Anyone using a Techmatic?

[the beav]

I bought one a few months ago and recently bought some blades for it. I'm thinking about firing it up, but I can't bring myself to quit using my Fatboy/Red Tip rotation.

Anyone else have experience with one?

 

[mmack66]

Never used one, but I know of a place that has a bunch of NOS Orbiter 4000's, which is the electric version of the Techmatic.

 

[tom myers]

I'm sure there are others who feel differently, but I feel the band razors, both the Gillette and the Schick, give about the poorest shaves of any razor I've ever tried.

I'm convinced the poor shave is attributible to blade chatter. The blade isn't very ridgid and the razor, by it's design, does very little to lend any support to the blade. When the razor is drawn over the face, the blade tends to chatter or vibrate. I don't mean that you will actually see or feel the vibration since I suspect it is likely at a frequency and/or amplitude that we can't hear nor see with the naked eye, but I believe the more ridgid the blade on a razor, the less chatter occurs.

I've been wet shaving for about 55 years and, in their day, I tried about every new design that came on the market. I look at the band razors as the first and the worst of the cartridge razors, but who knows, perhaps you can tame the beast.

Regards,
Tom

 

[the beav]

I'm sure there are others who feel differently, but I feel the band razors, both the Gillette and the Schick, give about the poorest shaves of any razor I've ever tried.

I'm convinced the poor shave is attributible to blade chatter. The blade isn't very ridgid and the razor, by it's design, does very little to lend any support to the blade. When the razor is drawn over the face, the blade tends to chatter or vibrate. I don't mean that you will actually see or feel the vibration since I suspect it is likely at a frequency and/or amplitude that we can't hear nor see with the naked eye, but I believe the more ridgid the blade on a razor, the less chatter occurs.

I've been wet shaving for about 55 years and, in their day, I tried about every new design that came on the market. I look at the band razors as the first and the worst of the cartridge razors, but who knows, perhaps you can tame the beast.

Regards,
Tom

Thanks Tom-I'll take that experience to heart as you're probably right. We'll see how it turns out.

 

[jrhudgins]

I had one for a long time, back when I was poor and in college and my brother gave it to me. I would use the blade too long before advancing it, and didn't know what I was doing in general, but was always cut up. Those curved corners of the band... I remember being so surprised when the Navy gave me a Trac II in AOCS (1977) and I could shave without the cuts, even though I had to shave twice a day with that if we would have a late inspection.
I admit to being curious about how a Techmatic would work if I tried to use one now, now that I am finally learning how to shave.

 

[aquilla]

on the plus side if you dont like them you can take out the razor band and with a couple of pieces of steel you can make a shavette style samurai sword

 

[Straight Arrow]

I have a Techmatic and a supply of Schick Super Chromium adjustable cartridges. With just a little practice the Techmatic is quite capable of giving fine shaves. I think that given the skills and knowledge that comes with being active on the shaving forums, any careful and moderately competent guy could achieve satisfactory results with the Techmatic. DE razors are my preference but I still enjoy the occasional foray into the lesser known realms of shaving.

 

[bnitch]

If my memory serves me right, they gave some of the worst shaves I ever had. bad idea.

 

[Gary H]

I used one for three days and have to warn you RUN! This razor delivers one terrible tug and pull shave.

 

[the beav]

2013 update: I took one on a trip a few years ago as to get around TSA regs. It was the worst three days of my life.

 

[dpm802]

2013 update: I took one on a trip a few years ago as to get around TSA regs. It was the worst three days of my life.

I used one for three days and have to warn you RUN! This razor delivers one terrible tug and pull shave.

If my memory serves me right, they gave some of the worst shaves I ever had. bad idea.

This is probably why they had such a short life-span in the marketplace. Remember, Gillette is in business to sell blades, and if someone got a poor shave from this machine, they're not going to buy replacement blades for it. So production stopped almost as soon as it started.

I have two of them in my collection, one is NOS in the cardboard peg-package, and three or four replacement heads. Never tried 'em, and have no intention to.

Went antique shopping the other day, and I saw two Techmatics in rather fancy plastic cases. Only $15 each. I was really tempted to pick them up for the collectible value, since I'd never seen the plastic case before. But I passed. They will probably still be there next time I go back.

 

[Copierguy]

2013 update: I took one on a trip a few years ago as to get around TSA regs. It was the worst three days of my life.

Thanks for taking one for the team.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Horrible.

 

[dpm802]

Even their commercials suck:

 

[Haegar]

Even their commercials suck:
[vid]

That's a spoof ad isn't it?

However, the uploader's comment really cracked me up:

Sooner or later they'll just add another blade!

 

[dpm802]

That's a spoof ad isn't it?

I couldn't find any evidence that it was a spoof. As far as I know, it was the real deal.

However, the uploader's comment really cracked me up:

How about this comment?
"Cut my teeth shaving with these blades...also my lips, cheeks, chin, and neck."

 

[Sir Lurkalot]

I have a NOS one that I will never open! We'll call it a curious oddity.

 

[alex2363]

I have a NOS one that I will never open! We'll call it a curious oddity.

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