Another DFS with the Guard today. No irritation or razor burn. No weepers/nicks.
Gillette Guard longevity test
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- #43
80th shave with the Guard. Huh.
It is beginning to show some wear, and needs some pressure, & going over some areas twice.
This gives it double the life of a Sensor Excel, with the proviso that the shave is not as close.
Would point out that if I was not using another razor for a second pass, I would have given up by now, because the shave at this point is a barely acceptable SAS.
Although, a couple of times when I was in a hurry, I did not do a second pass. Since no one commented at home or office, it must have been acceptable.
It is beginning to show some wear, and needs some pressure, & going over some areas twice.
This gives it double the life of a Sensor Excel, with the proviso that the shave is not as close.
Would point out that if I was not using another razor for a second pass, I would have given up by now, because the shave at this point is a barely acceptable SAS.
Although, a couple of times when I was in a hurry, I did not do a second pass. Since no one commented at home or office, it must have been acceptable.
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Great Review Try em All, thanks.
I became curious about the GG from all the internet hoopla and so purchased one. I wanted it for my headshaves in an effort to save some money. I have been using a Fusion for the last few years and they are getting too expensive. Like you I get a lot of shaves out of one cart. I now change carts every 30 shaves but I used to go 60 and have taken them to 90 in years past. As a matter of fact I had a similar post going on a now defunct head shaving forum a few years back counting off my shaves with a Fusion cart.
I tried the GG a few weeks ago. Another statistic aside from blade life that may be hard to believe is that in 5 years of shaving my head I have never had a nic. I just don't get them on my head using carts. And I shave very fast and with pressure. Always ATG.
So what happened with my first use of the GG? Nic, almost immediately. My first one!! And in that one shave with the GG it wouldn't be the last. By the time I was done and rinsing my head, it was stinging like I had holes all over it. The shave wasn't too bad otherwise, close, but the whole GG thing wasn't really working for me and I had all to do to stop myself from throwing it in the trash. I may try it again at some point. 50 cents per blade is very appealing! I also tried it on my face and although I got no nics the shave wasn't great.
Thanks again for the reviews. And I'm glad someone else is getting mileage out of their carts!
I became curious about the GG from all the internet hoopla and so purchased one. I wanted it for my headshaves in an effort to save some money. I have been using a Fusion for the last few years and they are getting too expensive. Like you I get a lot of shaves out of one cart. I now change carts every 30 shaves but I used to go 60 and have taken them to 90 in years past. As a matter of fact I had a similar post going on a now defunct head shaving forum a few years back counting off my shaves with a Fusion cart.
I tried the GG a few weeks ago. Another statistic aside from blade life that may be hard to believe is that in 5 years of shaving my head I have never had a nic. I just don't get them on my head using carts. And I shave very fast and with pressure. Always ATG.
So what happened with my first use of the GG? Nic, almost immediately. My first one!! And in that one shave with the GG it wouldn't be the last. By the time I was done and rinsing my head, it was stinging like I had holes all over it. The shave wasn't too bad otherwise, close, but the whole GG thing wasn't really working for me and I had all to do to stop myself from throwing it in the trash. I may try it again at some point. 50 cents per blade is very appealing! I also tried it on my face and although I got no nics the shave wasn't great.
Thanks again for the reviews. And I'm glad someone else is getting mileage out of their carts!
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- #45
Note that for the first 5 shaves or so the GG is prone to nicks, & requires very little pressure.
The pressure can be increased after the cart settles down.
The fact that you had a close shave with the guard is a dead giveaway that the pressure was excessive.
Although , I'd point out that I have used it exclusively for face shaving... and always WTG. I found it very irritating to my skin if I used it ATG.
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I use the Fusion because it lasts long and has given me the best shaves of the carts I've tried. Mach 3 included. And the M3 is only $2 cheaper so what's the point? I get no nics and don't need to worry about pressure. So it seems it's only a price thing with the GG. That seems the only attraction for me at this point with the GG. But for it to beat the Fusion it would have to last me more than 10 shaves at least.
The other thing is speed and the more I read the more it seems the Gillette Guard is being used like DE. Light touch, short strokes etc. I use my carts fast and with long strokes starting at the front of my head and straight to the rear in one long stroke. Like a Headblade!
