Okay Gillette, you win this round...
 

So, I really do understand the concept of loss leaders. I understand it applies to razors... hell, I know that economists basically use the phrase "give away the razor, so you can charge them for the blades" as a sort of cliche for this kind of economic gambit. I have probably even used this phrase or something like it when teaching my own economics classes.

And so, there I was... a few weeks ago, when I got the new Gillette Fusion razor for free with my Sunday paper. Fine, I'll give it a shot, but I know what they're up to. I use it for a while, and you knwo what - it is a nice razor. Smooth. And I do like that little single blade for the small stuff. That's kinda handy.

Fast forward to yesterday, and there I am, paying twelve dollars for a four-pack of refill blades for my precious, precious Fusion razor. There must be a word for this, when you realize you are falling for a stunt, but you are essentlally complicit in your own downfall nonetheless. That's me, I guess.





Welll, I did get a pretty good shave. *shurg*

Last year the same thing happened to me. I went to Sam's Club a few weeks after getting the Fusion. I found a pack of 24 razors for $60. It's a year later and I still have a few left. So I guess my suggestion is if you have a Sam's Club near you and have a membership go check them out.

Yeah, I know I can save a bit in unit price if I buy them by the truckload. I'm holding off, thinking that the market for these little demons has to cool off eventually. Right now, they drop the price from $13 to $12 and call it a sale... I'm hoping that in a few months, we'll see the occasional BOGO deal or something of the sort.

Bingo.

I never buy food at Sam's Club, but I always buy my toiletries bulk b/c its less expensive and something that can really catch you when suddenly running out.

Ever use woman's shaving cream for legs on your face? Not fun, I tell you.

I dry shave with a rusty knife.

I need to talk to my brother, because he bought some sort of expensive razor "system" that my mom said he raved about for like 30 minutes on the phone yesterday. I use the fusion and like it better than anything I've used, but it still isn't as good as I want. The only good shave I get is on Monday with the weekend beard, and as the week goes on, it gets progressively worse. Nothing works well enough to change that. And with the fusion, I find that once the aloe strip wears away, the shave gets really rough. So even if I want to keep the blade a little longer, I find it's not worth going beyond the 1 week the strip lasts. And it pisses me off because I know the blade can last longer.

The person who invents replacement strips for those things is going to rich.

On Fat Wallet, it appears that theer are still occasional promotions that amount to a pretty good deal... like a Fusion razor plus six replacement blades for about $9. I'll keep my eyes out for something of that sort resurfacing, too.

Just buy an electric and be done with it.

I have been a sucker for every Gillette razor since the Sensor. They have a customer for life in me.

That said, I hated the Fusion...the blade was too wide, and it wasn't nearly as comfortable as I expected it to be.

You will have to pry my M3 Power out of my cold, dead hands, though.

Do what I do. Buy the expensive blades, use one, enjoy a nice clean shave for about a week until it starts to dull, then spend the next three weeks carving your face up out of spite before finally putting in a new blade.

LOL, are we related or something? I refuse to throw out a blade until it is just about suicidal to use it anymore. Has anyone ever died from multiple shaving nicks?

been there, do that.

This Fusion just came out here, I gotta check it out.

Word.

I was using a quad blade and having my face carved like a pumpkin before I got a Norelco for Christmas two years ago. Best gift in years.

I've tried many expensive electric shavers, and they are no better for my face, yet I usually take twice as long trying to get a closer shave. I'm not interested in getting up 15 minutes earlier to run that thing across my face repeatedly trying to attain the kind of shave I hope to get some day.

Anyone ever had that electro-shock therapy :) service that supposedly stops your beard from growing back?

I actually liked the 3-blade Gillette better than the current 5-blade model. It gave me a closer shave with less irritation.

But, like QS, I fell into the trap after getting the free razor. I got a 40-pack of blades at the Mega-Lo Mart and once those are done, I'm going back to the old version. I hope Gillette still supports the old version.

I have got to try this. I'd experiment with growing a full beard and just trimming it, but I can't. :( Apparently, all the good stuff went to my moustache, and the beard just looks - for lack of a better word - terrible.

My brother-in-law had some type of permanent hair removal done on his face. It honestly looks kind of freaky to me because there's no stubble or anything. A man's face isn't suppose to be smooth like that...

I do the same thing. Use the Schick Quattro, which I found lasts longer than the Mach 3. I nick myself even with a brand new blade, so why not use an old one for as long as I could.

I've always used a razor... with the electric shavers, do you still get a smooth shave right after using it? Or is it noticeably more stubly?

I'm still using the old Mach 3, and I will say that the razor prices have cooled for that SOMEWHAT. I've bought so many in bulk (Costco) and had so many given to me as gifts that I doubt I'll need any for another 8-10 months and after that they will probably be discountinued.

I do the mineral oil trick once or twice a week and that seems to prolong the life of the blade. Also a great trick is leaving the razor completely out of the bathroom. Keeping it away from the heavy moisture will prolong the life of the blade and not wear out the lubricating strips as quickly.

I guess my best suggestion is make the blades a standard gift request like I do. Great stocking stuffers.

Dola.

A white paper on the rapid advancements in shaving technology over the past fifteen years or so might be quite an interesting read.

Then again, it might not.

I'm just the opposite, although my beard is certainly not PSQ.*

*That's Pumpy 'Stache Quality, for short.

