The Electric razor thread

[CzechCzar]

Just finished reading the thread. Now a couple comments and questions!

More than 4 years ago, I replaced the ordinary razor with an electric razor. The irritation began to shake, so I decided to join the high technologies.

I don’t know how now, but at that time in nature there were three significant brands for electric razors, among which I chose: Philips, Braun, and Panasonic. I studied several pages of the iXBT forum and looked at electric shaver reviews. And then stopped at Panasonic. Model name is no longer relevant. Since outdated and now they have very different models

I don’t remember the details, but in my opinion, I chose Panasonic because it had the possibility of both dry and wet shaving (i.e. with foam). In my opinion, then (I don’t know how it is now), Philips had only a wet or only dry shave, while Braun had only a dry shave (but maybe I’m confusing something, it was a long time ago). And in my opinion, then they praised the function of wet shaving Panasonic.
In general, I use it now.

Panasonic is what I went with too! Happy I did.

Many modern electrics can be used wet/dry (with soap or cream), and the Proraso line of pre-shaves works just fine. In fact I use a Panasonic Arc 5, Braun Series 9 or Philips Norelco with all of my DE software - pre-shave, brush, soap and AS. Proraso pre-shaves are good, but there are better electric pre-shaves IMO - Crown Shaving or Jack Black being two that I use routinely under an artisan soap, but Freelette and Aramis Lab Series are two that I use alone with no other prep or products, that work superbly as well. As others noted, electric shaving and shavers have come a long way - in fact with a wet shave prep like my DE, I get a shave close enough to be indistinguishable by feel from a blade - just as comfortable or better, more even and predictable, and quicker. I wouldn't think of picking up an electric and scrubbing it over my dry face, with no prep, any more than I would grab my RS-10 or Timeless loaded with a Feather and shave away - likely to produce the same results. YM of course, MV.

When using a cream, do you make it normally in a brush/bowel, or do you make a lather like the below with just

There’s no doubt in my mind that a wet blade shave will last longer than an electric shave. However, the time and effort involved to achieve a couple of extra hours to get to a 5 O’clock shadow is not worth the effort or extra time. With an electric I can do a touch up shave quickly before going out for the evening if I need to have a smooth face late in the day. The most important reason I stick with electric shavers is that I don’t have to call an ambulance to stop the bleeding from my chin face which is inevitable regardless which kind of blade I have tried.

What he said. I am now 2 weeks into it. The shaves are getting better and more comfortable!

The real test is how close it feels right after shaving. Of course the blade will get closer because the cutting part is right next to the skin. However, the stubble will show up sooner with the electric because it can’t get as close to your skin. That trade off with an electric shaver is in convenance and safety. A modern electric shaves very close and will feel as smooth right afterwards. My experience has been that the stubble, 5 O’clock shadow, returns a little sooner. The last time I had a barbershop shave was many years ago and the only thing I remerbed is that I didn’t have to shave the next morning. I could never reproduce that at home with a safety razor myself. A search on the internet revealed that a barbershop shave locally is about $35.

See comment below.

You are over complicating things. Just look at a blade and at a foil razor. In the first case the blade touch the skin in the second case the blade simply cannot do that : the foil is a physical barrier. You can minimize that barrier by thinning the foil, increasing holes but the phisical limitation will remain. Again you cannot defy physics. You may "feel" the result is similar just afterwards but the difference in closeness is night and day. Especially if you go atg with a blade (as every serious shaver chasing a very close shave should do).

Oddly enough, although you would think the above would hold, always and everywhere, it's not the case for me. I need an uber-efficient DE to get BBS. Although my Arc 5 BBS doesn't last as long as my Yaqi Top Aggressive Slant BBS, that is the most efficient razor I have ever used, and I can't even use it two days in a row. Most of my other razors can't shave me as close as an Arc 5.

Welcome back to the Dark Side!

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Well, that very much depends....

Which of these is the best??

 

[APBinNCA]

Which of these is the best??

Since I am not going to buy one of these, I might as well mention this to somebody that might... the one on the top left is the older revision 3rd gen with metal panels. There are a couple sellers on Amazon that ship it from Germany and include a US plug adapter. It's actually less than the Japanese market ones. Also, right now Amazon UK has the latest version Arc 5 in black on sale(one with the rollers). I assume you would be fine because you already have a US market charger. The price is really good, same as the cheapest US 2nd gen. Your experiences have made we reconsider if I might be able to get my father to use one of these, so thank you for posting(in the other thread). If I am honest, as intriguing as these are, as soon as I heard one running... nope! I have a very low tolerance for noise that I would never be able to overcome, though I still want to try one.

