The Gillette Proglide is out. Opinions??

Dan, if your interested in an experiment. It would be fun to see if you could actually use the same blade for say, 25 days, then mail it to Gollnick (or another DE user with a fusion handle) and see If we can't watch a grown man cry.

Also, my calculations on Prorasso shaving cream prices. I used about 1.5ml of cream and that was generous. A 5.2oz tube of prorasso can be had at shoppers drug mart for 8 dollars, and at my rate should give 104 shaves. which comes out to .076 cents per shave. well ahead of canned. Infact throw in a .30 cent bulk bought feather, and your still under Gollnicks fancy soap price if you switch blades every other day. More practically .15 cent bulk bought derbys that last 4 days each, or .037 cents per day which then ads up to 11.3 cents a day with soap.

Just goes to show that if your after cheap, you can go cheap.
 
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The next thing to consider is single pass shaving or multi pass shaving. I do at least 3 passes per shave. I load my brush once to do that, with canned cream I would have to hit the button 3 times. I think traditional shaving comes out way ahead.
Speaking of shaving that's what I am heading off to do right now:thumbup:
 
Someone else may do the math on the lather and come up with a different conclusion that I do. If so, post it here, please.

I also suspect that the men's toiletry companies loss-lead shaving foam making little -- if any -- profit on it. I also suspect that the grocery stores don't make much on it. You can tell this because it's always on the lower shelves; grocery stores always put the less profitable stuff on the lower shelves. (Hint: when shopping in a grocery store, look down because the bargains are literally at your feet.) I suspect that grocery stores see shaving foam as a way to get men into the toiletry aisle to then sell them expensive -- and profitable -- razor cartridges.
 
dan oliver said:
I honestly think you could get 1 month out of the new Fusion blade.
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Yeah I get a good month out of a fusion, its all I've used for 4 years. Its OKAY, though I'm sure I could get a better shave out of something else....but really I figure there's more to life than worrying if I'm getting the best or cheapest shave.

I'll pay like $15 bucks for 4 months of razors. it's convenient.
 
I use VDH soap and get about a month out of it. It is under $2 at Walmart and around $3 at the drugstore. The pink one is better than most any other glycerin soaps if smell is not a concern of yours. Btw the spray cans are recyclable. That said I'm not a believer in all the recycleing hype. In fact I think it is mostly crap.
 
The Proglide blade is the best and closest shave I have experienced. I am able to get a month of shaves as I anticipated.

If you try it, please let me know your impressions.

Thanks
 
It is interesting to now see Gillette running TV commercials urging guys to change their blades more often. Maybe the product is too good.
 
Yeah. I got a month of head and face shaving from my power version. The last few days I could tell it was going downhill performancewise but it was still producing quality shaves. The aloe strip had lost all of it's color. I suppose I could still be using it but I slammed in a new cart and enjoyed a factory fresh shave. This kind of cart longevity is unheard of. I skipped the Fusion. The last Gillette product I used with any kind of regularity was the Mach series. My little brother always bragged about how long the Fusion carts lasted but I didn't really believe him until now. Sheesh. Gillette is on to something with this Proglide. I'd like to see a fancy handle. Come on AG. Get something in that catalog of yours! Mammoth ivory sounds like a winner. :)
 
I used a fusion up until last month, when I switched to a DE. I aint never going back. I like the whole process of the of the DE shave and to me I get a better shave. To each their own though.
 
Sadly, some of us have physical reasons (just too damn shaky) that
make a DE blade undesirable. Since my beard turned white, I've been
able to get away with shaving 3 times a week, and the original Fusion
blade did a great job.

That being said, the ProGlide is better in one major respect, and that is
time between shaves. It doesn't feel any closer initially, but 24 hours
later things feel about the same as the Fusion after 12. Three times
a week has been reduced to 2, and it works great with Taylor
sandalwood and my Muhle-Pincel brush.
 
Gollnick said:
How many shaves a man can get from any blade depends not just on the blade but also upon the man's beard and on the quality of shave he is willing to accept.
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I think that is definitely the case. I have a pretty thin and spotty beard so razors, regardless of brand, last a good long time for me. My friend on the other hand, who can pass for Grizzly Adams if he wanted to goes through razors much faster in comparison.
 
I have a heavy beard and 30 days with Proglide was no problem. Frankly, I cannot understand the interest in DE razors. That's 1950's technology. While I like 50's music, much of what is made today....if you buy top of the line stuff.... seems to work better: cars, TV's, riding lawnmowers, hunting boots, pocket knives and list goes on.....so my logic tells me that Proglide is likely a sharper and better blade system. My grandfather always cut himself with DE. My dad too. That's a rarity with the Gillette blades of today. yes, they cost too much, but hey are top of the line.
 
dan oliver said:
I have a heavy beard and 30 days with Proglide was no problem. Frankly, I cannot understand the interest in DE razors. That's 1950's technology. While I like 50's music, much of what is made today....if you buy top of the line stuff.... seems to work better: cars, TV's, riding lawnmowers, hunting boots, pocket knives and list goes on.....so my logic tells me that Proglide is likely a sharper and better blade system. My grandfather always cut himself with DE. My dad too. That's a rarity with the Gillette blades of today. yes, they cost too much, but hey are top of the line.
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After spending a small fortune on vintage DE razors and a 200 pack of feather blades, I tend to agree with you. I can do all the prep stuff. Hot towel, you name it. I have an arsenal of DE razors. Futur, Knack, Fat Boy, Slim Adjustable, Krona.... You name it. The shaves aren't in the same ballpark. Nay, they're not even in the same league as the Proglide shaves. Now granted, with my equipment and that 200 pack of feathers, shaving for the rest of my life (if I live to be 119 years old) would probably cost around 16 cents a month.