One pass ATG and I get a BBS. That is how I used the guard when I tried it but it didn't work. I don't have the time to spend on what would amount to, pretty much, another DE shave on my head. Not when I still have to shave my face.
Thanks
I posted this in the Headshaving thread. I'll Re-post here.
I gave the GG another shot today on the noggin. On my first use I used it very much like any other cart and didn't worry about pressure. I had read reviews of this razor and from what I read one of the points was it was almost impossible to nic yourself. Well....like any cart imo. I never get nics from my carts. I apply a lot of pressure. Today I shaved like it was a DE with a light touch. I still used longer strokes although I cot them by half. By the end of my shave I was easing them into longer ones. If I go light I can probably do full length of the head strokes like I do with my fusion. So round two went well. No nics this time.
The shave was good; comfortable and close. It doesn't feel like the shave will last as long as my fusion shaves as it wasn't as close as that, but it is a decent shave. decent enough that if I can get at least 10 shaves out of one blade then I will stick with this. 15 shaves and it's a sure thing. 20? Gold!
I get 4 months out of a 4 cart pack of Fusion for $15. That would be $45 per year. So 10 shaves per GG at 50 cents per blade would be about 36 or 37 blades for a year. 50 blades would cost $25 so it's a no brainer. The more shaves i get passed 10 and....well, need I say more?
I used a Sensor today for comparison sake. It shaves a little closer than the Guard. Using the same technique:
Shower
Preshave
Lather then 2 WTG passes
Lather then 2 ATG passes
Lather then 3 XTG passes
I got a BBS shave today with the Sensor with no knicks or weepers. I can't seem to get 100% BBS with the Guard, but I get close. The Sensor cart costs twice as much. I don't know the difference in longevity. After every shave, I strop the razor 10-12 times in opposite directions on an old pair of jeans, then dip in rubbing alchohol to maximize longevity.
Shower
Preshave
Lather then 2 WTG passes
Lather then 2 ATG passes
Lather then 3 XTG passes
I got a BBS shave today with the Sensor with no knicks or weepers. I can't seem to get 100% BBS with the Guard, but I get close. The Sensor cart costs twice as much. I don't know the difference in longevity. After every shave, I strop the razor 10-12 times in opposite directions on an old pair of jeans, then dip in rubbing alchohol to maximize longevity.
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- #50
A six-pack of carts here retails for 35 Rupees, or 63 cents. About 10-1/2 cents per cart.
They are also available as 3-packs and as singles.
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- #51
BTW, the Sensor excel is my favourite cart.
Just out of curiosity, why do you need to use so many passes?
The GG still has a long way to go to pass my test. I will be using it today for shave number 5 and it has to make at least 10 to even be considered. Preferably more. After that I will switch back to the Fusion and see how much closer it shaves and how much longer the shave lasts. Then I will see how many shaves it takes for the Fusion to start shaving like the GG. In other words not quite as close.
I look at it this way. You get what you pay for sometimes. The Fusion may coast a lot more but I really get a good long lasting shave from them and they are comfortable. Extremely. The GG gives me a decent shave and not as comfortable. So I can drive a Ford Focus or I can drive a fully loaded Mercedes. I will pay a lot more for one but I will also get a lot more. Or maybe I just need to get where I'm going (most of the time). The choice is mine.
For me this idea works because I get so many shaves from one Fusion cart. So at this point, purchasing 4 packs for $45 per year isn't breaking the bank compared to $25 for GG. If it were per month or even 6 that would be a different story.
Guess what?
YMMV!
I look at it this way. You get what you pay for sometimes. The Fusion may coast a lot more but I really get a good long lasting shave from them and they are comfortable. Extremely. The GG gives me a decent shave and not as comfortable. So I can drive a Ford Focus or I can drive a fully loaded Mercedes. I will pay a lot more for one but I will also get a lot more. Or maybe I just need to get where I'm going (most of the time). The choice is mine.
For me this idea works because I get so many shaves from one Fusion cart. So at this point, purchasing 4 packs for $45 per year isn't breaking the bank compared to $25 for GG. If it were per month or even 6 that would be a different story.
Guess what?
YMMV!
