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Moore's Law For Razor Blades?
BartlebyScrivener writes "An article in The Economist examines Moore's Law as applied to razor blade technology: 'For the most cynical shavers, this evolution is mere marketing. Twin blades seemed plausible. Three were a bit unlikely. Four, ridiculous. And five seems beyond the pale. Few people, though, seem willing to bet that Gillette's five-bladed Fusion is the end of the road for razor-blade escalation. More blades may seem impossible for the moment — though strictly speaking the Fusion has six, because it has a single blade on its flip-side for tricky areas — but anyone of a gambling persuasion might want to examine the relationship between how many blades a razor has, and the date each new design was introduced'" I'm legally obligated to mention the Onion article that predicted this.
God I hate razor blade ads. Why do Gilette et al always use an actor who's clearly been clean shaven before they do the shot where he pulls the blade from his ear to his chin in one fell swoop. It's hardly a ringing endorsement of their product if they won't show someone with a day or two's worth of stubble doing the same thing.
Here's my favourite parody of the gilette ads:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd6BjAj9Zag
If it's too difficult, I can't understand it !
640k blades
There was a Saturday Night Live "commercial" back in the seventies - "Track 3 - bacause you'll beleive anything".
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
The new 36-blade razor. Perfect for everything from shaving your face, to chopping wood. I'll stick to my electric razor.
Reno Web Design |
Sounds a bit like the "Holey Wars" I once heard of. A quick check of Wikipedia and Google didn't turn it up. The idea is that the first steam irons for homes had one hole in them. Some other manufacturer topped this with 2, then 3, etc. This continued until we ended up with irons with tons of holes like we have today.
And that was the Holey Wars.
Now at 5 the blade density is already getting up there so I'm not quite sure how much higher they can go (without pointless tricks like splitting the blades in half and calling it "10 bladed").
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
That is the smartest thing I have ever heard anybody say, ever.
Seriously though, shouldn't razor blade manufacturers start worrying about heat density? I mean, my old 3 blade razor can run on nothing more than a heatsink but a 5 blade has to sound like a leaf blower.
Never had to worry about nicks, cuts, or anything else like that.
Styptic pencil? What for.
Need help treating your acne? Come here!
Don't forget the battery powered ones too!
I predict the number of reposts and useless articles will double each year!!!
Don't forget the Saturday Night Live mock commercial: "The 13th blade gouges even deeper into your skin."
There are already razors out there with eighteen blades.
Phooey on blades. I am betting on a laser powered face shaving system. One that will give you a tan too if used regularly.
Should be enough for everyone.
It's all well and good to go nuts over more blades in a razor, but nobody ever mentions the other side of the equation. I once bought a pack of shavers at the dollar store that somehow left me with the same amount of stubble, but a lot less face.
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
Forget the 14-blade razor in the year 2100. We have a 15 blade one now.
Respect the laws of physics, for the laws of physics have no respect for you.
I'm fairly confident that by the year 2100 nanobots will be shaving us. Actually, the way I see it, they will live off of our hair for food. At any rate, this will alleviate the problem of getting to those "hard to reach" areas once and for all. I just hope I can put them on my nads without them itching.
Finally, slashdot has moved it's focus into an arena more in line with its true colors - the absurd.
Autonomous Retard -- Is your camp safe? UnsafeCamp.com
Well, Irregular Webcomic has all future predictions covered, with a joke about a razor with infinity+1 blades. I'm at work, but the link should be this one.
Loose things are easy to lose. You're getting your hair cut. They're going there to see their aunt.
I realize that Slashdot is not necessarily the place to get the most recent news. After all, the submission/editor system almost guarantees the article will be late. However, I remember reading this article back in MARCH. Seven months is a little long, even by Slashdot standards.
Saturday Night Live did a skit about this years ago. The Mach 12 Turbo by Gillette. The head was like 6 inches long. Hilarious.
"Da ist ein Technölüst in mein Unterpanten!"
I used to use multi-blade expensive razors, but I got tired of spending 15 bucks every time I needed new blades. Now I use cheap twin-blade disposables, and it's fine. Unless you have hair like a yeti, you don't need that many blades. And actually, it seemed to me that I actually got a WORSE shave using the Gillette Mach 3 than I did with a cheap disposable two-blade razor. I don't know if it's because the blades are closer together or what, but I found when I hadn't shaved for a while I had to actually go over some parts of my face multiple times with the Mach 3 that I only had to go over once with the cheap disposable.
Ok, first they made the vibrating razor. Apparently everything that vibrates is better (and I have to say, my toothbrush actually is), so I thought ... I'll try that.
... I see the extra blade thing, and think, "Now there's somthing that actually makes sense", so I get one (you can't use the old handles with the new blades, which is actually a new trick from them - usually you can just buy the new cartiridges).
It didn't make a noticable difference.
SO
Well, it sucks. Completely useless.
I can only imagine that the were afraid to sell an actual sharp blade that you might be capable of cutting yourself with given today's litigeous environment. It doesn't protrude far enough out of the cartirdge to be usefull.
- Roach
is for new materials for blades. Steel is all nice, but how 17th century can you get? The modern man shaves using carbon fiber technology!
Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, which is why engineers sometimes smell really bad.
I don't like those multi bladed razors. You're more likely to get Pseudofolliculitos barbae(razor bumps) from using them. Running 5 blades over every part of your beard causes it to be very cleanly shaven(duh) and more likely to be cut so low that razor bumps occur. This reminds of this comic strip: http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1186.html
The only reason they need the silly sixth blade for those "tricky areas" is because with five blades, the head of the razor is so freaking big you can't use it the way you'd use a Mach 3, which works just fine for the same areas without needing the "special blade". Classic case of creating additional problems by "innovating" requiring an even more complex solution.
Oh, and don't shave unless you're wearing slippers. Drop your Fusion, and that sixth blade can do one heck of a number on one of your toes (ouch).
Never look down your nose at others. Someday, someone is bound to see your boogers.
Ok, first they made the vibrating razor. Apparently everything that vibrates is better
So tell us: what other vibrating devices do you own?
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
The best thing I've found for shaving is to get a small bottle of olive oil, and mix in a some tea-tree oil. Probably best if you shave in, or during your shower. It's a close shave, it's natural, the tea-tree oil is good for your skin and you don't get foam up your nose.
I did need a new razor recently, so I went for the 5/6 bladed Gillette Fusion as it was on offer. That, with its odd vibrate feature, and my olive oil mix does make for a very pleasant shave in the morning.
http://www.industryplayer.com/licenceinfo.php?lici d=012545
--1950s There was a period of intense competition among manufacturers that was known as the "Holey Wars". Proctor began with an advertising campaign that touted the efficiency of its 15 steam jets. Eventually some manufacturers featured over 100 steam vents. The industry standard has evolved to be about 22 holes spaced evenly around the perimeter of the sole plate.--
yea, that's right, my single google search had this at the top. now, go to your room and cry your wee little heart out.
