They've gone too far.

[mrbork]

I'm on the same page as Kitty

I swear by doing the oil treatment before the shaving cream. My skin is somewhat sensitive, and on the off days it makes a world of difference. My shave is closer, smoother and the oil protects my skin from most burns.

 

[panamag8or]

fftopic: Penn & Teller did a hilarious episode about bottled water on their former Showtime program.

Dihydrogen Monoxide.... stuff'll kill 'ya.

 

[Orgetorix]

I have a hard time getting my head around that. If your skin is touchy, the solution is to run more blades over it? I'm not disputing your experience, Matt, I'm just trying to figure it out.

According to an ad I saw once, more blades mean less pressure has to be exerted on each one. Pressure causes friction, friction causes irritation.

 

[Feraud]

According to an ad I saw once, more blades mean less pressure has to be exerted on each one. Pressure causes friction, friction causes irritation.

I have heard this too but wonder.. If blade #1 cuts the hair, what are the others doing? The blades are lined up in the razor so how do blades 2+ work? What exactly are they cutting? [huh]

 

[DanielJones]

I've used the Mach 3 for ages, but when I got the Fusion in the mail a few months ago it busted my coarse beard like a hot knife through butter. I use the Body Shops shaving soap & I get a very slick shave. What I would like to find is the fancy blade holders at a reasonable price. There are some at The Gentleman's Shop that look somewhat vintage with the advantage of holding a modern blade. But they are a tad expensive for my beer pocket book.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[eniksleestack]

Thanks for the hot tip on the Fusion -- that is the closest shave I have in a while. Glides pretty nice, too. I'll have to try some of those shave oil suggestions, though, on the rough spots.

I normally use an electric (I know, sacrilege) mainly because I'm too bleary-eyed in the morning to trust myself with a sharpened edge weapon. But of course, even the pricey Braun I have still is isn't tough enough on my face -- like Homer Simpson, I could probably grow a full beard in two days.

 

[Feng_Li]

If blade #1 cuts the hair, what are the others doing? The blades are lined up in the razor so how do blades 2+ work? What exactly are they cutting? [huh]

When the blade cuts the hair, it also deflects it slightly. The rest of the blades, in theory, continue to whittle down the remainder, as it springs back once the first blade passes.

Shavers who use a single blade typically perform at least two passes, but they reverse directions, which is supposed to reduce the whisker further and eliminate the pointed tip left by only cutting in one direction.

According to an ad I saw once, more blades mean less pressure has to be exerted on each one. Pressure causes friction, friction causes irritation.

That sounds plausible, although it assumes additional blade area in contact with the skin over all the facial contours. I'd be curious to know if Matt or anyone else noticed a substantial difference on sharply convex areas (such as tip of chin or adam's apple) or areas like the upper lip, where there simply isn't room to fit five blades, or if he notices a difference simply by varying the amount of pressure he applies with a less prodigious cartridge razor.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I have a hard time getting my head around that. If your skin is touchy, the solution is to run more blades over it? I'm not disputing your experience, Matt, I'm just trying to figure it out.

Perhaps it's the Pressure thing others are talking bout.

All I can write is that I do the same thing I do with my Mach three and get a better result and don't have any raw or bleeding spots. No red raw dry patches left over and no hairs.

I cut myself constantly regardless of razors because I have super soft stretchy skin (ask those who have seen me in person). This is the first time I haven't had to worry about knicking myself and my face isn't raw from the experience. I don't know what they did... the blades are closer though thin enough not to get gummed up by hairs too easily. They glide across my face easier than the Mach three and take out the hairs at a much closer range... Closer that a straight edge... according to my sense of touch.

 

[Jovan]

I have a hard time getting my head around that. If your skin is touchy, the solution is to run more blades over it? I'm not disputing your experience, Matt, I'm just trying to figure it out.

Mine is too, but if Matt uses it, I'm more than willing to give it a try. A double edged razor only goes so far on my tough stubble, even using all the techniques and tricks I should.

 

[Feng_Li]

I cut myself constantly regardless of razors because I have super soft stretchy skin

In that case, perhaps the larger cartridge frame may be helping to stretch and therefore spread/smooth your skin. Decreased pressure from additional blades shouldn't be creating that effect, as your skin would still be free to bunch in front of the blade and be nicked.

