Schick Hydro 3 and 5

[endcycle]

What's neat is that the second and third passes don't really require relathering due to the goop left behind. just rub your beard with a bit of water and it goops back up beautifully.

I used speick cream (brushless) today on 2 days' growth, new 3-blade. Worked fine. A bit of tugging on the first pass, but a DFS regardless. I just received the 5-blade refills, so I'll give them a shot tomorrow probably. They're HUUUUUGE though. I mean, like huge huge.

 

[K.T.]

The Hydro 5 head does feel big and unwieldy at first. But you will probably get used to it and really like the shave. Maybe even more than the Hydro 3.

It thought Hydro 5 head felt strange at first, too, like a big paddle. But I figured out how to use it on my face and I now get great shaves with it.

My brother started with the Hydro 3 and tried the Pro-Glide next. he was initially wowed with the nimbleness of the Pro-Glide's head and pivot design. I suggested he try the Hydro 5 next to the Pro-Glide to get a real head-to-head comparison between the 5 blade heads.

He thought the head felt ridiculously big compared to the Pro-Glide's. A few shaves later with each, though, and he's packed away his Pro-Glide for good. The Hydro 5 is now currently one of his favorite razors, along with his Krona and Gem Featherweight.

Though the Hydro 5 head initially feels big, give it a fair shake. You might like it a lot.

K.T.

 

[polod]

I find the older Fusion razor shaved better than the new Proglide razor. I get a closer shave with the old Fusion. Also the Proglide still tugs if you have a few days growth.

 

[twoods]

Just had my first shave with the hydro 5...I'm pretty disappointed..Back to DE for sure..

JF

 

[Lord Byron]

I like the design of the Schick Hydro,but my personal problem is that I can't stand the slimy lube strip,which seems to be the main selling point of this razor for a lot of people.I hate lube strips on any razor,to me they feel quite disgusting on the skin.If the Schick Hydro removed the lube strip(I know,I Know),I actually like the design of the blades and the feel of the handle,and the cartridge refills while still expensive are a bit more reasonable than that shakedown artist Gillette.

 

[Abdiel]

I've been using a Hydro 5 for a few weeks now and I must say, I like it quite a bit. I liked it more once I got past the learning curve.

While I'd use no pressure with a DE, a little is required to engage a cartridge properly IMO.

I also found that the "goo factor" of the razor is much controlled by little or no prep. Lather and shave. My first shave I did my normal pre shave oil and it was a gooey mess. I stopped and used only lather and much better. Still a slight gooeyness, but acceptable.

All in all, I'd say this is a very good razor. I have very sensitive skin, especially my neck, and I actually get less irritation then with a DE.

Quality of the shave has also been very good and close with a three pass giving me BBS. On lower pass shaves I've also noted that the razor has given me zero patching and it's consistent all the way round, something I can't say for me DE.

On the 5, I also like the design of the trimmer with fold down goo strip giving you access to just the blades. It's much better and less clumsy then something like the Fusion.

I think I will be trying the Hydro 3 carts just to give a fair comparison and see if they are acceptable at the lower cost. The only thing I can see without having even tried them is lack of a trimmer feature.

 

[endcycle]

I'm still not positive how I feel about the whole system yet- I just started with the 5-blade, so we'll see. It's huuuuge for sure. I also have a couple of ingrowns, but I think that is due to bad technique more than anything else. I'll give this cart a few weeks to see for sure.

 

[endcycle]

another update-
2 shaves with the 5-blade in... and I like it more than the 3-blade overall, though I managed to nick myself. The tendency is to push down a bit more, due to the larger surface area. I wonder if this is going to contribute to a bit of skin damage... we'll see. It's stupidly easy to shave with, and VERY fast. Brushless again with a dab of proraso, and I'm BBS with 2 passes.

 

[Canan]

Do you guys use the normal gels with these razors or a cream and brush?

 

[endcycle]

I've been using proraso brushless, personally. and i feel like a total traitor since it's literally all i've shaved with for quite some time now. The 5-blade is just insanely good at what it does.

 

[candt]

I've been using proraso brushless, personally. and i feel like a total traitor since it's literally all i've shaved with for quite some time now. The 5-blade is just insanely good at what it does.

dont feel too bad. I was using barbasol green can for a while.