By best, I mean closest. And it's only a single blade! Plus, with a leather strop, it stays sharp for several months before being put on Japanese wet stone (or Arkansas oil stone) for sharpening. It also doesn't clog up. But the cons are initial expense (no recurring expenses, a blade can stay with you for life), it takes more time, and you can cut yourself bad (if you pay no attention), and just learning it. The other pros are less trash, it's gets really close, less razorburns (at least for me).
I mostly straight shave these days, have a disposable on hand when I need to it quick.
I have a course beard and a I found the twin bladed razors the best, the single bladed disposable usually are too stiff, and anything above >= 3 blades just clog up too easily as it is a tradeoff between blades and distance. I pretty much tried every disposable on the market before becoming a straight razor shaver. The old style (1900's) single blade gillettes (early metal with disposable blades) do a pretty good too, or something like the roll's razor.
A single/double blade can do the job properly just as easily. It depends more on the sharpness, hardness and the quality (edge retention) of the blade, the angle it attacks your beard than then the number of blades. All that is is marketing.
Shaving though is always going to be a pain. It's good for you because it exfoliates your face daily, reducing aging speed, though sometimes I wish I could afford lasering my beard off.
The thing is, once the first leading edge blade gets dull (or rather bent back... under a microscope blade edges curl rather than dull)...
it will pull on hairs instead of cut, causing painful shaving.
No matter how many blades you add, this blade will do most of the cutting always, and so will be the first to dull. And once the first blade is dull, you have to throw away the razor. No matter that you have 4 other blades on the razor that are still sharp.
Beyond two blades, its pointless to add more.
What they need is a blade that when you shave against the grain, it won't cut and roughen up your skin all to hell.
to get you to buy more blades than you really need.
Just like SUVs are a scam to get you to pay for the equivalent of two cars when you only need one.
I remember when people had one blade with two sides, and you could just replace the blade and not have to buy a whole new plastic razor. (before disposable razors) You realize that a pack of blades and a non-disposable razor fits in your luggage much better than a 5-pack of disposables. And when the razor gets dull you just flip it over and use the other side, then throw it away after that.
I prefer electrics, since I can shave but leave things stubbly. perpetually maintaining that "hasn't shaved in 2 days" look, plus you can get them with a beard trimmer which is nice. otherwise any old razor and some hot water does better than all the creams, gels, lubricated strips and polybladed devices.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
-Richard Stallman
The motorized [vibrating heads] seem to do a quicker job, but more blades helps. Just look at the swarf.
Personally, I like the Shick/Wilkinson Quattro (4) better than the Gillette Fusion (5), but that is probably due to other features (guard wires allowing a steeper blade angle). Both shave considerably closer than any 2 blade and usually closer than the triples.
The next razor will have 7 blades, then 11, then 13 and then:
17 19 23 29 31 37 41 43 47 53 59 61 67 71 73 79 83 89 97 101 103 107 109 113 127 131 137 139 149 151 157 163 167 173 179 181 191 193 197 199 211 223 227 229 233 239 241 251 257 263 269 271 277 281 283 293 307 311 313 317 331 337 347 349 353 359 367 373 379 383 389 397 401 409 419 421 431 433 439 443 449 457 461 463 467 479 487 491 499 503 509 521 523 541 547 557 563 569 571 577 587 593 599 601 607 613 617 619 631 641 643 647 653 659 661 673 677 683 691 701 709 719 727 733 739 743 751 757 761 769 773 787 797 809 811 821 823 827 829 839 853 857 859 863 877 881 883 887 907 911 919 929 937 941 947 953 967 971 977 983 991 997 1009 1013 1019 1021 1031 1033 1039 1049 1051 1061 1063 1069 1087 1091 1093 1097 1103 1109 1117 1123 1129 1151 1153 1163 1171 1181 1187 1193 1201 1213 1217 1223 1229 1231 1237 1249 1259 1277 1279 1283 1289 1291 1297 1301 1303 1307 1319 1321 1327 1361 1367 1373 1381 1399 1409 1423 1427 1429 1433 1439 1447 1451 1453 1459 1471 1481 1483 1487 1489 1493 1499 1511 1523 1531 1543 1549 1553 1559 1567 1571 1579 1583 1597 1601 1607 1609 1613 1619 1621 1627 1637 1657 1663 1667 1669 1693 1697 1699 1709 1721 1723 1733 1741 1747 1753 1759 1777 1783 1787 1789 1801 1811 1823 1831 1847 1861 1867 1871 1873 1877 1879 1889 1901 1907 1913 1931 1933 1949 1951 1973 1979 1987 1993 1997 1999 2003 2011 2017 2027 2029 2039 2053 2063 2069 2081 2083 2087 2089 2099 2111 2113 2129 2131 2137 2141 2143 2153 2161 2179 2203 2207 2213 2221 2237 2239 2243 2251 2267 2269 2273 2281 2287 2293 2297 2309 2311 2333 2339 2341 2347 2351 2357 2371 2377 2381 2383 2389 2393 2399 2411 2417 2423 2437 2441 2447 2459 2467 2473 2477 2503 2521 2531 2539 2543 2549 2551 2557 2579 2591 2593 2609 2617 2621 2633 2647 2657 2659 2663 2671 2677 2683 2687 2689 2693 2699 2707 2711 2713 2719 2729 2731 2741 2749 2753 2767 2777 2789 2791 2797 2801 2803 2819 2833 2837 2843 2851 2857 2861 2879 2887 2897 2903 2909 2917 2927 2939 2953 2957 2963 2969 2971 2999 3001 3011 3019 3023 3037 3041 3049 3061 3067 3079 3083 3089 3109 3119 3121 3137 3163 3167 3169 3181 3187 3191 3203 3209 3217 3221 3229 3251 3253 3257 3259 3271 3299 3301 3307 3313 3319 3323 3329 3331 3343 3347 3359 3361 3371 3373 3389 3391 3407 3413 3433 3449 3457 3461 3463 3467 3469 3491 3499 3511 3517 3527 3529 3533 3539 3541 3547 3557 3559 3571 3581 3583 3593 3607 3613 3617 3623 3631 3637 3643 3659 3671 3673 3677 3691 3697 3701 3709 3719 3727 3733 3739 3761 3767 3769 3779 3793 3797 3803 3821 3823 3833 3847 3851 3853 3863 3877 3881 3889 3907 3911 3917 3919 3923 3929 3931 3943 3947 3967 3989 4001 4003 4007 4013 4019 4021 4027 4049 4051 4057 4073 4079 4091 4093 4099 4111 4127 4129 4133 4139 4153 4157 4159 4177 4201 4211 4217 4219 4229 4231 4241 4243 4253 4259 4261 4271 4273 4283 4289 4297 4327 4337 4339 4349 4357 4363 4373 4391 4397 4409 4421 4423 4441 4447 4451 4457 4463 4481 4483 4493 4507 4513 4517 4519 4523 4547 4549 4561 4567 4583 4591 4597 4603 4621 4637 4639 4643 4649 4651 4657 4663 4673 4679 4691 4703 4721 4723 4729 4733 4751 4759 4783 4787 4789 4793 4799 4801 4813 4817 4831 4861 4871 4877 4889 4903 4909 4919 4931 4933 4937 4943 4951 4957 4967 4969 4973 4987 4993 4999 5003 5009 5011 5021 5023 5039 5051 5059 5077 5081 5087 5099 5101 5107 5113 5119 5147 5153 5167 5171 5179 5189 5197 5209 5227 5231 5233 5237 5261 5273 5279 5281 5297 5303 5309 5323 5333 5347 5351 5381 5387 5393 5399 5407 5413 5417 5419 5431 5437 5441 5443 5449 5471 5477 5479 5483 5501 5503 5507 5519 5521 5527 5531 5557 5563 5569 5573 5581 5591 5623 5639 5641 5647 5651 5653 5657 5659 5669 5683 5689 5693 5701 5711 5717 5737 5741 5743 5749 5779 5783 5791 5801 5807 5813 5821 5827 5839 5843 5849 5851 5857 5861 5867 5869 5879 5881 5897 5903 5923 5927 5939 5953 5981 5987 6007 6011 6029 6037 6043 6047 6053 6067 6073 6079 6089 6091 6101 6113 6121 6131 6133 6143 6151 6163 6173 6197 6199 6203 6211 6217 6221 6229 6247 6257 6263 6269 6271 6277 6287 6299 6301 6311 6317 6323 6329 6337 6343 6353 6359 6361 6367 6373 6379 6389 6397 6421 6427 6449 6451 6469 6473 6481 6491 6521 6529 6547 6551 6553 65
