Gillette's fanaticism with R&D(observer.guardian.co.uk)
observer.guardian.co.uk
Gillette's fanaticism with R&D
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,2181337,00.html
3 comments
Technology trumps nostalgia. Sorry buddy, a good modern cartridge blows away straight edges and single blades. And wetness has nothing on the sharpness of the blade.
In any case, the best daily shaving experience is to be had with a high quality electric foil razor. Wet shaving daily irritates the skin too much, and one day's growth isn't enough for the razor to pull on and make a close shave.
In any case, the best daily shaving experience is to be had with a high quality electric foil razor. Wet shaving daily irritates the skin too much, and one day's growth isn't enough for the razor to pull on and make a close shave.
A good analogy is a comparison between a Honda Civic and a Lamborghini. Driving the Civic is predictable and undemanding, and it gets the job done decently. The Lamborghini is less forgiving and asks more of its driver, but used well will handily outperform the Civic.
"And wetness has nothing on the sharpness of the blade." I'm not saying that people should shave with dull blades. I'm saying that given a sharp blade, the single biggest improvement that people can make while shaving is maintaining proper lubrication.
Have you learned to use a single-blade razor with a brush and some proper cream? It takes a week or two to develop good habits. If you still found that setup inferior, maybe you were responding to the fact that it takes about twice as long as the more popular kind of shave. (Ameliorating that is the fact that a nice cream is one of Earth's finest olfactory delights.)
In fairness to your point, I never shave every day, no matter the type of blade or cream, because of the reason you cite--not enough growth to do anything but irritate the skin.
To each his own, but your advocacy of electric razors saps credibility. I haven't used one of the super fancy ones, but the ones I have used, which were mid-range, were uniformly mediocre. They do make it easier to shave every day, but at the annoying cost of a sub-par shave.
"And wetness has nothing on the sharpness of the blade." I'm not saying that people should shave with dull blades. I'm saying that given a sharp blade, the single biggest improvement that people can make while shaving is maintaining proper lubrication.
Have you learned to use a single-blade razor with a brush and some proper cream? It takes a week or two to develop good habits. If you still found that setup inferior, maybe you were responding to the fact that it takes about twice as long as the more popular kind of shave. (Ameliorating that is the fact that a nice cream is one of Earth's finest olfactory delights.)
In fairness to your point, I never shave every day, no matter the type of blade or cream, because of the reason you cite--not enough growth to do anything but irritate the skin.
To each his own, but your advocacy of electric razors saps credibility. I haven't used one of the super fancy ones, but the ones I have used, which were mid-range, were uniformly mediocre. They do make it easier to shave every day, but at the annoying cost of a sub-par shave.
I am waiting for the shaver with laser blades...
That reminds me: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930
The most important element of a good shave is by no means the razor--it's wetness. If you start using a shaving brush and a good cream (the kind that comes in a small tub, not an aerosol can), and make sure your skin is always wet, the improvement is something like switching from a chainsaw to a scalpel.
Secondary to that is the razor. In my experience, the best shaves are to be had with a single-blade safety razor. The learning curve is steeper, because it doesn't let you get away with all the bad habits and sloppy technique that pivoting, vibrating, multi-colored blades forgive. After three or four shaves, though, you're all set.
http://shaveblog.com hasn't been updated in a while, but its archive is informative and well-read by shavegeeks.