AndyPrice44
01-28-2012, 07:59 AM
B&Bers,
Last week I celebrated 2 years without using a cartridge razor. I don't even own one anymore. When I first started with DE's, I couldn't get a shave as good as my mach3. I wanted to like DE's so I threw away my trusty mach3 and forced myself to become better with my technique. It took me a month or so to surpass the level of the mach3 and I was hooked after that. Yesterday I had about a 3 day beard and needed a shave. I thought it would be interesting to shave with a cartridge razor and post my impressions. It has been so long that I couldn't vaguely remember what using one was like. I went to walmart to purchase the new gillette fusion proglide. I wanted to see what all the hype was about and with 4 of gillette's thinest blades ever, this thing has to be great. I also purchased a can of neutrogena razor defense shave gel, which was the shaving "cream" I was using when I had my last cartridge shave. I took a shower and then started the shave. I wet my face, spread some of the canned goup on my face and let the 4 bladed monstrosity glide across my face. Gillette should rename this thing the fusion NOglide. I then remembered my dislike of multi-blade carts. The blade spacing is so close it promotes cloging and I had to rinse it even more often than my DE. Using a "razor" with a pivoting head was a very strange sensation. I had to apply what now feels like waaay to much pressure to get this thing to perform. It does exactly what it says it does not do on the commercial. All I could feel was dragging and pulling. I did acomplish a decent shave after four passes. I could have done better with 2 passes from any of my DE's. This took me back in time to the days when I didn't give much thought to shaving and I didn't enjoy it. You just press down hard on your face and drag along like a mindless dummy without worrying about blade angle. I rinsed my face and looked at the razor and felt bad for all the millions of people who choose to repeat this process over and over for years to come. The world of DE/strait shaving is so much better than using todays newest and greatest commercial shaving products. We have endless choices of soaps,creams,brushes,blades etc etc.... There is a perfect shave for everyone out there with the variety we have at our disposal. I am glad I pursued this hobby/obsession. Many people would think I am crazy for talking about shaving with such enthusiasm. Afterall it is just shaving, right? I think B&Bers understand and share my feelings. I for one, will never have the desire to use cartridges again. I am a DE convert for life.
Andy
Last week I celebrated 2 years without using a cartridge razor. I don't even own one anymore. When I first started with DE's, I couldn't get a shave as good as my mach3. I wanted to like DE's so I threw away my trusty mach3 and forced myself to become better with my technique. It took me a month or so to surpass the level of the mach3 and I was hooked after that. Yesterday I had about a 3 day beard and needed a shave. I thought it would be interesting to shave with a cartridge razor and post my impressions. It has been so long that I couldn't vaguely remember what using one was like. I went to walmart to purchase the new gillette fusion proglide. I wanted to see what all the hype was about and with 4 of gillette's thinest blades ever, this thing has to be great. I also purchased a can of neutrogena razor defense shave gel, which was the shaving "cream" I was using when I had my last cartridge shave. I took a shower and then started the shave. I wet my face, spread some of the canned goup on my face and let the 4 bladed monstrosity glide across my face. Gillette should rename this thing the fusion NOglide. I then remembered my dislike of multi-blade carts. The blade spacing is so close it promotes cloging and I had to rinse it even more often than my DE. Using a "razor" with a pivoting head was a very strange sensation. I had to apply what now feels like waaay to much pressure to get this thing to perform. It does exactly what it says it does not do on the commercial. All I could feel was dragging and pulling. I did acomplish a decent shave after four passes. I could have done better with 2 passes from any of my DE's. This took me back in time to the days when I didn't give much thought to shaving and I didn't enjoy it. You just press down hard on your face and drag along like a mindless dummy without worrying about blade angle. I rinsed my face and looked at the razor and felt bad for all the millions of people who choose to repeat this process over and over for years to come. The world of DE/strait shaving is so much better than using todays newest and greatest commercial shaving products. We have endless choices of soaps,creams,brushes,blades etc etc.... There is a perfect shave for everyone out there with the variety we have at our disposal. I am glad I pursued this hobby/obsession. Many people would think I am crazy for talking about shaving with such enthusiasm. Afterall it is just shaving, right? I think B&Bers understand and share my feelings. I for one, will never have the desire to use cartridges again. I am a DE convert for life.
Andy