I have a really thick beard growth and none of the multiple blade razors were doing it for me. I was having problems because the razors would blunt in the middle of shaving so I would have to use more than one and the results were bad. My flatmate told me what her dad used to use, a double edged safety razor. We picked up one from Boots and got some razors for it. I have never looked back since. Why have five, seven, twenty blades when they all suck and I can get a saftey razor for £5 and twenty blades for it for the same price? My shave is as good as you can get from a barber. There is the problem of storage if you have children but, otherwise, I do not look back.
Not to be outdone: Occam's razor - now with 12 blades
Technologies that I like to see: CO2 laser, carbon nanotubes as blades
Dummies. When will you ever learn. (At Four.)
I dunno about others, but when I shave with a single bladed razor, I look like I just tried to commit suicide. A two bladed razor leaves a handful of nicks. When I use a razor with three blades I can actually manage to shave myself without cuts. I don't know about the 4 and 5 blade razors as I haven't used them. But I don't think it's all a marketing ploy. The difference between 1,2, and 3 blades to me is very real.
... if you try too hard to use it in a complicated way, it just cuts your head off, and saves us from having to hear about it.
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
I'd rather use Occam's Razor blades.
Let me add here my great contribution to science and simple living:
You don't need shaving cream to shave.
I once read an interview in the Wall Street Journal with a scientist from Gillette. He said that a razor blade can cut a wet beard much more easily than a dry beard. It takes a minute or two for your beard to be soaked through. The only purpose of shaving cream is to hold the water to wet your beard for a minute or two while the hairs gets saturated.
I thought, "When I step out of the shower in the morning, my beard is soaked. I should be able to shave without any shaving cream."
I tried it next morning, and I got the smoothest, cleanest shave I ever got in my life.
I haven't used shaving cream for 30 years.
(Conversely, if you just spread shaving cream on your face and don't give it a minute or two to wet your beard, you'll get a rough shave.)
For some reason I originally thought this was bout flat razors. But... seems if they want more blades or better head, they could make a micro-rotary system embedded in face masks. The masks could be custom latex molds. You go to sleep with it and then just rip it off.
Oh, wait, I guess they could just use Neet or Nair-- but made for men...
Oh, and I don't care... if there is NO patent as of this date, and later I come up with the money, I'll patent this just to open source it. Or, I'll make designs and release them if someone tries to preemptively patent it....
(....)
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
Ought to be enough for anyone!
even Richard Stallman...
"Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
I threw away my Gillette Mach 3 and bought a good old-fashioned safety razor which takes good old-fashioned double-edged razor blades. I pay less than 1/10th the prize for blades now, and they last just as long as the Mach 3 cartridges did. Reading the Shave My Face site helped me find the good stuff.
I have great respect for the late King Camp Gillette, who invented the cheap mass-produced double-edged razor blade, and no respect at all for the Gillette Company who seem to have turned into a marketing machine.
Ideally, I would shave with a straight razor, but I'm kinda scared...
Dumping cartridge razor was definitely one of the best decisions I ever took, though
Eat the rich.
Yea, but image a beowulf of those. You could shave your face, your ass, your balls, your back and your legs in half a second. Put a small motor and a AAA in the thing, make it look like a 1950s lawn mower. You can shave on the way to work, talk on your cell phone AND drink that mocha latte at the same time. Fuck, you could shave a rottweiler with that bad boy and he wouldn't know what hit him till he was balder than a baby's ass.
(Sorry, got caught up in the Onion article, and I *DO* work in marketing for a living...)
Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
The article might call it unlikely, but I actually get pretty good results with a Mach 3. I never really had a problem with cuts, but I deffinitely like the results better WRT how my face feels after I shave.
I rarely criticize things I don't care about.
...when computer nerds and razorblades are mentioned in the same article without the words "never use" being included!?!
...is how each time Gillette introduces a new razor, they advertise it as being completely new technology, a revolutionary leap forward rather than an incremental or evolutionary improvement. When they came out with the Sensor Excel, that was fine. When they came out with the Mach 3, that was pretty ridiculous. Since then, though, it's just been moronic.
I'm not suggesting that 5 blades isn't better, and yes, I currently use a Fusion. But to market it as a new idea is just retarded.
$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
When the Mach 3 came out years ago, an SNL or MadTV skit parodied this years with the "Mach 13". A Will Ferrell skit, I believe. "Just when you don't think you can get any closer, another blade comes along and takes the 1st layer of skin off!", or something like that... It was good stuff... Other prescient multi-blade humor via Google.
I'm actually a fan of one of the 3-blade razors because of the springy-head design.
The cheap-ass 40-pack of disposable 2-bladers at Costco is what I use until we can buy cheap springy head razors. I get a new blade every few days, and it costs almost nothing.
Dave Barry also wrote a great piece on the subject back in early 2003, predicting a "nuclear arms race among razor companies." Read the article here, it's humorous.
I stopped using the foam and gel type shaving cream a few years ago and have been using Neutrogena Men Skin Clearing Shave Cream. It's a cream but doesn't foam up so it's just a thin layer of cream. For years I couldn't shave more than every other day as my skin was irritated a flaked quite badly if I shaved everyday. Since I switched creams I find I can now shave everyday without irritation. I also use non-alcohol after shave balm so there's no sting since there's no alcohol in it.
