Tales From The Dark Side :)

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I like to think of this article as "tales from the dark side!" :) Plus I think the article is relevant to this forum: Will King of King Of Shaves writes about some of the technologies that go into today's modern razor cartridges, other than blade count.

Will and I became acquainted on Twitter a few years ago and we've had some really interesting discussions over that time. Personally, I've always thought the idea of a pivot in a razor is a sound one, and there are even some single-blade razors that have them (OneBlade, Focus Dynamic, Gillette Guard, etc.). TL;DR--

Five things are key:
  • The blade edge and coating.
  • How the blades are held in the cartridge, and the exposure/spacing between them.
  • The ability of the cartridge to maintain contact with the skin at the pivot point.
  • The inclusion of a lubricating strip to aid glide and comfort.
  • Skin Tensioners & Edging Trimmers.
Gillette's Sensor nailed all of these key attributes, and the introduction of Mach3 in 1998 further reinforced Gillette's dominance.
 
I like to think of this article as "tales from the dark side!" :) Plus I think the article is relevant to this forum: Will King of King Of Shaves writes about some of the technologies that go into today's modern razor cartridges, other than blade count.

Will and I became acquainted on Twitter a few years ago and we've had some really interesting discussions over that time. Personally, I've always thought the idea of a pivot in a razor is a sound one, and there are even some single-blade razors that have them (OneBlade, Focus Dynamic, Gillette Guard, etc.). TL;DR--

Five things are key:
  • The blade edge and coating.
  • How the blades are held in the cartridge, and the exposure/spacing between them.
  • The ability of the cartridge to maintain contact with the skin at the pivot point.
  • The inclusion of a lubricating strip to aid glide and comfort.
  • Skin Tensioners & Edging Trimmers.
Gillette's Sensor nailed all of these key attributes, and the introduction of Mach3 in 1998 further reinforced Gillette's dominance.
Very good article. However what made me chuckle was the fact was that Will called out all the other brands using others blades. He even talked about his previous business with Kai but forgot to mention that his current offerings in the Cartridge market are the Retro4 which actually is the BIC 4 comfort carts on their own handle and the KOS5 which is the MERS T- Series/Taranis Futur5. Cheeky of you Will lol
 
The EasyFit3 and the Hydro3 are not the same cart. The EasyFit3 is the Hydro3 Mk1.
He hasn't revealed why they parted company with Kai. I never understood why they didn't just distribute Kai products. That's his second partnership that has fallen through.
First Remington aka Spectrum Brands and now Kai. If they split in 2015, they took a very long time to move their existing stock.
 
Very good article. After using a DE razor for many, many years I went back to using Mach 3 and Sensor. I found that with a DE razor I would use a Mach 3 or Sensor to clean up and reach difficult spots the DE had missed; I found that if I used my DE for this part of the shave my face would become irritated and sore. After doing this for a time I decided to use a Mach 3 or Sensor for the entire shave and have not looked back. Both these razors give me a comfortable and irritation-free shave every time that is as close as I ever got with a DE. I don't regard this as my going back to ‘the dark side'; in fact I believe I've gone back to ‘the smart side'. Many members of shaving forums frown on cartridge razors and this is understandable to a degree given the marketing hype and proliferation of blades and shaving systems today much of which, as the article addresses, is crap. In the final analysis, however, the proof of the pudding is in the eating or, to put it in a shaving context, the proof of the shaving equipment is in the shave. The Mach 3 and Sensor get my unqualified endorsement.
 
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Very good article. After using a DE razor for many, many years I went back to using Mach 3 and Sensor. I found that with a DE razor I would use a Mach 3 or Sensor to clean up and reach difficult spots the DE had missed; I found that if I used my DE for this part of the shave my face would become irritated and sore. After doing this for a time I decided to use a Mach 3 or Sensor for the entire shave and have not looked back. Both these razors give me a comfortable and irritation-free shave every time that is as close as I ever got with a DE. I don't regard this as my going back to ‘the dark side'; in fact I believe I've gone back to ‘the smart side'. Many members of shaving forums frown on cartridge razors and this is understandable to a degree given the marketing hype and proliferation of blades and shaving systems today much of which, as the article addresses, is crap. In the final analysis, however, the proof of the pudding is in the eating or, to put it in a shaving context, the proof of the shaving equipment is in the shave. The Mach 3 and Sensor get my unqualified endorsement.
+1 i'm with you on this I have more Cart systems in my rota than DE or SE's
 
Until I discovered injectors I occasionally used a cart when I was in a hurry and still wanted to look presentable.
I chose the Feather FII because you could lock the pivot and shave with a fixed head.
I don't like pivots because they require pressure and I don't want to pick up any bad habits, but to each their own.
If people prefer pivot carts to other razors then that's their bag and fair play to them.
 
Until I discovered injectors I occasionally used a cart when I was in a hurry and still wanted to look presentable.
I chose the Feather FII because you could lock the pivot and shave with a fixed head.
I don't like pivots because they require pressure and I don't want to pick up any bad habits, but to each their own.
If people prefer pivot carts to other razors then that's their bag and fair play to them.
Trac II and compatible razors do not pivot.
 
Good article. I actually picked up a Mach 3 razor today, just out of curiosity really. Can't believe I've never tried one. I used the same Wilkinson Sword Protector 3D razor (and canned gel crap) for a long time, but Mach 3 gets mentioned in so many cart razor articles that I felt I had to try it. Only with a brush and cream of course !
 
Good article. I actually picked up a Mach 3 razor today, just out of curiosity really. Can't believe I've never tried one. I used the same Wilkinson Sword Protector 3D razor (and canned gel crap) for a long time, but Mach 3 gets mentioned in so many cart razor articles that I felt I had to try it. Only with a brush and cream of course !
The best value for Mach3's are disposables in Savers or in Tesco on promotion. Disposables are far less expensive than the carts. The disposables are quite solid, or detach the head.
 
The best value for Mach3's are disposables in Savers or in Tesco on promotion. Disposables are far less expensive than the carts. The disposables are quite solid, or detach the head.

Thanks, but whilst I'm not exactly a tree hugger, I despise the thought of using a plastic disposable razor a couple of times then binning it.

My Mach 3 shave this morning wasn't earth shattering, which I'm kind of glad about, given the price of the cartridges anyway. After over 6 months of DE shaving, it was very strange to be using a cart razor again. I did the usual prep of shower, & using shaving cream with a brush, lathered in a bowl. The shave just felt totally lifeless and for the most part, ineffective. I couldn't feel or hear the razor doing any cutting. I felt like I had to apply pressure because of the handle being so light, the way the pivot is, and because like I just said, I couldn't feel or hear the razor doing any cutting. I was wary about doing another pass and dragging those 3 blades back across my face again (and I thought the whole point of a cartridge razor was convenience, ie getting a good shave with one pass anyway) but just tried to do a bit of touch up as there were still lots of hairs left.

After I got back from the school run, I was so annoyed with that excuse for a shave, that I did an XTG & ATG (no ATG on neck!) & touch-ups with the DE89, finished off nicely with Barts Balm, and the difference was night and day. I hadn't realised how important audible feedback is until I had a cart shave again. I suppose it could have been a duff cart, but I'm not in a hurry to have a cart shave again anytime soon! If Mach 3 really is supposed to be just about the best option for cart razors, then I think I'll stick with DE !
 
Why do you need feedback? You wouldn't know an injector or a Feather AC was against your face. If you applied pressure, that's just your incompetence or inexperience. It certainly not the razors fault, at least you didn't complain about tugging. I do a three pass shave with a Mach3. Usually my first pass is with an injector.
 
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