Are we too tough on cartridge razors?

[Christoph]

Here is a short, interesting, and balanced article that appeared in today's Toronto Star about shaving. This guy from Truefitt & Hill says you can't beat Schick's Hyrdo Razor (or whatever its called)

I, for one, do not think that Gillette's Fusion or products similar to it are bad. But I do think they are really over priced - you're paying for the advertising and packaging. The R&D costs were recovered years ago, now you're just paying for the constant ads for these products.

So while I don't have a problem with the Fusion, Hyrdo Razor, Sensor, etc - I just simply LIKE classic DEs more - for so many reasons. And of course, one of those reasons is saving money. But I also just love the look, feel, function, and simplicity of a good DE.

I guess I just want to make the point that my getting into classic shaving was not necessarily a reaction against modern shaving tools.

Also, classic shaving is not just about DEs. Its also about brushes, and great aftershaves (like Aqua Velva) And those have yet to be improved upon with technology.

http://www.thestar.com/living/artic...se-shaves-the-straight-razor-has-been-outdone

 

[michiganlover]

Here is a short, interesting, and balanced article that appeared in today's Toronto Star about shaving. This guy from Truefitt & Hill says you can't beat Schick's Hyrdo Razor (or whatever its called)

Balanced?? You're kidding right??

That article is a not very well disguised payed advertisement for the Schick Hydro.

It's quite obvious that the person in question has been paid by Schick to promote their product.

If he is not being paid to promote their product, then he is a very stupid man indeed. He also has ZERO respect for his trade.

I have used the new Schick Hydro, and it honestly doesn't function very well with traditional shaving creams, and soaps**.

So that said, why would this gentlemen be promoting a product that doesn't function well with the high end products he sells; it's a product designed to work with the corresponding Hydro Gel. His promotion of this product is essentially shooting himself in the proverbial foot.

Also, what gentlemen would be interested in a barbershop experience with a Hydro razor? He could achieve the same results at home for far less money. The barbershop shave is about luxury, and classic tools (and the skill required to use a straight razor), not about easy to use cartridge razors.


**If you attempt to use the new Hydro with high end products, the gel reservoir combines with your lather to form a slick substance that simply can't be shaved off of the face. This doesn't occur if you use the corresponding Hydro gel.

 

[djh]

I read the article when it was first published and it smacks of a sell-out to me. Sure, the famous shaving and grooming houses have built their empires upon soaps, creams, brushes, after shaves and to a lesser extent razors. Maybe they have been hit up by the marketing people from Schick.

 

[Shane]

I found that the title of the article prevented me from reading it, as it, by its nature, is fraught with puffery.

However, I don't clown on those that choose to use multi-bladed cartridges. They must be working for someone because they're still on the market. They just don't work for me.

 

[coyotewhisper]

I have just started my journey using DE Vintage Razor. I have used cartridges before. For me getting into wet shaving was two fold money saving (cartridges are over priced) and for a less tech away of shaving. Using a DE Vintage razor offers both. Sometimes we advance technologically and forget we already had the best way of doing something.
I am not put down cartridge shaving for those that choose that direction great for them.
I know I found a better to shave and enjoy a mornong ritual.

 

[AndrewGWU]

I, for one, do not think that Gillette's Fusion or products similar to it are bad. But I do think they are really over priced - you're paying for the advertising and packaging. The R&D costs were recovered years ago, now you're just paying for the constant ads for these products.

So while I don't have a problem with the Fusion, Hyrdo Razor, Sensor, etc - I just simply LIKE classic DEs more - for so many reasons. And of course, one of those reasons is saving money. But I also just love the look, feel, function, and simplicity of a good DE.

I guess I just want to make the point that my getting into classic shaving was not necessarily a reaction against modern shaving tools.

I read the article a while back and agree with the above poster about it being a reaction to a sell out. However, I am totally with you on the reasons I started using DE. I never got really bad shaves with multi blade cartridges, but the pricing is ridiculous. I also have a soft spot for vintage things. So using DE razors just worked for me.

 

[taffy]

Cartridge razors do work, and some work very well, the price put me off and i like the retro shaving gear, the pre shaves, brush, creams etc which give a far more pleasurable experiance.

 

[Loner16]

I've never thought about a cartridge, or disposable one way or the other, to be honest, so I cannot form an opinion..
What I don't care for about them is the fact that it's just another nod to our disposable society... More fodder for the ever burgeoning landfills..

We're rapidly outstripping the planet's ability to feed our masses and bury our trash...

A sad state of affairs... with no end in sight!

 

[The Last Chimney]

I like the supporting evidence in this article.

...the ProGlide is the product of 30,000 customer trials involving “precise measurement instrumentation used in the aerospace, semiconductor and medical imaging categories,” says a release.

Will my Schick conduct electricity or what?

An anecdotal survey of a half dozen Toronto women backs this up. [the idea that women prefer clean-shaven men]

No further research needed!

I do agree with the importance of the shave mentioned in this article, but even after checking out Schick's website, I'm not seeing any good reasons that this would be a groundbreaking razor. It includes:

"a breakthrough hydrating gel reservoir" - Seen this before, my wife uses cartidges and hates that gooey crap.

