I decided to conduct a test comparison shaving between a safety razor vs. cartridge.
Razors of choice, Edwin Jagger 89 lbl vs. Harry’s 5 blade cartridge razor.
Harry’s has been competing with other cartridge razors and is growing in popularity. It started online and can now be found in Target stores. The razor consists of 5 blades, a steel trimmer and a lubricating stripe. Like other cartridges, blades are on a permanent angle and the razor head is on a movable hinge. The handle is long and feels rubberized.
The EJ89lbl is a 3 piece, chrome plated razor that is rated mild. It has a chrome handle similar in length to Harry’s. It is precision machined and has a nice balance and heft.
I setup the test using the following:
Had a 2 day old beard. First showered and used Nivea face soap to clean and hydrate whiskers. Although I usually use a pre shave oil, i decided not to use it for this test so that I could feel the effect of each razor without any additional slickness from the pre shave.
I used a Pre de Provence 63 soap and AOS pure badger brush. The razor blade for EJ89lbl was a Polsilver. After lathering, I used the Harry’s on right side. EJ89 on the left.
First pass WTG:
For the Harry’s, I applied pressure and just pushed blade against my face and shaved. The razor sets the angle and the razor’s hinged head maintains the angle throughout the shave. I only had to press it against my face. No skill or technique required. It felt like a rake on my face. The blade felt like it was scraping the skin and hairs off. Definitely not smooth or elegant. A couple of times the blades got clogged with hair and had to be flushed out .The trimmer feature did work really well for sideburns and under the nose, making it easy to remove whiskers. Harry’s gets the job done without technique but is uncomfortable.
The EJ89 required no pressure just allowed the weight of the razor to perform the shave. Kept focused on angle and completed, it had a nice smooth feel. The Polsilver blade had a nice sharpness and smoothness to it. Just rinsed razor between passes, no hair clogging blades. Shaving under my nose required a little effort due to the razor head being large and I had to be careful not to nick my nose but get as close as I like. Checked both shaves and found Harry’s removed all the hair, for a DFS. The EJ89 had missed a few areas and in general left more whiskers uncut.
Second Pass: XTG:
Re-lathered and shaved again. Harry’s again very easy to use but felt rough and a bit irritating. EJ89 removed all the stubble and shaved smoothly.
Third Pass ATG:
I decided to go for BBS. Cleaned up spots that were missed. No nicks or weepers from either razor. Harry’s is much more difficult to use ATG. the 5 blades and fixed angle don’t allow the precision and maneuverability to touch up very small spots. I had to be careful shaving with it as I felt skin tugging and irritation. The EJ89 was very easy to use for touch ups. My skin felt better having light pressure and one blade against skin and hairs.
Post Shave:
Used Osma Alum, the Harry’s side stung more than the EJ89.
Finished with Taconic After Shave Excalibur. It absorbs quickly into the skin and does not leave any film, so there would be no confusion of feeling smoothness resulting from a thick AS balm. Although Excalibur has no alcohol it leaves an immediate burning sensation followed by a cooling sensation. The Harrys side burned alot compared to the EJ89. Both sides were BBS and felt about the same smoothness. I decided to give it the true test and had my wife feel both sides. She chose the Harry’s side as being smoother.
Final Thoughts:
Both razors performed well. The first pass, Harry’s was noticeably better at removing stubble. Second pass was about the same. The third pass I would give to the EJ89 since it was easier to maneuver and less irritating than Harry’s. Most of the differences were in the comfort of the shave, I felt the EJ89 performed better in that area. Harry’s trimmer was pretty cool. I found removing hairs under the nose easier with Harry’s. For a quick shave, Harry’s has a place. It was quick and easy to use and from the standpoint of removing hair performed well.
There is something special when preparing to shave, lathering using different soaps/creams, and using a post shave AS. DE shaving requires focus and technique. The versatility of the DE razor to change handles, blades and angles are all part of the experience. Although the routine was the same for both razors, I found the cartridge took away from the shave experience. I wouldn’t look forward to shaving using carts and prefer the experience that DE shaving provides.
