Schick Hydro 3

I've used Mach III for years (dabbles with other schick cartridges over last 20 yrs & found them horrible), then onto Merkur HD & Slant, & ordered Feather AS.
I dabble in cartridges occasionally for convenience.
In my experience this is the best cartridge razor available!

Some explanations of scores :-
Price - cheap to buy but the usual premium price of cartridges lowers the score, but at least they are about 30% cheaper than Mach III

Quality - good for a rubbery, cheap razor
User friendly :- would have put 10 here but I did find the curvy shaped handle a little more awkward than Mach III

Grip - very good rubber handle

Ease of blade replacement - for me not quite as easy as Mach III, but OK

Agressive? - a mild shaver, but I decided make the comparison with a DE a bit more fair by pretending it was a DE - i.e. brush, soap, down with the grain, relather ATG (instead of my usual single lather multi-directions with the Mach III in the shower). What I found was an amazing baby smooth result (as smooth as my Slant gives) without any nicks or irritation.
I deliberately kept shaving with the blade daily until its performance became difficult ... I got 4 weeks out it! This means, for me, 2 weeks of pretty reliable shaving.

I have tried this razor with Tabac, VDH, and Edge goo and found it to be the most comfortable shaver I have tried.

It does seem to leave some straggler hairs on my neck, as do all cartridge blades. It may be that I have not learned a good method to deal with them as I have with the DE razor.

I have to say that this razor is far superior to previous Schick products. I have used both the 3 and 5 blade versions over the last couple of months.

Price - This is just around 10 dollars in Canada. The price seems to be inching upward so time will tell if this changes.

Quality - Feels good and weighty in the hand, provides feedback with each stroke with a clicking sound. Seems well made, but plastic can only be so durable.

User Friendly - The easiest manual razor there is to use, IMO. I have not had an easier shave with a razor and the razor is extremely forgiving.

Grip - Great rubber grip on handle. I have not had any issues.

Ease of blade replacement - I always prefer Gillette cartridges in this regard, as I find the snapping-into-place satisfying on the Fusion and Mach 3, but this is a bit more finicky. Not bad, but not great.

This razor has only just been brought into the UK and is known as the wilkinson sword hydro 3.

Anyway, how did I find it. Note that it will NEVER replace a DE (sounds obvious I know, just don't want people thinking I'm going back to constantly shaving with a cart razor).

I paid £5.49 for the razor and 2 replacement carts, the pack of 4 replacement carts costs about £5.00 so I won't be buying replacements for a long time unless the price drops (well there is hope).

Quality is pretty good, well made and feels solid in the hand. Grip is excellent.

Using this is so easy, you'd have to be pushing it into your face in order to get a nick or cut.

The razor isn't as agressive as I thought it would be, still have to do a little blade buff here and there but does leave your face quite smooth.

The one thing that detracts is the gel strip that replaces the lubrication strip at the top. If you use KMF (like I did this morning)or other shave cream it leaves a residue that means its difficult to take all lather off your face, in a way its a good thing if you need to do multiple passes or blade buffing/j-hooking although I'd prefer if it was just off my face...may have to use it a few more times in ored to get a better idea.

Overall if your in a hurry or just want a quick shave then you can't do much better than this, but it won't replace my trusty mergress

First, a word on the number ratings chosen for this review: I am comparing this cartridge razor only to other cartridge razors, not against DE/SE/Injectors, or Straights.

I have now used this razor 8 times, and have found it to give me consistently close, irritation free results.

This razor is the top dog of the currently marketed cartridge razors. Far superior to the 5 bladed Fusion monstrosity, and better results than the Mach III.

The build of the razor uses the type of pivot found on a Gillette Sensor, rather than the latter end of the cartridge attachment of the Mach III, and Fusion. I have always considered this to be a superior design, as the range of motion is greater.

Of most interest, this razor performs quite differently depending on what you use for lather.

When used with a traditional shaving cream/ soap, and brush the lather combines with the gel reservoir to form a super slick substance that simply can't be shaved off the face. You can do multiple passes over the same area, and still have tons of visible "lather"

When used with the Hydro Gel, this phenomenon does not occur, and the resulting shave is probably a little better quality.

The razor doesn't seem to benefit as heavily from good quality shaving creams, and soaps as most other razors due.

The wire guards that protect the blades make it very difficult to cut one's self.

