Joining the Trac II Club | Page 2

Troy M · Mar 25, 2021

I have a trac II I use occasionally for head shaving, but find the Atra with the pivoting head works better on the angles on the old noggin.

Leo K. · Mar 25, 2021

Daywalker said: ↑

Actually Leo K. explained the "lift&cut"-system already - just saying. Gillette coined the the term for this process Hysteresis.

I don't think that's true. While it wasn't marketed explicitly anymore, it was still the base (marketing) principle for "a closer shave" of all multi-blade cartridges made by Gillette (and their knock offs) - including up to the Fusion (see link above).

That's why all of them gave me ingrown hairs occasionally.

I started with the Atra and shortly after the Sensor came out.
Third parties here in Germany also sold single blade cartridges that fitted either the Trac/GII or Atra/Contour handle. I loved them because they were way cheaper and gave me no ingrown hairs. When they were discontinued I used Trac only because they were still the cheapest blades but caught up fast. The Fusion gave me smooth shaves but were way to expensive.

But each new model added its own USPs (why else upgrade) to charge more $$$.

Trac II/GII: 2 Blades. Hysteresis = closer.

Atra/Contour Plus: Pivoting head. Plus = lubra strip - first we made it closer, than we made it $moother It's the best a man can get. It can't get any better, or can it?
Personally I think this was the best cartridge razor Gillette ever made.

Sensor (Excel): Spring loaded blades for an even $moother shave.
Excel = "Microfins" lift the hair - designed more like a Mach3 cartridge but fits the Sensor handle.

Venus - I think Wiki is wrong here. The First Venus razor used Sensor cartridges, not Mach3 cartridges. I think the short handled Venus really was an innovation for shaving your legs though - and they finally could use their own razor. Let's also change the color - because women love color - and charge some extra $$$ for the same cartridges.

Mach3: Well, how can we still charge more $hit? Let's just add another blade and make a new cartridge format. It's a $moother shave and waaay faster of course - because fewer strokes - 1 instead of 3, dummy.

I skipped the Mach3. For some reason the Atra and Sensor gave me smoother shaves and were cheaper anyway.

Sensor Excel 3: It came out after the Mach3 if I'm not mistaken? Why did they even make it? Prototype of Mach3?

Fusion: We're out of ideas - let's just repeat all the $hit we did before and add even more blades (because 3 blades simply don't cut it) and charge way more $$$ - now the distance of the blades makes all the difference, stupid.

Sensor, Mach3 (Venus) and Fusion all had their different variants that added new cool $tuff.
Turbo= less friction, Power=vibration/battery - well, batteries are cool, aren't they? Powerball = even more pivoting, etc..

And then they rode the woke train - epic fail.
Click to expand...

Nice rundown! Yes any razor cartridge with two blades or more uses the Hysteresis effect. My first bought razor was the Gillette Sensor and I still admire it and love it for nostalgia reasons. The Mach 3 never quite agreed with my face and is the only razor to really cut me bad (I still collect vintage models though). Long use of the Fusion results in ingrown hair for me.

ischiapp · Mar 25, 2021

Leo K. said: ↑

Nice handle there!
Click to expand...

If you can, try the Power with FlexBall.
It's the best I've ever used.
By far!

Michael_W · Apr 4, 2021

Daywalker said: ↑

Actually Leo K. explained the "lift&cut"-system already - just saying. Gillette coined the the term for this process Hysteresis.

I don't think that's true. While it wasn't marketed explicitly anymore, it was still the base (marketing) principle for "a closer shave" of all multi-blade cartridges made by Gillette (and their knock offs) - including up to the Fusion (see link above).

That's why all of them gave me ingrown hairs occasionally.

I started with the Atra and shortly after the Sensor came out.
Third parties here in Germany also sold single blade cartridges that fitted either the Trac/GII or Atra/Contour handle. I loved them because they were way cheaper and gave me no ingrown hairs. When they were discontinued I used Trac only because they were still the cheapest blades but caught up fast. The Fusion gave me smooth shaves but were way to expensive.

But each new model added its own USPs (why else upgrade) to charge more $$$.

Trac II/GII: 2 Blades. Hysteresis = closer.

Atra/Contour Plus: Pivoting head. Plus = lubra strip - first we made it closer, than we made it $moother It's the best a man can get. It can't get any better, or can it?
Personally I think this was the best cartridge razor Gillette ever made.

Sensor (Excel): Spring loaded blades for an even $moother shave.
Excel = "Microfins" lift the hair - designed more like a Mach3 cartridge but fits the Sensor handle.

Venus - I think Wiki is wrong here. The First Venus razor used Sensor cartridges, not Mach3 cartridges. I think the short handled Venus really was an innovation for shaving your legs though - and they finally could use their own razor. Let's also change the color - because women love color - and charge some extra $$$ for the same cartridges.

Mach3: Well, how can we still charge more $hit? Let's just add another blade and make a new cartridge format. It's a $moother shave and waaay faster of course - because fewer strokes - 1 instead of 3, dummy.

I skipped the Mach3. For some reason the Atra and Sensor gave me smoother shaves and were cheaper anyway.

Sensor Excel 3: It came out after the Mach3 if I'm not mistaken? Why did they even make it? Prototype of Mach3?

Fusion: We're out of ideas - let's just repeat all the $hit we did before and add even more blades (because 3 blades simply don't cut it) and charge way more $$$ - now the distance of the blades makes all the difference, stupid.

Sensor, Mach3 (Venus) and Fusion all had their different variants that added new cool $tuff.
Turbo= less friction, Power=vibration/battery - well, batteries are cool, aren't they? Powerball = even more pivoting, etc..

And then they rode the woke train - epic fail.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the Mach 3 and the Fusion both continued the lift-and-cut system marketing. I remember the commercials featuring animated demonstrations of how the cartridges work. Gillette simply doubled and then quintupled down on the multi-blade system. Now that safety razoes have made a comeback and cartridge sales are down because of over-pricing, the company is starting to get back into producing safeties in order to catch up. Time will tell if Gillette succeeds.

gorgo2 · Apr 4, 2021

Never got a good shave from the Sensor.

Shaver X · Apr 18, 2021

Gillette Trac II cartridges are getting very cheap online, approaching the cost benefits from double-edge blades.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F51R6K/?tag=thshde-20

Double-edge blades are 100% recyclable, however, which appears to now be the driving force behind cart shavers switching to safety razors. Maybe not among the forum hobbyists, but overall from what I have seen. Who woulda thunk?

Tedolph · Apr 19, 2021

Shaver X said: ↑

Gillette Trac II cartridges are getting very cheap online, approaching the cost benefits from double-edge blades.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F51R6K/?tag=thshde-20

Double-edge blades are 100% recyclable, however, which appears to now be the driving force behind cart shavers switching to safety razors. Maybe not among the forum hobbyists, but overall from what I have seen. Who woulda thunk?
Click to expand...

Pardon my ignorance but how do you recycle double edge blades?

Shaver X · Apr 20, 2021

Tedolph said: ↑

Pardon my ignorance but how do you recycle double edge blades?
Click to expand...

Put them in a blade bank and, when the blade bank is full, chuck it in the recycle bin. The blade bank is metal, so it can be recycled, too. I get mine from Em's Place. They hold over 2 years of blades each despite their small size, and only cost $2.

Tedolph · Apr 20, 2021

Shaver X said: ↑

Put them in a blade bank and, when the blade bank is full, chuck it in the recycle bin. The blade bank is metal, so it can be recycled, too. I get mine from Em's Place. They hold over 2 years of blades each despite their small size, and only cost $2.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I didn't know that you could put a blade bank in the recycle bin.