 

[CzechCzar]

W

Since I am not going to buy one of these, I might as well mention this to somebody that might... the one on the top left is the older revision 3rd gen with metal panels. There are a couple sellers on Amazon that ship it from Germany and include a US plug adapter. It's actually less than the Japanese market ones. Also, right now Amazon UK has the latest version Arc 5 in black on sale(one with the rollers). I assume you would be fine because you already have a US market charger. The price is really good, same as the cheapest US 2nd gen. Your experiences have made we reconsider if I might be able to get my father to use one of these, so thank you for posting(in the other thread). If I am honest, as intriguing as these are, as soon as I heard one running... nope! I have a very low tolerance for noise that I would never be able to overcome, though I still want to try one.

when did you last hear one running? I recently got an ES-LV97-K and it's quieter than I expected.

 

[APBinNCA]

W

when did you last hear one running? I recently got an ES-LV97-K and it's quieter than I expected.

It was in a video review and I nearly screamed when he started it up(clicked off obviously). It was a used Arc 4. Please feel free to laugh at me, I do deserve it, but I will have to go back and see if I can watch some other videos. I grew up with electrics, but had a beard for 20 years before starting wet shaving. I have become even more sensitive to noise as I get older, strange to hear an actual argument against electric I know. I am genuinely glad that it is working well for you and actually cuts close(ish).

 

[CzechCzar]

It was in a video review and I nearly screamed when he started it up(clicked off obviously). It was a used Arc 4. Please feel free to laugh at me, I do deserve it, but I will have to go back and see if I can watch some other videos. I grew up with electrics, but had a beard for 20 years before starting wet shaving. I have become even more sensitive to noise as I get older, strange to hear an actual argument against electric I know. I am genuinely glad that it is working well for you and actually cuts close(ish).

I am not laughing at you at all! Your concerns have been voiced by others as well.

 

[Scaramouche]

Just finished reading the thread. Now a couple comments and questions!

Panasonic is what I went with too! Happy I did.

When using a cream, do you make it normally in a brush/bowel, or do you make a lather like the below with just

View attachment 1622634


What he said. I am now 2 weeks into it. The shaves are getting better and more comfortable!

See comment below.

Oddly enough, although you would think the above would hold, always and everywhere, it's not the case for me. I need an uber-efficient DE to get BBS. Although my Arc 5 BBS doesn't last as long as my Yaqi Top Aggressive Slant BBS, that is the most efficient razor I have ever used, and I can't even use it two days in a row. Most of my other razors can't shave me as close as an Arc 5.

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Which of these is the best??

I seldom use a cream, DE or electric, but as noted, I shave with an electric with exactly the same technique and software that I do with a DE - brush, scuttle, lather (generally with an artisan soap of some sort, preference for badger to lather). With the same (almost) DE-close shave....

And there really isn't a "best" electric - whatever matches your face, beard and technique, which can change over time or by the day. I generally switch over electrics every 30-90 days, and generally use one to touch up a DE shave, but sometimes as a stand-alone, and sometimes exclusively for a time. For a foil I prefer a Panasonic as far as brands, and for a rotary a Philips, but there are plenty of other brands and shavers on the market that work well. And I shave wet with an electric, as above, but occasionally "dry" on the road, although "dry" by my definition always means a pre-shave (dry meaning to me "without water") - and almost always with an electric when travelling.

 

[ctr]

No one best @Scaramouche said. Been using a Braun 360 series consistently for some time now. Evolved to dry shaving once the face adapted maybe 3 - 4 months in. Very rarely will I break out a cream and then it is hand lather. Dry shave 99.9% of the time. Used a few different lectric shave solutions during those startup months.

 

[Flyboybob]

Proud to have thrown out both Norelco and Braun shavers.

Skin oils, dirt and bacteria from these things will give you zits. The bad shave gives you ingrown hairs/bumps.


AA

I don’t know where you are getting your information. I have been using a screen type electric shaver since 1973 and I never, ever rinse the shaver with water or any other liquids. I am currently using a Braun series seven shaver which has a combination cutter and screen cassette. I tap out the cuttings from the cassette onto a piece of toilet tissue and then brush out the cuttings from the top of the shaver. I haven’t had ingrown hairs or zits since I was in the 10th grade. There are no oils, dirt or bacteria growing on an electric shaver Just like there’s none on a scissor. Electric shavers clip the beard close to the skin and don’t harbor any thing as you describe.

if you received zits or bumps from using an electric shaver, it had nothing to do with the shaver itself. Obviously, shaving wet cleanses your face before you scrape off your beard. Maybe you failed to wash your face after shaving with the electric shaver, or maybe you are still going through puberty.

 

[CzechCzar]

No one best @Scaramouche said. Been using a Braun 360 series consistently for some time now. Evolved to dry shaving once the face adapted maybe 3 - 4 months in. Very rarely will I break out a cream and then it is hand lather. Dry shave 99.9% of the time. Used a few different lectric shave solutions during those startup months.

Is dry shaving able to get you as close as wet shaving with an electric?