UPDATE:
Ok I know this isn't of any major importance but here is my latest update after shave #5 with the GG. This is a follow up to the post just above.
The shave went well. I used a brush and hand lathered Kiss MY Face unscented. Great lather pretty good shave. I did a little extra work and went over a section or two one more time. With my fusion the confidence is always there and I don't feel a need to re-shave an area. The shave went well although I still feel those stings in areas. I had three red marks that looked like pimples or bites on the side of my head when done. An hour later my head had that fuzzy feeling again. I also felt nubs and swore that Monday I would go back to the Fusion. My thoughts were that the GG was a toy. But with my shaves things change as the day wears on. At least in the first 3 hours.
An hour later my head felt smooth. This happens even on my face. I may feel like I missed a spot or two for a couple of hours and then suddenly I am smooth as silk. Anyway. Right now if I feel close enough I can find nubs and my head feels a bit fuzzy. Overall, it's a good shave but not as good as the cart. Any cart. I'm slowly getting closer to tossing this thing. Why sacrifice comfort.
By the way, I have heard allot about the Sensor excel. I looked into it and it seems it is only $2 cheaper than the Fusion. Again...as with the M3...for 2 bucks I see no reason to switch.
Thanks for listening.
Ok I know this isn't of any major importance but here is my latest update after shave #5 with the GG. This is a follow up to the post just above.
The shave went well. I used a brush and hand lathered Kiss MY Face unscented. Great lather pretty good shave. I did a little extra work and went over a section or two one more time. With my fusion the confidence is always there and I don't feel a need to re-shave an area. The shave went well although I still feel those stings in areas. I had three red marks that looked like pimples or bites on the side of my head when done. An hour later my head had that fuzzy feeling again. I also felt nubs and swore that Monday I would go back to the Fusion. My thoughts were that the GG was a toy. But with my shaves things change as the day wears on. At least in the first 3 hours.
An hour later my head felt smooth. This happens even on my face. I may feel like I missed a spot or two for a couple of hours and then suddenly I am smooth as silk. Anyway. Right now if I feel close enough I can find nubs and my head feels a bit fuzzy. Overall, it's a good shave but not as good as the cart. Any cart. I'm slowly getting closer to tossing this thing. Why sacrifice comfort.
By the way, I have heard allot about the Sensor excel. I looked into it and it seems it is only $2 cheaper than the Fusion. Again...as with the M3...for 2 bucks I see no reason to switch.
Thanks for listening.
I've been posting similar results in the Head Shaver's Check-In thread. Honestly I am on the verge of pulling the plug on it at least for head shaving. Might see how it works on face just for the heck of it or just pass it along to someone else who wants to try it.
I've been following your posts in that thread.
For the average cart shaver it might be a great money saver. I won't use it on my face. I have and wasn't impressed and I'm not giving up my DE (s). I'm just looking for a cheaper alternative to my head shaving. But with my cart I shave very fast. (which is why I don't buy into the Headblade "Gimmick") and so I need that also. So far the GG has been just ok. And it has iffy moments. If not for price it would have been in the trash long ago.
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- #57
99th shave with same cartridge on the Guard.
There has been no difference for the last 30 shaves or so, the cartridge behaves the same.
Have started to use a M3 for the second XTG pass as it is a little faster than a DE.
As I had a drainage problem in the sink I normally shave in, for about 3 days I had to shift to a different one till the plumber fixed it.
For those 3 days I used a fresh Guard razor & cart as it was lying there.
Substantial difference between the new GG & the old one.
The new one needs much less pressure, and shaves quite a bit closer.
There has been no difference for the last 30 shaves or so, the cartridge behaves the same.
Have started to use a M3 for the second XTG pass as it is a little faster than a DE.
As I had a drainage problem in the sink I normally shave in, for about 3 days I had to shift to a different one till the plumber fixed it.
For those 3 days I used a fresh Guard razor & cart as it was lying there.
Substantial difference between the new GG & the old one.
The new one needs much less pressure, and shaves quite a bit closer.
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- #58
125th shave with the same cartridge.
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- #59
130th shave with same gillette guard cart. It's still working fine.
Am planning to change carts out of sheer boredom.
Am planning to change carts out of sheer boredom.
I was thinking the same thing. 7 passes seems excessive by most people's standards....
