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!

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.

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!

Gillette Fusion - first impressions

The Gillette Fusion razor was recently released (to great hype, of course), and early reviews are popping up in various places. I picked mine up a couple of days ago, and thought I'd share some quick initial impressions, based on 2 shaves.

As I tend to expect from Gillette products, I've gotten really good, close shaves. There's an area around my adam's apple which is very difficult to get smooth, but the Fusion has managed to get it smooth without too much hassle, and that impresses me. It's an area that other razors haven't been able to do much with, so I'm very happy with that result.

Irritation is similar to the Mach 3, with no noticeable improvements. That's very good, but I was hoping for some improvement. The commercials talk about the Fusion applying less pressure (since it's spreading out the pressure over more blades) and that this would result in less irritation, but I'm not feeling it so far.

The handle feels heavier than the Mach 3, and I like it. The pivot point of the blade head seems better positioned, moving closer to center than the Mach 3.

Overall, excellent initial results. I'll keep using it for a while and see if I continue to like it.

Is it worth the price, though? Replacement blade cartridges are very expensive. As I write, Drugstore.com has a pack of 8 going for $22, and that's with $5 off. That'll get you 12 Mach 3 cartridges and some change. I don't think the Fusion is 50% better than the Mach 3, not from what I've seen so far.

Snarking the Fusion

In case my previous post on the Gillette Fusion wasn't snarky enough, the Independent chimes in with their own comments about the newly-announced razor system.

I don't know how much R & D went into Fusion, and P & G wishes it probably didn't. But I am sure it was a cast of thousands of highly trained razor boffins, and I am sure they examined every possible permutation of razor and chin before coming up with the genius idea: add another blade!

I have the feeling there will be many more cynical comments about the 5-blade Fusion soon.

Never enough blades

Until the 1970s, safety razors used a single blade. Then came the double-bladed cartridge razors, which carried us to the 90s. Then we got the 3-blade Gillette Mach 3. Then we got the 4-blade Schick Quattro.

Many people found the explosion in the number of blades to be rather silly. When the Mach 3 came out, there were lots of jokes about razors with a huge number of blades. Those jokes continued when the Quattro came out. Personally, I figured that the trend couldn't last too long, as there just isn't enough room to cram in a lot more blades without making the razor unwieldy. Surely, I thought, four blades would be the end of it.

Turns out I was wrong and the jokers were right. Gillette has announced a five-blade razor. It's called the Fusion, and they've put together a flashy little site to promote it. And there's plenty of early commentary about it as well.

It won't be available until early next year, and I'm sure there will be a big media blitz to alert us once it's available.

Odds are, I'll be trying one out when they're available, just so I can post a review of it. It's going to have to be pretty freaking amazing to get a good review, though. My cynicism meter's on high right now. I'm almost certain we'll soon see stories about new law suits, and then the announcement of a 6-blader with a laser-guidance system.

The power of 4

A couple of months back, Schick took Gillette to court over their advertising claims about the M3Power razor. The court ruled that Gillette's advertising was misleading, and ordered them to stop making certain claims in their ads.

Now that the Schick Quattro Power has been announced, they're starting their own advertising campaign. I haven't seen any TV ads yet, but a reader sent me a link to a promotional website: That's the Power of 4.

It's set up like an informercial. For those of you who thought that the M3Power's claims weren't exaggerated enough, Schick's got what you're looking for. Warning: Site contains Kato Kaelin.

Schick Quattro Power announced

Looks like Schick is joining Gillette in the 'stick a battery in your razor' club.

The Schick Quattro Power Razor is designed to reduce cut force and give a more comfortable shave, the company said. It will sell for around $10.99 for a razor kit, which includes a razor, cartridge, stand and a AAA battery.

Thus far, no word use of the word "micropulses".

KLTV reviews the HeadBlade

KLTV in Tyler, Texas has a story about the HeadBlade on their website which asks the question, Does it work?. They got a bald-by-choice photographer on their staff to try it out. He used HeadBlade's HeadSlick lubricant while shaving.

"It's so light," says Arthur. He said if felt like he was holding nothing in his hand. The sensation was like wiping his hand across his head. "With a regular razor, I'm used to having to apply a little pressure so you can actually feel it when drags across your head. But this here, you don't feel any pressure."

[...]

We counted two or three nicks. Arthur says he gets that with a regular razor too. But there's something he did not get this time. "Usually when I cut my hair with a razor, as soon as I finish, I'm breaking out in bumps on the top of my head," he says. "I usually have to go apply alcohol afterward. Well, with this one right here, after I finish, no bumps on top of my head and no break out." Arthur credits the fact that he didn't have to push as hard while shaving with this device.

