I came over from a Mach 3. After using a DE for a couple months I gave the Mach another try. I did not like it at all, and I wasn't even fully acclimated to the DE at that point. I just could never get a comfortable shave on my neck with a cartridge. Now, I'm not even curious.
Gillette Mach 3
- Thread starter Earcutter
- Start date
Like or not a Mach 3 is still “wet shaving” just not a particular great way to do it. In my opinion, neither is a DE.So I’m cleaning out the old den today, when I find none other than... an honest to goodness cartridge razor! My old Gillette Mach 3s! Ewwwwww!
Lol! Ok so when I started wet shaving a little over 10 years ago, a big part of my reasoning was to save some money while I went to grad school. I got absolutely NO utility from shaving back then, so I’d have tried just about anything.
As most of us did, I fell hard for the culture and dove deep. I quickly spent way MORE on shaving than I ever did! I got into DE’s hard. Not long afterwards, I got into straights pretty hard too. I have a nice collection of DE’s with a bazillion blade’s to go with them. I have a great collection of straights too! I mostly use my Feather Artist Club “kami” now, but i’ll not “loyal” to it. On any given day, you’ll see me pull out a straight or a DE. I love em all.
And speaking of loving them all, I recall loving my old Mach 3 in the shower using hand soap, but getting a smooth shave all the same. Moreover, I just looked up Mach 3 prices, and they seem pretty cheap now!
I don’t want to ever go back to cart razors. But for nostalgia sake, I’m going to use the Mock 3 in about 5 minutes (shower first) with some great soap. What do you think? Am I going to:
Love it
Hate it
Pretend to hate it, but secretly love it
Other
I like Mach 3 too and yes, if you go ATG it can provide closer shave with less effort, but it could never give me satisfactory close shave only WTG, which I get from Fatip and especially R41 when loaded with sharp blade every time...
The operative word is "clean-up" I don't use the Mach 3 for the initial pass.
It is not … precise.
"Like shaving with a set of Venetian blinds."
The Clog-O-Matic. Pass the Dr. Carver's Shave Butter.
Cashier: "You're going to need to take out a line of credit."
Gillette marketing shill: "One cartridge lasts up to 18 years!*"
*estimated use based upon non-use.
AA
"Like shaving with a set of Venetian blinds."
The Clog-O-Matic. Pass the Dr. Carver's Shave Butter.
Cashier: "You're going to need to take out a line of credit."
Gillette marketing shill: "One cartridge lasts up to 18 years!*"
*estimated use based upon non-use.
AA
The triple blade market has the largest share in the UK at 48%. I think the Mach3 is great. It would seem others agree with me.
The Mach3 is a safety razor.
Now, where is it?
"Mach3 cartridges are too expensive" is a false argument. You can buy them as low as $ 1.45 each. You can buy a handle with two cartridges included at $5.54. Those are the current price for the "original" Mach3, not their "Gillette3" value line.
Now, with a little care, you can use a Mach3 cartridge for over 15 shaves before it loses some sharpness but you can easily squeeze a few shaves more before it starts to pull. 7 cents per shave doesn't sound too expensive to me.
The "clogging" problem: When we weren't shaving properly we used whatever canned foam we found at the store. Now, with the luxurious "yogurty" lather we all enjoy, Mach3 cartridges don't clog! Especially if you rinse the cartridge often.
The shave: a comfortable close shave in under 5 minutes of reckless abandon without any sign of irritation. Just enough blade feel and audible feedback makes sure you won't miss any spot and you get away with an effortless CCS or even BBS in just two passes WTG+ATG. What's not to like?
Mach3 doesn't have the mojo of vintage brass razors nor the heftiness of modern stainless steel razors. It's not a razor you can proudly show in your SOTD, it doesn't provide the same inner satisfaction some "elitist" +$200 razors do when you hold them greedily in your hands. But when it all comes down to the mere shave the Mach3 is a serious contender.
