The New Schick Hydro Razor!!...a quick review

[baba]

Spent 7.99 at Walgreen's on the new Schick Hydro 5 blade razor and got a coupon for 5 "Walgreen's" bucks. Not a bad deal...I thought.

Nice handle, feels good in the hand. Has a lubrication reservoir above the blades with some very slick, gooey substance. I didn't mind it and it was extremely slick. The reservoir also snaps out of the way to give better access to the razor blades for precise trimming. There are also tiny little strips on each blade that are supposed to prevent skin from bulging between blades and causing irritation...in other words it keeps the skin flatter as the blades do the cutting.

On to the shave... I showered, hot toweled, applied King of Shaves pre shave oil, then brush lathered with some Tabac soap and some unscented KMF cream. I built up a fantastic lather and let it really soak into my beard. I had great lubrication and a great protective lather to boot.

First pass, this razor did not remove the lather from my face...instead it kind of smeared it on my face. It was tough to tell if I had shaved an area or not. The razor felt smooth, it didn't tug or pull, but I didn't feel like I was getting all of my beard. Sure enough after the first rinse, there were patches of hair everywhere. Re-lathered and tried again. About halfway through the second pass, I gave up. Maybe I am spoiled by the sharpness of my DE's, but the Schick Hydro 5 is the most mild razor I have ever shaved with. This might be great for a 14 year old boy that has peach fuzz on his upper lip, but for a man with a real beard...forget it. It just doesn't cut a tough beard.

I put a well used 2 month old Personna 74 blade in a Stahly Live blade Razor (old style vibrating razor) and got rid of the rest of my beard effortlessly and much closer than with the Schick Hydro. I really wanted to like the Hydro, and was under the impression that if I used my extensive prep routine that even a cartridge razor would do a good job. I was wrong, it did not. The prep helped, but even great prep can not overcome a razor that is way too mild for a tough beard.

In conclusion, If you need to shave with the mildest razor on the face of the earth, then the Schick Hydro is your razor. This razor would be a great razor for people that cant afford to get cut, or want to teach their kids and want something ultra mild to start with.

I guess Schick is right, this is an irritation free, and very smooth razor, and it is almost impossible to cut yourself with this razor...trouble is, it seems almost impossible to cut your beard as well.

Thanks.

 

[brianw]

And schick will sell a bazzillon of them

 

[VolpeVerde]

Don't blame the razor. One problem is that you used pre-shave oil. Your skin was too slick. Too much lubrication. Razors such as the Hydro 5 are designed using only canned goo, such as Schick's Hydro 5 shave cream. The cream is more for hydrating the hairs. The blade has that lubricating strip with aloe vera, leaving lubrication on your face. With pre-shave oil and a mix of soap and cream, plus the razor's lube strip, the goo caused the blades to just skim across your beard like wet ice on wet ice. And then the blades got all clogged up with oil, the small separations between the blades aren't large enough to allow the lube goo to pass through. The razor will do a much better job by using JUST soap or JUST cream and no mixing or pre-shave oils. These newer razors are made for "shave-n-go", today's modern man has no time for prep!

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Hey Jim thanks for the review.. I guess I will be avoiding that razor. Truthfully did not have high expectations for it. Maybe the Shick Hydro 3 will perform better.

 

[baba]

Don't blame the razor. One problem is that you used pre-shave oil. Your skin was too slick. Too much lubrication. Razors such as the Hydro 5 are designed using only canned goo, such as Schick's Hydro 5 shave cream. The cream is more for hydrating the hairs. The blade has that lubricating strip with aloe vera, leaving lubrication on your face. With pre-shave oil and a mix of soap and cream, plus the razor's lube strip, the goo caused the blades to just skim across your beard like wet ice on wet ice. And then the blades got all clogged up with oil, the small separations between the blades aren't large enough to allow the lube goo to pass through. The razor will do a much better job by using JUST soap or JUST cream and no mixing or pre-shave oils. These newer razors are made for "shave-n-go", today's modern man has no time for prep!

I did not have gobs of shaving cream on my face, nor was I slathered in oil. Just a good slick oil base and good cushiony lather. I also thoroughly rinsed the razor after every stroke. Even at the very start of the stroke when the razor was free of cream, oil or hair...it did not seem to cut my thick beard very well.

But just to be fair, I will try shaving with the razor again and only use shave cream. In fact, just to make sure I will be shaving under "ideal conditions" I will buy the Schick Hydro shave cream.

I will post my results here.

 

[VolpeVerde]

But just to be fair, I will try shaving with the razor again and only use shave cream. In fact, just to make sure I will be shaving under "ideal conditions" I will buy the Schick Hydro shave cream.

I will post my results here.

I'm really interested and looking foward to your results! I would'nt think you would need to buy the Schick cream unless you really want to try it. My favorite cart, the Sensor 3, works great with just Tabac or Kiss My Face. I save the preshave oil for DE's, the Sensor doesn't work well with them on my ugly kisser.

 

[luvmysuper]

I'd be interested to learn why the razor designers keep putting the lube strip or lubricated reservoir (that just doesn't sound like something I want near my face) ABOVE the blades, so that any potential benefit from the strip would only occur on a second stroke over the exact same area.

