fusion proglide power with flexball

[lunfardi]

with new power razors coming out like fusion proglide power with flexball plus the proshield cartridge mounted on that razor, are we supposed to assume that its just gimmick or will this gillette new razor give a much closer shave than any other razor on the market? do more blades truly give a closer shave or not? when or where do we draw the line of what is gimmick and what really works like the maker is claiming then? i know that a merkur system razor will give a better but not closer shave than a disposable triple blade razor which doesnt have a lubrication strip, but how is that possible then? how can a system razor like merkur give a better but not closer shave than a triple blade disposable then? can a shaving lover/fanatic please tell me. dont get me wrong i love to be clean cut clean shaven but dont know whom to believe when it comes to system razors and disposable ones and people saying more blades mean a closer shave! rsvp. thank you.

[BPman]

Multi-blade modern razors give an incredibly close shave, but at a price both $$ wise as well as ingrown hairs/irritation for some.

[fallingwickets]

Im guessing a bit of both...part gimmick, part better shave.

off topic somewhat, but im thinking about hoarding a serious quantity of fusion blades and several handles....Im starting to get the feeling that quite soon these will be unavailable for sale if only because there will be no shelf space left for relics of the early 21st century LOL

clive

[brothers]

Anything's possible!

[CMur12]

Welcome to SMF, lunfardi!

I agree with the points made by BPman and Clive/fallingwickets.

The objective behind the creation of multi-blade cartridge razors was to enable an individual to get a close shave in one pass with no skill. They have largely achieved this. The downsides, as BPman pointed out, are the abusively high prices and an increase in razor bumps and ingrowns for many shavers.

To get the best from a DE shave, you need to have the skill to effectively wield the razor and you need to do multiple passes, in different directions. Good quality lather also helps.

- Murray

[lunfardi]

in your opinion, do you think that its worth it to keep buying the most top of the line razor from gillette every couple of years? rsvp. thank you.

[CMur12]

in your opinion, do you think that its worth it to keep buying the most top of the line razor from gillette every couple of years? rsvp. thank you.

This will depend entirely on the individual shaver. Most shavers today consider themselves better served by some form of cartridge sytem than with razors of yore, while most of us here - a distinct minority among shavers - prefer to use more traditional tools. My stepfather loved Fusion razors and probably would have happily bought every new update. Even so, we have members at SMF that use Fusion and other cartridge razors at least part of the time. Some use a DE on their beard and a cartridge razor for head-shaving.

As such, there is no single right answer and no one here can say what is right for you. You will have to determine that through your own decisions and experimentation. In my own case, I did fine with twin-blade cartridge razors, but I could never get through a whole shave with a Mach 3, as it always felt like it was going to catch and tear the skin. Beyond that, I didn't see much point in trying any cartridge system with more than two blades in the head. Now, I just prefer the feel of a single blade. This is very much YMMV.

- Murray

[BeatlesFan]

dont know whom to believe when it comes to system razors and disposable ones and people saying more blades mean a closer shave!

Welcome to SMF, and thank you for your question.

The idea that more blades = closer shave has been carefully cultivated by the razor industry, but I'm not aware of any scientific evidence to support that equation.

In the absence of any scientific testing of the idea that more blades = closer shave, each of us is pretty much left to our own experimentation and personal conclusions. Speaking for myself, I don't find the equation to be true. In fact, the cartridge razor that I like (Schick or Wilkinson "Hydro 3") has blades that are set back a little into the cartridge a bit, making it difficult to cut my face, but also assuring that the shave isn't honestly all that close (it's fine, but not especially close).

I find that excellent beard preparation + excellent double-edge safety razor + excellent (and new) double-edge razor blade + quality shave cream = excellent shave. And, yes, an excellent double-edge shave provides (in my experience and in my opinion -- your results and opinions may be different) as close a shave as a cartridge or "system" razor.

Consequently, I do not accept the razor advertising idea that more blades = closer shave.

As others have said, however, many men find that cartridge or "system" razors (1) give a close shave, (2) give a comfortable shave, (3) give a fast shave. In my opinion, it is #3 that sells men on the cartridges -- and it is true that you can shave very quickly with a cartridge razor. (they also are security-approved for carry-on luggage on commercial airlines, which is where I use my "Hydro 3")

Again, for myself, there are some disadvantages to cartridge shaving, such that I prefer to use a Double-edge razor. (1) They are expensive. (2) I don't like the way cream, skin, and beard debris tend to accumulate between the blades, and I worry that it is not very hygienic. (3) I find that most cartridge razors "pull" and "tug" in a way that bothers me. (4) I sometimes get ingrown hairs with cartridge razors. (5) I feel that they do a poor job around the edges of my moustache and side-whiskers, (6) I feel that they do a poor job on my chin and around my mouth, (7) they feel "plasticky" and cheap to me, (8) They are actually too easy to use: I don't like the way they encourage me to be half-asleep while shaving, (9) I don't find them to be any fun to use, (10) I like the "old-timey" historical aspect of using a double-edge razor, rather buying into than the "latest-and-greatest" thing that Gillette is trying to sell me.