Did anyone else notice how everything Gillete made up to and including the M3 Power had compatible blades? I can for instance buy cheaper Mach 3 blades for my M3 Power and never know the difference (not that there is any). With the Fusion, the blades attach in a different and incompatible way. Way to milk even more money for essentially the same thing!
Moore's law predicts a doubling of performance every 18 months.
Gillette's law seems to be a increment in the number of blades every few years. Let's see:
1901: 1 blade 1971: 2 blades (1/70th of a blade increase per year avg ) 1998: 3 blades (1/27th of a blade per year avg ) 2006: 5 blades (1/4 of a blade per year avg )
Now the rate is accelerating, but nowhere near Moore's law.
If it was following Moore's law, over 105 years we would have 2^(105/1.5) or about 1180591620717411303424 blades by now. We're only a mere 1180591620717411303419 blades short. Using a little math, that's
I've never seen the point to shaving cream myself, I find everything is fine just using the razor right after you shower - just wet the blade down a few times while you are shaving.
I do have the new Fusion, mostly what I like about it is the single blade you can do a prepass with on harder areas and then use the normal razor to finish things off.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
i thought only women shaved
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F7TMlrDXtw
Who cares? Drink enough coffee and you vibrate.
Hail Eris, full of mischief...
E pluribus sanguinem
MAD Magazine scooped the Onion by 25 years.. jpg
http://www.craphound.com/images/madprescientrazor
"Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!"
The extra blade cannot really finish off an area, but what it is good for is doing under your nose and around your chin before you use the normal razor part - that works much better after you take an initial pass at it with the single blade.
I also have the vibrating handle and it is sort of nice if you have a few days to shave off, though very marginal. I think it helps somewhat if you drag it across a bit slower, giving the blade a kind of sawing effect.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
What I don't like is how they keep obsoleting the blades etc so fast. Two years and you can't find the blades to fit any more.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
While Kurzweil, in his Singularity is near, showed to some extend that nearly all information-related technology increases exponentially (via S-curve parts for each
new major paradigm), opponents ridiculed that generalization of Moore's Law by
arguing that razors' blades, modern razor designs made by computers, won't grow
exponentially to thousands of blades by 2020.
IMO that's short sighted: even with razors it very well might (though far from
as hard as Moore's Law growth and things depending on that): the paradigm of 'what
constitutes a razor' just has to change. But why shouldn't it actually happen that way?
Ironically, We could see manual razors with nanowire/microcavity-like structures,
or just shrinking, ever more precise razor blades with tiny strengthening parallel
interconnections, or whatever, until we have razors that are simple Micromechanical
Systems or nanorazors, with growing miniaturization technology this may be
economical and possible as a trend.
But, for $122, I where ELSE it is useful for... (doesn't look like it'll draw blood)
t ary-enough-to-abandon-blades-203896.php
a ry+Razaq,+a+cool+electric+shaver.html
But, if anyone figures out this works for their pets, I imagine the gillette marketing team will cringe... struggling to shake off the image of their pricey gizmo being used by vets and frugal pet owners.... new, unwanted ad/slogan: "GilLETTe... the BEST a PET can GEHEHET..."
http://www.quintippio.co.uk/ looks more like a tongue or ass-scraper.... (sorry, just had to...)
But, for more serious ones, see these...
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/hitachi-ro
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/en/news-12496-Rot
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
"Occam's razor states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating, or "shaving off," those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory."
I think the two razors need to meet somewhere, or things will get pretty crazy. Just liked the irony mostly.
Funtime Candy Wow! - my plan for eventually conquering Japan.
The Onion actually seems to have a better track record than a lot of psychics at predicting the future.
I'm not sure if I find that comforting or frightening.
--MarkusQ
...just giving it a trim every now & then. I will start using a razor again when they sell one that runs on Linux!
"This is America... where the will of the few outweigh the outrage of the many..." - Unknown
I actually like the Fusion. I laughed when I saw it in the stores, but when I got a trial in the mail, I decided it wouldn't hurt to give it a whirl. For quite a while I've been using the Gillette Sensor 3. I like the triple blade, not so much because it has three instead of two, but because of the distance between the blades -- it's easier to wash out. However, anything over three blades was too "tall" and difficult to shave with. The Fusion changes that. With the five blades, it's a much smoother shave than the Sensor was, and the sixth "precision" blade solves the "tallness" problem while at the same time making it a snap to keep sideburns trimmed and get rid of stray hairs around beards and mustaches. Now, the ultimate question will be around price. I'm perfectly satisfied with the Sensor 3, but I'm willing to pay just a little more for the Fusion. I'll find out on my next trip to the store.
GreyPoopon
--
Why is it I can write insightful comments but can't come up with a clever signature?
On triple M radio in Melbourne, Australia. The breakfast crew with their usual crap skits had one for the "NEW" 4 blade razor.
From the skit:
Announcer 1: The first blade cuts, The second blade trims, The third blade shaves...
Announcer 2: What does the fourth blade do?
Announcer 1: *thinks* It just sits there and rusts.
it is only after a long journey that you know the strength of the horse.
What do nerds have to shave? Their pubes? Trust me dudes, don't go there.
I tried it, I gotta say, I don't get, I had the conversation with my wife...exactly how many blades is needed? Is more better? And she said she's used single blade disposables on her legs for years and never had a problem...
I have to say it's gotta just be the "more is better" mentality marketers are playing on, cuz it gave no better of a shave, no quicker and no smoother...
Stupid.
dB Masters
TFA is incorrect -- Gillette Fusion does not actually have six blades. It has five blades, although it is correct that Gillette accomplished this by putting one blade on the back. This, of course, makes the Onion article that much more accurate.
Walgreens... They have some model made in China, probably better than the $1 or -Y-100 model. It costs only $9.99, normally $30-some. I wonder where the Remington Steel rotary is made... Imagine if it only costs $5 to make, but they charge $120+
But, serously, umm, seriously, I'm tempted to try it... I suppose if it's BAD enough, Walgreens might pull it. Oh, wait... it's a STORE... that's probably their "loss leader", maybe even an in-house variety....like GQ is to Fry's and Best Buy (yep, I've seen some GQ laptops at Best Buy, in SJ over by santana blow... back in late 2003/early 2004)
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
you can't use the old handles with the new blades, which is actually a new trick from them - usually you can just buy the new cartiridges
I have 3 blade cartridges for the older sensor handle, and I'm pretty sure I've seen them for the even older contour handle as well. (oh, and both are in my experience worse then the 2 blade versions, and approx 20% more expensive)
What handle do you use? Gillete mailed me a Sensor when I turned 18, and I have no trouble finding replacement heads for it. I've been using the same handle for over a decade. They sent me a Mach III after they came out, but I couldn't figure out a use for it other than slicing up my face.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
The only thing more annoying than a Libertarian is an (un|mis)informed Libertarian
...there will be a razor blade thingie that is the size and shape of your entire face, lined with blades, to clear away every last bit of stubble in one single swipe.