Razors of choice, Edwin Jagger 89 lbl vs. Harry’s 5 blade cartridge razor.
Harry’s has been competing with other cartridge razors and is growing in popularity. It started online and can now be found in Target stores. The razor consists of 5 blades, a steel trimmer and a lubricating stripe. Like other cartridges, blades are on a permanent angle and the razor head is on a movable hinge. The handle is long and feels rubberized.
The EJ89lbl is a 3 piece, chrome plated razor that is rated mild. It has a chrome handle similar in length to Harry’s. It is precision machined and has a nice balance and heft.
I setup the test using the following:
Had a 2 day old beard. First showered and used Nivea face soap to clean and hydrate whiskers. Although I usually use a pre shave oil, i decided not to use it for this test so that I could feel the effect of each razor without any additional slickness from the pre shave.
I used a Pre de Provence 63 soap and AOS pure badger brush. The razor blade for EJ89lbl was a Polsilver. After lathering, I used the Harry’s on right side. EJ89 on the left.
First pass WTG:
For the Harry’s, I applied pressure and just pushed blade against my face and shaved. The razor sets the angle and the razor’s hinged head maintains the angle throughout the shave. I only had to press it against my face. No skill or technique required. It felt like a rake on my face. The blade felt like it was scraping the skin and hairs off. Definitely not smooth or elegant. A couple of times the blades got clogged with hair and had to be flushed out .The trimmer feature did work really well for sideburns and under the nose, making it easy to remove whiskers. Harry’s gets the job done without technique but is uncomfortable.
The EJ89 required no pressure just allowed the weight of the razor to perform the shave. Kept focused on angle and completed, it had a nice smooth feel. The Polsilver blade had a nice sharpness and smoothness to it. Just rinsed razor between passes, no hair clogging blades. Shaving under my nose required a little effort due to the razor head being large and I had to be careful not to nick my nose but get as close as I like. Checked both shaves and found Harry’s removed all the hair, for a DFS. The EJ89 had missed a few areas and in general left more whiskers uncut.
Second Pass: XTG:
Re-lathered and shaved again. Harry’s again very easy to use but felt rough and a bit irritating. EJ89 removed all the stubble and shaved smoothly.
Third Pass ATG:
I decided to go for BBS. Cleaned up spots that were missed. No nicks or weepers from either razor. Harry’s is much more difficult to use ATG. the 5 blades and fixed angle don’t allow the precision and maneuverability to touch up very small spots. I had to be careful shaving with it as I felt skin tugging and irritation. The EJ89 was very easy to use for touch ups. My skin felt better having light pressure and one blade against skin and hairs.
Post Shave:
Used Osma Alum, the Harry’s side stung more than the EJ89.
Finished with Taconic After Shave Excalibur. It absorbs quickly into the skin and does not leave any film, so there would be no confusion of feeling smoothness resulting from a thick AS balm. Although Excalibur has no alcohol it leaves an immediate burning sensation followed by a cooling sensation. The Harrys side burned alot compared to the EJ89. Both sides were BBS and felt about the same smoothness. I decided to give it the true test and had my wife feel both sides. She chose the Harry’s side as being smoother.
Final Thoughts:
Both razors performed well. The first pass, Harry’s was noticeably better at removing stubble. Second pass was about the same. The third pass I would give to the EJ89 since it was easier to maneuver and less irritating than Harry’s. Most of the differences were in the comfort of the shave, I felt the EJ89 performed better in that area. Harry’s trimmer was pretty cool. I found removing hairs under the nose easier with Harry’s. For a quick shave, Harry’s has a place. It was quick and easy to use and from the standpoint of removing hair performed well.
There is something special when preparing to shave, lathering using different soaps/creams, and using a post shave AS. DE shaving requires focus and technique. The versatility of the DE razor to change handles, blades and angles are all part of the experience. Although the routine was the same for both razors, I found the cartridge took away from the shave experience. I wouldn’t look forward to shaving using carts and prefer the experience that DE shaving provides.
