apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i don't want to get too graphic here, but let's just say the LAST thing i want a sharp object i'm holding to do is vibrate.

This reminds me of the snl skit where Will Ferrell is promoting the 20 blade razor and shaves his skin off.
The Mach 3 is by far the best razor EVER! But can I just say that it totally sucks how every drug store in New York locks up their razors or just plain doesn't sell them now?! Customer service in drug stores here sucks so bad that getting someone to unlock the case for you is impossible. I think I'll have to order a lifetime supply from Amazon.com

Why, they'll go to seven, eight, TEN blades or more!

While a good razor is a wonderful thing, does it take anything more complicated than a really sharp piece of metal to be effective? I'm not sure why manufacturers try to keep pushing technological advancements (LOOK! 85 blades and it WIGGLES!).

This one is kinda sexy looking though... As long as that Wall of Blades is turned away from me.

I would really like them to make the Mach 3 with that fourth blade on the otherside by the nose.

Kate, my husband is also a Mach 3 fan and will never switch. 6 blades? Where will it stop? I haven't seen that SNL skit but we laugh each time they add a new blade so I'm sure I'd enjoy that skit.
A lot of stores in Atlanta lock up their razors and blades too. Ordering online is a great idea - I haven't tried it yet but a friend told me there are some great Mach 3 deals on ebay.

I bought a Fusion razor (non-power version) a few months back when I forgot to pack my razor on a trip... I feel the same way regarding the overkill on number of blades and promises of performance. (Though I do like the the additional reverse blade for sideburn-trimming.) I absolutely hate the product design of both the disposable blade and shaver. Like the movie TRON, it looks like a dated, throwback take on "modern" product design. I don't want a razor that looks like a cell phone or an MP3 player. I'll stick with my Mach 3 blades and old-school Art of Shaving accessories.

Were I to have the time (and confidence in my pre-coffee hand-stability) I would certainly shave with the beautiful products found on Art of Shaving. Turekits however are not well stocked in my drug store so 'll stick with safety razors.

What's next, wrist braces and laser sights!

Damn you AT:NY, give us back anchor tags!!!

http://www.slingshots.com/

Who's "we"? Is this the royal "We" (i.e. "I")or was there an AT marketing survey done with more than one participants? I hope you're not sharing razors.

"a friend told me there are some great Mach 3 deals on ebay."

I have a feeling this is the reason that some many blades have to be locked up now.

Hey, dude - I'm not that all THAT PC, but Gillette is one of the worst animal testers (puppys, kittens, rabitts etc.) in the industry, don't buy their products.

Ralph is on the right track.

As for me, I've decided to reject the world of the plastic disposable and I'm going back to the glory days of wet shaving.

If you're going to give Gillette free advertising, the least you can do is test out a good shaving brush and single blade razor for us :)

Check out the link in my name about the "best shave"... notice neither gillette, nor schick are mentioned.

I got sucked into the Mach 3 blades as well... They work really well.
They get locked up at the store because you need to take out a second mortgate to afford them (yet I still buy them?!?!? Hmmm.... will ponder later).
While I can accept that they cost more to manufacture than say a .19 Bic, I don't understand why they end up costing $1.50+ per cartridge!

Oh, I heard about the ones on Ebay, they are either stolen or counterfiet.

Yikes, that is good to know about the blades on ebay. Thanks Devyn!
Also Mat, thanks for the link - that is a good article I'm going to make my husband read. Every lady likes her man to have a nice shave (well, this particular lady does :)

Costco is great for all my Mach 3 replacement needs. Only an arm, rather than both the arm and leg.

But, now I have to reconsider given the animal testing thing. *sigh*

I guess I'm not an early adopter, cause I still use the Sensor blades (2 blades) -- found the Mach 3 worked poorly on the neck. My partner swears by Mach 3, and was not happy with the non-vibrating version Fusion. HOWEVER, the battery operated one is still calling out his name (amazing how career marketing people get suckered in by other marketers!)

We buy our blades at Costco -- you get 25 for the the Duane Reade price for 5, and you can just pick them up off the shelf. (This alone pays for the Costco annual fee!)

You can prolong the life of a mach 3 blade by up to 2 months if you clean and dry (with a hair dryer or towel) you blade after every use and store it in a dry place.

Blades are important, but the MOST important thing is opening your pores with hot water/steam (shave in the shower or after a shower) and choosing the best shaving cream. I have extremely sensitive skin - I've tried every shaving cream under the sun, and I am telling you the best is "Kiss My Face." I NEVER get cut or get razor burn since I started using it - regardless of the blade I happen to have on hand. I shave every day, and an 11 oz container lasts me slightly more than a year! Every person I make try it agrees, including the girls who use it on their legs.

Gillette does not use animals in testing, they use people.

Hmm... that's odd, because I tried the regular (non vibrating) Fusion early on and got hooked. I find it to be a significant improvement over the Mach 3. I've never cut myself with the Fusion.

I should point out, however, that I also shave my head, so my take on this may be a bit different than most... ;-)

Gillette issues a moratorium on animal testing back in '97, but it's now owned by Proctor & Gamble, who test on animals.

Oh my,

I thought that I was looking at a new 12 dollar orange and silver home vacuum cleaner in the vein of those swiffer sweeper things.

Hah!

