Neck irritation and modern cartridge razors - Not what I expected!

[selbedj]

Actually, I was thinking of the Gillette 3. It fits on the fusion handle so the pivot is more from the center of the cartridge rather than the very bottom of the cartridge like the Mach3.

Whoops! Nope, I’m wrong. The Gillette 3 fits on the mach3 handle so the pivot would be at the bottom like the Mach 3. Basically like a paintbrush.

 

[beepbeep]

You are thinking of the Gillette Fusion Skinguard cart that has two blades, not three. I can say it’s probably the best cart ever. However my 39c Sledgehammer with a Nacet blade gives the best results.

Jason.

I tried the skinguard this morning and I must say I’m very impressed. It was very mild compared to my DE but every bit as comfortable and close (perhaps a bit more comfortable with less irritation on the neck). I can also easily go against the grain, which is something I just seem unable to do with a DE for whatever reason.
I got a cheap starter kit with 4 carts for 10 euros but the carts on their own are very expensive unfortunately.

 

[JasonJT]

Whoops! Nope, I’m wrong. The Gillette 3 fits on the mach3 handle so the pivot would be at the bottom like the Mach 3. Basically like a paintbrush.

Got an unused Gillette Sensor3 disposable lying around somewhere. I think I'll use it for my next shaving review.

Jason.

 

[Rosseforp]

This might be a dumb question, but what do I look for when looking for a glycerin soap? I’m EU based and so far I’ve never seen them in stores here and I’m not sure what exactly to look for hahaha

I just checked and Arko does contain glycerin, now that you have tried Proraso pre-shave, what about Proraso shaving soap?
If price isn't a factor, MdC is a great soap with glycerin also.

doug

 

[frbock]

Hello everyone!

Yesterday, I bought a Gillette Mach 3 razor that came with two cartridges just for the fun of it since it was on sale in the store. I've been shaving exclusively with safety razor and brush for almost 10 years now. Right from when I started shaving! For only a brief period of a couple months I used a cartridge razor when I started shaving. The experience at the time was fine but the cartridges wouldn't last very long, but they were store brand so perhaps that had something to do with it.

I switched to safety razors not long after starting and My trusty Merkur 34C has been my workhorse for all those years. Only recently have I acquired a King C. Gillette razor (King C. Gillette blades are awesome btw) as well as a vintage Gillette that I found at an antique market.
Now coming back to the topic:
Yesterday's shave with the Gillette Mach 3 was actually quite pleasant. It didn't feel tuggy and I got a great shave out of it. Perhaps not quite as close as I could get with a safety razor but very much nice and comfortable. The thing I noticed immediately is absolutely no irritation whatsoever, especially on my neck. Usually I do two pass shaves, first WTG, then XTG (this is usually even only a bit of a cleanup pass anyways) On my neck I always get slight irritation when I use my safety razor, and if I shave daily it gets really bad. I've tried so many things that have been suggested on the forums here but none seem to do much for whatever reason.

I was really surprised yesterday, especially after also having tried a Fusion 5 a week or two ago and abandoning it not even halfway through the shave because it was just painful to use (brand new cartridge).

I could see myself using the Mach 3 for the neck area if it works so well.

Some details from yesterday's shave:

- Merkur 34C with King C. Gillette blade (used to clean up some edges)
- Gillette Mach 3 with a brand new cartridge
- Some Omega boar brush that I have long forgotten the name/number of
- Proraso Green Preshave (not sure how helpful this stuff is, I only bought it and used it for the first time yesterday. Smells nice though...)
- Arko Soap stick
- Nivea Fresh kick after shave

So, some questions/discussion points:

- What has your experience been with neck irritation for both cartridge razors as well as safety razors?
- What can I possibly do to stop it from happening when I use a safety razor?
- How long can I expect one of these Mach 3 cartridges to last?
- Are there better cartridge razors than the Mach 3? I've seen this one pop up quite a bit over the years in threads.


I hope you all have a nice Sunday! Thanks in advance

Shh, I shave with a Mach 3, don't tell. The tendons in my arms are pretty beat up, and the floating head is wonderful. I shaved with the Gillette Mac 3 electric for several years, and it's a decent shave. I got a DE for Christmas a couple years ago, and I tried it. I nicked myself almost every shave. But, it did convince me of something, my mach 3 was far too light. The razor needs a little more mass (the Mach 3 weighed in at about 20g with the battery). I did find a stainless, knurled hande Mach 3 that without blade weighs in at 83g, almost exactly the same weight as the Maggard DE. It's from a company called sword edge, and it varies in price a lot.

As far as blade life, if you use can-o-foam, it's pretty short. I do one pass with either Beard Lube, or soap and brush, and the blades last a couple weeks. Don't go by the wear strip, I toss when they start pulling.