The only question is how long it will take to get there.
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
It doesn't make sense to keep adding blades. Haven't they heard of Occam's razor?
Being a steel beard I've spend many a year trying to perfect the perfect shave, but after a couple of decades of research I finally found a formula that works.
1. Has to be after a shower.
2. In shaving mug mix: Gillette shaving gel + a dash of mineral oil using a bristle shaving brush
3. After the foamy mixture is right apply to one of the stubble areas of the face (L cheek, R cheek, jawline, under chin, under lip and moustache area)
4. Down stroke with a Merkur Heavy Duty Safety Razor with a Merkur platinum coated double edged blade insert
5. Reapply the foamy mixture to that same area
6. Up stroke with a Gillette Mach 3
7. Once all the areas have been purged of stubble it is time to apply aftershave lotion (never use rubbing alchohol)
I got a box from my local supermarket chain recently... I opened it to find a fusion (non vibrating model) sample inside. I normally use an electric but have a sensor (2 blade) razor if I want a closer shave for something. I've used the fusion 3 times now and don't notice any increase in the closeness of the shave. I also noted the near uselessness of the single blade on the back; It took me 3 tries to get the stray hair I missed under my nose. Overall, I don't see the need to switch from my current setup, especially since I can buy generic blades for my sensor for half the price of the gillette ones (however, the blades lose their sharpness 25% sooner than the brand name ones).
Don't leave your mind so open that your brain falls out. Don't close it so much that you cut off the blood.
I have a beard now, but years ago I used to use a straight razor. It was a very close shave for about a year as long as you stropped it before use. After a year or two you should get it professionally sharpened because it starts to lose it's edge.
People seem to think that you'll cut your face apart, but as long as you pay attention and don't move the blade in a cutting motion across your face there's little danger. You get a much better feel for the smoothness than a disposable, and you don't have to worry about running out of blades all the time.
AccountKiller
"That's right folks, our new razor with 5 blades is so completely useless and cumbersome that we have included a handy dandy straight razor on the back, for getting the job done right!"
For security, the MD5 hash of this message and sig is 09f911029d74e35bd84156c5635688c0.
My razor only has one blade.
It's about 4 inches long, folds into the handle for convenient carrying and safety, and
gives much less irritation than any other razor I have used.
I took the Fusion challenge in mission beach, california.
I went into the booth with a good week or two worth of growth.
The fusion razor was unable to match the performance of my straight edge.
it clogged, and needed to be rinsed every quarter inch or so.
The cut throat glides through forests of hair with ease, never clogs, and
is able to be sharpened after such harsh use. Also, since it can be wiped clean
after each stroke, it is possible to avoid getting all that hair in the sink and
thus prevent the cloging of the plumbing.
Even still, I was actually impressed with the fusion. It performed much better
than I was expecting, and gave a smooth close shave with little irritation.
It just didn't shave me easily, and it nicked me all over the place.
The market? Listen, we make the market. All we have to do is put her out there with a little jingle. It's as easy as, "Hey, shaving with anything less than five blades is like scraping your beard off with a dull hatchet." Or "You'll be so smooth, I could snort lines off of your chin." Try "Your neck is going to be so friggin' soft, someone's gonna walk up and tie a goddamn Cub Scout kerchief under it."
6 194635055&q=gillette+fusion
It turns out the actual way to advertise a five-bladed razor is not the above slogans, but instead with visuals of "scientists" in white lab coats putting red and blue power cores into some kind of linear accelerator. After the torrents of awesome red and blue energy slam into each other they bring up the logo of Gillette Fusion. Apparently this is the most effective way of advertising a 5-bladed razor given today's marketing paradigms.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=676916747
I'm 30 years old. I believe in taking care of myself, and a balanced diet and a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack, I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water activated gel cleanser. Then a honey almond body scrub. And on the face, an ex foliating gel scrub. Then apply an herb mint facial mask, which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion. There is an idea of a Rude Turnip, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me. Only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our life styles are probably comparable, I simply am not there.
Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
My first shave was with the then, very common, 2 blade razor. I was young, it worked on my peach fuzz. When the Mach 3 came out, I was there man, I had to try it, my beard was coming in thicker and thicker, and nothing was making my face smooth. So I tried something new. I loved my mach 3, I got such better results, and my face always felt less sore after shaving. I used my Mach 3 from almost the day it was released until the Fusion hit the shelves. I found the design highly laughable, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyways. Meijer had em on special one day, so I picked one up.
Basically, I have found that the Fusion works better on shorter hair, while the Mach 3 does a great job if I haven't shaved in 3-4 days. Tthe Fusion allows me to get a smooth shave, with minor irritation every day, something I have never been able to do before. My facial hair grows in very thick, but slowly, so I have never been able to shave daily, until my Fusion. However, if I leave it go for a few days, if I neglect my face, the fusion performs very poorly. I am left with an uncomfortable, girlfriend scratching stubble and the occasional ingrown hair. On the flipside, if I shave too soon with a Mach 3, my face will be beet red for hours. So, I keep them around for whatever state my face is in currently.
Course, six weeks ago, I said fuck em all to hell, and started having my facial hair permanently lasered off. I figure I stand to save a ton of cash in the long run, what with razors, shaving gel, hot water, and TIME.
--Nuintari
slashdot : where an opinion can be wrong.
as n approaches infinity,
= chindogu.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
So tell us: what other vibrating devices do you own?
:)
I was referring to the aforementioned toothbrush, but I somehow knew this question was coming sooner rather than later
- Roach
as an advertising gimic- it was actually listed on the box as six bladed (one blade on the back for triming).
After a week of using it, I've got a major problem- it gave me a closer shave, but it made my beard grow faster, so now I have to use it twice a day.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
-start commercial I love the new Titanium, I have had just about every razor there is, and it is by far the best! -end commercial Actually I really do think it is the best .....
Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit!
> are we not men? Is a five O'clock shadow not acceptable at 5 O-friggin-clock?
Believe me, you care very much about getting a really good, close shave if you're a transvestite.
Xenu loves you!
The reason they added the auxiliary blade to the main five is that everyone was talking about their surround sound system's "5.1" channels. "5.1" channels? "5.1" blades.
When you consider the advancement of surround sound systems, the future of razors looks quite scary, indeed.
As far as the end-game goes, you keep adding blades, then you add a vibration "feature", and then you add even more blades. Eventually, you run out of room to add blades to the front, so you start moving them (spinning, perhaps) to fit them all in. Next thing you know, you've invented the electric shaver.
For a shave much better than a safety razor, check out this article:
How to get that perfect shave
which points to this site:
ClassicShaving.com
There is no need to use a SlashDot sig for SEO...
Since when do us geeks have time to shave anyways? Let me know when Gilette makes a razor that can give me a close shave while I'm hacking out 300 lines of code at 3 in the AM. In Soviet Russia, you shave the razor!
