Electic razor questions

Any recomendations? I go to look at the store, and some of these are expensive! Can I get a decent one for under 50 bucks? Or do I have to spend the big money? I do have a pretty thick beard...

Joey

My Norelco is dying after 10 years. It was worth the $24.00

I have used rotary and what I call inline buzzers - the rotary's the best (sounds like a car thread doesn't it?)

Even tho I have a fairly light beard I find that neither a manual razor nor an electric gets it all. BUT what I have found is that what an electric doesn't get the manual does & vice versa.

So I use the electric razor and then shave in the shower. I only have to change manual blades about once a quarter.

As an example, a manual razor can be dangerous to use around the mouth and on the chin, but an electric razor doesn't do my neck line very well.

OK, no help except don't jam your tongue into the swirling blades.

I was younger....

I like the Norelco circular style. I buy the cheap version and make sure that I get the version that only works with the cord attached. I have found that the batteries are not that good and to get max power I run it with the plug attached anyway so why pay extra for a feature I do not use. Most of the features are just gimmicks. The basic unit cuts just as well. I get about 8 years out of a unit. Occasionally you need to change the blades (every couple of years.)

jrw is right, most features are indeed gimmicks - the only one I can possibly see being worth it is the Norelco with the built-in gel dispenser thing, but then again I have really dry Welsh skin. I had a Remington with the inline blade, currently have a Norelco with the rotary blades. I prefer the Norelco, but to each his own (you really should use both to know, my dad prefers the inline blades and I prefer rotary).

Bob Costas- Use a Bic. A MANLY shaver.

If you go rotary, get the Norelco, not the Remington. The last Remington I got was JUNK. Get the cheap one, they cut just as good as the pricey ones.

I have to disagree with the "buy the cheap one" sentiment here. I had a cheap Braun and Norelco that where absolute garbage! They couldn't get my neck at all. I got in trouble soooooo many times. Now I have a really nice Remington, a rotary one. I love it.

Stay away from that electric garbage. All it ever did for me was give me razor burn so bad that it looked like I used a cheese grater.

Buy yourself a quality double-edge razor (yes, only one blade) from someone like Merkur or a good straight razor like Mtn suggested. Get some shave soap and a brush and learn how to shave properly.

This is what my barber told me and it works.

Those electrics are nothing more than a dry shave, ugh. The multi-blade units aren't as sharp as a real razor and you need to push harder because the force is spread over multiple blades. The push is what makes it dig in and give you razor burn.

A double edge or stright razor needs no pressure at all and gives a closer shave without razor burn. Good hot lather from shave soap helps a lot too.

Also, a straight razor will set you back about $120 for a decent quality unit and will last the rest of your life, pretty cheap compared to an electric every few years or a few packs of mach5 blades.

My double edge costs very little. I spent $75.00 on the razor and I buy one pack of blades a year. There are ten blades in a pack and they cost about $10-$12 for a pack. They last longer because the quality of a real razor blade is much better than the cartridge type blades.

Try it out and you can thank me later.

Shawn

I have a mid-range Norelco and a Mach 5 and I need both daily or I look like Jesus. I make Homer Simpson's shadow look like a clean cut, seriously.

Anyways, the cartridge razors all suck. If you get a decent rotary head electric (the Norelco pivoting ones are good) they do a good job of keeping it reasonable. I am definitely ready to straight-razor it from now on though! My helmet itches...

More info here:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/

Gear here:

http://www.classicshaving.com/Safety_Razors.html

Seriously guys. I used to hate the morning shave, now I look forward to it.

Shawn

I never had an electric I liked. I use a Quattro wityh a nice warm lather of Barbasol out of one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001M1JC6O/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000050B6Z&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=10G8VMVRJ4KAW0J9422A

I had good luck with the electrics as a young man, but it seems that as I get older, the hair gets stiffer. I went back to a blade at 42, but I am using modern multi-blade stuff these days. Currently using the Gillette Sensor. A blade razor ain't your grandfather's "safety razor" any more...

mtn wrote:

Last time I saw one of those was at a card game..

I've left real short whiskers on my face lately, so I've been using a Norelco beard trimmer. But I got a good Braun shaver for Christmas a few years back. I won't argue against the old-fashioned, non-'lectric razors. I just appreciate the convenience of the electric shaver and I've never had it burn, unless you go from a week- or two-week-long beard to clean shaven. No one's ever come up to me and measuring the minuscule difference in length from electric to non-electric, so it's been a non-issue.

Avoid the cheap ones. A $15 Braun shaver that I got as a high schooler took my face off, like that movie, Face Off. And a $15 Wahl beard trimmer didn't do anything except convince a sucker to give his $15 to Wahl. Clean shaven when necessary. I shaved my playoff beard last year midway through the playoffs

Pops bought the Braun 8985 shaver at the recommendation of Consumer Reports magazine. It didn't work well for the "trim the beard on Sundays" technique. I have it now (shave every day) and I like it better than the Philips electric razors I've had in the past. The self-cleaning is a cool feature. I don't care for using a blade, I prefer the electric. The crap grows back so fast there's no point getting a killer close shave.

Of course, a real man would use sugar wax like this: http://www.instructables.com/id/how-to-sugar-wax-your-legs/

I haven't used an electric in years, but when I did, they were Remingtons, back when Victor Kiam owned the company. For some reason, I used to get them as Christmas gifts every few years.

Oddly enough, I always thought the electrics shaved closer than a blade, but I hated the way that my skin felt after using it. Appearantly, the blade shaves away the outer layer of dead skin from your face. It just feels cleaner when you're done.

I guess I'm one of those guys who would vote for using both.

I hate shaving so much, I don't really do it anymore. Once a week I'll trim up with my 10 year old, $20 pair of hair clippers. Does about as good as any electric shaver I've ever used.

poopshovel wrote: I hate shaving so much, I don't really do it anymore. Once a week I'll trim up with my 10 year old, $20 pair of hair clippers. Does about as good as any electric shaver I've ever used.

I hate shaving as well, but I gotta for work.

Joey

Thanks for the advice, all!

I'm going to get am electric, I'm thinking a norelco seems to be the best bet.
Slick, I have alot of Welsh blood as well, seriously dry face skin. I'm going with your recomendation.

Also, transmaro, I'm thinking of buying a decent razor from that site you linked to... There seems to be some decent razors for under 50.

Thanks Joey

I'm with Trans_Maro I use a 1913 Gem safety razor. But a blade only lasts about a week. This was the best decision I have ever made. wish I had the later machine though.

Trans_Maro wrote: Buy yourself a quality double-edge razor (yes, only one blade) from someone like Merkur or a good straight razor like Mtn suggested. Get some shave soap and a brush and learn how to shave properly.

I'll ditto this. I was sick of razor burn from Mach5s along with the cost of replacement cartridges. Put down the cash for a Merkur, pack of blades, and brush and haven't looked back.

The brand of blades I settled on after trying a few are only around $8 for 100/pack and I get a couple weeks out of one blade. Hard to beat.