 

[rbscebu]

Is dry shaving able to get you as close as wet shaving with an electric?

From my limited experience only with a foil shaver, I would say yes but not as comfortable.

 

[ctr]

Is dry shaving able to get you as close as wet shaving with an electric?

Yes and without the irritation. Can't feel any whiskers on the face post shave. Never went for the BBS thing anyway, always seemed kind of foolish to me.

 

[CzechCzar]

From my limited experience only with a foil shaver, I would say yes but not as comfortable.

Yes and without the irritation. Can't feel any whiskers on the face post shave. Never went for the BBS thing anyway, always seemed kind of foolish to me.

Thanks you, sirs. In that case I will possibly keep trying it.

Follow up question: how much time did it take you to adjust to dry electric shaving from wet shaving?

 

[JoWolf]

Thanks you, sirs. In that case I will possibly keep trying it.

Follow up question: how much time did it take you to adjust to dry electric shaving from wet shaving?

The Foil used on all foil shavers is thinner than the guards or grill on rotaries. Therefore the cutting blades do get closer to the skin than rotaries. That does not mean you get a closer shave any more than a de with the sharpest blade possible will give you the closest shave. In both cases possible. Technique can make a deciding difference.

Rotary heads float and are moving over uneven surfaces to aid in skin contact. The foil shaver on the other hand must have the skin contact adjusted Strictly with moving and adjusting the body of the shaver to keep good skin contact with the foil.

I used a three headed Phillips for decades. My old rotary gave up the ghost recently and I replaced it with the Pit Bull four head skull shaver. You can get a few different rotary heads with two rolls of cutting blades behind the grill, or their sensitive three rolls of cutting blades behind the grill. I have both.

You do need to shave with rotaries or electrics to train your whiskers into a different growth. For the closest possible shave. I would describe it as the whiskers being more rigid rather than more flexible with de shaving. I do clean my electric trimmer and shavers heads after each shave. Although both my trimmer and skull shavers are water proof and lather friendly I do not use them wet. Mainly because it expands the clean up. Rinsing in the available optional bath vessels, are advertised as all you might need to do. My experience with the heads. I need a little more manual cleaning to be pristine. Some dudes will continue to just rinse no different than a de shaver rinsing his razor between shaves. Other dudes single de blade users do a little more intensive clean. There is no right way, if you are getting you desired shave.

I will be writing a review on the Pit Bull in the near future. My opinion on electrics. Very quick and an easy way to look presentable. For me they cannot get close to my DE BBS. They have their use. I use them when I am not well enough to DE shave. I prefer DE shaves, but will always have electrics around for the convenience.

 

[ctr]

Thanks you, sirs. In that case I will possibly keep trying it.

Follow up question: how much time did it take you to adjust to dry electric shaving from wet shaving?

A few months. Say 4 - 5 weeks for the initial adjustment using a pre electric shave. Then around 4 months in dropped the pre shave and dry only. Still use after shave balm or splash post shave, whatever the mood of the day.

 

[CzechCzar]

The Foil used on all foil shavers is thinner than the guards or grill on rotaries. Therefore the cutting blades do get closer to the skin than rotaries. That does not mean you get a closer shave any more than a de with the sharpest blade possible will give you the closest shave. In both cases possible. Technique can make a deciding difference.

Rotary heads float and are moving over uneven surfaces to aid in skin contact. The foil shaver on the other hand must have the skin contact adjusted Strictly with moving and adjusting the body of the shaver to keep good skin contact with the foil.

I used a three headed Phillips for decades. My old rotary gave up the ghost recently and I replaced it with the Pit Bull four head skull shaver. You can get a few different rotary heads with two rolls of cutting blades behind the grill, or their sensitive three rolls of cutting blades behind the grill. I have both.

You do need to shave with rotaries or electrics to train your whiskers into a different growth. For the closest possible shave. I would describe it as the whiskers being more rigid rather than more flexible with de shaving. I do clean my electric trimmer and shavers heads after each shave. Although both my trimmer and skull shavers are water proof and lather friendly I do not use them wet. Mainly because it expands the clean up. Rinsing in the available optional bath vessels, are advertised as all you might need to do. My experience with the heads. I need a little more manual cleaning to be pristine. Some dudes will continue to just rinse no different than a de shaver rinsing his razor between shaves. Other dudes single de blade users do a little more intensive clean. There is no right way, if you are getting you desired shave.

I will be writing a review on the Pit Bull in the near future. My opinion on electrics. Very quick and an easy way to look presentable. For me they cannot get close to my DE BBS. They have their use. I use them when I am not well enough to DE shave. I prefer DE shaves, but will always have electrics around for the convenience.

View attachment 1639790

Thank you for the detailed write up!!

 

[JoWolf]

Thank you for the detailed write up!!

Your welcome. That was just the teaser. The detailed review will be along directly with photos.