Oxymoron?

Got myself a WS Hydro 5 power select today . I was going out with my relatives and went to a store where most products are imported from UK. Unfortunately, only razors were on the display and no refills at all. . Will shave with it tomorrow and post my detailed observations on Hydro 5 vs. the proglide.

OK so I shaved with Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Power select razor, following are my observations

1. As soon as I opened the pack and held the razor in my hand, I could feel that the plastic used in this product was way cheaper than Proglide flexball handle. For confirmation, I held both razor in each hand.
2. Both razors have a good grip so nothing there to compare
3. Proglide's motor button is easier to access but for WS hydro 5, you have to flip it, look for the button and press it hard 3 times. (first two vibration settings are useless because of low strength)
4. Proglide's pivoting spring is way more responsive and quickly returns to its original position when pressure is released. WS Hydro 5 pivoting is not as responsive and cartridge takes its time to return to original position.
5. Both razors have almost the same weight but proglide feels lot better in hand.
6. There is no precision trimmer in Hydro 5. I was really disappointed when discovered it. I can't shave on every section of my face using all 5 blades.
7. I had no problems with the gel reservoir. As soon as my face felt slippery, I flipped the gel reservoir and shaved on. But, the cartridge doesn't pivot when the gel reservoir is flipped back. Still, no big problem.
8. Another big disappointment was the lack of glide. With motor turned on, I tried a full length stroke and it was super painful. The blades are angled at quite an aggressive setting. Skin guards really made no difference in the comfort department. With Proglide, I could always make a full length stroke (even on my 15th shave)
9. The shaving result was same as Proglide's i.e. DFS in two passes (WTG and XTG)
10. The comfort coating on Hydro 5 blades is way poorer in quality when compared with Proglide (AS lotion burned my face like hell)

My final thoughts :

In almost every department, Proglide is a better razor handle as well as a better blade.Moreover, It is safe to say that even Quattro is a better razor when compared with Hydro. I am regretting my decision on purchasing the hydro 5. I should have considered @Jerry-built Hustler 's review and closed the case at that time.

Edit: Second shave with a different cartridge nullified the strike through points. the link to the second review is as follows

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threa...ette-fusion-proglide.47087/page-4#post-922965

Great write-up, Saad. I was curious to see your opinion of the blade mount in the Hydro versus the ProGlide.

Without a doubt, the blades of hydro 5 are spring mounted. I can see the small plastic arms (similar to proglide) extending outwards from the center and supporting the blade from the sides. These arms are attached to the blades at the exact opposite point of the skin guards. On the other hand, Proglide's plastic arms extend inwards from each side. When compared with Proglide, the spring system of the Hydro 5 is quite stiffer. In other words, it requires more pressure for the springs of Hydro 5 to come into action.

To make it more clear, the spring system of Hydro 5 is not meant for comfort in a similar way that proglide offers. Instead, this spring mount system is meant to compensate the pressure on the body (excluding the edge) of the blades, which the skin exerts via the skin guards. I see it as the first step from Schick/WS towards spring mounted blades production.

I will be giving this razor couple of more honest tries. I hope it might just impress me in the future. After understanding the basic mechanism which Schick/WS is using for their blades, I need to adjust my technique.

Aha, found it. The patent for Schick/WS hydro 5 razor cartridge. The description of label number 26 in following figure reads:

" Spring fingers 26 of the frame provide a spring force to urge the razor blade to its at-rest position and to permit movement of the razor blade relative to the frame away from an at-rest position along the elongated slots in response to forces encountered during a normal shaving operation. In another embodiment, the support can be omitted and the razor blade can include a bent portion. The razor blade can be an approximate “L” shape in a transverse cross section as is known in the art."

The Gillette Proglide gives me the closest shaves out of everything I've used, including DE and Injectors. That said, I'm a big fan of the Hydro 5, which gives a more comfortable shave overall.