But what you said about technology is spot on. I'm getting a better shave (and zero irritation) with the modern product. Cost per shave is higher than the '50s technology but not agonizingly so (thanks to the longevity of the Proglide carts). Plus the fact that I've tried headshaving with a DE and I ain't a goin there again! Yikes! General Custer lost his hair much the same way, except he done it in an open field out west. And someone else had hold of the razor handle. But the basic result was the same.

Some things are just worth the money. I don't regret my DE razor purchases. In fact, it's a neato Saturday afternoon boredom-buster to get all prepped and "have a shave" with 'em. But when the heat is on and I have to get crankin', I'm shaving in the shower with the Proglide. Skull and face baby butt smooth in less than five minutes. That's gotta be worth something... ;)
 
Try your hand at straight razor shaving. It's an even older technology than the DEs, but trust me the modern cartridges aren't even in the same league. And they are the cheapest option of all.
 
dan oliver said:
I have a heavy beard and 30 days with Proglide was no problem. Frankly, I cannot understand the interest in DE razors. That's 1950's technology. While I like 50's music, much of what is made today....if you buy top of the line stuff.... seems to work better: cars, TV's, riding lawnmowers, hunting boots, pocket knives and list goes on.....so my logic tells me that Proglide is likely a sharper and better blade system. My grandfather always cut himself with DE. My dad too. That's a rarity with the Gillette blades of today. yes, they cost too much, but hey are top of the line.
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I tend to disagree with that, I bought a Fusion when they first came out, and dealt with razor burn and an so-so shave, I switched over to a DE and I get a better shave and no razor burn most of the time. I am still new at the DE thing but its working for me. With the right blade its a dream with the wrong blade its a nightmare. For me the wrong blade is Derby, they rip my face up, but with the cheaper Dorco 301 blades, not a problem.

The thing to remember is the shaving with a DE is not a swipe and run deal like with a modern blade, it takes a number of gentle passes to get the smooth shave, and there are so many options to tailor your shave to you instead of the cookie cutter option of the mass produced things. If you are lucky enough to fit the mold of the mas market razors good for you:thumbup: your one of the lucky ones.

to Harry Callahan

If you want to unload some of the DE stuff you have drop me a line I may be interested in it. It could just be that the Feathers are to aggressive for your face, like the Derbys are for mine. I have some Feathers here but haven't tried them yet.
 
Modern pocketknives are no better than, and are actually lower quality than 1950s knives. The steel used in the vast majority is cheap 440A which is a crap steel for cutlery. Plus, the overwhelming majority are made in China for pennies.
Modern cars are no better than 1950s cars. They just have more gadgets to distract you from the fact that you're driving an overpriced piece of crap.
The 1912 Gem single edge razor is the next best thing to a good straight razor shave, and a good straight shave is something no cartridge blade can even approach.
I used Cartridge razors from 1990 until 2010. I started with the Sensor and worked my way through the M3, Quattro, and FUsion. The first gen Sensor carts shaved the best of all of them.
I have a 1984 Atra handle and use ASR/Personna made cartridges for it( I got the handle for free and got the carts for $4.34/10) and it shaves much better than my M3/FUsion ever did. The center pivot blade design is much better than the limp wrist pivot used today because it didn't require so much pressure to do the job.
If you want the ultimate in cartridge razor shaves, you should try the Gillette Trac II. It was non-pivoting and required even less pressure to keep the blades in contact with the skin.

That said, the best shaves I've ever had have all been with DE, SE, and Injector type safety razors. I can get consistently closer and smoother shaves than I ever did with carts.
The worst shaving cuts I ever had were with cartridge razors. The last straw was when my POS M3 took out a hunk of my top lip, and a hunk next to my mouth.
The cuts/nicks/weepers you sometimes get with a vintage style safety razor are a lot less painful than those with a cart. I got myself with a Feather blade one time and didn't even feel it. There isn't a cartridge blade out ther that's anywhere near as sharp as a Feather blade.

Cartridge blades gave me ingrown hairs/zits and I could only shave every 3 days or so. i shave every day with my old safety razors and have yet to get a single ingrown/zit. My face is as smooth as a baby's butt every morning and it stays smooth all day. With carts, I felt like I needed to shave again by lunch.

