A look back at the Gillette Trac II razor

In 1971, Gillette introduced the world's first multi-blade razor system to the North American market: the Gillette Trac II Twin Blade shaving system. It consisted of 2 blades placed closely together in a plastic cartridge. Instead of changing the blade directly, shavers slid the cartridge onto the handle.

Gillette advertised the Trac II pretty heavily. Check out this 2-page ad from LIFE magazine (December 10, 1971); it features the slogan "It's one blade better than whatever you're using now."
The TV spots often featured athletes, and each one emphasized the special advantages of having 2 blades instead of 1.



You can find other Gillette ads from the 70s at Archive.org; it makes for some fun viewing.

One of the claims Gillette made in most of their ads was that 2 blades shaved closer than 1 blade due to what they called the "hysteresis" effect. That is, the first blade would cut a hair and, in the process, pull it out a tiny bit from the skin. Before the hair could snap back to its regular position, the second blade would come along and cut the same hair just a little bit closer than the first blade had, resulting in a shave that lasted longer than a single-blade shave.

Was the claim true? Hard to say. Certainly, many people think that the hysteresis effect was more hype than science. For instance, this "Straight Dope" article by Cecil Adams from November 25th, 1983, goes at the question in depth.

Gillette claims to have done slow-motion microphotography that shows hysteresis actually works. In an Esquire magazine article on this subject some years ago, a spokesman for Bic, one of Gillette's chief competitors, admitted his firm couldn't prove hysteresis _didn't_ work. Nonetheless, years of testing by consumer magazines and by the razor blade companies themselves have never demonstrated any clear superiority for twin blades--at times, quite the contrary.

Some people (especially those with very thick or curly hair) report experiencing ingrown hairs more frequently with multi-blade razors than with single-blade razors - the hysteresis effect is sometimes cited as the reason why multiple blades increase the incidence of ingrown hairs.

Whether people believed the hysteresis explanation or not, they definitely bought the razors, and the Trac II was a great commercial success.

Gillette still makes cartridges for the Trac II; I can buy them locally in all of the supermarkets and pharmacies that I regularly shop at, for instance, and there are plenty of sources online. Finding a handle is a bit trickier - Gillette doesn't seem to sell them any more, at least in North America. So if you want to try out Trac II cartridges, you'll have to find a handle some other way.

The Trac II was marketed as the GII in Europe; I've found a few G2 handles listed on eBay. You can also find handles made by other manufacturers online, and sometimes in stores. There are a number of clones available that fit Gillette's Trac II cartridges too. I found a fairly solidly-built plastic handled version called the Precision Twin 2 razor at a local Dollarama (5 cartridges plus the handle for $1) which shaves great, for instance. In many Wal-Mart stores in the US (and on Amazon.com), you can find the Bump Fighter razor, which also fits Trac II cartridges.

A number of manufacturers also sell cartridges modeled after the Trac II, usually naming them "Twin" or "Twin Plus" razors, and usually charging a fraction of what Gillette charges.

So, is the Gillette Trac II still relevant in the age of 5+ blade razors? I think so. One of the complaints I read about frequently is the cost of modern razor cartridges. It's a complaint I can sympathize with; at local stores, a Gillette Fusion ProGlide cartridge averages somewhere around $5! Trac II cartridges, on the other hand, can be had for around $1.50 each, and you can find knock-off cartridges for less than half that.

And the shave? Well, the most important part of getting a good shave isn't the razor, it's the preparation. If you ensure your hair and skin are very wet, and you've got a good shaving lubricant properly applied, then any good, sharp razor will do the job. I've been trying out Trac II and generic Twin razors recently, and getting the same type of close, comfortable shaves that I'm used to from the more expensive Mach 3 and Sensor razors that I've used previously. Definitely worth checking out, if you're looking to cut costs but keep your shaves close and comfortable!

Guest review: Wahl Balding Clippers

Recently, I got some email from Albert asking me about Wahl clippers. He purchased some, and after using  them, sent me these comments (which he graciously permitted me to share):

Well I did it.  I'm now part of the bald headed club.   This specific Wahl is the Wahl Professional Balding Clipper Model 785110.  I first used the the 1/16 cutting guide to get the the longer hair out of the way.  This step was very easy and the shaver cut the hair like it wasn't there.  I then removed the cutting guide and started again taking off the peach fuzz that was left.  The shaver motored through this step again. 

