Thursday, October 20, 2011

Official Gear

As a rule, razors and cream are not something I tend to skimp on.
If you've been cursed with thick and heavy whiskers like I have, then you already appreciate a smooth and easy shave and just accept that such a thing can't normally be had with cheap razors.

I get maybe 3-4 shaves from my usual blade, and by judging according to the offerings at Wal*Mart or Target, my usual blade is the same as everybody else's usual blade as the Mach 3 from Gillette controls about 90% of the shelf space.

I can see why it's popular.
It gets the job done, although something tells me such an effective piece of hardware is either wasted on most men, or they use them over and over. Maybe it's just my own experience, but I can't imagine using the same cartridge repeatedly for weeks. Do people do that?


Anyway... out of blades, I found myself back in the 'razors and cream' aisle when I saw something new. New to me anyway: the Tech 3, from Wilkinson Sword. For five bucks I bought the razor handle with two cartridges, noticing the replacement blades were only $5 a for a pack of four, half the cost of the Mach 3.
It was worth a try.

It's been a week and four shaves with the same cartridge, just as smooth as the Mach 3.

Besides the price difference, the Tech 3 appears to do a better job around the jaw line with fewer misses and skips. I attribute this to the flexible head the Gillette lacks.
The only minus: it's just a smidge lighter in the hand. I feel as if I get more control with the heavier handle, but in this case the results don't really bear that out.

Give the Wilkinison Tech 3 a try if you can find it. You'll save a lot of money.

3 comments:

Brian said...

Now this is information I can use!

My beard is not as heavy as yours (French heavy, rather than Italian heavy), but my skin is really sensitive. It doesn't tolerate daily shaving, even with good, new blades. And I hate paying for the Mach 3.

So lately I've taken to permanent stubble that I trim, and only shave the neck beard and cheekbones regularly to make it look (somewhat) respectable.

Will definitely give this one a try...

Foxfier said...

Oooh, I'll have to snag that for Elf! Might recommend it to my dad, too.

And yes, some folks can use the same cartridge for weeks-- if mine doesn't last a month, it's surprising.

Brian, please don't take offense, but have you tried the facial Nair?

W.B. Picklesworth said...

My beard is only English heavy so I can string cartridges out for awhile. Nevertheless, I still cringe at the price I have to pay, though I still use the pre-Mach blades (Gillette Sensor). I'll cast an eye at the shelf to see.