It's been a few years since I used a Hydro, but they have said that the Hydro includes a flip trimmer when you push back the reservoir. I never noticed it, what are they referring to?

Yes, that is exactly what got me disappointed. I used to think that there is a precision trimmer hidden under the reservoir. But, they actually meant to say that you can push the reservoir back and can use the top two-three blades for precision trimming. . I will try to adjust my technique for this version of precision trimming.

I'm sure that my technique for shaving with this shaver requires more tuning. I will give it a couple of more honest tries and see if it actually suits my skin and style of shaving. So far, the comfort of proglide has spoiled me really bad.

I have to admit, I'd probably keep my Proglide over the Hydro 5. I should mention I use the vibration power handles for both.

In modern cartridges, proglide is unbeatable .

Gave my WS hydro 5 another try. And I am not using it ever again . I am disappointed that Schick came with such a flagship razor. I thought it was going to be a tough fight between the two heavyweights but the title went straight to Proglide from the very beginning.

Correction : The blades of Schick Hydro 5 are not spring mounted as the blades are not attached to spring arms like the proglide,mach 3 and sensor ones are. I pulled all the blades apart using the tweezer to see how the spring arms are attached. Like all other non-gillette razors, the blades of this razor are also fixed (which is why it tore my face) from the sides.

Well that's interesting. When viewing from the back, I noted the "spring" arms like you did, which led me to think the blades might be spring loaded. But, also as noted, they don't really move like they're spring mounted. That's why I didn't know what to make of it. I suppose it's academic, since it shaves how it shaves. I keep my Hydro 3 in the shower, since it's perfectly good for various body grooming needs. But I just didn't like it for my face.

Today, I'm going to pit my ProGlide against my Mach3 and see which one I like better. I've been very happy with the M3 lately - ever more so than with my Sensor Excel, which surprises me. I'll give the ProGlide another good, college try and see what I think.

Can't wait to read your review on that.

Thanks for your good reviews sir! I like reading reviews of modern cart systems.

I shaved today with the ProGlide Flexball on one side of my face, the Mach3 Turbo (on Art of Shaving handle) on the other. The outcome wasn't all that different from the last time I used the ProGlide, which was opposite the Sensor Excel. I found the Mach3 to be smoother and more pleasant to use, and more comfortable overall. The ProGlide doesn't give a bad shave, but as I said a month ago, I find it has too much drag for my preferences; all those blades also make it feel rougher going over the skin.

I also prefer the more minimalist design of the Mach3. I'm reminded that one of the aims in moving the pivot mount to the bottom of the cartridge on the M3 was to make the stroke seem more like painting with a brush. Using it on the AOS handle really did feel that way - it just easily glided over my skin, taking the hair along with it, without much fuss or effort. Of course, that's a big criticism DE enthusiasts have of modern cartridges - that they're easy to use and require no skill. But as I've said elsewhere, I like that about them. Using a brush and soap is enough extra work for me. By the time I get around to wielding the razor, I'm happy to let it do some of the work for me.

The Fusion/ProGlide also has the bottom pivot mount, but it's a considerably more bulky design, and just doesn't have the elegance of the M3, either in look or feel. At least, that's my impression. I don't mean to slam the ProGlide. I can appreciate the engineering that goes into their design and manufacturing, and the end result was good enough. But for me, I think Gillette's cartridge design peaked either with the Sensor Excel or Mach3. I couldn't see what the ProGlide does that the other two don't do just as well, or better. My next match-up will be with those two.

There is a reason why Mach-III is still a flagship razor (according to Gillette's recent commercial on spectre movie). For me, the only point that goes against Mach-III is the lack of smoothness on my chin. Lets see how you compare the sensor and mach 3.

Well said. I love my Proglide, yet, the Mach3 has a beautiful minimalist design, an aesthetic feature I enjoy, and makes me want to use the Mach3 more often. I don't think the Mach3 shaves as smooth as the Fusion, but I haven't yet tried the Turbo or Sensitive carts.