What was left was a VERY close shave that I guess would be like a 2-4 day growth of hair.  I then took my Mach 3 razor that I use to shave my face, lathered the head and started with the razor, 15 minutes later I had a smooth head and NO cuts.  With the excitement, I was going for the "Mr Clean Look," I lathered my face and shaved like I do every day before work and cut myself in 3 places.  Go figure. 

Overall I'm very happy satisfied with the Wahl and would recommend it to anyone that needs to get their hair down to the length that can be then handled by a razor.

I've used Wahl clippers myself; in fact, I still have the same clippers I bought around 20 years ago, and they still work brilliantly. I used those clippers to buzz my hair down the same way Albert did. Wahl makes some solid, solid products.

Looks like Amazon has them for around $40 as I type this, which seems like a great value to me.

Preview: Pacific Shaving's All Natural Shaving Cream

 

Just received a tube of Pacific Shaving Company's All Natural Shaving Cream in the mail. With any luck, I'll have a review posted within 2 weeks.

Pacific Shaving's one of my favourite shaving-related companies. Their shaving oil is still my favourite shave oil - light, with a pleasant, mild scent, and it always gives me a great shave. If you haven't checked them out, visit them online at PacificShaving.com today!

The best type of shaver for your head?

The aim of the advice and suggestions I give on HeadShaver.org is to make it easier to have a close, comfortable, and convenient shave. The question of what type of razor to use for headshaving is a pretty common one. So, what are your options?

A shavette - a type of straight
razor that uses disposable blades.

The most old-school option is the straight razor. You've probably seen one of these on TV or in a movie, but may not have come across one in real life; they're something of a specialty item. They've been around for hundreds of years, and were once the primary way that people shaved.

A straight razor requires skill and care to use - careless use can result in serious injury. Keeping the blade at a good angle (something like 30 degrees) is essential for good results. This can be a challenge sometimes even when you can see the shaving area (as when you shave your face), but shaving the scalp is even trickier. While it can be done (and you can find videos on YouTube of people using straight razors on their scalp), I don't recommend them for shaving your head.

For everyday shaving, straight razors were largely supplanted by safety razors in the early 20th century. The double-edge safety razor is enjoying a resurgence these days, with a number of forums and communities that consider the DE razor to be the best way to shave your face. The razors are still a specialty item; the only place I can find them locally is at antique shops, but a number of online retailers sell them. One of the big draws to DE razors (aside from aesthetics) is that the blades can often be had for very reasonable prices - it's not unusual to find a pack of 10 good blades for under $2 at online retailers.


Though the DE safety razor has a guard in place to prevent big gashes (making them considerably safer than straight edge razors), they do require some care and skill to use. The blade still needs to contact the skin at a good angle, for instance. Traditional wet-shaving enthusiasts usually recommend a multi-pass approach, shaving first with the grain, then across the grain (and sometimes against the grain) for a very smooth shave.

You can certainly shave your head with a DE razor (I've done so in the past), but it's not something I recommend unless you're interested in the challenge and experience of it. While you're learning, it's pretty easy to draw blood, and it's fairly time-consuming if you want a smooth shave - it wasn't uncommon for me to take 30 to 45 minutes, and that was after much practice and effort.

The razor you're most likely to see advertised in contemporary media is the cartridge razor. The current champion (in terms of TV time) is probably the Gillette Fusion ProGlide, but there are many, including Gillette's Trac II, Atra, Sensor, Mach 3, Schick's Hydro and Quattro, and various generic versions of these razors.

The great innovation of the cartridge razor is that it holds the blade at a fixed angle relative to the position of the cartridge, and that it holds the blade at a fixed distance to the skin. This essentially reduces the skill required to shave, and makes it possible to shave more quickly and with less chance of nicks or cuts (though it is still possible to draw blood; you should never be careless with a sharp blade). Some models have a fixed head, but most have a pivoting head that changes position for you as you move over the curves of your face and scalp.


