Best Cartridge Razor?

I know there are already plenty of posts on this subject, but I thought I'd start a new thread since the other ones I've seen are kind of old... I've tried the DE thing and just couldn't get into it. The risks of cutting are just too great, not to mention the fact that no matter how much I concentrated on improving my technique, I never got results that were any better than using a cartridge razor. And I really like the convenience of a cartridge razor, so...

What's have you found to be the best cartridge razor out there right now?

Thanks!

Trac II - YMMV

When I was using a cart the best I ever found was the Schick Hydro 4. I just used mine the other day to see if it have any better results than my super speed and it didn't. But if I had to use a cart that's what I would use I just wish they had a 3 blade hydro. To me 4 is plenty but if I go to 5 they eat me to pieces. Sorry for the rambling hope it helps.

I had pretty good results with a Mach3. I just hated the price of replacement cartridges. I have found that now, I can even get a pretty damn good shave with a disposable Gillete Good News, which is currently my travel razor. And it will breeze right through security.

In all fairness, my Mach3 (may it rest in peace), which I used for many years, served me well: quick, no-brainer shaves (a good thing when one is not a morning person and needs to get ready for going to work in a hurry) that were OK (I did get a few ingrown hairs using it, though...not any more!). But I would not want to go back...and now that I am retired and can relax and enjoy the ritual of traditional shaving, there is no way...

Well pleased with Harry's.

I used a Mach 3 for years until I got a Schick Hydro 5 as a freebie once. One of the best cartridges I've used. BUT, that was before switching to DE about 3 weeks ago. I have no plans to go back. But, I plan on trying it again just to see the difference since my prep is much better now. I just can't bring myself to skip one day with a DE.

As a note, if I were to try out a cartridge again, I would be interested in trying the Dorco or DSC. I've read they are the same thing. Not sure about that. But, for the price it would worth trying. As it is, I will stick with my cheaper DE blades.

Dave

The Gillette Guard is marketed in India but WestCoastShaving has them in stock under "other razors". I have one and so does my son. It's a single blade cartridge and very effective. It's also VERY inexpensive for the razor and cartridges; Take a look!

I thought the Mach 3 was perfectly fine for daily shaves. I'm switching to Trac 2 clones for travel now just because I think the technique will be consistent with DE and won't interfere with my new skills. But in fact, I lived through the switch in cartridges and I thought both the Sensor and Mach 3 were improvements on their predecessors for my face and my shaving habits (one pass WTG quickly) at the time. I was using a DE in the Trac II years then switched to Atra for convenience all the way up through Mach 3 and now back to DE again.

mswofford said:

The Gillette Guard is marketed in India but WestCoastShaving has them in stock under "other razors". I have one and so does my son. It's a single blade cartridge and very effective. It's also VERY inexpensive for the razor and cartridges; Take a look!

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Ah yes, I forgot about the Guard. Never tried it, but I like the fact that it has a single blade only.

I always liked the Gillette Sensor.

I've used them all.

I liked the Trac II and the Sensor as well. But, maybe the best of them all (IMO) was the ATRA.
Iv'e found that the trick is to get the original manufacturer blades online, and avoid the drug store knock-off.
I think a lot of shavers have a bad cart experience due to bad blades. The newer multi-blade carts don't seem to work quite as well as the older models for me.

Trac II

Usascot said:

I've used them all.

I liked the Trac II and the Sensor as well. But, maybe the best of them all (IMO) was the ATRA.

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The issue I had with the Atra was that the pivoting head felt too flimsy for me. I personally prefer the solid feel of the Trac II.

Regarding cartridges, I guess that is just as much YMMV as with razor blades ... I could perfectly live with the "Made in Israel" drugstore cartridges, though my best ones are vintage Wilkinson Swords. The Wilkies are better than the original Gillettes, in my opinion.

I never tried a Sensor or newer, but I guess that I would not like it, due to the lack of a solid feel.

I'll go for the TracII as well. I prefer my razor's don't swivel or pivot. Not only that, but bloody cheap.

No one will like this, but the most current Gillette Fusion with pro-glide blades is pretty good. (The pro-glides are a noticeable improvement) A very easy and efficient shave. Not as smooth or close as a DE -but easy, fast, and mindless.

Dngolden said:

No one will like this, but the most current Gillette Fusion with pro-glide blades is pretty good. (The pro-glides are a noticeable improvement) A very easy and efficient shave. Not as smooth or close as a DE -but easy, fast, and mindless.

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Given all the research that goes into those cartridges, I do believe that.

But I am happy with the results I get from the "old fashioned" Trac II, and I do not feel the need to upgrade to a more advanced razor.

Wow... I really hate it when we have a new wet shaver that is not getting the great benefits of DE and SE shaving and
reverts back to the cartridge razor. I feel like we as a wet shaving fraternity has let down the new wet shaver. I hope that
you can still continue to try because I want you to feel the great feeling of DE and SE shaving.

To answer your question on cartridge razor... I would go with the inexpensive Gillette Guard. You can get it at West Coast Shaving
or the Italian Barber. It is a single edge cart and not the multiple 4,5, 6, 7, 8 blades. On a side note... have you tried SE razors such
as the vintage Schick Injectors or the GEM razors? If you haven't... that would be another option. Good luck and kindly keep us posted.

WARHAWK

warhawk said:

Wow... I really hate it when we have a new wet shaver that is not getting the great benefits of DE and SE shaving and
reverts back to the cartridge razor. I feel like we as a wet shaving fraternity has let down the new wet shaver. I hope that
you can still continue to try because I want you to feel the great feeling of DE and SE shaving.

Click to expand...

Why? Isn't the whole idea of wet shaving the enjoyment of soap, brush, and aftershaves? The razor is just a tool, in my opinion.

Of course everyone's idea of a good wet shave is different, but I personally don't feel like having less of a shave when using a cartridge, or a truer wet shave when using a DE razor.

YMMV as always.

Eeyore said:

Given all the research that goes into those cartridges, I do believe that.

But I am happy with the results I get from the "old fashioned" Trac II, and I do not feel the need to upgrade to a more advanced razor.

Click to expand...

I think the research that goes into the cartridges mostly has to do with providing the shave that most men want: one that is very fast and bloodless, even with poor technique and very little beard prep. This means the blades have to be far less sharp and there have to be more of them to compensate for that.

The more blades you incorporate, the less sharp each blade has to be, the less likelihood of injury there is, the faster the user can shave. That's not a bad thing per se, particularly if you need to get out of the bathroom in 60 seconds every morning as many men do.

But if you're prepared to use good technique and beard prep, you can get a closer shave with far fewer blades.