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Why hate Cartridge razors? Gillette vs Schick...

Despite all the negativity surrounding cartridge razors, there are positives to them as well. I will get to that in a moment.
If you think about it, not much has changed. We talk about these big evil companies like Proctor and Gamble/Gillette and Energizer/Schick/Wilkinson with their big marketing vehicle and all that fluff like it was any different back then. Sure, cartridges are more expensive, and yes these companies are trying to make more money. Is there anything new here? Weren't they trying to make more money back then? Once they moved on to making cartridge razors, they could care less about the DE razors or the blades.
The biggest consumer of DE razors and blades is the third world. Asian and African countries. They don't do it as a hobby, they do it because most of them cannot afford these cartridge packs, which target the North American market specifically. This is why you see Walmart stacking more Gillette and less Williams or any other traditional shaving gear. The price for DE blades is cheap because there are dozens of manufacturers using licensed American and European technologies, and have created their own machines.

Now, for the positives. Out of the two, Schick the underdog appeals to me though I can't quite put my finger on it. Is it because they offer a better value? Better pricing? Is it because Schick seems to be more of an innovator while Gillette is just a big bad Bully?

First off, I find many people complain about cartridge razors, and quite frankly, I think that no matter what engineers at Gillette or Schick come up with, they will always complain about it. I have seen them lather up and shave, no prep, nothing. Just fire off some goo into their right hand, slap it on both cheeks, and begin painting like they are the next Picasso. They obviously need to be on B&B where one can learn and get a lot of good advice from experienced shavers who know the value of a good prep and technique without which, ANY razors *even the Star Trek futuristic ones* are useless.

I have used both, Gillette Fusion and Schick Quattro Titanium. After much comparisons, I found that BOTH razors can gunk up, if thick gels and creams are used. Lather made to be Thinner, Wetter, Slipperier, helps avoid gunk ups.
So even though the blades are closer together, the cartridges are designed well enough. Schick was smart enough to put a trimmer on their newest gadget, so some of us can trim down before shaving with the razor. A razor blade/cartridge is not intended to mow down a week's worth of hair. These cartridges are meant to be used as DAILY shavers.

Quattro Power looks like it was made in a rush. It sure is ugly, and I hate to look at it so much, that I had to move on and learn how to hold onto to something sexier. It is a disgusting looking razor, though it almost feels just right in the hand, specially during a shower. But if you want a real grippy and sexy handle, look at the re-designed Schick Quattro Titanium. Not that there was anything wrong with the original handle, Schick continues to innovate. They aren't just adding more rows of blades. They are making their existing product BETTER. I don't see Gillette doing that. Gillette tries to ditch it's older products. Schick has not ditched the Quattro, rather, made it better. Further more, Schick Quattro's blades on the cartridge feel tougher, sharper, and last a hell of a lot longer. It is almost impossible to cut yourself.
The CEO of Men's Essentials (A wet-shaving site based in Canada, terribly expensive by the way) wrote about "the angle of the dangle" and how Schick messed up. Clearly, if one's intention is not to give a fair and unbiased try in order to judge a product, one shouldn't even do it. If you approach any idea with how bad it is or what's wrong with it, you probably won't like the end result either. I'm sorry to say that it's not just the angle of the dangle. Take your beloved DERBY or Redpack blades (or whatever blade floats your boat) You can use them at whatever angle and they give a smooth shave. Well, the Schick's blades are exactly like that. It's cartridge moves in an elliptical fashion, not just on a single point. That function gives the 'angle of the dangle', plus it's superior construction makes the blade last, and last, and last. Before I got into DE shaving, I have used a single cartridge for 45 (yes, 45 -shaving daily ofcourse-) shaves. I can honestly say that I perfected the technique. I never had irritation, or razor burn, ever.

