This article on MSNBC has an article about the new 5–blade razor announced by Gillette. Here’s the picture from the article:
Do we really need a 5–blade razor? I would have said that we never really needed a battery-powered 3–blade razor, but according to the article, the M3Power is “. . . is now the world's top-selling razor. “
To get more information, I went to the Gillette site and selected the Fusion Tour. It appears as though the Fusion and Fusion Power might both be released at the same time. Ok here seem to be the benefits:
- Blades are 30% closer than Mach 3 and the tight blades create a “shaving surface” that distributes force across all the blades — The first time I used a Mach 3, I cut my lip open because the blades were so sharp and tight, so if I actually try the Fusion, I’m going to be damn careful. Also, I already have a hard time getting whiskers and shaving cream out from in between the blades of my Mach 3, so I don’t know that I am looking forward to tighter blades.
- Enhanced lubricator strip — I live at high-altitude and my lubrications strips dry out in no time; I doubt that the “enhanced” means it doesn’t dry out quickly at high altitude, although I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
- Flexible comfort guard — Don’t Mach 3s already have this?
- Modern razor handle — Yes, I don’t want to get carpal tunnel from the several minutes that I spend shaving.
- Precision trimmer blade on the back to trim sideburns, etc. — I am really worried about this as I have cut myself several times when grabbing my Mach 3 at home and especially when grabbing it out of my travel kit when I’m on the road. Now, will this cause the Fusion to be classed as a weapon by the TSA?
I think that I’m just going to go buy a straight razor and strap from Shavecenter.com. Hell, I’m already using a brush, so I might as well go totally old school. Of course, I don’t think they’ll let me bring a straight razor on a plane.
5 comments:
For what it is worth, and for a deserved "Counter Point," I LOVE the M3Power razor. I too said "this has to be a gimmic." I also admired Gillette's thinking -- "gee, how can we sell more Duracel batteries? That's it! Put them in the razor!" But, then I broke down and purchased one. It, along with their cream (ah yes, more revenue for G!), really does give me the best shave I've ever had. I've been telling all my friends and co-workers. Gillette has won me over -- though I've always liked their products anyway.
In thinking about 5 blades, well, I'm in the same boat as this post -- it seems overkill. But, I've appreciated their "advances" before and I'll probably try this one too.
Jeffrey
(NOT a Gillette employee!)
Ahh, remember the day when comments on blogs had something to do with the blog itself? And weren't just tacky attempts to scam money out of poor, unsuspecting bloggers?
Anyway, I will be watching the fusion with interest. Just when you thought that everything had already been invented ion shaving technology, and perhaps that people no longer really cared, Gillette raises the bar.
I think one of the most interesting points in the article is that Gillette says that capital spending on the Fusion programme is much lower than what it had been for Mach3. The CEO of Gillette explained that this is because "the fusion is a much dumber idea than the Mach3. With the fusion, we will piss away our money on marketing, not just product development."
Years ago, a comedy skit on a forgotten show had a commercial for "Multiblade". This product featured a deliberately ridiculous number of blades next to each other in a razor ("The first one pulls the beard hair....". I recall the tagline; "Multiblade - because you'll buy anything!"
I don't know why, but I came home from work today and found Gillette had sent me a Fusion in the mail. I used, and was pleasantly surprised. I hadn't shaved for a couple of days, and the razor seemed to make itself stay close to my face for a close shave. I used shave oil instead of cream, and the blades seem to clean easily. Overall, I was impressed. The razor came with coupons to buy blades and items from the Fusion line, plus coupons (presumably to give to others) for the razor itself. I don't now if I would've plunked down the money to try this, and the cost of blades might keep this from being my regular razor, but it was more functional than I thought it would be.
First, its a strop, not a strap. Second, I wouldn't advise investing in a cut throat right out of the gate.
Get a DE razor (Merkur makes some great ones, I reccomend the HD). Replacement blades can be had for around $2/ten pack.
Enjoy!!!
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