Pfft, try using chipped obsidian.

I fell for the razor trap for a while until I said no more. I got up to the Mach Turbo and have stayed there. I still have my free Fusion box and I'll just use that as my travel razor.

i shave every two weeks. I can only grow mustache-chin hair in that time, so I've got the wispy Adam Morrison look going. It takes me a while to go through 1 blade, so I'm set.

I shave 4 times a year, whether I need to or not. Unlike Easy Mac, however, my beard grows at a normal rate. I'd just rather tolerate a beard than shave every day.

I also got the free fusion.
I like the single edge trimmer a lot, however I haate the 5 blades, they are packed right on top of each other.

Either that or I have really fat face hair (I am a fat ass so maybe...) but like seriously an inch down the sideburn in the am and I am rinsing and taping for 20 seconds. My Mach3 I can o all the way down in 1 swipe. If only theyd make a Mach3 with a trimmer edge I would buy a 55gallon drum full.

Oh yeah, I also refuse to throw a razor away until it lasts 3 weeks or leaves a nick that requires a butterfly closure, whatever comes first.

alls i know is, men love to talk and read about shaving

i just read this thread like i was going to be tested on it later

A local consumer advocate in Atlanta, Clark Howard, recommends blow drying the razor (not sure how long, I normally do 5-10 sec) immediately after use to prolong its life. I've tried it and it does help.

Get a shower mirror and shave in the shower. Blades last a very long time and I can't remember the last time I cut myself. It's awesome. I hate staying at hotels now because I'm forced to shave over a sink....

I shave in the shower and have started using... (God help me this is going to get me flamed, but then again, you people can thank me for extending the entertainment value of this thread)... 2 Clinique products, the facial scrub and pre-shave lotion. Both have helped quite a bit, to get me from unbearable to marginally bearable. But it sounds like I should also be keeping my razor out of the shower when I'm not using it.

what better on balls facial scrub or pre shave lotion

thanks.

How does the pre-shave lotion work? Do you put it on, and then put on shaving cream?

Excuse my ignorance but what makes those a clinique product (whatever that means)?

huh, the brand name?

http://www.clinique.com/

FM

Oh...ok. I thought it was some type of class of products or something. Never heard of clinique, but I don't really look at my wife's products....:D

This is how it is for me, too. I basically now try to schedule my 'good shave' around when I have to make a TV appearance. Otherwise it can get ugly.

I buy specific Clinique for Men (brand name) facial scrub and pre-shave lotion.

I use both in the shower. The facial scrub I use first, it is both a pre-shave application and general face wash. Then, I use the pre-shave lotion/cream as my shaving cream. With both, you are supposed to leave them on your face for a couple of minutes before washing off (scrub) or shaving (lotion). They're both pretty good, but pretty expensive. First time I used the scrub, I was shocked at how smooth my face felt just from the wash. Both give your face an 'icy hot" sensation.

Amen! Never knew what a difference it would make until I did it. Now if I could only find a decent shower mirror.

Why not use those hair removal creams?

I'll raise you - I've had the same blade on for 4 months. And no carving. :D

I have a shower mirror, but I guess I could move it up a couple of feet to help with the shaving.

...

Typical scene in my home:

Me (from bathroom): Honey, did you use my razor?

Mrs. Leafs: I don't think so.

Me: Are you sure?

Mrs. Leafs: Oh wait, yes I did. I used it to shave my legs today. Sorry, forgot to tell you.

Me (emerging from bathroom with razor hanging from my face): Could you let me know next time?

Mrs. Leafs: Don't bleed on the carpet, dear.

I think my Diamond FX Duel-Blade is the best, and I can find refills at the swapmeet all the time. I shave every other day, and I shave the old noggin twice a week. I used to swear to Edge gel, but I have since switched to the Fusion gel. Great foam, great lubrication. I also use the wife's Shishedo face soap.

Gilette gets my money, too. I use a Venus razor, which accepts either the traditional Venus or Venus Divine cartridges (Venus Divine blades are about $2 more on the 8 pack). It was weird, I used to use the disposable Bics, but once I tried the Venus (and shave gel, can't forget the shave gel!), I found I couldn't go back. I shave my legs every other day or thereabouts and end up switching blades every 3 weeks (when I change my contact lenses). I'm hooked, I have found that if I try to go back to a regular disposable or am forced to use Dove soap instead of shave gel, I get a lot more nicks.

That said, at 3 weeks the blade is pretty dull but I can't fathom doing it any more frequently--too expensive. I find I tend to geet more cuts when I go from the old blade to the new blade, because I'm used to applying more pressure with the dull blade than the new blade requires. Stupid Gilette.

/tk

I have the Fusion as well. It's pretty solid for the most part, but when I let my chin hair grow out for more than 2-3 days, it hurts to shave it with the vibration. Is that just a fact of life, or am I a shaving pussy?

I love the Mach 3, which is the razor I currently use when I shave. I have the Fusion, but haven't tried it yet. I keep meaning to, though.

That's what I do. Using razors did nothing but mess my face up. I'd never actually used anything but an electric razor until the first night of basic when they made us shave and well, I learned the hard way that I can't really do anything else.

Not that I'd want to, after that painful experience.

Try the Infinity Razor. It is a disposable ravor that is guaranteed for a life time. From the Ginzu boys or something like that.
http://www.theinfinityrazor.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1




I use a Braun electric myself