Mine is too, but if Matt uses it, I'm more than willing to give it a try. A double edged razor only goes so far on my tough stubble, even using all the techniques and tricks I should.

What brand of blades do you use?

 

[Jovan]

Not sure... panamag8or gave them to me.

 

[Micawber]

Shaving hints

Care of Trumper's

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Mr. Dekard, how did you get the fusion in the mail? i remember when i graduated high school six years ago getting a Mach 3 as a graduation gift from gilette. how they knew i graduated, i am curious to know...

 

[Mid-fogey]

One perspective

There are several shaving forums out there and the watchword is "YMMV." My own experience is: if you have a light to moderate beard, a multi-bladed cartridge razor does a pretty good job. If you are like me, with a very stiff and heavy beard, a double edge safety razor is a great choice.

Essentially with a DE you are trading time for a closer shave. The single blade allows you to make several passes in various directions. Many men have beards that grow in a number of different directions. A DE allows you to go at your face again and again and get very close without irritation -- if you know what you're doing.

With a multi-blade, I couldn't make all the passes in all the different directions I need to get a smooth, lasting shave.

On the other hand my 78 year old dad can shave with the cheapest disposable and canned goo out there and do great.

Finally, it's great a great retro feel to shave with the old technology.

 

[DanielJones]

Mr. Dekard, how did you get the fusion in the mail? i remember when i graduated high school six years ago getting a Mach 3 as a graduation gift from gilette. how they knew i graduated, i am curious to know...

Bruce: I don't know about Matt but mine showed up a few months back in a little promotional pack. I think that they just send them out at random and have gentlemen try them out. If it pleases them then they go and purchase the additional replacement blades. I know I did. Pretty crafty and ingenious advertising campaign.


Cheers!

Dan

 

[The Wingnut]

I started shaving with a Gillette Sensor (two blades) that arrived in the mail when I turned 18...pretty slick marketing. I've still got it years later and occasionally use it.

Gillette makes its money on blades. The handle itself will last forever and is cheap, both to make and buy. Blades, on the other hand, are even cheaper to make and cost way too much to buy.

...so I'm using a cheap Norelco electric unless I need a more presentable shave. If I'm going out on the town or have an occasion, or just need a close shave that'll last 24 hours, I've got a Gillette Safety Razor that I picked up at a garage sale for $0.75. I use a hot damp towel for about 10 minutes and relax in a chair beforehand. I use a badger brush and Edge Shave Gel and the hottest water I can get out of the tap for cleaning the razor after each pass. I'll shave with the grain first and come back against the grain afterward. The result is a shave that I can't get from any other razor, and it lasts for at least a full day.

Safety razor blades can still be found at very reasonable prices in store such as Long's. You can get packs of 100+ off the web.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

This reminds me of an old Saturday Night Live fake commercial featuring a ludicrous multiple blade Gillette razor... and one of the funniest cases of "life imitates art" I've ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F7TMlrDXtw&feature=related

 

[SGT Rocket]

I have fairly touchy skin. Every time I used a multi-blade razor, I got painful bumps on my skin. Plus, I had to put pressure on the razor. It was awful.

But, when I think about it, I like the old school safety razor I use now. It's chrome or something and I put cheap double edge blades in it.

Plus, now I'm not super green or anything, I feel better not using plastic razor cartridges (or disposable razors). It's just one less thing to put into a landfill and isn't plastic made from oil???

Plus, I just love the feel of an old school, metal, safety razor in my hand. It feels like a tool or something. A disposable razor or Fusion (though it works great for some people) just feels like a toiletry item to me. It's kind of hard to explain. It just doesn't feel "right" in my hand.

 

[SGT Rocket]

I have heard this too but wonder.. If blade #1 cuts the hair, what are the others doing? The blades are lined up in the razor so how do blades 2+ work? What exactly are they cutting? [huh]

I think you can find a documentary on shaving somewhere, I saw it on TV a few years ago.

With the multi-blade thing, each blade is designed to lift and cut. So your hair is actually pulled out of it's pour (spelling?) cut, then dropped back down. So the cut of the hair is actually below your skin. I think this may be why the multi-bladed razors don't do my skin any favors. Just a thought.

 

[zeytoun]

No matter how close a cartridge blade can shave, it can't go more than an inch in a 3-day beard without having to clang out the whiskers... so I will be sticking to my Feather Super-Professional disposable straight razor. ;D