I have a beard. So mostly I’m just laughing at all you chumps. 
–Cliffy
Every once and a while I think I should try the Mach3 blades to see if they are better. And every time I think they are to expensive and buy a pack of Sensor blades. On ther other hand every time I forget my razor when traveling and have to get a bic disposable razor I find out what uncomfortable shaving is all about.
I use a safety razor, and a brush with soap. The cost of a pack of Gillette Fusion blades is my shaving budget for two years.
As soon as I saw that ad come on the first time I said to myself “This better not be a stupid shaver ad.” It’s so over the top you’d think that it was a parody, but the commercial seems to take itself completely seriously.
I had a fancy razor once, but while I was saving up to buy new blades, it became obsolete.
That’s when I started waxing, or else letting it all grow free.
Some type of Moore’s law for razor blades? 
I’ve often wondered what the vibrating razors are actually doing. How exactly do they accomplish a closer shave. I always saw them as gimmicks.
The funny thing is that the point of the ads is to lead up to the big introduction at the Stupid Bowl. The stores didn’t get the message, and have been advertising the hell out of the thing for weeks. So Gillette screwed up their advertising strategy big time. There was a column in the Times about this.
(Am I the only person outside the ad business who finds the Times ad columns, especially by Stu Elliot, fascinating?)
It’s my understanding that this shit is all WalMart’s fault (as most things are, you realize). They demand either a price cut or an increase in quality or function from their suppliers every year. So in order to not have to keep giving away their profit margin to WalMart on a yearly basis, they have to keep upping the ante on function, hence the move from double bladed disposable razors to these vibrating chainsaws.
I got totally and completely fed up with Gillette razors. I used to be able to buy a four-pack of Mach 3 blades for $7 (Canadian) like two years ago. Now they’re up at $10, having gone up about once a year – and never mind that my local Zellers is usually out of them and forced me to buy M3 Power blades at $14. I finally said “Fuck you, Gillette!” and bought an electric shaver – one of those fancy Philishave Cool Shaves, and I have to admit I get a cleaner shave with one of those than I ever did with my Mach 3s. It takes a bit more work, especially on the lower neck, but the lotion dispenser in the shaver helps a great deal. In the end I get one hell of a shave even rubbing against the grain. So, fuck you, Gillette! Fuck you and the octo-bladed, pearl-handled, oscillating, vibrating, irritating disposable you rode in on!
The explication I have read is that the vibration causes the hairs to stand up straighter, giving you a smoother, closer shave. I’ve always loved the Mach3. user_jag has convinced me to try the Fusion.
I tried an electric. Doesn’t get nearly close enough for me.
I’m in the process of giving up on regular razors, since a meticulous shave with a decent blade means that I have noticeable stubble (mostly on my upper lip, and sideburns to a lesser extent) the next day. Unfortunately, I can’t grow enough to stop shaving altogether.
I don’t have time to take longer to shave, and I also don’t appreciate that skin that I shave getting tougher and more insensitive. Nicks hurt less, yes, but I’d like to keep my skin the way it is.
Thus, I’m going to get an electric razor either tomorrow or Sunday morning, depending on how much information I get about them. Any recommendations?
I’ve always been partial to Norelco. I have a 720RL that I’ve used for the past 10 years or so. I recently purchased a new set of cutters for it, about 6 months ago. They replaced the original set. Yes, the originals lasted 10 years. Bear in mind that when you make the change to electric, your face WILL need time to adjust. For the first 3-4 weeks, you’ll more than likely experience irritation and some redness, which a decent aftershave will help with. Give it time. Eventually, your skin will adapt to the new shaving method, and the irritation will go away.
I did a thread a year or so back asking for electric razor recommendations. I ended up with a Braun - the model just below their cheapest self-cleaning dealie. I was originally leaning toward the self-cleaning dealies, but then I saw that you have to buy refills of the alcohol solution it uses, which just screamed “ripoff” to me. Anyway, I’ve been happy with the one I have.
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.
From my limited experience and recomendations from others, I’d advise against that unless you want to throw down a lot of money on the sucker.
I once received an $80 electric shaver as a Christmas gift. Not only did it hurt like a motherfucker to shave with (felt almost like the damn thing was pulling the hair out by the roots), but it took me even longer than a Mach 3 shave! I’d have to go back and forth over areas of my face several times to get everything off, and even then I sometimes I had to do a bit of touching up with the Mach 3. I gave up on it after a week or two.
When I mentioned this experience in a previous thread on the SDMB, I was told that my $80 brand-name razor was a cheapo (!), and that I should expect to pay closer to $150 for a decent one.
Fuck that.
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.
I went to the drugstore today (it being payday and all) to get some contact-lens solution (small bottle, $5.49). I also got a ten-pack of Sensor blade cartridges for $17.99. $17.99!!! Of course they did not have the five-pack. It seems that razor blades have gotten much more expensive over time, even ignoring the upselling and merchandising of new variants. Which is why I waited until payday to go to the dugstore.
The Gillette Fusion was there… for $35.99 vibrating and $32.99 non-vibrating.
A month or so ago, I saw a DVD player in Walmart for $39.99. Yep, the DVD player is cheaper than many of the movies you play on it, and almost the price of the razor you don’t have to buy because you aren’t going out any more because it’s so much cheaper to stay in and watch DVDs.
I think it’s safe to say that someone’s priorities are out of whack.
There was a shiny silver balloon advertising the Fusion at the checkout, and I mentioned to the girl there that when I first heard about it, I thought it was some kind of a joke. She just kind of nodded.
Incidentally, is this where all the running-shoe designers have gone? Razor companies?
Hell yes. I use a solid chrome, German-made Merkur safety razor. I fully expect this thing to last me the rest of my life, and a 10-pack of double-edged blades costs me almost exactly $1.
My scifi club (www.Monsffa.com) has this as one of our many unfinished video projects.
The evil alien overload gloats and declares: “Foolish Earthlings. Who will shave you now?!”
I am NOT making this up.
The Mach 3 blades fit the M3 Power, so I just buy Mach 3 blades.
And you can save money by buying bulk. I go to Costco or Superstore or WalMart and buy the boxes of 20, for about a buck a blade, I think.
But I’m lucky. I don’t grow much of a beard, so I don’t even start showing 5 O’clock shadow until the 3rd day after shaving, and so I only have to shave every 2-4 days. I use the blade four or five times, so I only use a blade or two a month. At that rate, I can afford a buck or two for a blade.