What are your current 3 favourite shavers (cartridge)?
- Thread starter Nico1970
- Start date
Waynecornwall
Über Member
Personally only use Fusion pro glide for head shaves, after recently starting with De shaves for my face, my cartridge head shaves now feel less pleasant than using a rusty potato peeler from a charity shop dustbin
Since starting this journey, which in my case, was to find the easiest and most comfortable way to shave my head, I've used almost every cartridge available locally plus a few, like the Gillette Guard and Feather MR3 Neo.
For many years I've settled with the Mach 3 with the Fusion Pro Glide (Flexball) in between.
Until I tried a Wilkinson-Sword Hydro 5 Sense cartridge (might have changed the name recently to Skin Protection Advanced), which blew everything else away. Super comfortable and very efficient.
Also tried a Skin Guard, cart which was decent, but the difference from the WS Hydro 5 Sense to all of the Gillette carts is that the Gillette carts only give me about 4 comfortable uses and the Hydro 5 can give to 10+ easily.
Other characteristics of the Hydro 5 Sense is the gel pool that is very very slick. Of course, that might not be an advantage for those of us that use a good soap lather. I keep it and in the first 2 shaves it leaves too much gunk but then it settles. For those that don't like this feature the gel pool is removable, but for me taking off that part of the razor makes it less comfortable (can't quite figure out why). What one can do (and I always forget) is keep a couple of empty gel pools around and switch it in the new carts.
So there you have, a ton of information of my favorite cartridge. There is no place 2 or 3, but I think I should try some of the other carts again and see if something has changed (or my technique, which you don't need with the Hydro 5 Sense).
For many years I've settled with the Mach 3 with the Fusion Pro Glide (Flexball) in between.
Until I tried a Wilkinson-Sword Hydro 5 Sense cartridge (might have changed the name recently to Skin Protection Advanced), which blew everything else away. Super comfortable and very efficient.
Also tried a Skin Guard, cart which was decent, but the difference from the WS Hydro 5 Sense to all of the Gillette carts is that the Gillette carts only give me about 4 comfortable uses and the Hydro 5 can give to 10+ easily.
Other characteristics of the Hydro 5 Sense is the gel pool that is very very slick. Of course, that might not be an advantage for those of us that use a good soap lather. I keep it and in the first 2 shaves it leaves too much gunk but then it settles. For those that don't like this feature the gel pool is removable, but for me taking off that part of the razor makes it less comfortable (can't quite figure out why). What one can do (and I always forget) is keep a couple of empty gel pools around and switch it in the new carts.
So there you have, a ton of information of my favorite cartridge. There is no place 2 or 3, but I think I should try some of the other carts again and see if something has changed (or my technique, which you don't need with the Hydro 5 Sense).
Smiffy
Forum GOD!
I saw your post on SOTD and this prompted me to see what I had in terms of cartridge razors, nothing very interesting, two Fusion, two Mach 3, a Wilkinson Quattro and a Harrys - I think this was a freebie from a posh hotel because I cannot remember buying it, perhaps a giveaway in the toilet pack on one of the Middle East airlines.Today’s theme is comfort.
https://www.atgshaving.com/posts/595743/
Battle between the young challenger and the champion.
Fusion SkinGuard has been talked about a lot and well.
But I must say, Gillette Labs doesn’t look bad at all.
Full shave in three steps for each, on one side.
After about ten hours the result is perfect.
Frankly I do not notice differences in comfort.
I wouldn’t have bet.
I’m surprised.
Pleasantly.
Slight differences in regrowth, in favor of the new.
Obviously, with more blades.
So more depth.
Not a lot more.
I have cleaned them up and I was pleased as to how smart they look but it was just the escalating price of cartridges, I think that Gillette blades are now around £2+ each and I have enough DE blades for 12 years so I cannot go back!
At some point, there will be people who will start collecting vintage cartridge razors, yet another rabbit hole.
Smiffy
Forum GOD!
Nobody likes paying more than they need to for essential supplies, including cartridge blades.
There was a consumer advice TV program that looked at the high price of Gillette Fusion and Mach 3 blades as compared to the prices being asked on ebay, Gillette were asked to comment. They looked at some Gillette blades purchased on auction sites and pronounced them as fake, not made by Gillette although the layman would be hard pressed to tell the difference.
They showed the fake and real Gillette blades under a microscope, the fake had the profile of a mountain range, the Gillette wasn't perfectly flat but considerably better than the fake.
There was a consumer advice TV program that looked at the high price of Gillette Fusion and Mach 3 blades as compared to the prices being asked on ebay, Gillette were asked to comment. They looked at some Gillette blades purchased on auction sites and pronounced them as fake, not made by Gillette although the layman would be hard pressed to tell the difference.
They showed the fake and real Gillette blades under a microscope, the fake had the profile of a mountain range, the Gillette wasn't perfectly flat but considerably better than the fake.
Mr Bigmem
Forum GOD!
Yep plenty fake carts and DEs being sold on eBay and other type marketplaces. Been stung once before and to look at the carts and the packaging you could not spot the difference. But damn were they rough to try and shave with.
Twelvefret
Forum GOD!
I mean no disrespect at all with what I am about to say. Once a person discovers that vintage razors are less than a 6 pack of decent beer and the blades are $9 for 100, what is preventing them from at least considering?
I gave my son in law a ‘56 Red Tip Gillette with 50 blades and he’s never purchased another shaving device. I just can’t get him to consider a brush and soap.
I gave my son in law a ‘56 Red Tip Gillette with 50 blades and he’s never purchased another shaving device. I just can’t get him to consider a brush and soap.
slapo
It's... alive!
An answer would likely vary by the person.
Some people aren't willing to learn.
Others are scared of nicking themselves.
Some are put off by something something that's been used and can't be bothered to clean and razor, or don't trust themselves enough to clean and sanitise it.
Some hate shaving and it's an annoying chore for them, so they go for whatever gets it done that's easily accessible in any random store.
There are probably more answers to be had.
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Mr Bigmem
Forum GOD!
All of what you said plus I do love shaving with carts as much as my DEs vintage and modern as well as SEs. For me there is s love for all. I get my smoothest and closest shaves from my Colonial General V1 loaded with a Feather AC blade but I can get near enough same shave with my fusions. The eternal YMMV. Shave with what works for you...and I have always had great shaves with carts, I didn't start using DEs cos I was disillusioned with carts and if I wanted to save money I'd not have got into the soaps, the brushes and modern DEs lol
p.b
Forum GOD!
And the other theme is having aesthetically matching razors and brushes