"built-in skin guards" - Isn't this the definition of a safety razor?

"flip trimmer" - This flips the top guard back so you can get the blades closer to your nose, or wherever. Not a bad idea, actually, but this seems to be the only real breakthrough here.

I am too tough on cartridge razors. It allows me to feel superior to most of the rest of the world, so I'm going to shoot down any arguments that "they might not be so bad" just so I can maintain my superiority simply by using a different product for the same result, which requires much less effort than improving myself in other, more tangible ways.

If you use cartridges you are a BAD PERSON. If you use anything else you are a REAL MAN, Unless you use razorless shaving cream, in which case you're just BURNING YOUR FACE OFF and that's SILLY.



If my point is not coming across clearly, it's basically that I really appreciate Cristoph not being too tough on cartridges. It's an easy thing to attack and an easy way to puff yourself up.

I also apologize for attacking those who attack, and for puffing myself up.

 

[sandmountainslim]

Cartridge razors are overpriced and cheaply made and that's my problem with them.
The only cartridge razor which has my respect is the Trac II. When the heads started pivoting it was all downhill.
Wp

 

[michiganlover]

"flip trimmer" - This flips the top guard back so you can get the blades closer to your nose, or wherever. Not a bad idea, actually, but this seems to be the only real breakthrough here.

That contraction is only on the Hydro 5, and not the Hydro 3. It is only necessary, because the 5 blades + blade guards + gel reservoir makes the footprint of the cartridge so huge it can't possibly shave under your nose.

In other words, it only necessary due to the underlying design flaw of having a 5 blade cartridge. One blade is more than sufficient.

 

[buyandhold2018]

I have used a Gillette Sensor cartridge in the past and it gave me decent shaves... nothing at all wrong with it. That said, I feel I get a better and more enjoyable shave with my Merkur HD. Also, the cost of cartridge blades are a lot more, why pay $2-4 a for a cartridge, to get a less enjoyable shave when I can pay 10-15 cents. I prefer to support the smaller businesses as well. I don't get value for money with a company that pays athletes $5-10MM a year to promote a product.

 

[Slivovitz]

Nothing against the Hydro, as cartridge razors go. I experimented with the three blade version last week and found it adequate when I used a thin cream like Cremo or Neutrogena. Even for a cartridge, I don't think it was much improvement over my thirty year old Atra, but it was just as good at any rate.

The article linked to is kind of ridiculous, though.

"After hundreds of years of being largely ignored, the daily male horror of ripping wirelike facial hair from skin seems to have suddenly seized the singular attention of the world’s biggest grooming tool makers."

Really? Companies have just suddenly noticed that there's a market out there?

I don't know if the writer was selling out in the sense of having been paid by Schick, but he certainly didn't do very good research.

By the way, if you did get shaved in a barbershop with a cartridge razor, you'd want a brand new cartridge for each customer. Not very cost effective.

 

[goby]

That was a stupid article.

I think the author knew it was stupid by his sarcasm.

I think Toronto's T&H is stupid, and I will never shop there again.

I think Schick's new razor is stupid.

If I went to T&H for a shave and they brought out a plastic cartridge razor I'd say "Get that plastic thing away from my face... I'm paying you $47 for this shave....You're stupid."

And I'm not stupid enough to pay $4.00 a cartridge from Gillette, and then hear them bark at me "Change you cartridges more often."

I can understand those of you (and I know at least one) who needs to use a Mach 3 or Sensor instead of a DE. You guys tried, and for whatever reason, a DE just doesn't work. You're not stupid.

 

[Azza]

Not commenting on whether cartridges are better or not, I use both.

But have to say that article had one purpose and that was to get men to go out and get a cartridge razor and shave. All that stuff about the survey of women etc. I've also heard a few days growth drives the women crazy!!

That T&H guy, I can't believe he didn't even mention a DE. All he said was that his single blade couldn't compare to a cartridge!

Aaron

 

[Ignatius]

Here is a short, interesting, and balanced article

Well its certainly short.

 

[Christoph]

Excellent points!

And upon reflection, I agree, there is bias in the article.

I guess my main point is that I got into DEs because I like DEs. And for other reasons - but not necessarily because modern razors don't work.

Its confusing sometimes looking back, because I got lousy shaves with cartridge systems, but that's because I had not yet discovered technique.

But one other point I have is that classic wet shaving is about many other things other than DEs. And no one thing (razor, soap/cream, brush etc) trumps all else this whole experience.

 

[Desdinova]

do you guys, in all honesty, really think he is using a Fusion on the faces of people paying $47 for a shave?

 

[insomniac]

do you guys, in all honesty, really think he is using a Fusion on the faces of people paying $47 for a shave?

There may be people stupid enough to do so. That person would not be me.

I think most people paying that much for a shave expect a straight. Even a disposable one.

 

[Desdinova]

There may be people stupid enough to do so. That person would not be me.

I think most people paying that much for a shave expect a straight. Even a disposable one.

He uses a straight.

The pic of him using a Fusion was for the benefit of the newspaper article.