Again, having said all that let's face it: cartridge razors work, and most men use them. If you prefer them, it's obviously OK. I personally find that I can shave as well (and in some ways -- edges of moustache and sideburns, as well as on my chin) better using a Double-edge razor. And I enjoy it and don't feel that I am being over-charged on $3 or $4 per cartridge replacements.

Thank you again for stopping by at Shavemyface. Great first question!

[BeatlesFan]

I probably should have said that most men in Europe and North America use cartridges. I understand that, world-wide, there is still a major market for Double-edge razor blades, particularly among the less wealthy nations, where the cost of shaving with an expensive cartridge razor hits a family's budget hard.

[lunfardi]

well let me ask you this then, will a cheap triple blade disposable razor give a closer shave than a double edge safety razor like from the 50s made by merkur and if so, how and why? if that very same merkur will give a better but not closer shave, how and why???? rsvp.

[BeatlesFan]

well let me ask you this then, will a cheap triple blade disposable razor give a closer shave than a double edge safety razor like from the 50s made by merkur and if so, how and why? if that very same merkur will give a better but not closer shave, how and why???? rsvp.

In my personal opinion the cheap triple blade disposable razor will not give a closer shave than a 1950s Merkur double edge safety razor, provided that the double edge safety razor is loaded with an excellent razor blade, and is used with skill. The triple blade disposable razor may, perhaps, give an acceptable shave in less time, but (again, in my own opinion) it will not be closer and it will be less comfortable.

In my last post, I tried to outline some of the ways in which I feel that a double-edge razor can give a "better" shave than a triple blade disposable razor. Specifically, for me a double-edge razor doesn't pull and tug the way multi-blade cartridge razors do. Double-edge razors glide smoothly and give a clean cut. Consequently, I (in common with many other gentlemen here at SMF) find that shaving with a double-edge razor is less likely to cause skin rash and ingrown hairs, particularly in the neck area.

In my personal experience, a double-edge razor is also superior to a cartridge razor in terms of cutting straight, clean lines along sideburns and around mustaches, beards, etc. I, myself, have a cleft chin, and a double-edge razor can track cleanly into the valley of that area, where a cartridge just jumps across the valley altogether.

So those are some ways in which I find a double-edge razor provides a "better" shave than a disposable three-bladed cartridge. Again, all of which is just my opinion, based on my experiences. As I indicated, however, there are also purely subjective factors. Double edge razors are much more satisfying to hold and use -- more solid, really quality instruments. Nothing plastic. These subjective factors may not actually produce a better shave, but for me they do produce a better experience.

I hope that helps. Please bear in mind that we have an expression here: "YMMV" - meaning "your mileage may vary." This is just a way of saying that each individual has different preferences and these things have to be determined in a very personal and individual way. It is difficult, if not impossible, to generalize about this topic.

I hope that helps. One final note: I have used a double-edged razor for decades, but for a person just starting may not achieve an optimal shave right away. It probably takes at least a few weeks to learn. If you are just starting with a double-edge razor, you can learn a lot by reading some of the posts here on the forum, particularly the section called "Shavemyface University." And of course feel free to ask as many questions as you like; people here are very friendly. Best of luck to you.

[lunfardi]

i went to see my dermatologist this weekend and what he told me surprised me! i asked him about multiblade razors and he told me that in his opinion fusion proglide with five blades gave a much closer shave than a razor with less blades! i kid you not! this is what he told me when i asked him for his opinion on shaving and multi blade razors. is what he saying true or a subliminal sales pitch by a doctor? what do you guys think? just give me your intake you guys..................... rsvp. thanks.

[BPman]

i went to see my dermatologist this weekend and what he told me surprised me! i asked him about multiblade razors and he told me that in his opinion fusion proglide with five blades gave a much closer shave than a razor with less blades! i kid you not! this is what he told me when i asked him for his opinion on shaving and multi blade razors. is what he saying true or a subliminal sales pitch by a doctor? what do you guys think? just give me your intake you guys..................... rsvp. thanks.

Just as there are good mechanics, plumbers, lawyers, etc., there are bad ones as well. The same holds for doctors. Chances are great that if he is under 60 he probably knows little if anything about DE shaving. However, in the 80's I suffered greatly with infected hairs and an older dermatologist (Vietnam vet) told me to use a single blade razor.

[CMur12]

Multi-blade modern razors give an incredibly close shave, but at a price both $$ wise as well as ingrown hairs/irritation for some.

Go back to the first reply to your query/second post in this thread, quoted above. I think BPman summed it up well. Though I have never been able to use a cartridge razor with more than two blades in it, myself, BPman's statement is consistent with what I have heard over time.

- Murray

[Ouchmychin]

I regularly use a Fusion proglide and a Schick Hydro5 in my rotation. I can say, for me, conclusively, the multblade power razors shave easier but not as close as a good DE blade in a good (eg. Futur) razor. I normally do 3 passes and a polish with the multi and then reach for a DE razor to get the really close shave I want. I don't have to but I have a close fetish and that's it.