Then you have that lube strip. I actually took one off, and ran water over it, then I held it between my fingers, and sure enough, this stuff is slippery. Whether it really works or not, is beyond me, because I am sure that there is a certain point where you just can't get any slipperier. By the time I am ready to shave, my facial skin is already hydroplane quality surface. The razor glides on my face without effort. I learned how to do that by (still learning) proper wet shaving methods. The reason these Multi-bladed mowers hurt so bad is because most of us who use them with the canned goo don't bother to get the slipperiness right. I'm short on fancy scientific words right now but if you use canned goo, or anything, water is important. If I use a canned goo such as a Nivea gel, I use very little gel, get a thin lather, and add drops of water, so it starts to feel as if it was whipped up in a bowl and feels close to using a soap/creme mixture. The only downside to canned goo is that it tends to magically start disappearing. The answer is simple, just use a little to start off with. I'm talking a tiny dollop the size of a dime.

In the end, no matter which razor you choose, your technique and preparation matters first, and then the razor. However, given that I need a cartridge razor to shave my head with comfortably and evenly, out of the two 'Evil' companies, I would have to pick Schick. And at around $8 bucks (That's $6.96+15% tax) for 6 cartridges, which can last me a year, I think it's the cheapest way to shave my head every 3-4 days.

I also use the Quattro once a week on my face, to even out the stubble length, and it allows me a fresh week of DE shaves. Don't get me wrong, I love shaving with the DE, but I also enjoy using my Quattro just as much.

As for the Fusion, I was sold that by a really pretty cashier at a pharmacy almost 2 years ago as it was on sale. At that time, they came with 3 cartridges. 1 with the handle, and 2 in the back. If you try finding that now, good luck. Gillette products on special? Tell me about it because I'd like to see that day. If there is ever a special, it's usually their Fusion, with something balmy like their Fusion aftershave or Gel which can make a gentleman vomit as it's cologne equivalent would be Axe body spray, or Mach 3 cartridges with Fusion handle and 1 cartridge, sort of like a drug dealer offering a bit of coke along with your joint just to keep him in mind incase you tried the coke.
Gillette products are also much more expensive, without any real innovation behind it. Fusion's 20line blue skin-stretch-prep strip before the blades hit your face, pretty much wipe any cream off your face. The blades feel like a thousand termites who haven't seen a single piece of wood for a decade. And 5 blades? I admit that 4 is bad enough on the Quattro, but atleast it looks decent, and it's about the thickness from the end of my nose to the beginning of my lips, I can fit the Quattro in the middle and simply move the handle, and it's eliptical orbit movement takes care of the rest, but where in the world is the Fusion blade supposed to go on it's single tipping point? It doesn't even fit in those areas. That's why they added the blade on the back folks. But Schick went ahead and did that too. Sure they copied, but again, it only makes their product even better, Practically.

Now that Schick has the almighty Trimmer for under 12 bux, (has anyone seen this thing?, It reminds me of the new Airbus ultra jumbo jet on which they should serve 12 inch subs for lunch), I can only wonder what Gillette will do next. I have to admit that Schick's new product is ugly and could have been better, but I have never used it, so I won't comment. All I know is that it is the cheapest trimmer and I can expect it to be a decent quality product that just works. How long would it work? Who knows.

In the end, I love my DE shaving, I love the anticipation and prep work involved, but when it comes to shaving my head, my choice is Schick Quattro Titanium. If everything is done right with this tool, it remains good for many shaves, outlasting my Mach 3 Turbo cartridges by a long shot.
 
I must admit to whipping out a cartridge razor on occasion.When I use my Gem's I find it impossible to get right under my nose.A full cartridge shave every couple of weeks never killed anyone.:biggrin::biggrin:
 
I should have posted this in the Battle of the vibrating razors Schick vs Gillette review by Joel but didn't think it was applicable as I despise Powered razors, and this is about the newest Quattro Titanium and regular Fusion razor.

Any comments, etc are welcomed. If you are a cartridge user, you are welcomed to drop in and comment.

Personally, I have found the difference between DE shaving and Quattro/cartridges to be this.

Quattro - Even, smooth, close.

DE - Not always even, Smooth and extremely close shave.

So the new hype about new fancy razors giving a closer shave is untrue.
 
