Hello all, recently, I saw a couple Youtubers post videos about carts and decided to give it a try myself. So, I bought a 3 pack of Gillette Mach 3s, lathered up with some Captain's Choice North and gave it a shot. I was surprised at what a great shave I got. No nicks, no cuts, no irritation and a very close shave. Id say it was equal to a DE shave in every way and was pretty much foolproof. Granted, the DE is still cheaper but it certainly changed my opinion of carts. I think that if you use a quality soap, it can be a very good experience. I remember back when I used Barbasol or the gel stuff, it was pretty horrible with lots of tugging, so I wonder if a lot of it has to do with inferior shave cream.
I'm one of those YouTubers. I was, like you, also pleasantly surprised. I used a brush and soap and my shave was good although I did use a single edged razor last night and had a better finish, with three passes. I wonder if five blade cartridges are made for one pass. There were no instructions in the package and although I needed them, three passes and a touch up did seem over excessive for five razor blades. That's more than fifteen passes with a single blade! I was a little sore afterwards but not excessively so. It was only a day later that I had two very small sore spots, in an area where I often have to be careful and a lump started to develop. All three needed antiseptic cream.
I dont know that Im familar with your channel. No offense, theres just so many right now that its hard to keep up. I believe the ones I saw were by Nickshaves and iLather. (Although I do follow Kensurfs and PaulH). Whats your channel? Id love to check it out and maybe give you a sub. Anywho, I agree with you on the 5-blade. 3 passes is probably a bit much and 1 pass is likely ideal. IMO, 5-bladers are for people who want something that is as quick as possible, who view shaving as a chore; not a hobby. I enjoyed the Mach 3 and found it far less irritating that some DE razors Ive used (ATT R1, Im looking at you). At some point in time, I will most likely be picking up a fancy little Muhle handle for the Mach 3 head. Considering Ive got probably 300 DE blades right now, its going to be a while before I need to decide if Im going to stay with the DE or go back to the cart. Honestly, I enjoy both.
Could it be you've refined your technique? My money would be on that before laying it down on soap or cream.
I suspect you are right. I know I've seen quotes from Gillette researchers regarding how many strokes the average shaver makes and considering them excessive. So, it would not surprise me that their goal is a single pass shave.
I am not very knowledgeable on cartridge razors, especially the modern three and five blade ones. But the Gillette and Wilkinson Sword researchers are no fools. So I assume, until proven otherwise, that a cartridge razor combined with solid technique can provide an excellent shave. It surely will be a different experience than the more classic razors, but I can hardly imagine the end result to be less. Again, that is with proper technique (prep, shave, post).
None taken. I can't keep up either This link should get you to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpi5O09C7w2hGvggVwvhgpg?view_as=public I used to shave with a cartridge before the morning rush out of the door to walk the dog and get to work. Now I'm an evening shaver. It takes me ages!
Did you know, you can order your Gillette Fusion with a personalised handle. I kid you not! Good point.
They serve a purpose. I used them for many of my working years. A Trac II in high school, the military, and as my travel razor. The Mach 3 also gives a great shave - but they're high maintenance.
One thing to keep in mind is that much of the development of safety razors since the late 19th century has been about providing a good shave safely without reliance on technique or skill. Hence the evolution of shaving systems from SE and DE through Injector and Cartridge. The truth is that a lot of men do not know how to shave well. It's a skill that, previously, a boy might have learned from his father or another male figure. Now, it's more of a case of pointing the boy at a rack of razors and telling him to go at it based on what he sees on TV. As a result, Gillette, Schick, and everyone else throws technology at making the best out of a bad situation. To a great degree, however, this is to their advantage. The recurring message in the Wet Shaving community is that, with the proper technique, it is possible to achieve excellent shaves without all the technology of a 5-blade razor. That's not the message Big Shave wants to send, though. Personally, I think the current generation of carts is overkill. I normally use a DE razor but have, fairly recently, used both a twin-blade cart from Dorco and a three-blade Mach3-compatible cart from Schick for several shaves each. Frankly, I couldn't figure out why anyone would need more than 3 blades. Five blades seems like overkill and I can't imagine who the person is who has to have a seven-blade cartridge (except for the sheer ability to say they shave with a seven-blade cartridge). (Disclaimer: I have a fairly light beard and have never used more than a 3-blade cart.)
Im sure that I have refined my technique. You could argue though that the technique for carts is very different from that of DE shaving. Oh my. I agree. I never felt like the 3-blade shaved as well as the 5-blade. Heck, I felt like the 2 or even 1 blade did a great job. I also agree that modern shave gear is all about quicker, faster and easier. Thats why you see 5-blade carts and goo that you just smear on your face.
High Maintenance? I don't understand; I simply rinse the razor after a few strokes, rinse the razor after shaving and put the razor back in it's cradle.
I guess I was unclear as I was referring to the price of the carts (as they are expensive). I agree that using them is no muse no fuss.
Price of carts seems to be a constant issue here. It costs me less than $0.50 per week to use my Mach 3. I get a solid 2 weeks per cart, could go longer but prefer to keep the shave comfortable. Yes, I paid only a dime a blade for Personna DE blades, but by 3 shaves they were uncomfortable and Chinese Schick SE blades were only good for 2 shaves. Both SE and DE razors require at least 2 passes to get a shave equal to a single cart pass. I consider the time I don't spend at the sink well worth a couple of dimes a week.
I use a cartridge razor every time I shave, for my head. Best decision I've made when it comes to my dome.
I was able to get a free Mach 3 recently and I decided to try it since I needed a cart for travel and because it's one of the mostly widely praised carts on the forums. I didn't find the same kind of success that others so often find. I didn't get a close shave and yet I still ended up with nasty ingrowns. The razor started feeling dull after only two days. Weepers and nicks seemed guaranteed every single shave although they are uncommon when I use a safety razor. One major problem is that I can't go against the grain at all with carts and even going across the grain is likely to give me a lot of ingrowns, so I never get a close shave. It reminded me of why I mostly quit shaving for a few years before I gave safety razors a shot. My upper lip looks unshaven unless I go against the grain. I would shave before important functions and I would dread it every single time as my upper lip would end up a bloody mess. Even though I went strictly with the grain everywhere else, it would still be a pretty uncomfortable endeavor. The funny thing is that when I first started using safety razors, I thought that I would never be able to completely drop cartridges due to their incredible ease of use but now I get better results with a safety razor. Going nearly against the grain on my upper lip is no problem at all with a safety razor. That being said, I would definitely prefer a cartridge for head shaving or pretty much any other area that isn't my face.
All that is absolutely true, indisputable - For nearly everyone and for nearly every razor out there. We are all different, shave differently and get different results. Interestingly enough, some guys come back to a razor after some time and get totally different results, go figure!
I just completed the 7th shave with my Gillette ATRA and a Wilkinson Sword cartridge. BBS in two passes ... nothing wrong with cartridge razors.
BITE YOUR TONGUE!!! Almost all of the carts tug and pull more hair than slice (for me)...But thats how they are suppose to work..The first blade, tugs the whisker out and the second cuts it below the skin level...So you can get those ingrown hairs....Thats their philosophy... I do think the trac II and Atras were not too bad...But no cigar!
You might have used the wrong technique, or the wrong cartridges. Or your beard type is not compatible with them. Let me assure you that I had thrown out my Trac II cartridges long ago already if they would tug and pull. After all, why would I tolerate that as a long time wetshaver? My suspicion is too little prep and too much pressure. With the Trac II, get sharp cartridges (i.e. the "Made in Israel" ones), prep your skin well and long enough, and let the razor do the work. Don't push on it.