Another popular shaving option is the electric shaver. Unlike the other types of razors mentioned here, electric shavers can be used without wetting the skin, which can be very convenient. Their design also generally precludes nicks and cuts, though some people do find electric shavers irritating on their skin.

It's easy and safe to use an electric shaver on your scalp. I spent most of the past 3 years using one as my primary shaving device. The only downside is that electrics generally do not shave as close as a blade razor. I've tried a number of different models over the years, and while you can get a pretty close shave, it's never quite as smooth as I really prefer.

When all is said and done, I recommend the cartridge razor for headshaving. They are easier and quicker to use than straight or DE razors, and they shave closer than electric shavers.  I also really like shaving with oil, which provides a great shave and moisturizes your head.  SirHare.com creates some great products for Bald heads.

The question of which cartridge razor to use? As with many things, it comes down to personal preference. I've used quite a few razors over the past decade-and-a-half of shaving my head, and I can honestly say that almost all of the cartridge razors I've used are capable of giving  you a good, close, comfortable shave. Use whichever one you're already comfortable with.

Bald bridal revenge

Is anything as entertaining as a good revenge story?

From the Weekly World News, December 7th, 1993:

Angry bride Andrea Braysted was so furious after her sister Carol smushed a cream pie in her face during her wedding reception that she got three friends to help her even the score - by holding Carol down and shaving her bald as a melon!

The story describes the wedding, Carol's smushing of the pie into Andrea's face, and how they're no longer speaking to each other.

The Weekly World News is one of those sources that you have to take with a grain of salt, of course, but they do know a good story. They liked this one so much, in fact, that they ran it again in 1999, virtually unchanged. I guess the sisters must be twice as mad at each other now. :-)

How smooth?

Most of the time when I shave, I aim to get my scalp as smooth as I can. When I'm done, it's usually slick and frictionless, which feels great when I'm running my hand across my skin. It also means that my scalp is at its most reflective (ie. shiniest), which isn't always the best look. Also, my toque (knit cap, for any non-Canadians) sometimes actually slides off, since there's not enough traction to keep it in place.
Completely smooth isn't actually my favourite scalp texture, though. Somewhere between 12 and 24 hours after that first smooth shave, a bit of hair has grown back and my scalp has an entirely different feel to it that I quite enjoy. My toque stays in place, the appearance is a little more matte, and I haven't yet hit that rough-and-tough feel that I prefer to avoid.

Sometimes, especially when I'm in a hurry, I won't make the effort to shave completely smooth. Instead of shaving against the grain and going over rough spots until it's completely slick, I will stick with one pass of the razor. It's an easy, quick shave, and sticking with one pass means no irritation (as long as your pre-shave preperations are adequate, of course). It also means that I have that slightly-roughened texture sooner, which I don't mind at all. The only real disadvantage to this approach (for me) is that I usually have to shave again the next day - when I go for a completely smooth shave, I usually only shave every second day.

What's your preference when it comes to smoothness?

New review: Squid Lid Head Shave bar

At the beginning of the month, I mentioned receiving a new product called Squid Lid Head Shave bar. I've been using it for much of the past few weeks, and the full Squid Lid review is now available on HeadShaver.org.

Just want the high notes? Squid Lid is a comfortable lotion-style shaving cream that provides good lubrication and great skin protection, all the while smelling good and not gunking up your razor! It's a great product, and I recommend giving it a try if you're in the market for something luxurious at a reasonable price. Also, if you're into stuff that's certified vegan and cruelty-free, this'll fit the bill.

Enjoy!

Shaving for the fans

For fun, I searched Facebook with the phrase "shave head". This produced a huge number of pages wherein the page creator promises to shave their (or someone else's) head if the group gets a certain number of 'likes'.

The number of 'likes' required to trigger a head shave varies quite a bit. I saw one page that was requesting 100,000 likes. On the other end of the spectrum, another page was only looking for 75 likes.

All of the pages I came across seemed to be joke pages, and nobody seems serious about following through. Granted, I only checked out a few, most of which hadn't reached their targets, but even those who had met their goals (like this page, or this one, or the '75 likes' one lined previously) show no evidence of actually having shaved anyone's head.