There are 10 types of people in the world; those who can read binary, and those who can't.
When I saw the title of "The Economist" cover, I thought at first it was all about US forces shaving in Iraq then running...
When they turned razors into vibrators, I told myself "That's it. Technology has betrayed us". So about a year ago I bought a classic safety razor: http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522941/ 906442.htm
One double sided blade, no silliness. And you know what? Exactly the same shave as I was getting from my mach 3, but instead of paying 10 to 15 bucks for a package of 5 blades, I now pay 5 bucks for a package of 10. Just like with the mach 3, I get about 3 or 4 shaves from a blade before it goes too dull. The only trouble is you can only buy the blades from drug stores, supermarkets won't carry them.
Anyway, the other thing -- as was mentioned in an earlier post -- is that shaving cream is a god damned scam. Just use ivory soap and hot water. And if you've got thick stubble like me, shave after a hot shower. The soap lubricates better, and frankly, I can see my face while shaving and that's important if you don't want to cut your lips off.
lorem ipsum, dolor sit amet
to go to a fun party and pick you up some "intimiate shave lotion". places like pure romance or passion parties sell it, it's for women to shave their junk. i use it to shave my face and it's the best. it's sort of scented, so you end up smelling like shaved pussy, and there are worse things to smell like :-)
sarcasm:
-noun
1. harsh or bitter derision or irony.
we shaved with the edge of a machete!
In 2010, will your razor have more blades that your CPU has cores, or vice versa?
I remember that, since I was one of the Neilsen Family Shopping panel members, wondering if the razor manufacturers would clue in that guys like me were buying the women's disposable razor blades because they had those gel strips on them.
They eventually did.
But most of the blade stuff has always been marketing hype - as anyone with a Business degree in Sales and Marketing could tell you.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
There was a Robotman comic where Monty invented the Mach16 razor. No luck finding a copy of the strip though.
The biggest improvement I got in shaving was when I stopped using shaving cream (while using Mach 3), rather than getting a razor with more blades. I didn't think it would work, but it did.
I stopped using shaving cream when I was in the Army. I found the big thing was just to get hot water, maybe a hot washcloth, and use Ivory soap. Back when I started I used some shaving cream, but it was all a big waste of time. Saves a lot of money, too.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
I realise the Gilette etal business model is sell the shaving mechanism at cost, make the packet look like it holds 10 blades but only include 2, and charge a small fortune for replacements that don't last much longer than cheap nobrand disposables.
With all the great industrial cutting technologies out there, one wonders why there isn't a $20 'lifetime blade' made from ceramic, or DLC coated stainless.
But the point is moot for me now, as I moved to an electric shaver a couple of years ago. It has lasted a couple of years now with only a $12 foil change.
46137
I'm posting anonymously because I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to talk about this, but when I interned at a razor company, much of the research was for new materials, and none of the ones that I tried while I was there lasted through the equivalent of even 1 shave. The technology is nearing the physical limits of the materials. My take on the situation would be that since there are 2 big razor manufacturers in the US, they'll take any advantage they can get to gain a larger market share, no matter how small.
A lot of the 'shaving comfort' is anecdotal, too. I remember one test that I ran while I was there and I found that a certain coating significantly reduced the force required to cut a hair, so we produced a bunch of razors with that coating for a test. The testers are just people off the street, and in the double-blind trial of the new coating vs the traditional one, the testers overwhelmingly preferred the old coating. My point is basically that the best technical ideas don't necessarily produce the most consumer satisfaction, and maybe 6 or 10 blades will draw a larger market share.
- "Nobody came out that night, not one was ever seen. But Old Man Stauf is waiting there, crazy sick and mean!"
I *DO* work in marketing for a living
You are fucked and you are fucking us. Kill yourself. It's the only way to save your fucking soul, kill yourself.
Be a real man, Grow a fucking beard! Haven't paid dollar one to any of those assholes
I find that the vibrations clean the razor when submerged in water. I no longer have to both dunk and thunk the razor against the side of the sink - I now just dunk. I figure skipping the thunk will save me approximately 6.15 minutes over the course of a lifetime - of course I will have to work an additional 7.67 hours over the same time period to purchase the batteries.
I think this one's better :D
Spishak!
Now I know exactly what to get RMS for Christmas!
Linux gurus shave when they need to.
Unix gurus wear beards and ponytails and don't have to worry about shaving.
Windows gurus believe the marketing hype and buy the latest shaving creams, exfoliants, have twenty blades and three aloe strips in their razors, and think the term "metronatural" is a compliment.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Since the day I realized girls aren't all that into limp teenage stubble, I've used a certain 3-bladed razor whose name I won't mention because they're not paying me to do so and I don't give out freebies.
It's always seemed sufficient, but I've never been happy with the red irritation that seems to perpetually inhabit my neckal region.
I stumbled across this article a while back, which convinced me that razor technology has been pointlessly nursing a fatal blunder made 50 years ago rather than admitting defeat and going back to the way it used to be.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/
On the other hand, you might just view disposables as a parallel market - one for people who value a few extra minutes of their time high above comfort, psychological satisfaction, and a smooth babyface.
I, for one, intend to invest in a nice quality old-school shaving kit very soon rather than pay the 3-blade racketeers their outrageous replacement fees any longer.
You can run but you can't hide, except, apparently, along the Afghan-Pakistani border.
The best shave you can get is still with a straight blade (as in the barber shop). But seeing as how it is nearly impossible to shave yourself with one of these (the angles get very awkward, not to mention it would be dangerous), the best way to shave is the way your grandfather did.
That's right, the BEST SHAVE you can get at home is with a single saftey razor (the kind your grandfather used).
1. After you get out of the shower (the longer your hair/stubble has been wet the softer/easier it is to cut), you place some shaving cream in a small dish/bowl type thing (doesnt matter what, really).
2. Wet a beaver hair brush with hot water (do NOT dry it off!, you may shake a bit of excess water off) and mix the shaving cream. This adds water to the shaving cream, making it less foamy and allowing the blade to ride closer to skin. It also keeps the hair/stubble wet longer so that it is softer and easier to cut.
3. Using the brush, apply the shaving cream/hot water mix to your face/neck.
4. Using your single saftely razor (the old school kind) you shave WITH THE GRAIN. DO NOT PRESS DOWN!
It will take a bit of getting used to but once you're used to it it is simply the best shave you can get at home. It is a much different experience as the modern razors are meant to be pressed against the face, and need some force to work. The old way is meant to not be pressed (it is dangerous to do so) and to glide along and cut hair without pressure.
If you don't want to go out and get an old school safety razor and are scared of a cut or two while you learn how to shave properly. The best course of action for you might be to simply get a beaver hair brush and follow steps 1-3 and use your modern razor for shaving. Just the brush/hotwater/shaving cream does make quite a difference.
I started shaving without a cream due to laziness, and never saw a reason to use cream since.
News for merdes. Shit that matters.
Ask me about my sig.