I have two beefs with cartridge razors. They are a) wasteful and b) expensive. Yeah yeah yeah - this from a a guy who has CAD in the worst way. I'm running out of space for all those tubes and tubs. But still, if I were rational, I would look at the problem like this;

$40 for 16 carts at Sams vs $12 for 100 blades. The handle or razor is basically a non-issue. If I were to go nuts and buy a Vision it would set me back $120 and so what? It will last me until I die. After that initial investment, cost of shaving goes to basically zero. If I were rational :)

I have nothing at all against Schick and Gillette making money. And I still own a Sensor, although I don't get as good a shave from it as I do, say, my Slim adjustable. I have Quattro in my drawer, and I doubt I'll ever use it again since the shaves were no better than my DE shaves. The big advantage is that it is quicker by a small margin, although I can shave quickly with a DE if I have to.

I guess my final observation is that cart razors are a solution in search of a problem for me. If they work for you, have at it! There's no reason you can't enjoy them too if you want.
 
I'm proud to say I read the whole opening post before commenting. :biggrin:

I've done a lot of thinking about the cartridge thing recently, and I've come to the conclusion that cartridges probably work for the bulk of the population; the same goes for the stuff in a can. I mean, you won't catch me stopping for a burger at McDonald's, but they're still everywhere and people still enjoy their product or feel it's acceptable quality; the same applies to cartridges and canned creams/goos. Of course a lot of the people here will say cartridges are no good, I think that's why half of us found this site in the first place, but it's a proven concept that if you're selling crap nobody's going to buy it (Crystal Clear Pepsi anyone?), this leads me back to my original conclusion that they work for most of the population.

For once I won't go into a rant about savings versus costs since that wasn't brought up in the original post (DE vs cartridge anyway). I tried the Mach 3 with proper prep/technique recently and it still wasn't a pleasant experience for my face, I doubt it ever will be, but at least I can honestly say my problem was the razor. (insert YMMV comment :biggrin:)
 
Yesterday morning I got up a little late (to much time on B&B the night before) and in a rush I didn’t much have time to for a nice DE shave so I grabbed my old Quattro that has been buried in the drawer for a good long while now just to see how it stacked up.

Guess what, even with a greatly improved technique it still SUCKED!!!!

It’s now in the trash can!!!!!
 
For those who haven't read my posts before, I'm a devout Atra user, have been for over 15 years. (Atra is a 2-blade cartridge for those who don't know). I've also been a brush/soap user for almost as long. Expense has really never been an issue with me. I get packs of 10 Atra blades for normally around $3 to $4. And I've used Williams (Colgate and Burma Shave too) for years, definately cheaper than goo. I buy a new cheap badger brush every few years, generally. I buy M3's a few times a year, but that's it. (well, then there's all the stuff I've bought since joining this place.. but that's a different story..)

I will admit that it's wasteful using cartridges.. But on the other hand, I haven't been going though cans of goo and shave cream either. I also think using the brush and soap definately improves the performance of the Atra cartridges, I get about a week out of each one. I love the fact that I don't have to worry about cutting myself. I get maybe 2 or 3 nicks a year. If that.

I'd like to try a DE sometime, but I'm not in a rush. I suppose I will probably get some improvement in my lower neck area. But generally the performance I get with the Atra is just fine. Since joining this place I have applied many of the techniques of DE shaving to the Atra and have gotten further improvement.

Yes, having a good tool is important, but it also makes a difference how you use it.

-Mason
 
i think that moving from an atra to an injector is a smooth transition with little pain,

That will probably be the next thing I try. If I could pick one up at Rite Aid or Walmart I probably would have by now. I feel uncomfortable about buying used shaving things...
 
The thing that you can't really argue with is that the razors that Gillette and Schick made back in the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's are as good, if not better then the stuff they have made in the past 15 years. Nothing can express my shock as i took my first shave with the highly anticipated Gillette Fusion only to find a good millimeter of stubble left(WTG pass). I'm not paying $5 AUS per blade for a crummy shave.
 
Hey Mason
It's ok, to be nervous about using used razors. I was like that at first. But after all the scrubbing, boiling and soaking in barbercide you gotta figure whats gonna survive through that. We take better care of our shaving equipment than our barbers do. All they do is throw the combs and blades in a solution of barbercide and let them soak. By the way have you ever taken a good look at that solution at the barbershop and wondered when the last time it was changed. I walked out of a couple of barbershops because of that.