Anyone know a page of this type where they've followed through? Just curious. :-)

Virtually bald celebrities

Plenty of celebrities have shaved their heads over the years, for movie roles or just for the heck of it. In the past several years, for instance, both John Travolta and Jeff Bridges have gone for the completely bald look for film roles (Travolta in From Paris With Love, Bridges in Iron Man). Jeff Bridges in particular is an actor I associate with long hair, but I thought he looked fantastic playing the villain opposite Robert Downey Jr.

Granted, I'm a bit biased, but I think the bald look would suit a lot of folks who haven't gone that route. Sometimes, you wonder how a particular celebrity might look if they shaved their heads, but there's really no way to tell until they do it, right?

Don't be silly! This is the Internet, after all, and whatever curiosity we have, there's someone out there to help satisfy it. In this case, you can go to Balderazzi.com and check out their Virtual Head shaving for celebrities gallery for your education and entertainment. The site is run by the same gentleman who runs the Baldly Go website  - he's offered a virtual head-shaving service for many years.

So now, if you want to know how Barack Obama, Angelina Jolie, Sarah Palin, or Stephen Colbert might look with shaved heads, you know where to go. There are around 100 celebs who have been balderized at present.

The origins of the electric shaver

Gizmodo had a short article a little while back about the origins of the electric shaver. It all starts with mining in the Alaskan wilderness.

It's 40-below, so you have to collect ice and then melt it. Then you have to hurry the heck up before your face freezes. And if you sprain your ankle during your time in the north country? You have a lot of time to think about a better way to shave your face. 

That's how retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Schick (yep, that Schick) came up with the idea for the electric razor.

The article includes a link to an original patent drawing of Schick's invention, which is pretty cool.

The first electric shavers that Schick sold in 1929 were $25. Based on changes in the consumer price index, that's worth around $320 in 2010 dollars, but the relative cost compared to overall income could be equivalent to over $1000 for an average production worker (according to the Measuring Worth website). Whichever way you slice it, it represented a large capital outlay. 

Despite the price, the electric shaver sold rather well.

Nevertheless, Schick sold more than 3,000 electric razors the first year. [...] By 1937 he had sold almost two million.

These days, you can only get Schick electric shavers as a vintage item, of course - if you want to buy one, eBay or antique sites are your best bet.

Wet vs dry shaving

As a young man, my first shaving experiences were with an older Braun electric shaver that belonged to my father. For whatever reason, I had it in my head that blade shaving was a dangerous, uncomfortable affair which could result in heavy blood loss, so I stuck with electrics for years, moving from the Braun to a 3-headed Philishave model.

Eventually, though, curiousity won out, and I bought a Gillette Sensor II cartridge razor. Oh, what a difference! There was more work involved (getting my face wet, using shaving cream, the clean-up afterwards), but it was a much closer shave than I'd been used to. I did manage to cut myself on occasion, but it wasn't as bad as I'd feared, and my technique improved over time.

The first time I shaved my head, it was with that Sensor II. Soon after, I bought my first Mach 3, and I was even happier - less irritation, and a closer shave! Over the years I would find better shaving lubricants than the Edge Gel I'd started with, making for an even better experience.

The thing is, I'm a lazy, lazy man, and proper wet-shaving takes a bit of effort. A couple of years ago, I received a Panasonic wet/dry electric shaver for Christmas, and started using it as my primary shaving device. The time I spent on the actual shaving portion of the process was about the same (or even slightly longer), but there was essentially no preparation required, and clean-up was a breeze.

The Panasonic was a big step up from the older Braun and Philishave models I'd used a decade before, but it still wasn't as close as a blade shave, especially on my face - there's an area near my Adam's apple that the electrics usually miss completely, and the surface of my head is never completely smooth (though it's close).

So now I'm back to wet-shaving with a cartridge razor (my trusty Mach 3, naturally), and though it is extra work, I'm loving the extremely smooth results.

The wet-shave/dry-shave debate is a very common one: what you choose depends on what's important to you at the time. For more discussion, check out these links:

Luke at The Aspiring Gentleman discusses the issue with a list of pros and cons for each side (he focuses on wet shaving with a double-edge razor and more traditional shaving implements rather than a modern cartridge razor, but the comparisons are mostly relevant to both).