Am I the only one seeing the razor blade event horizon coming?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_Event_Horizon
All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one. :-)
The simplest solution in this case is that companies only need to give the appearance of innovation to justify the millions they spend on marketing campaigns.
It's getting so the only reason I shave anymore is to get the cuts, and then dash some lemon juice mixed with rubbing alcohol on there. That fucking burn will wake you up a lot faster than coffee. Plus, the endorphins released when you realize you haven't lopped off an entire lip, or that your head hasn't entirely been eaten half away are SOOOO GOOOOOOD.
After staying overnight at a hotel recently I got up a few days to see a client only to realise that I had left my Wilkinson (3 blades) there. In desperation I used my wifes Venus leg razor. Worked like a dream, fantastically close shave, no nicks. Better than my Protector. What gives?
There is a good argument for the environment there though - more expensive razors typically have blades that can go through more shaves than the cheap disposeables. As well you are only replacing the blade not the whole plastic razor. So while you may be saving money buying those huge bags of disposeables, it's generating a lot more garbage. You're also using more resources to make them too (when you buy the expensiv erazors you're mostly paying for marketing not material).
I too use just a single bladed Bic for shaving. But the things are cheap enough that I just use one twice and then toss it out. If I can't remember how many times I've used one, I'll toss it. Life is too short to spend time worrying about my razor.
And with this comment I nominate you to the "save the earth from the humans" award...
No sig for the moment.
Moore's Law is nice, and can surely be applied to shaving technology. But I think more apt is Occam's Razor, which, as wikipedia defines, states that "the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating, or 'shaving off,' those that make no difference in the observable predictions." Which is to say, if you can shave adequately with one razor, why overcomplicate the problem?
More blades on a razor is worthless. People who buy that crap are wasting their money.
I have an old single blade razor that you can open up to replace the blade with good, two sided razors that you can buy for cheap. It works far better than any 3 to 5 blade razor I have ever used.
Shoot even my Sensor Excel with 2 blades works worlds better than the new Fusion.
Mach 20: Close To The Bone.
...for those 23-blade razors. A single very careful swoop will give you a perfect shave instantly, but a slightly misplaced one will result in a very bloody and painful death.
Seriously! It's a Norelco electric razor for me. I had one for 10 years before it broke. So, like any dotcom guy, I went out and bought a nice one with an LCD screen on it. The rotating blades are far better than the reciprocating blades. Also, I've found it better to shave later in the day, rather than first thing -- smooshing my face into the three circular trimmers. I definately prefer the electric to the bladed razor, because I keep shaving pieces of skin off my face with the blades. What moron invented a bladed razor, I will never know.
So imagine you have an interview (like I did today). Instead of bits of tissue paper stuck to my face, I simply have no beard. It does take about two weeks to get used to, but once you do, you'll never go back.
Also, forget Remminton. Their razors are junky, and have a chintzy feel to 'em. Also, the reciprocating action of other razors leaves much to be desired -- it's inefficient!
Zhrodague.net - I do projects and stuff too.
I just have this vision of those early aeroplanes that look like the Wright Brothers contraption, only with 20 dozen extra wings tacked on to the fuselage until they're flying a venetian blind....
Ah yes, the razor of the future...
slashdot readers shave?
Stainless isn't that hard to sharpen, but it won't hold a decent edge. Too soft. You need a high-carbon steel to get a good edge that lasts (except for the rusting part).
I second the idea of a ceramic blade that someone below me suggested. You could even make them in different colors for folks with designer bathrooms.
Looks like Ford's Fusion is due for a little catch-up work as it seems short a blade or two....
d _fusion_2006_5.jpg
http://forum.avtoindex.com/foto/data/media/37/for
I remember a skit on an Australian comedy show of the late 80s early 90s called "the Late Show" on the ABC. Where they had a 16 bladed razor blade. "The first distracts the hair..."
(Feel free to run this through a Sean Connery voice)
:)
King James Version, Ecclesiastes 1:1-7
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
You can argue (and I won't) some technical points on other translations: the KJV remains unsurpassed in English.
Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet. But this was seen as a response to many futurist and Transhumanist (such as Ray Kurzweil who have applied the idea of moores law and accelerated returns for technology in general.
I use the vibrating razor. I don't think the vibration helps with the shave, but it does wonders on the prostate.
I have a habit of shaving once or twice a week (when the itch gets so bad that I absolutely must shave).
The two blade cartridges posed a real problem for me, I could only shave about an inch at a time before I would have to stop and clean the cartridge with a retired toothbrush. Inevitably at some point the cartridge would become so clogged with hair that I would have to use a new one and repeat the inch wise shaving and cartridge unclogging. Often this procedure would take up to 40 minutes for a complete shave.
Then came a particular open backed 3 blade cartridge, it was a miracle for me, a simple rinse in water would remove all the hair from it, it would not clog. I could shave in a mere 5-10 minutes! I thought I had died and gone to shaving heaven. I still use the 3 blade cartridges, and being a cheapskate I'll often use the same cartridge for many months.
Then I see the ads for the 5 blade cartridge. The conspiracy theorist in me says, aha! They figured out that the 3 blade cartridges lasted far too long and they came up with an excuse to design a cartridge that clogs horribly again to increase cartridge sales.
When it is probably just a case of oneupmanship. For ages the two blade cartridge was standard, then company X makes a 3 blade cartridge, so company Y makes a 4 blade cartridge, then company X responds with a 5 blade cartridge... etc.
For me its all in the design of the cartridge and how well it rinses free of hair, I'll be sticking with this open backed 3 blade design for as long as I possibly can, it actually works and is a revolution in shaving technology if you ask me.
I think it's 5.1 blades.
it's not the number of blades; it's the space between them. The mach 3 has space in between blades and it allows water to flow through on both sides of the razor so you aren't just filling it up with little hairs; very easy to wash them out.
I can say without a doubt, shick / gillette are both insane, IN-FREAKING-SANE for releasing these razors which vibrate!
I have a fairly mild beard growth compared to most men so I need only shave about 2-3 times a week.
That being said, on average a razor will last me approximately 3-5 weeks sometimes more if I want to push it.
Now, with the vibrating function a razor will last from 5-10 weeks and still give a damn close shave - the vibration is surprisingly not gimmicky at all, it works and it works damn well.
While I'm on the topic here's my opinion FWIW, 4 and 5 blade razors SUCK - specifically because of the guiding / protection wires running vertically along the blade about ever 3 or 4mm
I find that a simple 3 blade razor (I use the "M3 power") is the best razor for me, period - I haven't tried shick's 3 blade razors in a while, if they have one as a vibrate function well I'd be happy to check it out.
I have fairly sensitive skin so if I shave daily or bi-daily it will cut me the heck up.
Therefore, I use a standard electric razor every 3-4 days approx then I have my shower and during said shower I whip out the shaving cream (brand name also - for "sensitive skin" surprisingly is better) plus my face has softened up in the shower, then use the M3, with vibrate and I become pretty much baby smooth.
