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!

Shaving inflation

Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star has something to say about the price of razor blades:

I’ve got to shave. And you know what that means. I’ve got to get a second job.

I’ve run out of Gillette Mach3Turbo razorblades.

Maybe I could pawn my wedding ring.

Oh yeah, these blades are expensive. I have no idea how I got on this crazy Mach3 train. Maybe it’s the enhanced microfins that precede the blade and gently smooth down my skin so the blades shave evenly and effortlessly. Maybe it’s the patented anti-friction technology that reduces the cutting force. Maybe it’s the open cartridge architecture that makes rinsing and cleaning the blade easier than ever. Maybe it’s the indicator lubricating strip, also patented - this razor has more patents than General Electric.

Maybe I’m just a sucker.

It's an observation made by many shavers during their trips to the supermarket. Modern cartridge razors keep getting more and more expensive. Mr. Posnanski points out that he can't even get the cartridges off the shelf; you take a ticket to the front to get your blades. That's because they're expensive and small, so they're heavily shop-lifted.

What's a poor shaver to do? You can always try making your blades last longer. There are two ways of doing this that I'm aware of.

You can get cryogenically-tempered razor blades online. These blades are put into a machine that makes them extremely cold, which (apparently) does something to the structure of the metal and makes them harder. I've tried them before, and they definitely lasted longer than the regular blades I had used before and after. Comments I've gotten from others appear to confirm that.

Alternately (or in combination), you can store your blades in oil. Wet-storage systems keep air off of the blades, reducing the dulling that occurs due to oxidation. As an added bonus, the oil adds a bit of lubrication when you're shaving. I tested the RazorMax system (back when it was called EdgeSaver), and had good results, which are also confirmed by many other comments I've read online. Some people just stick the razor in a cup with some mineral oil covering the blade, which works just as well.

It's always a good idea to avoid the hype when possible. For instance, instead of the Mach3Turbo cartridges that Mr. Posnanski buys, I tend to stick with the regular Mach3 cartridges. I don't get any improvement with the Turbo blades, so they're not worth the extra couple of bucks. That goes doubly for the M3Power blades. All 3 cartridges work with all 3 handles, so even if you like the vibration feature of the M3Power, you can use regular Mach3 blades.

Shaving improvements

Ashish Jagtiani of Mid-Day Mumbai in India wonders about the improvements in shaving technology.

I remember when the Mach 3 was launched, that’s all it was called. Then they added Turbo and now Champion. I’m sure there is some technological advancement involved with each name extension, I’m just not sure what it is. All I know is that I’m paying almost twice as much for my blades with no perceptible change in my daily shave.

At this rate I’m expecting to soon see the Gillette Mach 3 Turbo Champion King of the World Master of the Universe shaving blade. I miss the days when I could say the word razor and everybody knew what I was talking about.

Just wait until Gillette unveils the M3Power in India. The name hasn't gotten longer, but the price certainly has gone up again.