MenScience has a nice article with pros and cons laid out as well. In this case, double-edge shaving and cartridge razor shaving are each given their own list to contrast with electric shaving.

What's your experience? Leave a comment below and let us know!

First look: Squid Lid head shave bar

Squid Lid head shave bar

Deborah from Squid Balm was kind enough to send me a sample of their Squid Lid head shave bar. It's a solid bar, which forms a thin, slick layer of lotion for shaving.

Directions are simple: after you've wet your head, rub the shave bar in your wet hands until you've got a little oil/lotion in your hand, and then rub the lotion over your scalp. Then you shave! If the lotion dries up at all, just run your moist hand over your scalp to 'refresh' it. Afterwards, a standard rinse and you're ready to go.

According to their website, Squid Balm products are certified Vegan and cruelty-free. As a little side bonus, since it's a solid, you don't have to put it in a zip-lock back if you're going through a TSA checkpoint.

I just received the sample today, but I've already used it for one shave. So far, it's very promising. Shaving with a Mach 3, it didn't provide as much lubrication as the shaving oils I normally use - in fact, the razor squeaked a bit as I shaved. It did a great job with irritation and nicks - my skin felt very comfortable throughout the shave and afterwards. The shave bar has a pleasant scent that's not overpowering, and applying the lotion to the scalp was easy and pleasant.

Overall, I'm looking forward to using Squid Lid more; it seems like a very solid product. Once I've used it for a while with a couple of different razors, I'll post a more complete review to the main HeadShaver.org reviews section.

Curtis's Cure for Baldness

Men have feared losing their hair for all of recorded history, it seems, and other men have happily played to this fear by selling products meant to prevent this "terrible" fate. One such product was Curtis's Cure for Baldness, an ad for which ran (amongst other places) in the January 6th, 1860 edition of the Providence Daily Post. Some excerpts:

To be bald, or not to be bald!
That's the question.
Curtis's Cure for Baldness.
The late Great and Reliable Remedy.

And the only article which restores the hair to bald heads and stops its falling off, and which has merited the certificates of reliable men in our midst; containing no oil, sulphur or lead.
Read the following testimony...

One piece of testimony came from J.Q. Brigham:

About a year since my hair began falling off badly; to prevent which, I tried various preparations without success. Believing I should otherwise lose my hair entirely, I was about to submit to the shaving of my head, when a friend, who had been using Curtis' Cure successfully, advised me first to give it a trial.

Despite all the flim-flam, there's something charming about the style of these ads - probably something of a misplaced nostalgia. Anyway, the ad concludes:

Notice the size of the bottles, which contain one pint of the fluid.
For sale by all wholesale and retail druggists everywhere.
J.M. Curtis, Proprietor, Providence. R.I.

Cold up top? Not so much.

So, I'm sure you've heard it said that we lose most of the heat from our bodies through our heads, right? It's one of those things that I've heard cited many times over the years, the type of thing that I've accepted uncritically and even said to other people. In fact, until recently, I had it on the FAQ page of my website. But, like many little nuggets of information we carry around with us from day to day, this one doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Reader Sam Kauffman kindly sent me links to a couple of website ("Scientists debunk the myth that you lose most heat through your head" and "Do You Lose Most Of Your Heat Through Your Head?") that nicely clear the air on those subjects.


Of course, if you were completely bundled up except for your head, it would end up being the source of most of your body heat loss when you were out in the cold. But then, if you were all bundled up except you weren't wearing any pants, then most of your body heat loss would be from somewhere else altogether. :-)

The "Cleanhead" gallery

Pete Levin's Take It From The Head website offers something I haven't seen before: a gigantic photo gallery of clean-shaven musicians containing over 1600 photos.

This gallery isn't about celebrity or music style; it's about hair - or rather, no hair. Cleanhead! So it's an alphabetical list of musicians who shave their heads. Nobody's featured; Seal, Michael Stipe, Jimmy Cliff and Isaac Hayes are right in there with hundreds of guys you never heard of.

