i stick with the two-bladed versions because i don’t want to fork out so much for blades. The prices are ridiculous lately. Where i buy them you have to pick up the slip and go to the counter to buy them. I use the 2nd cheapest cream, Barbasol i think.
I use both Gilette Atra and Schick…whatever it is that has 2 blades. I use both because I bought the other ones by mistake and buying a new razor holder was cheaper than buying new blades.
Sat Night Live about 15 years ago(Akroyd?) did a skit on the New Razor! It had 17 blades. The first one cut the blade off, the second blade cut it a little lower, the third…, and the 17th blade cut it a little below the skin. You can’t buy a closer shave!!! It’s just a matter of time.
Mine as well, which is a problem. Nothing can dull a razor like a leg. One day it’s shiny, new, and mows down my stubble with ease; the next, it’s ripping my face off.
Don’t buy the cheap razors. They’re bad and they’ll cut up your face. This includes Bics.
Most of the name brands are pretty much the same in terms of razor quality. But I buy Schicks because they have this nice feature - a button on the back you can push which clears out the clogged hair.
I used to shave with a Mach III, but I’ve got to tell you guys, the new M3 Power kicks ass. Seriously. I have never, ever had a shave even remotely as good. You don’t feel the thing scraping at all - the high frequency vibrations seem to make the blade slice the hairs more than chopping them. It’s really amazing.
You guys who use the Mach III should absolutely try one, because the blades are interchangeable. Buy the M3, and use your Mach blades in it. It’s a cheap experiment, and I guarantee you’ll love it.
Sounds very intriguing, like an electric that does more than give you a rash. Are you saying my old blades achieve greater powers of choppage when coupled to the Power handle, or does this simply mean my investment in old-school blades is not squandered when switching, as they can be used as normal during transition on the Power handle until their supply is exhausted?
I’ve heard people say that there is no difference between the new M3 blades and the old Mach III blades. All the magic is in the vibrating handle. It vibrates like an ultrasonic toothbrush, and just glides through whiskers.
It happens once in a while when I shave against the grain - especially lately, since I’m on a low budget, using soap instead of shaving cream, and might be using the razors a few more times than I should. (I don’t have work every day, so I don’t shave every day.) Under normal conditions they’re not the greatest shave, but they don’t give me problems. But obviously my priority at this point is the “cheap” thing.
No matter which direction you shave it in? I find that really matters for me. Below the chin line, there’s a bunch of patches that really prefer me to cut them bottom to top.
I l ike the three-bladed Gilette, because it shaves smoothly and it cleans easily. The latter is a big plus, I always shave under the shower, never use soap or cream while doing so, and to clean it inbetween I just hold it out under the shower for a sec. There’s nothing in the way of the blades, this time. This was a lot more hassle with the 2 bladed variety especially if you hadn’t shaved for more than just one day. I can shave in 15 secs with it, if in a hurry, and have to date never cut myself with it, not even a tiny little spec of blood (or well at least not noticeable after the shower).
On the other hand, the three-bladed one is getting too big. I have trouble shaving the bit just under my nose with it, which wasn’t a problem with the slimmer two-bladed variety. Since the two bladed variety didn’t give me much hassle either, I’m inclined to believe that the two bladed variety in combination with the new design might just work as well or better.
Yep - up, down, right, left, both diagonals and any other direction possible.
All the shaving guides say that you should not shave against the grain. But what they don’t say is what you do when, using the sharpest blade known to mankind, you have passed over the same bit of your boat* 56 times against the grain, there is still enough stubble to be mistaken for sandpaper.
I’d grow a beard but I look really awful [er, that’s actually more awful].
I use the mach III, and not because I think three blades is the effective way to go, it is because of the way the razor handle is shaped. got hooked on it when I used to shave my head everyday, and IMHO it is the best design from an ergonomics standpoint (never tried the M3 power, but it looks like it would be just as easy to hold/use).
I got the green vibrator for christmas. The regular Mach 3 blades do fit and work fine in it. I’m not convinced that it actually shaves better than the regular Mach 3 though. I think part of it is the placebo affect, part of it is the whole new-gadget angle, and the last is that the vibrating just “distracts” your nervous system from the scraping & pulling of hairs that goes on anytime your blade starts to dull. I think the regular black & silver handle looks the most masculine, followed by the red & black one. I think the green is kind of ugly, but it certainly isn’t a deal breaker. Just MHO.
[hijack] Women bitch about having more area to shave compared to a man, but if they tear their legs up they can still wear pants, I can’t cover my face up & go to work. [/hijack]
I’ll second the barber shave. The I used to go to used the brush in the shave cream and always made a show of sharpening the straight razor on a strip of leather.
I wear a moustache and goatee and like to keep them both short. My wife bought me this Remington. Buy it. Buy it now! The best feature is the vacuum action. And it works very well. Instead of wiping out whiskers or trying to hold a towel under your face, you just pull out the little container when you’re done and dump it.
Sam Stone, I’ve been thinking of buying the vibrator. You’ve sold me. Off to Wally World in a bit.
Anyone know why it’s not recommended to shave against the grain?
My first pass is with the grain, second against. Such a close shave it’s like pre-puberty.
I use a Mach 3 as well. Sure, the whole Sensor Excel thing was fine and having three blades feels like a gimmick, but whether it’s the placebo effect or what, it just feels like I get a closer shave out of it. It’s not as if the more expensive blades are a big hit, either, since it takes me a couple of months to go through a single pack of blades. (One of the few advantages to my job is that I only have to shave once a week, if that, and when I’m growing a full beard*, don’t even need to use shaving cream.)
I’ve gotta say I’m intrigued by the whole turbo/vibrating Mach 3 thing, though. I know it’s just a gimmick, but I’ve heard enough guys going into it knowing that it’s a gimmick, and still saying it’s worth it, that it sounds like it’s worth checking out.
Well, Cecil’s final conclusion about blades not costing very much for what they do is no longer true. I was using a Sensor for a long time and finally broke down and used the Mach III that Gillette sent me as a freebie. And it’s a pretty good shave. But the refills are outrageously priced – something like $2.00/blade. (I would have a hard time believing that the cost more than $0.20 to make.) The throwaway Mach III razors cost less than the refills! The only consolation is that I have a full beard and am just shaving the edges, so one refill lasts me for weeks.
After looking down at my razor this morning all filled up with gunk, I recalled having read this post a few years earlier and was determined to find a product that has this feature.
Well, I have just returned from shopping, and , I can’t find it. Does anyone know which Brand/Model(s) have this feature?