As for the longevity of the cartridge, I got 7 really good shaves from it, and if determined could have eked out a few more.

So who should use this razor: honestly, any of your friends who are using the horrid monstrosity that is the Fusion. This razor will give them superior results, and for less coin too. It's also a great razor, if you want a speedy, quick shave, due to the difficulty of cutting yourself with this razor.

WOW!! That was my first impression. I got two weeks worth of great shaves from this cartridge and posted my daily results in this Hydro discussion thread.

Price: I gave it a pretty high score because at $7.49 for the handle & two cartridges and about the same price for a pack of 4 refills for a cartridge that gets 14 shaves each that is about 13 cents per shave. I know it is still more than a DE, but pretty good for a cart.

Quality: I haven't found any defects in the construction of the handle or cartridges. It is mostly plastic, as would be expected in this type of razor, but appears to be very well made.

User Friendly: It really doesn't get any easier than this. This is absoposolutely the easiest razor I have ever used. You would almost have to try to get a nick with it, if that is even possible.

Grip: I knocked off a point simply because I found it a little awkward for J-hooking. However, it is a pretty decent grip for a cartridge. It is kind of rubbery, so it doesn't slip.

Ease of Blade Replacement: About as easy as it gets.

Aggressiveness: I gave it the lowest score in this area because with the built-in blade guards it is a very mild razor, but that doesn't mean you can't get a good shave with it. In order to get a BBS shave I found I had to do a lot of blade buffing ATG, but it was still irritation free. This was what was really nice about the Hydro, the result was smooth & clean, but not raw. It will not rip a layer of skin off as it gets the stubble right down to the surface, so the finished feel of the shave is quite different than other cartridges.

Adjustability: N/A as there isn't any.

Balance: Pretty good for a light weight, mostly plastic razor.

My overall impression is that if you need a cartridge for those days when you don't want to use your DE, SE or STR8, or for your air travel carry on bag, then this is hands down the best cartridge I think you can get.

Wow I guess Gillette has a lot to worry about. Smart move by Schick.

I am hooked on DE, but still have a mild interest in what is being developed in the cartridge world. I read your review with interest and was happy to see that Schick does not rip off their customers to the same extent as Gillette. I wish schick success, if only for the reason that it would give Gillette something to think about.

I use a King of Shaves Azor when I'm in a rush. I find it to be a very good shaver and the carts last forever. Being comfortable with a cartridge system is not a crime.

I have used a DE as my primary shaver and kept a cartridge razor in a drawer for those times when in a hurry. Recently, I made the mistake of trying a fusion and, in my opinion, it's the worst razor ever made. I haven't had a great experience with cartridge razors and thought I'd just not shave when in a hurry, but I have to admit I saw the Hydro and was curious about the gel reservoir thing and though I'd try it before saying good bye to cartridges for good.

I bought the 3 blade one because I think 5 blades is just too much and I'm glad I tried this razor, it has given me the most comfortable shaves ever. Give it an honest shot, it might not disappoint you. Here is a summary of my thoughts about the razor.

Price: Paid 8 USD for the razor, which comes with 2 cartridges, definetely won't break your bank if you decide to give it a shot. If it's not for you then it was just 8 bucks, it would suck but I'm sure some have made more expensive mistakes. a 4 pack of cartridges is 8 USD, again not bad at all considering the price of Fusion cartridges. Plus, the fact that each cartridge lasts me 2 weeks makes it a pretty sweet deal. It might not last you as long if you have a very heavy beard though.

Quality: As far as built quality, it's appropriate for this sort of thing, well made for what it is. The quality of the actual shave is, in my opinion, top notch. First, I have to say having extra lube does make a huge difference. The razor normally glides and I can get a very very comfortable shave against the grain, which is not something I can do with any other razor. I shaved against the grain for 5 days in a row and the shaves were good, no irritation.

User friendly: it's a cartridge razor

Grip: good, what else?

Ease of blade replacement: As easy and quick as any other.

Aggressivenes: This razor is not as aggressive due to the blade guards. You can get a close shave but the blade guards make it so that the blades aren't scraping your skin. You could probably get a closer shave with other razors but I find the Hydro to be a nice balance between closeness and comfort.

I know most people here aren't all that interested in cartridge razors, and I can see why. I do think, however, that this is an actual improvement over previous cartridge razors and it worked for me like no other razor. Will it work for you? I don't know, but for 8 bucks it might be worth trying.