Cartridges? Atra or Trac II?

[Kyle Hyde]

So after a year of DE shaving, I've given up. So, I decided to go back and try the fusion which had given me such terrible irritation and had driven me to find B&B. However, with a brush and soap and proper technique I got the absolute best shave of my life. Still, the fusion blades are way too expensive. So, I'm looking for a cheaper alternative.

I can't decide between the Atra or the Trac II. I've heard that the Personna cartridges for the Atra and Sensor are the same blades with different attachment parts to make them fit the different handles. Is this true? Also, for those of you who use them, which do you like better? The pivoting Atra or the fixed head Trac II?

 

[mmack66]

I prefer the Personna TracII style blades. Haven't seen any Personna blades for the Sensor, though they should be different than Atra blades because on the Sensor, the blades are spring loaded.

 

[Left Coast DJ]

Get both. I use a Col. Conk Atra with Personna AutoPlus blades (about $3.50 for 10 cartridges) to shave my head. They're fantastic. While I was in Arizona this past weekend I picked up a Personna Bump Fighter ($3.50) razor and some Personna Twin cartridges ($3.50/10) to try. The Twin (Trac) cartridges appear very similar to the AutoPlus (Atra) cartridges, except they don't have the pivoting mechanism. Instead, they slide into the Bump Fighter's Trac rails.

 

[82R100]

I've only used the Trac II, of the two cartridge types you listed and find it very good. You can get Personna Twin II cartridges for less than $4/10 at Walmart and that's all I've used so far.

As far as the attachment details are concerned, you're probably thinking of the Merkur handles that can attach to Trac II/GII or Atra cartridges through the use of adapters.

This guy seems to have picked up a Trac II capable handle. You can see if you can get it from him.

- Chris

 

[michiganlover]

I prefer the Personna TracII style blades. Haven't seen any Personna blades for the Sensor, though they should be different than Atra blades because on the Sensor, the blades are spring loaded.

I have a feeling, that Personna makes some of the store branded Sensor compatible cartridges sold for the Sensor. Be aware, that these are not Sensor clones, as they are not spring loaded; the spring loaded blades are still under patent by Gillette.

This guy seems to have picked up a Trac II capable handle. You can see if you can get it from him.

- Chris

Ooooooooo...pretty!!

I myself prefer the Trac II over the Atra, simply because I think the pivoting action feels funny on my face, after having gotten used to a non-pivoting DE/ SE razor. The Trac II carts when paired with a heavy all metal handle (like the one listed in the link above) is a very good combination.

In addition to the Personna carts sold at Wal-Mart, you can also find combination Atra/Trac II carts sold at Dollar General in a 6 pack for a $1.25 (.20 cents each), which is a bit less than the 10 pack @ $3.54 that Wal-Mart sells (.35 cents each).

I have had very good success with the Dollar General carts, and at .20 each, that makes the cost about on par to that of DE shaving.

 

[masonjarjar]

I use both with Wal-Mart Personna carts. I think I prefer the TracII style. The fixed head forces you to concentrate more to get the angle right. However, on a foggy, rushed days, the forgiving Atra would be the choice.

 

[Kyle Hyde]

I just bought the trac II clone off of ebay. Hopefully, this will be it.

 

[Tucker]

I have recently tried the Gillette branded Atra and Trac II cartridges, as sold at Wal-Mart, Target and elsewhere. The Atras are made in China and the Tracs are made in Mexico. They have the "new blade-better shave" slogan on the packaging. I have to say that the current Atras are a much closer shave for me over the Tracs. I only get three shaves out of the Atras, and on the fourth one I am rewarded with a nick. I have a coarse, curly, Irish beard. The Mexican Gillette Trac II's with lube strip make me believe the theory that Gilletes has moved production of the old platforms offshore with lower quality to push the consumer into the five blade wonders that are stocked at eye level in the shaving sections of retailers.
CVS sells a nice "Trac" style handle in their stores called the Bump Fighter. It is made by Personna or A.S.R.C. I find the "Trac" Personna cartridges to be even worse than the Gillette Tracs. However, I do like the aforementioned Dollar General Korean cartridges that are made to fit both the Atra/ Trac handles. They work great on an Atra handle, but the angle is wrong for the Trac handles that I have. They are very inexpensive, and I treat them like a disposable in that I only get two good shaves out of them. For the price, I can aford to send them to the landfill after two uses.

 

[kevtex]

I just bought the trac II clone off of ebay. Hopefully, this will be it.

The Trac II lets me control the blade angle better, since the head doesn't pivot. You made the right choice with the Trac II.

 

[DougK]

I haven't used an Atra or Sensor in years but they gave decent shaves if I remember correctly. However, I prefer the Trac II handle because I don't really like the pivoting head.