It wasn't quite a case of RAD. Due to neck pain last week, I used my Gillette Fusion for two or three days instead of a DE or SE. That had me thinking of cartridges again, and prices first, followed by not really wanting to go Gillette. That led me to Harry's. Harry's has larger shelf space than Gillette at the local Walmart, and the price was right, so I'd figured I'd try it.
I'll admit to having misgivings, not because it's a brand I haven't tried, but because of the pivot design. That seems to be what the cartridges are going to, and I don't have as good of results with that as I do the center pivot. The Fusion cartridge pivot it just a tad toward center, but still not center of the cartridge. The Harry's pivot point is a tad lower, more like the Mach 3.
The razor is well boxed, which is unusual for modern Gillette and Schick razors. The razor itself had a bit more heft than I expected. This one came with a blade cover, which was nice.
First shave was a day after a good shave with a Tech. I was impressed with the feel. No excessive tugging, which speaks well of the blades. The angle of the blades seem steeper, or maybe closer together, and has a different sound cutting beard. The cartridge is open in the back, which makes rinsing easier.
The shave was better than the Mach 3. It seemed on par with the Gillette Fusion. I even had less irritation than with a Fusion cartridge.
I'm a bit mixed by how the cartridge mounts to the handle. It looks proprietary, but that's not unusual. Maybe not having it compatible with existing designs is to shake the "knock-off" idea. This razor definitely isn't a knock off of existing designs.
The next day I did a one-pass shave with my Gillette Slim Just Because. Had enough stubble that evening that my wife commented, and the next morning decided to give Harry's another try. I had intended to use it a week, anyway.
Shave felt the same. This time I had more difficulty with my neck, probably because I had more stubble than when I tried it before.
By evening, I knew I had a fail. My stubble was long enough that I needed another shave. I ended up knocking down the stubble with a one blade Bic. I usually get so-so shaves from Bics, but it works fine for a once over to be passable until morning.
This morning, I reached for the Harry's razor, and stopped. Granted I didn't have much stubble, but it was "Ehhh." I ended up doing a three-pass with my Gillette Slim.
Harry's razors aren't bad at all, but I don't think they're a good match for me. I'd rather use it than a Mach 3, but yesterday's fail was a disappointment. For the record, I've had fails with the Fusion before, but this was during a period of unexplained beard growth. While that could be the case now, I don't think it is. I'll know this evening. If I need another shave twelve hours after a three-pass DE, then it's my beard.
Do I have buyer's remorse? Kind of, but it's not related to Harry's. Personna is now making cartridges that fit the Fusion, and I'm kicking myself about not trying those first.
I'll admit to having misgivings, not because it's a brand I haven't tried, but because of the pivot design. That seems to be what the cartridges are going to, and I don't have as good of results with that as I do the center pivot. The Fusion cartridge pivot it just a tad toward center, but still not center of the cartridge. The Harry's pivot point is a tad lower, more like the Mach 3.
The razor is well boxed, which is unusual for modern Gillette and Schick razors. The razor itself had a bit more heft than I expected. This one came with a blade cover, which was nice.
First shave was a day after a good shave with a Tech. I was impressed with the feel. No excessive tugging, which speaks well of the blades. The angle of the blades seem steeper, or maybe closer together, and has a different sound cutting beard. The cartridge is open in the back, which makes rinsing easier.
The shave was better than the Mach 3. It seemed on par with the Gillette Fusion. I even had less irritation than with a Fusion cartridge.
I'm a bit mixed by how the cartridge mounts to the handle. It looks proprietary, but that's not unusual. Maybe not having it compatible with existing designs is to shake the "knock-off" idea. This razor definitely isn't a knock off of existing designs.
The next day I did a one-pass shave with my Gillette Slim Just Because. Had enough stubble that evening that my wife commented, and the next morning decided to give Harry's another try. I had intended to use it a week, anyway.
Shave felt the same. This time I had more difficulty with my neck, probably because I had more stubble than when I tried it before.
By evening, I knew I had a fail. My stubble was long enough that I needed another shave. I ended up knocking down the stubble with a one blade Bic. I usually get so-so shaves from Bics, but it works fine for a once over to be passable until morning.
This morning, I reached for the Harry's razor, and stopped. Granted I didn't have much stubble, but it was "Ehhh." I ended up doing a three-pass with my Gillette Slim.
Harry's razors aren't bad at all, but I don't think they're a good match for me. I'd rather use it than a Mach 3, but yesterday's fail was a disappointment. For the record, I've had fails with the Fusion before, but this was during a period of unexplained beard growth. While that could be the case now, I don't think it is. I'll know this evening. If I need another shave twelve hours after a three-pass DE, then it's my beard.
Do I have buyer's remorse? Kind of, but it's not related to Harry's. Personna is now making cartridges that fit the Fusion, and I'm kicking myself about not trying those first.