He says it will take some time to get used to it, but he likes it. "Does It Work?" We give it a "yes."

I have a review of the Headblade on my site from a while back, as well.

Legal Eagles

It's fairly clear that Schick and Gillette, the world's two largest shaving companies, like to sue each other a lot (1, 2, 3, 4). Schick has been trying to get Gillette to alter it's marketing of the M3Power.

On Gillette's side, they've been trying to prevent sales of the Quattro, claiming that the Quattro violates Gillette's patents from the Mach 3. To wit:

Gillette has argued that any razor head with a group of three blades would be covered by its patent. Its Mach3 razor and M3Power, a pulsating razor based on Mach3, as well as the women's Venus razor, each have three blades.

Energizer's Quattro and the recently launched Quattro for Women each have four blades. St. Louis-based Energizer's Schick-Wilkinson Sword is the No. 2 razor company behind Boston-based Gillette. The rivals have been waging legal battles since Schick released new products -- including Quattro -- to try to cut into Gillette's dominance of the global shaving market.

Judge Patti Saris of the District Court of Massachusetts in January 2004 rejected a bid to halt Quattro sales on the grounds the device infringes on the patent for Gillette's three-bladed Mach3 razor.

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has bounced the case back down to a lower court, so the battle continues. If Gillette wins, sales of the Schick Quattro will be blocked in the US.

All I can say is, I have no sympathy for either company. It's over $3 (Cdn) per blade for the Mach 3 and Quattro, and they both sell very well. They're good razors, but the prices are ridiculous.

Old School Shaving

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has an article on shaving with old-fashioned straight razors and single-blade razors. It's an interesting piece. They have some quotes from a barber who still gives straight razor shaves, as well as comments from Ray Dupont of Classic Shaving.

In a nutshell, single-blade razors are better cutting instruments, don't clog up, are adjustable, and cheaper, he says. "A Mach 3 costs $2.50 to $3; the average guy uses two a week. A double-edge razor costs only 45 cents a week. A straight edge, virtually nothing."

Besides being cheaper, Dupont says that single-blade razors cut closer. The author of the article shares his experience, too.

I bought an old Gillette single-blade razor on an eBay auction after seeing the "Today" show.

The razor appeared new and much heavier than multiblade ones I've always used. It seems to cut slightly more closely but is much, much more comfortable. Several times I've had to check to make sure it's actually cutting.

By the way, the razor, with 10 blades, cost $25.

I've never tried shaving with an older single-blade razor, but this article definitely piques my interest in it.

Consumer watch: M3Power

I've always valued the reviews produced by Consumer Reports magazine. They tend to do their research, and they're not beholden to any commercial interests aside from their subscribers. K-Fox TV has a piece on their website discussing Consumer Reports evaluation of the M3Power

The verdict, well, the M3-Power did deliver a very close shave. But it turns out it was no better than Gillette's Mach 3 Turbo, which is $7 cheaper. So Consumer Reports says there's no need to pay more just to get a little buzz.

Not everyone agrees, of course, and I've had email from people who felt the M3Power was better for them than the regular Mach 3. For instance, this email:

I just read your review on the m3 power, and I think it doesn't do the razor justice at all. 1st off, the lubrication is way better on those blades, and there is a big difference between those blades and the regular Mach 3 blades. 2nd off, I do agree with you that the shave is about the same as far as closeness goes, but the major plus for this razor compared to any other razor I've used, is how gentle it is on the skin. I'm not sure how your skin is, but mine is very irritable and just about anything messes me up. This razor is the best I've ever had when it comes to taking care of my scalp. I've tried it with the vibration and without, and I'm confident that this is mostly due to the vibration, although I do feel that the extra lube on the blade helps a bit more as well. The other thing with this razor is that due to the vibration, I can use the blades twice as long as I could with a non-vibrating handle. As far as it costing too much, I think that's bogus, it's a whopping 7 or 8 bucks more, and it's not like you gotta buy one every week, you buy it once. It costs less than that damn headblade and it works twice as good.

The author referred to the review of the M3Power on my site, in which I recommended sticking with the regular Mach 3.

Personally, I think you can reduce irritation by using a good shaving lubricant (like shaving oil or Aveeno Positively Smooth shave gel), and it's a cheaper method for improving one's shave than the M3Power. Of course, your mileage may vary.