Bic Metal vs. Gillette Guard: - Single blade shootout.

[Try em all]

Thanks for doing this.

I bought a package of the Bic Metals for travel. I've only used one up, but did get weepers once or twice with the thing. There is indeed a learning curve with them, and they appear to be unique in use - meaning, you just have to figure them out for yourself, I think.
AA

Unique!
Yes, that's an excellent description.
They are virtually unlike any other razor.
Not necessarily a bad thing, its just that the learning curve is a bit steeper. The user should be prepared for an extended learning period.

 

[Try em all]

Interestingly, TSR voted the Guard to be the best cartridge razor of 2017.

 

[Bookie]

Bic razor is only thing that cuts my mole. I can get blood free shave from safety razor, shavette, all cartridges and disposables I have tried so far except bic

 

[Try em all]

Bic razor is only thing that cuts my mole.

Moles can turn cancerous in later life.
Advisable to play safe & remove.
It's just a short visit to the doc...

 

[Bookie]

Moles can turn cancerous in later life.
Advisable to play safe & remove.
It's just a short visit to the doc...

Yeah I know, especially since my father had one in early stage on his bald dome. We are all blonde and pale living in "hot" climate. For now I'm safe with that one.
But I hate cuts made by disposable razors.

 

[Bookie]

How likely I'm to cut myself with guard?
I'm thinking of new travel kit since every month on a trip.

 

[Try em all]

The Guard is a single blade razor. All the pressure you apply comes on to that one blade. As long as you keep the pressure light, you are less likely to cut yourself than, say, a twin blade disposable.
But if you use more pressure, than the razor is designed for, then any razor can cut.

 

[Bookie]

The Guard is a single blade razor. All the pressure you apply comes on to that one blade. As long as you keep the pressure light, you are less likely to cut yourself than, say, a twin blade disposable.
But if you use more pressure, than the razor is designed for, then any razor can cut.

Thank you.
I'm thinking of buying more than one and then PIF-ing them to frineds who use disposable razors.

 

[epipeman]

What a great review. Thank you very much for it.

 

[BigJ]

Excellent thread! Especially for people like me who need to use disposables when traveling. THANKS!

 

[Try em all]

Gillette must be in a tizz because Amazon sells them here. Once people see that it works and is cheap it will be good bye Mach 3.

Gillette did get hassled for a while.
As you can see in the post below, they've intimidated vendors with legal threats.

Gillette Guard Cease and Desist: I will no longer be offering the Gillette Guard
But then they stopped.
In my opinion, there are actually several reasons for their subsequent complacency.
The first is that stroke for stroke, pass for pass, the Guard actually does not shave as close as a multiblade. It was specifically designed not to. It may be tug free & much more comfortable than a multiblade, but modern multiblade razors are judged on closeness, not comfort.
Second, the Guard was designed for a target market with very tough beards, not one with average beards whose main purpose in shaving is getting out of the door quickly.
Third, Gillette has launched special needs razors that use the Guard cart at high prices- Waterless by Venus(for 5 bucks!) & Gillette Treo. The second is still under trial.
Lastly, the fact is, that shavers are a status conscious lot. There is no easy way to convince a cartridge shaver who pays 4 dollars per cartridge that his shave with a cheap cart could be better for him. Heck, we're guilty of the same thing- try convincing a wetshaver that his latest 200 dollar stainless steel contraption is not necessarily superior to a Feather Popular that's a twentieth that price...

 

[Storch4]

Points well taken. No doubt the Pop at 20 bucks does the job. It's the old Saying of whatever works for you.

 

[slybrewguy]

As usual great thread @Try em all

Last night I pulled out a fresh gillette guard after not using it for several months, typically in the past I used this razor for quick headshaves (don't head shave anymore) but it never felt right on my face and gave subpar face shaves.

I did a cold water shave (FL, so probably 75f lol) with my usual proraso green cream and omega synth, 2.5 passes as I like to call it: 1 full wtg, 1 full atg, and a touch up pass that is a combo xtg/atg for my trouble spots. I had a fantastic shave! Visually it didn't appear as close as my usual merkur 37c slant however it felt just as close by the hand test. I'm sitting here 13 hours later and still have an "office acceptable" face. I also noticed less alum feedback then with a de. The real test will be if I end up with any pimples, any time I use a non-slant razor I've always ended up with tiny whiteheads around my chin and Adams apple 24-48 hours later. I'm not of Indian descent but, like @Try em all I also have dense beard growth of very thick hairs and very oily skin.

I decided to revisit the guard because I've noticed an improvement in my technique lately that has allowed me to revisit items with success that have previously not worked out for me and the guard was another one of those last night. Today I'm going to try another "2.5 pass" shave except I'm going to try a thinner "lather" using watered down proraso foam from a can.

 

[Try em all]

The real test will be if I end up with any pimples, any time I use a non-slant razor I've always ended up with tiny whiteheads around my chin and Adams apple 24-48 hours later.

I used to get those whiteheads. Its why I switched to DE's 25 years ago.
Classic PFB.

The solution for me was DE, to shave not too close, (only one pass) & use a high alcohol aftershave. Hopefully, the Guard will not shave close enough to give you those whiteheads.

 

[slybrewguy]

I used to get those whiteheads. Its why I switched to DE's 25 years ago.
Classic PFB.

The solution for me was DE, to shave not too close, (only one pass) & use a high alcohol aftershave. Hopefully, the Guard will not shave close enough to give you those whiteheads.

Interesting, I've found the use of alum helps more then the alcohol in a splash (though I always use them and am not really a balm guy) and for me I've gotten them with every non-slant razor I've ever used. Some slants have done it too, such as the paa bocs. The merkur 37c is great for me in that I get near BBS Everytime without that problem but it's a slow lengthy shabe. Sometimes I just need to lop the hair off and not shoot for BBS, the guard allows for this but also can allow for me to get a near BBS with some work if I want to.

 

[slybrewguy]

Well, I tried a fresh gillette guard with the proraso green foam and proceeded with my 2.5 pass cold water shave. The results were just as good as yesterday when using the green cream and my omega synth. Very quick, comfortable, close shave.

 

[slybrewguy]

3 days in a row with the guard doing my 2.5 pass shave and getting a near BBS everytime. 1 nic on the first day, small patch of minor rash on the second day due to user error not equipment failure, no ingrown or bumps, minimal alum feedback, and today I used a cart for the second time which is crazy for me. I almost always once and done any blade be it de, injector, cart, whatever but I tried a second shave on this guard cart today and had a fantastic near BBS like all the other days. I have the thickest and most dense hair you could imagine (I've got hairs as thick as sewing needles, my wife grabbed some to compare) and even with my preferred razors would still occasionally get irritation and ingrowns. I'm going to stick with the same method for the next week or two and see if that is holding up, this guard may be a revelation.

This also gives me more hope for the Treo being a great single use travel razor since it has the gel included. I'm happy I kept the two samples gillette sent me.

 

[Try em all]

This also gives me more hope for the Treo being a great single use travel razor since it has the gel included. I'm happy I kept the two samples gillette sent me.

Does the tube of the Treo look like its refillable?

 

[slybrewguy]

The cap screws off to expose a threaded stem that has a tiny hole, with a small syringe and something thin like oil you could potentially refill it.

 

[Try em all]

Looks like it might take a 20 guage needle as it is. Or it could be drilled wider. Might be possible to fill with cream or gel. Perhaps KMF is thin enough to go through a needle?

Could make a low profile travel kit. Would have to find some way to adjust the shave angle.