Clayton
 
For those who haven't read my posts before, I'm a devout Atra user, have been for over 15 years. (Atra is a 2-blade cartridge for those who don't know). I've also been a brush/soap user for almost as long. Expense has really never been an issue with me. I get packs of 10 Atra blades for normally around $3 to $4. And I've used Williams (Colgate and Burma Shave too) for years, definately cheaper than goo. I buy a new cheap badger brush every few years, generally. I buy M3's a few times a year, but that's it. (well, then there's all the stuff I've bought since joining this place.. but that's a different story..)

I will admit that it's wasteful using cartridges.. But on the other hand, I haven't been going though cans of goo and shave cream either. I also think using the brush and soap definately improves the performance of the Atra cartridges, I get about a week out of each one. I love the fact that I don't have to worry about cutting myself. I get maybe 2 or 3 nicks a year. If that.

I'd like to try a DE sometime, but I'm not in a rush. I suppose I will probably get some improvement in my lower neck area. But generally the performance I get with the Atra is just fine. Since joining this place I have applied many of the techniques of DE shaving to the Atra and have gotten further improvement.

Yes, having a good tool is important, but it also makes a difference how you use it.

-Mason

I agree. I started using a brush and soap long before I switched to a DE. Just doing proper face prep helped a lot. My shaves weren't the most comfortable, and I still suffered from some irritation. However they were quick and adequate. Prep and usage are important, and while I can't see myself going back to using my old cartridge razor, I certainly can understand that others use them.
 

Antique Hoosier

“Aircooled”
I don't hate them. I've never used them having previously used very cheap Schick throwaways and Bic Metals. The Bic Metal variety still gets use once or twice a year when I have 15 minutes to shower, shave, dress, and drive to work.
 
I honestly must say though that i get my closest shaves from mach 3, however the irritation and bumps i get after are what ruin it for me.
 
By the original post, I never meant to pit DE shaving against Cartridge shaving as I enjoy both and both need a specific technique as I find both to be good tools. The initial post however was IF I had to use a cartridge shaver, which would I pick? Gillette or Schick? I said I would have to go with Schick. They often have better promotions, or extras thrown in, like I said I got the Quattro Titanium package for 8 bucks, and it came with 6 cartridges, which will guaranteed last me a year of head shaving.

That said, I have never gotten closer, smoother shaves, until I started using a DE and each time I shave with a DE blade, I am excited. The days I shave my head, I use the Quattro on my face, and what I've found is true according to some others here who have stated, that WTG passes leave you saying ***.

The technique is use with the Quattro is XTG passes North to South, entire face, and then XTG again south to north, and that gives me a close comfortable shave. Contrary to popular believe about cartridges shaving 'below' the skin level, I simply find that to be untrue. It shaves at the same level. If your cartridge is shaving you below skin level, your prep is wrong, that means the razor is pulling. But if you make your face extremely slippery, the razor will glide, and cut at the skin surface. I use all the techniques I've learned here when I use the Schick and it works nicely.

So I'm for both, mainly shaving using a DE setup, and Quattro on head-shaving days. Gillette has just been unimpressive. The first time I used a Fusion, I didn't like it. Each cartridge only last me 4 shaves. As far as Mach 3 goes, they are not comfortable for the face, but I get decent head shaves from them. When my cartridges run out, I probably will not buy another M3 and will be looking to get the Personna / Walmart brand for shaving my head. From what I've heard here, they seem to be pretty good.
 
I've done a lot of thinking about the cartridge thing recently, and I've come to the conclusion that cartridges probably work for the bulk of the population; the same goes for the stuff in a can.

I think that's probably true (though moreso for the razors than for the stuff in the can). Cartridge razors let you get a consistent shave quickly and without thinking too much about it. Whether that shave is consistently decent or not depends on your face, I think.

What I will say, though, is that there's no benefit to using the newest cartridge razor vs. using the oldest one for which you can still find blades (e.g. a Sensor or an Atra). Multiblade cartridge razors as a whole are a technology/design with advantages and disadvantages, but given the basic design, all the mucking around with it they do for marketing purposes doesn't seem to make much difference.
 
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