"Mach3 cartridges are too expensive" is a false argument. You can buy them as low as $ 1.45 each. You can buy a handle with two cartridges included at $5.54. Those are the current price for the "original" Mach3, not their "Gillette3" value line.
Now, with a little care, you can use a Mach3 cartridge for over 15 shaves before it loses some sharpness but you can easily squeeze a few shaves more before it starts to pull. 7 cents per shave doesn't sound too expensive to me.
The "clogging" problem: When we weren't shaving properly we used whatever canned foam we found at the store. Now, with the luxurious "yogurty" lather we all enjoy, Mach3 cartridges don't clog! Especially if you rinse the cartridge often.
The shave: a comfortable close shave in under 5 minutes of reckless abandon without any sign of irritation. Just enough blade feel and audible feedback makes sure you won't miss any spot and you get away with an effortless CCS or even BBS in just two passes WTG+ATG. What's not to like?
Mach3 doesn't have the mojo of vintage brass razors nor the heftiness of modern stainless steel razors. It's not a razor you can proudly show in your SOTD, it doesn't provide the same inner satisfaction some "elitist" +$200 razors do when you hold them greedily in your hands. But when it all comes down to the mere shave the Mach3 is a serious contender.
In a de facto sense yes, but in the de jure sense no.
Yes, but I can do the same thing with my old Gillette Slim DE and a good quality US$0.20 blade. Two passes with a Mach 3 means I went blade to skin six times. That’s irritating. The DE blade doesn’t touch my skin that many times.
its a cartridge razor
Yes I know what you mean. I didn't want to say the Mach3 shaves better than a vintage Gillette or than a Blackbird.
But when I repeatedly read "I dropped cartridges for their outrageous prices" and then the same people jump on razors worth hundreds of dollars it sounds a little nonsense to me... If we talk about costs, I'm sure my $10 Gem Micromatic it's one of the most efficient razors ever made, so much better than a One blade Genesis worth $400. But I don't enter every thread about the One Blade writing how much better is my Gem over and over again.
Every time somebody opens a thread about a cartridge razor, it's always the same song and OT dance.
I have a too long a rotation that includes vintage and modern DE, SE, Feather Artist Club and yes "razor systems".
I can assure you that when I use a Mach3 or a Feather F3 my skin feels good, clean and smooth after the shave just like the times I use any of my other "traditional razors". Cartridges require their own technique and a tad more watery lather but it's all part of the fun.
I agree with what you said, but disagree with the extremely overused term "efficient" as a razor is like a lawnmower in that it has a set height (blade gap/exposure) which has nothing to do with efficiency.
Which are saftety razors....
If Robert K. Waits defines cartridge razors as safery razors then that's good enough for me. It also falls into the Cambridge University dictionary definition too.
I used DE/SE's for a few years and went down the rabbit hole, as many here do, trying to find the perfect razor. After all that searching I realized it wasn't the hardware but the software that did the trick for me. I now use a schick hydro 5 razor with a good soap/cream. 1 wtg and 1 atg pass and I'm good to go.
I can do a three pass shave with a Pace 6, and it have feel just like a shave with a Feather AC Super. Everyone is different.
I can get an easy DFS with a mach 3, but I can only use it every few days or so. If I use one every day, I start to get a red itchy neck on day 2 or 3.
Where it really comes in handy is the occasional touch up when I missed a spot, as a TSA compliant travel razor, or as a "autopilot" razor for when I have to shave after only 3 hours of sleep.
The rest of the time, a DE is the best choice for me.
Where it really comes in handy is the occasional touch up when I missed a spot, as a TSA compliant travel razor, or as a "autopilot" razor for when I have to shave after only 3 hours of sleep.
The rest of the time, a DE is the best choice for me.
I picked up a Mach 3 to use when I don't have time for a proper shave. I used it for the first time last week and got a close comfortable shave with 2 quick WTG passes. It doesn't shave as close as my DE89 but I wasn't expecting it to.
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