How do you use a Mach 3? Multiple passes?

If you do try a cartridge, do you use DE technique with them?
Would you ever do like a 3 pass shave (WTG, XTG, ATG) with a Mach 3?

I feel like the 2-blade ones can be used the same way, but probably not 3 or more

With my thick, coarse, dark beard, it is more like a 10-pass shave, with touch-ups and I still don't get a close shave, unfortunately.
I just can't use these shavers which is not important to me as I am enjoying my DEs, greatly.
Nonetheless, there are a few folks who do get very good shaves with them.

Probably what I used to do, a single ATG pass then touch-ups. Frequent BBS, but not the most comfortable method when the cart dulls.

I use a Mach 3 sometimes. No, not the same technique as a DE. I usually don't do more than two passes with one because I find there's rarely any need to.

I have a wiry thick beard so I do 3-5 passes but when I have time I use R41 two passes and bbs. The R41 is like a straight razor in respect to effectiveness and blade exposure but the best shave you can get nonetheless.

Since the Mach 3 does not shave as close as a DE (especially with the grain it shaves way less closer) I see no reason not to do a 4 pass shave with it in order to get BBS.

At least that's what I did in the rare occasions I had to use a modern 3-5 blade razor in my "shaving life" .

For my face only a 4 pass shave with ANY kind of razor will get me BBS and I only go for BBS in my daily shave (what is the point of shaving if you don't get BBS anyhow? )




How close a razor shaves is only a question of blade EXPOSURE and not of how many blades it has and the DE will always have a larger blade exposure than any "modern" razor.

When I used a Gillette M3 Power (in hindsight just a Mach 3 with a vibrating handle) I used a cheap boar brush and an ancient Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood Shaving Soap Bowl and shaved WTG followed by ATG for a good shave.
Most of the time I just splashed some bathwater on my face and had a quick 1 pass shave by feel and rinsed the razor in the bathwater in between strokes while the bath was emptying, by the time I'd finished shaving and brushed my teeth, the bath had emptied and I'd dripped dry.
In my defense, I worked nights in a Fish & Chip Shop in Magalluf, up to my elbows in potato starch and grease, using an ancient rumbler and chipper to make chips in sweltering heat and cooking and serving food to drunken tourists between 5pm and 6am 7 nights a week, so a BBS shave wasn't necessary as long as I looked presentable, and I couldn't wear aftershave when I was working with food !!

the only carts i used where mach 3, with prep it gave pretty good shaves when new. i always did 2 pass or 3 pass depending on length of my stubble. the first pass or two was always WTG, and last pass was ATG plus touch ups if necessary,

WTG followed by ATG, nothing more was needed. Of course prep is the key to a great shave

I used to go north to south. 1 pass and touch up. Never tried for BBS. By the way I have the ingrown hair razor bump scars from using them.

Shavetheman01 said:

If you do try a cartridge, do you use DE technique with them?
Would you ever do like a 3 pass shave (WTG, XTG, ATG) with a Mach 3?

I feel like the 2-blade ones can be used the same way, but probably not 3 or more

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I do 1x wtg pass, I get a decent shave. To be honest with my DE I only do 2x WTG, and I'm a mild razor person. My beard is relatively thick, but I want a good comfortable shave without razorburn or anykind of redness which i get if i go atg sometimes even xtg. but still 2wtg passes are better and much closer than one with 3 blades. But Mach 3 is a good razor, for people who do not want to experiment with blades it's a way to go

When I use a Mach 3 i do a WTG and an ATG pass. Provides a great shave. For some reason the Mach 3 Turbo is far superior for me.

No mas!

I do a 3 pass DE shave.

I do like 7 pass cart shave and still have way more stubble than a single pass DE shave. My face just can't handle anymore passes

I still use my Mach3 for travel. I shave exactly the same way I do with a DE at home, except that I use canned gel on the road. The Mach3 shave is acceptable, but I prefer traditional wet shaving.

BigJoe said:

I used to go north to south. 1 pass and touch up. Never tried for BBS. By the way I have the ingrown hair razor bump scars from using them.

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I do the same. When I'm traveling for work, I'm typically rushing to get somewhere so I don't have the time to do multiple passes. I suppose my lower jaw and neck area could use a second pass but it usually isn't necessary.

I found the Mach3 to be my favorite of the cart razors, the 4/5 blades just never seemed my cup of tea.

I usually got an acceptable shave with them, 1 pass with touch ups. Technique is different but not so much so.

I think the TracII or two bladed razors might be better and if I were to travel again I'd consider buying them but since I don't it's not something I would do.

The key reason I went to DE shaving was cost savings with comfort a very close second. I enjoy the DE shave best but could live with a Mach3 if someone else was buying the carts.

-Stephen

A single across the grain pass, though I used to do the dozen pass, exhausting, 90 minute, when is this gonna end cart BBS shave. Mach 3 is still the best of the widely commercially available carts imo. I got a bad bottomed red handle for it - with the green 'sensitive' carts it's, like, so hot.
Oh, and I use a Gillette Guard for short travel trips - it's pretty good and cheap in the UK

Three passes and touchups, just like I shave with a DE razor. WTG/ATG/XTG with a little more pressure. Soak my face in hot water for a few seconds and rub the shaving gel into my face. I don't really see a black and white segregation of DE and cartridge shaving. Maybe that's because I was taught how to shave with a Schick Injector. I dunno.