Commenting further on the smooth shave discussion: I can't say enough good things about wet-shaving, either with a straight razor (at the barber shop) or with the Mach 3 (at home). As Ralph mentions, opening up the pores in the shower pre-shave is key. I like to use a good badger hair shaving brush and shaving soap (usually from L'Occitane, Art of Shaving or Proraso) to create a nice lather on my face and kick up the whiskers. Yeah, yeah, I know... the badger hair brush might be an issue for the animal rights folks and the price for a quality badger brush is prohibitive for many people; but I consider my morning shave to be one of those little daily indulgences. I actually enjoy the ritual involved in a good wet shave and find it to be very calming. This coming from someone who's previously used electric razors for over 20 years.

Wasn't there an ONION article about a five blade razor? I think andrew sullivan blogged about it a while back.

Wow, we got to 24 comments and not one "What does this have to do with apartments?" comment.

Oops.

Is Gillette sponsoring AT now? Ick.

Dear BB, Yes, Gillette is now sponsoring AT by not paying me any money to not promote their newest razor.

I have to say that I am such an optimist that when I write a negative review it is rare, and rarer still that it gets misconstrued as a "sold our soul" pitch.

BTW, the Amcor AC unit was quickly pulled from our offices after we reviewed that negatively, so I fully expect that we shan't be allowed to buy Gillette anymore either.

Doh! BB, you wuz just served.

Heresy: I tried the Mach 3 but quickly went back to using the Sensor Excel. The Mach 3 is like dragging a tackle sled across your face--there's no real control. I shave my head too, and the Sensor Excel is good at getting at the nooks and cupolas of my noggin, not to mention the under-the-nose part of my face. Supposedly, an old-fashioned safety razor wielded by a practiced hand gives the best shave, but no way would it cope with my pleasingly asymetrical melon.

I've tried dozens of shaving products and have a cabinet full of creams, gels, and oils. The regimen I use now works well: Wash with hot water, apply a tube shaving cream like Proraso or Musgo Real, flail a shaving brush around your face to increase lather and hair coverage. (Secret: Expensive brushes are nice, but a cheap $10 one like you can get at most large drugstores works fine.)

I own both Fusion and Mach 3 Turbo -- both are the vibrating kind -- and I love them. But I wish I hadn't clicked on this link to read that they are still testing on animals. Please provide information on alternatives -- just don't tell me to start using straight razor...

It's definitely all about the wet shave. I use a badger brush, Kiss My Face, and a Mach3. At one point in my life I used Trumper shaving soap and a straight razor. Straight razors are wonderful, but I just don't have the time in the morning to devote to a good straight razor shave. I do like the classic safety razors, but they have a serious drawback: it's quite dangerous to use them to shave some of the places that men these days shave.

What's next, you ask? Nuclear power.

p(too) quoth: "Wow, we got to 24 comments and not one 'What does this have to do with apartments?' comment."

Pity, as it gives me no excuse to provide the answer... AT book, page 190, week six: "Upgrade Your Razor and Shaving Supplies. While luxuries such as expensive furniture and bigger apartments are not available to all of us, small luxuries in the home should not be overlooked..."

Oops.

wende--
Did you just publicly bust me for not getting to page 190 of the book?!?! Doh! Like five precision blades thorugh the heart, the lady doth wound me!

(ps: I still think it a stretch...)

C'mon. Gillete basically gives away the razors to rape you on replacement blades. Wet shaving with a double edged razor is the way to go (or straight razor if you are hardcore). Blades are like $0.25 each. Get yourself a Vulfix badger brush, Merkur razor and some Porarso shaving cream and aftershave (at Target no less). You won't feel the need to buy a new razor when Gillete comes out with the Mach4 turbo deluxe ultra edition with even more blades......

p(too) -- Since your apartment was already Cured before the book came out, I assumed you had evolved beyond needing to get to page 190.

Clearly, I must atone for the implied slight by buying zebra pillows sooner rather than later.

The first time the Fusion commercial came on during a friend's Super Bowl party, I loudly announced mid-commercial that now they've packed FIVE blades into a razor, and it's gonna be fantastic! The crowd laughed, because clearly I couldn't be serious. 3 seconds later, once the commercial turned out to be real, they all sat horrified, starting at the TV in disbelief.

As someone mentioned, The Onion called this one...2 years ago!
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930

Next time The Onion calls the 2008 election in favor of Soupy Sales, I might not be laughing...

I didn't know Dyson made razors.

Best place for blades is:

http://www.shavethis.com/

Best prices by far & free shipping. Costco's good too.

jaren wrote:
> Oh my,
>
> I thought that I was looking at a new
> 12 dollar orange and silver home vacuum
> cleaner in the vein of those swiffer sweeper
> things.
>
> Hah!

My first reaction was that I thought it was a vacuum as well.

All I can say is that Mach 3 literally took off the top layer of my skin (apparently, in a way that was so unnoticeable that I didn't realize, according to my derm, until I had a problem). I have fought ingrown hairs (which I never had before) and had literally a year where I could not show my legs. After about 2 years of medicine, my legs are now reasonable-looking again, but are not 100%

One or two blades is just fine for me, and those are actually getting very hard to find if you don't want to use disposables.

Ralph, what are alternatives to Gilette who don't test? I am trying to do away with all animal-tested products

Reference is made to the counterfiet Mach 3 blades
on e-bay, I got stuck with several cartridges and they are really bad. Check the reports on Google, they come out of China.