 

[rainman]

It looks similiar to the Fusion.

 

[Mccordrm]

Bring back our injector razors.

 

[johnmrson]

Most multi blade cartridges just clogs in the first half inch if using real soap or cream and then you can never get it out.

 

[Alfredo Becerra]

My experiene with this razor has been different. I have been giving it a good chance and have been using it 4 days with very good results. I don't want to post a detailed review until the 1st cartridge is completely used up and I don't know when that's going to be. With a fusion I would have to replace the cartridge every 3 or 4 shaves, the hydro is still performing well after 4 shaves. Honestly, if I can get a week's worth of shaves with 1 cartridge I'll be happy, though I suspect it'll last a little longer due to some comments.

We'll see, I guess. So far I like it and I am getting very comfortable shaves. I don't intend to try the gel, I don't think it's any different from any other "average" gel.

 

[kg4ghn]

Most multi blade cartridges just clogs in the first half inch if using real soap or cream and then you can never get it out.

This was my experience too when I used a mach 3 with TOBS cream.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Bring back our injector razors.

+1..

 

[slantman]

Bring back our injector razors.

I once called Schick and asked if they ever plan on re-introducing an injector again. This was their answer. You can probably find them on eBay. I felt liking saying no kidding. None of these companies will ever come back to the old days.
forget about it.

 

[MSFoster]

My wife recently picked up one of these for a couple bucks and I figured id give it a try. Bad Idea, I had similar results and I have pretty light facial hair and only used soap afte a shower and towel it misses a lot had to reshave and I've had a burning sensation for a day and a half now and haven't shaved since I used it. Just bad razor.

 

[spinyeel]

The ONLY cartridge razor worth trying is the Azor by King of Shaves. Very nice on the face and the blades last forever. Reasonably priced too. Gillette cartridges are made not to last. As if we didn't know that already.

 

[IvanV]

you have to remember that its different than DE shaving. you HAVE to use pressure on these types of razors. They don't work without pressure. still not as good as DE

 

[scottb]

I once called Schick and asked if they ever plan on re-introducing an injector again. This was their answer. You can probably find them on eBay. I felt liking saying no kidding. None of these companies will ever come back to the old days.
forget about it.

+1. They told me to check out an antique shop, and the thing is, I really think it was written with no sarcasm and a sincere intent to be helpful.

I have a type E, a Hydro-magic I and an L that have become my new sweethearts. Man those things shave well, especially if you do your noggin.

 

[patrisVII]

the Hydro 3 is my regular blade (the 5 was noticeably inferior for me). I get a full week of error-free shaves from it. It shaves smoother and less lethally than any other shave instrument I've used. Also gets smooth on the problem areas I've had with DE (hollow of the neck, jaw line and bottom of the chin)

My only complaint is the lube - they need to tone it down or get rid of it. I think the efficacy comes from the blade construction (possibly the safety bars on the individual blades), not the excessive snot that comes out of the top.

- Gels goop up less with the lube than creams (KMF is best of the creams that I've tried so far)

- The 3 shaves closer than the 5 and is less prone to 'riding' on the layer of cream/lube.

- you need to shave with pressure and with a slight tilt on the head so that you are 'leading' with the thick blue strip at the front of the head. Requires a little re-adjustment of technique, but certainly more idiot proof than a DE.

- does not get under the nose (at least not mine). Tipping back the lube strip on the 5 did not help either - both the 3 and the 5 are just too big, and the handle oriented wrong, to get up under the nose.

I started shaving with a DE 30 years ago, shaved off and on with cartridges (Atra and Sensor), uses a str8 for a few years, went back to DE about 10 years ago, then gave up on blades and went electric. I decided to try blades again a few months ago because our new home has softened water. I struggled with the DE but picked up the Hydro on price alone and I've not regretted it. Honestly, I'm still contemplating going back to the electric as I really don't want to pay $8+ for 4 blades in perpetuity, but the easy smoothness I get from the Hydro 3 is very enticing.....

 

[miamimoe]

I once called Schick and asked if they ever plan on re-introducing an injector again. This was their answer. You can probably find them on eBay. I felt liking saying no kidding. None of these companies will ever come back to the old days. forget about it.

Why would they ever want to go back to the old ways? Makes no sense from a business point of view. I would imagine that between Gillette and Schick that they own a good 98% of the market for razors-I am excluding electric shavers from this. Now, they have you hooked as if you buy one of their cartridge systems-Fusion, Mach 3, Schick Quattro, Hydro, what-have-you, you are married to the cartridge for that razor handle. Since most of this stuff is patented, and also backed up by a formidable marketing campaign, they have you buying cartridges over and over again. Compare this to double edge blades or injector blades. There are no patents on these blades, and witness the manufacturers that exist today. There is no profit in bringing back an old technology that can be made by anyone with machine tools. There are huge profits in selling a patented, proprietary system at a high price. That is the sad reality of the situation, and they have no reason to go back-it would hurt their profits, plain and simple.