You can spend a LOT less on shave soaps/creams and still get a fantastic shave. Arko shave sticks are $1.50 each. Van der Hagen shave soap is about $1.50 per puck and I get at least a month of everyday shaves with each.
Godrej Shave rounds are $0.99 each and work just as well as the Arko/Van der Hagen(wonderful).
Godrej and Arko shaving creams run about $3.00 a tube and they're light years ahead of canned goo, as are shave soaps.
You can add a nickel sized portion of Noxzema facial cleansing cream to the top of your soap puck before lathering and it makes a fantastic, creamy lather that lubes and cushions very well.

In short, you can shave cheaper and better with a vintage/vintage style safety razor and soap/cream than with modern cartridge razors and canned goo.

The Fusion is hard to use on the top lip because the cart is almost as wide as the top lip.
The Quattro gave me the worst razor burn I've ever had. It was like dry shaving.
In fact, shaving with a multi-blade cartridge is only wetshaving with one blade. The other blades are dry shaving you.

But, if you'd rather use carts, be my guest. That's one less competitor at the antique shops/flea markets/fleabay.

If you want an easy, BBS, comfortable shave, you can't beat a Feather blade loaded into an Edwin Jagger DE87 or a Merkur 37/39 slant. There's no comparison. Except maybe a Treet SE blade in a Gem Micromatic, or a Schick Injector blade in an E or G type injector. Don't even get me started on the Gillette Red Tip and the Neillite 400 and the Gem 1912.

RE: headshaving with a DE. I shave my head with a DE as well as an SE and an Injector. I get a lot less pulling/tugging than I do with any of my cartridge razors. I don't get cut any more with it, either. If you're cutting your noggin when you shave with a DE, you're either going to fast, not paying attention to what you're doing, or your technique is not right for noggin-shaving. my Gem Micromatic SE is a very aggressive razor and it does a great job on my head. My old Schick injectors are even better. The injectors don't get clogged up the way carts do. In fact, just last night, I shaved my tater with a Merkur 37G slant and a 1980s vintage Topco DE blade. It was like the hair was falling out. First a wash, then a lather with Arko shave stick, and then a shiny, tan dome.
Regardless of what razor you use, your pre-shave prep is the most important step. Poor prep results in poor shave every time.

There's nothing like a badger brush full of Godrej Menthol Mist/Rich Foam/Fresh Lime/Palmolive Refreshing Lemon/Old Spice Original (all Indian made creams) and a good safety razor loaded with a sharp, smooth blade.
 
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Gollnick said:
It is interesting to now see Gillette running TV commercials urging guys to change their blades more often. Maybe the product is too good.
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Or maybe they're tired of complaints about the crap FUsion carts NOT lasting 8 shaves, like they originally claimed.
I get 3 decent shaves with a FUsion cart before it starts skipping, pulling, and cutting me. Even those first 3 shaves leave me with ingrown hair zits that make my face look like a pimple faced teenager.

I love how they justify cheapening their blades by making them thinner. Thinner is sharper? BS!! The only part of the blade that determines sharpness is the edge. Sharp is sharp.
What thinner blades do is flex and deform more, as well as dull quicker due to less support of the edge.
Squire's blade reviews over at shavemyface.com show microscope photos of the edges of each blade he tests/rates. 3 facet blades with smooth, even grinding and honing give the best shaves.
The method/quality of blade manufacture are what make a blade sharper, not a thinner cross section.
 
OK- I gave in and bought a Proglide and carts for it. (I needed a new handle.) I think the proglide carts are not as good as the regular Fusion carts. They dull faster, and I can really feel it on my head. That being said, they offer a decent shave, but I won't compare DE to this because I have no experience w/DE shaving. (My face is way to sensitive.)
 
They dull faster because they're thinner. P&G tells us they're better because they want us to buy them more often.

A good DE razor and blade is actually better for sensitive skin than a cartridge razor. I have sensitive skin, I have problems with skin allergies, contact dermatitis, and eczema. My skin problems have almost completely gone away since I quit using cartridge razors and canned crap shave cream.

Using a shave soap without sodium lauryl sulfate and/or sodium laureth sulfate and without parabens is a great place to start if you have sensitive skin.
I am allergic to parabens. A shave soap/cream with coconut oil, tallow, shea butter, aloe, and/or lanolin is much better for your skin than canned goo made of chemicals you can't pronounce. Avoid things that you're allergic to or have sensitivities to, and you'll find that a good DE matched with a good blade is very good for your face. My skin is noticeably healthier since I started traditional wetshaving.
A good modern DE razor that's not too aggressive, nor too mild is the Edwin Jagger DE87. It's about $35.00. There are plenty of good modern and vintage DE razors available. I paid a little too much for my first, a 1969 Gillette Super Adjustable in like new condition, but it's such a good shaver and so easy on my face,that it's worth it.
Get a sample pack of blades and see which ones work best for your face with the razor you use.
Join the forum at badgerandblade.com. You'll find lot's of friendly folks who are more than happy to help you out. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people there.
If you're skeptical about using a DE, don't feel bad. I was, until I got the hang of it. Now I won't go back to carts.
Razors and blades are always YMMV because diffferent razors and blades work differently for different folks.
We are lucky to have a MUCH larger selection of high quality razor blades, soaps, and creams available to us than our fathers did.
 
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