# shaving, electric versus blade **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaving-electric-versus-blade/153843 "2003-02-09T06:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaving-electric-versus-blade/153843/21 "2003-02-10T17:41:04Z")
I shaved with Mach IIIs for a long time but I finally got sick of the expense and bought a Panasonic Linear electric shaver. **vasyachkin,** if you’re going to buy an electric, trust me on this one and do the following: 1. Spend as much money as you can afford on it. There’s a big difference in quality between cheap ones and good ones. 2. Buy a wet/dry electric. I can use shaving cream with mine, it’s great. 3. Buy from a store that offers an unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee, just in case. 4. Realize that shaving with an electric is a different skill, and it will take you a week or so to get good at it. ---
**Author:** ![TeleTronOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@TeleTronOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeleTronOne)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaving-electric-versus-blade/153843/22 "2003-02-10T18:14:55Z")
I use one of those Braun Self-Cleaning mold-to-your-face thingamawhatsits. I was amazed at how close the shave was, I previously used a Mach III, and this was better. However, the blades seem to dull a little more quickly than I would like them to, and it’s a different story if you skip a day, especially if your facial hair grows fast. It doesn’t do too well on thicker hair, and IMO, takes longer than a blade (but you can multitask). And the auto-cleaning is great for someone as lazy as me. All in all, I’m pretty happy with it. I think braun makes another one that’s really super-quiet, I wouldn’t mind checking one of those out. If I don’t shave for two days and then take this thing to my face, it sounds like a lawnmower going over a yard full of sticks, although it doesn’t cause me any great discomfort. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaving-electric-versus-blade/153843/23 "2003-02-10T20:04:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bouv \* > \*\*I use the Mache III…BEST.RAZOR.EVER. > > Seriously, I only need to shave every other day, it’s so damn close. And it doesn’t irritate my skin, thanks to that weird strip that excretes gel, or whatever it is, on my face. > I have, on several occaions, tried electric. When I first started shaving, I used my dad’s, and found out that I could never, _never_ get anyone near as close a shave with a blade. Maybe I just don’t use them right, but I would go over my face with them, and there are always huge patches of uncut hair, and spots of partyl cut hair, and so forth. If I want to get my full face shaved, and not as closely shaved, mind you, it takes me twice as long with an electric. And I’ve tried a few types, ciruclar blade, the square blade, one of those new Norelco’s that are suppossed to be better than a blade…not for me. > > So, in short, get a gillete mach III and never look back. \*\* **Bouv** is telling my story. One thing I’ve always wondered about: I tried electrics when I first started really having to shave – around age 15. It cut semi-decent, but consistently missed pretty large areas of my face. It seems that in retrospect, most of my facial hair at the time was too fine for the electric razor to get a hold of … as if the blades were just pushing the baby-fine hair down, but not cutting them. So, I gave up on electrics, and just went with a blade. It took many years for my facial hair to turn course – not until my mid-20s. Still, it grows slowly – I can shave every 3rd day with a Mach III. Is it likely that an electric would do better for me know than it did when I was a teen? ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaving-electric-versus-blade/153843/24 "2003-02-10T20:46:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vasyachkin \* > \*\*so i just ordered Mach 3 Turbo online. it comes with 2 cartridges but i also ordered 16 extra cartridges, everything including shipping and tax ( zero and zero ) came out to $38. > \*\* That’s more than I’ve spent on shaving materials for the last three years combined :eek: This year I bought a straight razor on ebay (which I pick up this Friday!) for about that price. With that and my strop, I don’t have to spend another dime for… oh… ever. Except on soap, which runs about $1 every 18 months. Yes, I like busting the economy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaving-electric-versus-blade/153843/25 "2003-02-10T20:47:27Z")
But straight razors are scary. ---
**Author:** ![KarmaTate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@KarmaTate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarmaTate)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaving-electric-versus-blade/153843/26 "2003-02-11T09:19:19Z")
Mach 3 here. I also have an electric because if I miss a day, it’s too long and clogs the blades, but I always go over with the Mach 3. I was never taught how to shave and have alternated from blades to electric, never nicked myself once. Thinking of a straight blade. ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaving-electric-versus-blade/153843/27 "2003-02-11T10:10:49Z")
Hijack: Nice sig, **Mac Dairmuid**! Another Bonzo fan, I see. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaving-electric-versus-blade/153843.md?page=1)