# What kind or razor do you use and why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 13, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984 "2003-08-13T19:13:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/1 "2003-08-13T19:13:56Z")
I used to use Gilette Mach 3 but I find they arent really very sharp, and I actually get a closer shave from disposibles. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/2 "2003-08-13T19:25:44Z")
**Griffin** , damn your whiskers, I was gonna post that very thread, but you beat me to it! 😃 Okay let me make this statement and then I’ll get to what razor I use: I think the razor companies are scamming us. Now they have **three** blades and an extra lube strip, and they’re telling us that whether we shave up or down, we’ll get the closest possible shave. So what are they gonna do next, add a **fourth** blade? The first **Saturday Night Live** crew _spoofed_ this very thing way back in the 70’s! Y’all remember it? The Mach Three Turbo costs 8.99 and a pack of 12 blades is a mere 21.99! Fugeddaboudit! I’m staying with my **Sensor Excel** and my technique gives me a very close shave, thank you. **Griffin** , disposables tend to give me razor burn, so I avoid them like the plague. Maybe you just have a tougher beard than me, could that be? I don’t tend to grow the “shadow” as fast as some guys I know. Maybe some other guys will chime in with their prefs and you’ll find one that works for ya’. Good luck! Q ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/3 "2003-08-13T19:33:06Z")
Quasi I have been thinking about this business of the razor companies scamming us for quite a while now! It seems to me what they are doing is giving us more blades but not making them as sharp, and then charging us an absolute fortune. I’ve actually never been happy with Mach 3. I remember way back in the Excel days I actually got a pretty nice shave the first couple times I used each razor blade, but with Mach 3 it’s never been the same. I’ve been thinking of changing to Wilkinson Sword FX Performer. Anyone use these? ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/4 "2003-08-13T19:40:41Z")
I use the cheap, often store-brand, single-bladed disposable plastic razors in the 12-pack bags. They cut the little hairs on my chin, so they become little hairs in my sink. That’s all I need, and I’m not paying $5 a pop to get it. ---
**Author:** ![merge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@merge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merge)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/5 "2003-08-13T19:41:12Z")
I go for the gillette good news pivot plus… and honestly I have never had a closer shave… Those things work great for me… I have tried a lot… MachIII Sensor Sensor excel Tracer… the disposable has been the best. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/6 "2003-08-13T19:41:51Z")
Schick is actually on the verge of releasing a four blade razor, Gillette is suing them over some design similarity to the mach 3. Personally I use the Mach 3. It gives me a much closer, less painful shave than any other razor I’ve ever used. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/7 "2003-08-13T19:43:15Z")
**Griffin** , how many times did you use each **Excel** blade? I use mine at least ten times before changing to a new one. Q ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/8 "2003-08-13T20:00:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 5-HT \* > \*\*Schick is actually on the verge of releasing a four blade razor, Gillette is suing them over some design similarity to the mach 3. > > \*\* I bet they’re just miffed cos they were planning a 4 blade one and someone beat them to it. ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/9 "2003-08-13T20:05:38Z")
Mach 3 Turbo. Close with a lot less cuts. Every time I use a disposable I cut myself to pieces - although that might be related to my habit of shaving very very quickly, something easily done with the Mach 3 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/10 "2003-08-13T20:26:30Z")
I think we can all agree it’s got to do with the toughness of our beards, right? Take me for instance ( **please!** ) :D. I’m an “Aryan” sumbitch and don’t have much hair on either my face or my chest, so that makes my ugly mug easier to shave. Because we can’t see ourselves here, it’s tough to know why our friend **Griffin** is having a tough time getting a close shave with his Mach Three. My technique (which won’t work for all of us, I know) is to leave the soap that I use on my face **on** before applying the shaving foam. This adds to the lubrication and gives me the close shave a virile man like myself needs. ( **HA!** ). I then shave from the neck up, the sideburns down and then the close-work: under the nose , around the chin and lastly the cheeks. I don’t go after the nose-hairs with my **Excel** : I use a pair of hemostats for that! 😃 Admittedly, it’s just stubble, and if let that stuff grow out I would look like **Bob Dylan** , so no thanks to a full beard. Maybe that’ll help, but like I always say, (ready?): _different **strokes** for different folks_. :ducks and covers: 😃 Q ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/11 "2003-08-14T01:27:26Z")
Gilette Sensor, regular. Anything after that has just been overkill, and actually, the Sensor’s expensive enough as it is. Yeah, they’re probably scamming me, but a Sensor beats a disposable by a long shot. White male, very heavy beard, daily shave except on weekends, for those keeping stats. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/12 "2003-08-14T01:40:29Z")
Twin-blade pivot-head (Atra II class). Store-brand refills. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/13 "2003-08-14T01:48:21Z")
I used to be a very happy Wilkinson user, but they’re not available in Japan. ☹ I tried Mach 3 last year and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth and close it shaved. I’ve been using it ever since with quite satisfactory results. The worst ones, though, are the ‘guard’ types that have tiny wires running vertically over the blades, supposedly to prevent nicks. Instead, they prevent you from getting a close shave unless you mash down hard enough that you end up cutting yourself even worse than with a normal razor. They’re also completely impossible to clean, so the blades become useless after just one use. Are these available in America, or is it a Japan-only thing? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/14 "2003-08-14T01:55:57Z")
I use a Mach 3. Why…to shave. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/15 "2003-08-14T02:05:55Z")
Sensor Excel. I dispose of each blade after around 10-12 uses. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/16 "2003-08-14T02:17:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sublight \* > \*\* > The worst ones, though, are the ‘guard’ types that have tiny wires running vertically over the blades, supposedly to prevent nicks. Instead, they prevent you from getting a close shave unless you mash down hard enough that you end up cutting yourself even worse than with a normal razor. They’re also completely impossible to clean, so the blades become useless after just one use. Are these available in America, or is it a Japan-only thing? \*\* There was a Schick blade like that a few years ago. I had one in college. I don’t know if they still make it, but it was the worst razor I ever owned. ---
**Author:** ![IUHomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90db22/32.png) [@IUHomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IUHomer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/17 "2003-08-14T02:51:19Z")
I love the Mach 3 Turbo and think its one of the greatest things ever invented. Admittedly it is expensive. I use each blade twice and then move on, but I also can get by with only shaving every other day because I get such a close shave. Prior to the Mach 3, I would get terrible razor burn, folliculitis and cut my face all up with the disposables. Now I get a smooth shave that is extremely close without a red, swollen, bleeding neck every time I shave. I don’t think its a scam at all. ``` I'll probably check out the new 4 blade razor to see if its any better, but I cannot imagine getting a much closer shave. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/18 "2003-08-14T06:46:22Z")
Mach 3 turbo here. I have a very tough beard. To ge the closest shave, and the least amount of cuts, I have found a combo of the Mach 3 and Aramis maximum comfort shaving cream to give me the best shave. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/19 "2003-08-14T06:59:01Z")
I use whatever disposable razors I have. I’m not sure what kind they are, but they are dark blue, and made by Gilette. ---
**Author:** ![Petrichor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@Petrichor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrichor)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984/20 "2003-08-14T08:10:14Z")
I only shave three time a week since I have light red facial hair, and my job allows me to get away with looking slightly unkempt. So I use the cheap generic disposable razors. Besides I look good with a bit of stubble (at least _I_ think so) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-or-razor-do-you-use-and-why/194984.md?page=2)