2006-02-06T23:59:01Z")
Okay, just brought new Gilette Fusion Power razor home. It was $4 more than the unpowered Gillette Fusion, but what the heck. There’s only one blade, but I’ll try it out before dropping $17 on a pack. Duracell AAA battery is included. First impressions: it’s overpackaged, with lots of nice plastic to grace the enarest landfill for the next 50,000 years, but live for today. It opens easily enough and lo, a $2 coupon for cartridges, which will come in handy. The razor comes with a rigid plastic bed of sort, and it’s held down with a cellophane seatbelt. I snap this with a muttered apology to Ralph Nader and proceed. The razor is light, lighter by far than my Sensor. Despite is chromelike shine, it’s all plastic, baby. Unscrew the base, insert battery, rescrew the base. Hm, five tine blade and a swivelly head. I power it up and AAAH! AAAH!! AAAH! MY FINGERS!! AHHHHHH! typing skills fasding because of slippery torrentnsas of bl0ood i;;l keep reposrintg as long sa I cann… Well, the bandaids helped. I’ll report back tomorrow after my first shave. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731/80 "2006-02-07T14:53:09Z")
That’s it, I’m done. I am sick of this constant useless one-upsmanship. I am going straight razor as soon as my birthday roles around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schick-pwn3d-or-wtf-gillette/342731.md?page=5)