It's a nice collection of photos, and each has a link back to the musician's website or myspace page. As a musical hobbiest myself, I'm naturally drawn to the idea.

Baldness, race, and feminism collide

CristenConger, writing on Bitch magazine's website, offers up an interesting article about baldness, head-shaving, race, and culture titled "Isn't He Lovely: The Body Politics of Male Balding".

I realize that a common male fear of balding isn't news. But here's a finding that grabbed my attention: For people struggling with body dysmorphic disorder (especially men), hair is one of the most affected physical features.

It's a well-written and interesting piece, definitely worth a read. Check it out.

Bald enthralled...

Sally Stang, writing on Centraljersey.com, has a great little rambling piece that muses on the bald-by-choice look, and why she loves it. She starts out straight to the point:

I have something to say to any bald men out there who are still forcing three hairs to do the job of hundreds. Quit it! And to you guys who are still wearing toupees? Sheesh! Unless you are in the Witness Protection Program, what are you thinking? Consider yourself blessed not to have those unsightly hair follicles! I’m telling you it’s a stroke of good luck! Bare your brainpan proudly, fellas!

It's a fun article, and worth a quick read.

Guest review: the Panasonic ES8103 electric shaver

Reader Jon Little sent me some comments about the Panasonic ES8103 electric shaver:

I would like to recommend the Panasonic ES8103 to your followers who prefer or require an electric shaver. 

I have sported a shaved head (by choice) for over ten years and have tried every shaving system imaginable.  If you have a healthy scalp with no skin problems, nothing can touch the Gillette Fusion razors: quick, and slickly amazing. 

If, on the other hand, you have scalp issues like mine (seborrheic dermatitis) that are aggravated by wet/blade shaving, the Panasonic may be the answer.  It provides a very slick, dry shave without a lot of pressure and can also be used wet.  You have to go over the scalp several times, but gently... after which it looks and feels damned near as tight as the Fusion shave.  If you need to shave dry or just touch up during the day, it's well worth whatever Best Buy is charging this week.

Thanks for the report, Jon!

I've been using a similar Panasonic shaver (the ES8077) for the last couple of years, and think it's an excellent device. I can't get mine to shave quite as close as Jon can, but I've been very happy with it.

Blast from the past: shaving her head to spite her husband

Here's a great little find from an Ann Landers article, linked here from the August 19th, 1969 Edmonton Journal:

Dear Ann Landers:

My husband has always been on the conservative side, until about six months ago when he decided to let his hair grow.

I didn't say anything until his hair got longer than mine. Then I demanded that he get a haircut. He refused. To teach him a lesson, I took the scissors and gave myself a baldy bob. He said I looked like a billiard ball and called me a spiteful nut. I agreed to let my hair grow if he would cut his. His answer was, "I refuse to be blackmailed. No deal."

Last night, out of sheer frustration (and after a few drinks) I went to the bathroom and shaved my head. I walked into the room and said, "How do you like this?" He nearly died. Now my husband refuses to be seen in public with me until my hair grows out. I realize I made a mistake but I feel his terms are too harsh. What do you say, Ann?

Vergo

Ann's response is straightforward:

 Dear Vergo:

Buy a wig and stay away from the booze.

The best part? There's an ad on the page for "Unwanted hair removal" and another one for wigs! Contextual advertising at its best.

Personally, I think people should be free to express themselves through their hairstyle if they want, so I think she should have let her husband be. Still, I do admire her style - she was definitely ahead of her time!

Going bald for literacy

Literacy is an issue close to my heart, and I tend to cheer on any efforts to get kids reading. So when Principal Don Mrozik of John L. Sipley Elementary School in Woodridge, Illinois decided that shaving his head would be good incentive to encourage his kids to read, I cheer!

If 95 percent of Sipley students read at least 30 minutes a day between Oct. 14 and Dec. 5, Mrozik will go bald.

There are also other prizes for reading, including a Nook e-reader, but I'd like to think the chance to shave the principal bald is at least as big a draw as an e-reader.

Way to go, Principal Mrozik! Here's hoping you're head is smooth come December!

Edited to note a similar story I've linked to before. :-)