 

[Dennis]

I picked up a Hydro 3 and used it for about a weeks worth of shaves. This is the first cartridge I used in quite some time. I used brushless KMF, the goo lessened the more the cartridge is used (about 7 shaves now). The shave is, well, just OK. No irritation for me, quick, simple. The Hydro 3 gets my trouble areas (mainly my jawline) more easily than a DE or SE razor, but the shave is not as close or long lasting. It is technically BBS, but I can tell that I didn't get as close of a shave as I get with my other razors. And, sure enough, I start to get stubble about 4pm or so whereas shaves with a GEM 1912 will last almost to the next morning. After the 7th shave, I could feel the razor was starting to dull and pull a bit. I may be able to get more shaves out of it without irritation and I will try and see how many I can get out of it. I haven't tried the 5 blade thing. I won't be switching, but my wife will likely start using it as she needs a new razor and prefers cartridges.

 

[bubalu]

I tried the Hydro 3. It was difficult to get a close shave. And surprisingly, the goo that comes out of the cartridge dried out my skin, even after many face risings. My skin broke out because it was so dry. I think that it may be made for younger faces.

 

[patrisVII]

'bout a month with the Hydro 3 and I do like it better than anything I've used previously. I've found a happy combo with Kiss My Face cream - not as much goop as other creams with more cushion and a much nicer fragrance (lavender) than the gels.

Tried the 5 but it was hard to maneuver - nearly impossible to shave the area between my lower lip and chin and the hollows on my neck on either side of the adams apple. And even with the lube thing folded back, I still could not get under the nose (but I can't do it with the 3 either). The other mark against it was that it was more prone to sliding over short whiskers when the lube/cream gets thick. On the plus side, it's a mild shaver - no nicks at all. Then again I only really nick myself trying to get close on the problem areas I named above and this razor just would not go there at all.

I'm sticking with the 3 as my main shaver from here out (Panasonic still required for under the nose, between the brows and on the ears).

 

[jpkunst]

I would love to try these new Schicks, but they don't seem to be available in my country (Netherlands) yet ...

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Well I have used the Shick Hydro 3 on/off for a month and I gotta say that I am not really amazed by it. I find that the lubrication that this razor produces is counter productive for me. At least Schick did get one thing correct they went with less blades on this particular model, minus the Hydro . I still rather use my Trac II, Atra, or Sensor when timing is an issue or when I travel by air. Suffice it to say I got the razor for free and did purchase a few cart to experiment with and I do not plan on purchasing anymore refils.

 

[DougK]

I've been shaving with both the Hydro 3 and 5 for a while as well and gave up this past week. It's not that the Schicks are bad razors (they do the job pretty well), it's just that the last time I went in to buy replacement blades at Drug Mart, the prices on all cartridges seemed to be sneaking upwards again. Unless I have to travel, I don't see myself buying any more cartridges any time soon and it's back to the Feather Portable and GEM SE for me.

 

[candt]

Hard to beat the Feather Portable. My favorite razor.

 

[K.T.]

I hardly think the Hydros will become the everyday razor of anyone on this forum, but it does have its place in the rotation.

It's great for a speed shave when there's not much time and a good to great shave must be had. And it's good for a low-irritation shave when your face needs some pampering. The irritation is low enough that it works great in those roles. Great for traveling, too.

One area where it also excels is shaving those areas around the neck and adam's apple that can get irritated from too many DE passes when trying to clear out those difficult nooks and crannies. The Hydro shaves these areas very easily and well for me with little or no irritation. Better than any DE I've used.

Of course, not every razor works for everyone, YMMV and such, but for me it's just about the best cart razor out there.

FWIW, I find the 5 smoother, more efficient, and less irritating than the 3, though the big head does take some getting used to.

 

[salisburyyates]

How to describe the difference? It seems the BBS I get from the Hydro feels more textured, like my skin has a very fine bumpiness to it. I surmise that the Hydro, while cutting close enough for BBS, is cutting my whiskers at a different angle than how my DEs cut. The top of the hair is under the surface of the skin, but the angle of the cut makes the hair more "pokey." So when I run my hand over my face, I feel BBS, but I also feel some texture to my skin. It's BBS, but doesn't feel as smooth and clean as DE.

K.T.

What you are describing is something I have also noticed when shaving with carts compared to DE. It's probably the difference in the way the 2 systems cut hair. The reason, I think, is due to the fact that multi-blade razors cut under the skin line. The stoppers on the carts themselves stretch the skin and the remaining hair is tucked underneath. With DE, there is no rubber component on the head to stretch the skin that far, and thus it gives a cleaner and longer lasting shave.

4 carts for the Hydro currently cost about 9.99 here in Canada. By far cheaper than any other brand. If I knew they would stay this price indefinitely, I might go down the street and pick up a 3-bladed model to try it out. The Quattro carts are expensive, but not quite as bad as Fusion proglide - which now cost $42.99 for a pack (not sure if it is 8 or 4, either way it is beyond ridiculous).