Been shaving with Mach 3 over a decade, but can never buy Gillette after their commercial

[insomniac1]

what is the most similar? I get an incredible shave from Mach 3 and still have about a years supply of cartridges

I think I tried the Schick stick 3 aqua some years ago and it was very similar to a Mach 3, is that my best bet?

I’m tempted to go to a straight razor but would probably turn my face into a bloody mess learning how to use it

 

[emwolf]

i used to use both the Shick and Gillette 3 blade systems before going to DE. If you're sold on cartridges you might try Harry's or Dollar Shave club. Thought you might enjoy this:

 

[ackvil]

Try an injector razor. One blade but it works great.

 

[insomniac1]

I tried dorca (those are the razors from the dollar shave club) and had a bloody neck and don’t even want to use the rest of the cartridges

 

[RunForTheHills]

Thought you might enjoy this:
[/MEDIA]

What's with the Kool-Aid reference? It seems a little condescending.

 

[insomniac1]

Try an injector razor. One blade but it works great.

You mean the injector 2? Or the regular injector. I could try either one. How often does it go through blades? Maybe a week?

 

[sharpstar90]

I tried dorca (those are the razors from the dollar shave club) and had a bloody neck and don’t even want to use the rest of the cartridges

This is an obvious direction to go here on B&B, but what about a DE razor? You have a tremendous amount of Non-Gillette choices. There is a learning curve to it, but many of us are really happy with the results and the low cost.

You can choose to buy from hard-working small businesses instead of huge companies. There are lots of great second-hand razors. I got sick of the modern gillette years ago because of their high-priced cartridge scheme. However, I love their razors from the 1950's.

 

[RunForTheHills]

I just switched from a Mach 3 to a DE razor this weekend. I have done two shaves so far. It is not as close as the Mach 3 yet and takes 2-3 times longer, but I am confident I will get faster and better at it in the next few weeks.

 

[BigJ]

Welcome aboard! There are tons of ‘not Gillette’ options!

 

[insomniac1]

No one likes the shick aqua 3? I could break down and get a straight razor or a double edge. How do I pick a double edge?

 

[RunForTheHills]

No one likes the shick aqua 3? I could break down and get a straight razor or a double edge. How do I pick a double edge?

I couldn't say if I like the Schick or not, since I have never tried it. I am just converting from the Mach 3 to a DE razor. Unfortunately, there are a lot of choices and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. And, of course, your budget will make a difference on what you get as well.

I did a lot of research here and on Reddit.com (Wicked Edge) and settled on the Rockwell 6S razor. It has six different settings for aggressiveness by changing the base plate. Karve makes a similar razor to the Rockwell, but you have to order the base plates you want individually and the Rockwell comes with all the plates. A lot of people also start with the Merkur 34C razor, which is a good quality, mild (not aggressive) razor for a reasonable price. The Edwin Jagger DE89 is another razor many people choose.

You also need to buy shaving soap, a brush, and razor blades. I went with Stirling shaving soap, Voskhod blades, and a synthetic shaving brush. I also got a sample pack of other razor blades from Tryablade.com.

Another option is to buy a starter kit from a company like Maggard, Stirling, or West Coast Shaving that has everything you need in it.

 

[RunForTheHills]

What's with the Kool-Aid reference? It seems a little condescending.

I can't edit my previous post, but I watched the video and it isn't what I thought it was. It is actually a spoof of the Gillette commercial. I apologized for misunderstanding the intent of the post.

 

[sharpstar90]

No one likes the shick aqua 3? I could break down and get a straight razor or a double edge. How do I pick a double edge?

Honestly, a vintage Gillette is the best option in terms of price and quality. I don't know if your dislike extends to the company of the 1950s or just the modern company. In this case, the Gillette Slim Adjustable is the best deal and is the most versatile.

If you want something brand new, the Merkur 34C is a great razor. Stirling soap company is definitely the best soap, and they have a very affordable starter bundle on their website. Pay the 8 bucks to upgrade the razor. You can also get an aggressive base plate there for cheap. You get soap samples, aftershave samples and a variety of blades. That's what I would do if I were just starting out.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

I am glad they made that stupid commercial because it brought me here, and to the world of DE shaving. I would have never considered it otherwise.

I still have to use Harry's cartridges for work since flying is what I do for a living.

I am having a blast learning all about it, and amassing a small vintage collection of razors.

 

[SlickChops]

Same.. I just switched from mach 3 to vintage straight razor. Going to try to learn!

 

[ajkel64]

I use a DE now but my 3 favourite cartridge razors are all Schick's. The first Razor that I bought myself was a Schick Super2/Ultrex. I still have it as a back-up if a DE shave goes South. I love early Gillette razors but if you don't want to use any Gillette products there is a mountain of products out there to use. Plenty of razors, soaps canned products. Plenty.

 

[Sweetreason]

I've heard the feather mr3 neo cartridge razor is the top of the line cartridge razor.

 

[insomniac1]

I’d be ok with getting a used 1950s Gillette, so long as I’m buying the blades from another company

 

[REV579]

I’d be ok with getting a used 1950s Gillette, so long as I’m buying the blades from another company

The early razors through the mid-60’s, 1904-1966, can meet the needs of just about any shaver. Most of the blades that are labeled “Gillette” are made in St. Petersburg or India. Personnas are made in Israel. But be aware, it has been discussed that even the Russian blades not branded as Gillette razors might come from the same factory. I don’t know the inner-workings of the company, but they might be made for Gillette. Polsilver, Feather, and Kai are other blades people are confident with.
You could always buy blades that were made in 2018.
Are you divesting yourself of all P&G products or just current Gillette?

 

[insomniac1]

Yes Procter and gamble is dead to me, which is annoying because I just bought a huge box of bounce fabric softener but I’ll use it up and buy another brand.

I guess my best bet it to buy a 1950s handle from eBay and get blades in bulk from, somewhere