(apologies to those people with jobs that you can't afford to grow for 3-4 days- then again considering my growth speed it's likely only equivelant to 1-2 days for most of you)
Here's some other tips.
You can buy razors on ebay in bulk, cheaper than you can get them in the supermarkets - unless you have a plan of dying any time soon you may as well spend up big and slowly enjoy th savings over time.
Do NOT get suckered in by the "hip, trendy metrosexual" web sites and forums pushing the entire shaving straight razor re-emergence and charging BOAT LOADS for shaving gear, there's a reason we left that technology behind 20 years ago.
(note the date of this post http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?id=11959284 then the date of this post http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?id=11979898 )
About two years ago, I did away with safety razors as my normal at-home shave.
/did/ try a rediculous four-blader... it sucked,
;-P
I have never looked back (okay, I
and felt like it was yanking the hair right out of my face).
My razor of choice: A good straight razor.
I had to re-learn how to shave, but very franky this tool has turned out to be cheaper
and, combined with good quality shaving soap, a much better shave than any safety razor
that I have ever used.
Just don't use one on a moving train...
Some links (no, I have no affiliation with any of these groups):
* http://www.straightrazorplace.com/
* http://www.classicshaving.com/
* http://www.dovo.com/
I bet iPod owners use razors with five or more blades. They also change their toothbrushes when the "wear indicator" tells them. I bet he Nigerian scammers would love to get ahold of a Gillete customer list. Signing up five bladers for their scams would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
I don't use a razor
I just use a blowtorch!
This space for rent
I bucked the trend and bought a gilette off ebay for 20 bucks and have those old style razor blades and it does a better job than those 5 blade or machs. and cheaper too
I can confirm the sideways action bit - and not waking up until after a couple of hours of getting out of bed. Whilst on a trip from Australia to Norway to visit the rellies, on such a morning shave whilst putting a fair amount of pressure on it just went sideways and cut deeply into the area just above and to the side of my mouth. I had three distinct slices with skin hanging off in between. Needless to say I bled profusely, all over my brother's bathroom floor, the scars took several months to heal. Family photos turned out quite funny from then on.
These days I like the Schmick quatro power thing...
ISO certified == THX certified
I have a thick beard. I also have sensitive skin. Blades give me rashes.
:)
I tried shaving on dry, and got rashes. With water, rashes. After bath, rashes. With soap, rashes. With common shaving cream, rashes.
I ended up using those expensive creams with moisturizers and stuff. Other than electric razors, this is the only way I can shave without my skin turning into Mars' surface. For when I'm broke, I found out my wife's women shaving cream works well
Prescriptive grammar:linguistics
Because you'll believe anything.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
As someone who's been through it all...
I have fairly thick stubble and I've been shaving since I was 14. I hit the wall of diminishing returns whith the first gen of 3 bladed razors. Everything else is too expensive and doestn do much better. I also love using Edge brand shaving gel - but it needs to be applied in a certain way.
Thats not to say this yields the "best" shave. Personally I rate shaving cream soap lather gel , and definately 3-edge-bladedouble edged blade (the kind you use to slit your wrists). These provide the closest and, for me, the most comfortable shave. Ufortunately I'm more likely to knick myself with them and it seems the quality of blades produced in the past few years has gone down considerably (probably due to lack of demand)
I've got an ancient "Injector Blade" razor I use.
;-)
/////ANDRE
One blade on a sturdy handle.
The refiller holds 15 blades in a package about the size of ONE multiblade cartridge.
I did try one of the multiblades once, not any better results.
Disposables??? What about all that plastic that gets thrown out???
I've been thinking the next BIG thing should be like a
miniature Cheese Grater with hundreds of tiny blades!
(If you patent it, I want credit
Bye,
Skin care tips for tasteful men
They last several times as long as non-cryo'd ones. Instead of a week you see a month's use out of one cartridge. It's a dirty little secret Gillette and all the others don't want you to know about. Cryogenic treatment is a proven technology for keeping tools sharp and for treating other things like guns and golf clubs (improves accuracy) and race car engine parts (durability).
I have made many many experiments with shaving over the years, and tried many many ways of removing the hair from my face. I have a very very heavy beard growth, almost up to my eye sockets, and right down into my chest hair. I had bad acne as a teenager, and adopted a foil electric shaver, a Braun thing which went fine for a few years.
It wasn't until I discovered that blade shaving was actually better for my acne than an electric shaver that I began experimenting. I will describe my shaving process, because I believe it is superior to all other methods.
Firstly, I shave in the shower, and this saves having to clean up any mess. If you have a female partner, then it;s likely she insists you spend more time cleaning up after yourself than the time you spend actually shaving.
The process is this:
1) In shower, first thing, wash face with soap and water. A face cloth helps to generate enough friction to properly clean behind ears (big place for blackheads) and alongside the nose (another blackhead area) and to ensure that eye sockets and forehead and properly cleaned.
2) Wash rest of body.
3) Wash hair.
4) Rub soap directly on face and then lather some in my hands. Rub soap into a thin lather across the face, neck and cheeks.
5) Using Gilette M3 Power, shave with AND against the grain of the hair. Clean up any remaining bristles so none can be felt with the hands against the skin. (I mean NONE!)
6) Rinse WELL. Rinse hair again.
7) Exit shower. Dry face, body and hair.
8) Dispense pure cold tap water into clean basin. Splash pure cold water on face. This closes the pores.
9) Put on Nivea face firming moisturizer, liberally, all over face, including areas not shaven.
10) Place a little aftershave in the nape of the neck - NEVER on the shaved skin.
There you go - you now have a perfect shave, and you're skin is smooth, moisturised and you feel and look great.
I have evaluated different razors very methodically, and can confidently assert the following:
Gilette M3 Power with the Green Blade is the finest razor and blade combination in the world today, bar none. However it is NOT a razor for beginners, and neither is it a razor for those with acne, or other facial blemishes, dips, or risers. The M3 Power requires quite some skill to use correctly, particularly for the first shave when the blade is brand new. (On my heavy growth, I take 10 days of shaving before I replace the blade).
For those people who are less proficient (or simply can't be bothered concentrating that hard) or those who do no thave very smooth faces, I recommend the quadruple bladed Schick Quattro, with the hair-like wires over the blade. Even when brand new, they are extremely unlikely to cut you, even with ham-fisted use on a nobbly face.
HOWEVER, the Quattro requires more strokes to remove the same amount of hair as the M3, and the cutting angles are more critical than the M3.
After 30 years of blade shaving, I can tell you that my system is perfect for ME - but it may not be perfect for YOU. What I can say is that there are several things which absolutely must be true in order to have a goo dshave, and to avoid rashes, pain, blood etc.
1) ALWAYS shave after a shower.
2) ALWAYS wash your face thoroughly BEFORE preparing to shave.
3) When the blade fills, make sure it is COMPLETELY clean and empty before starting more strokes. Wash blade in fast running water, not a basin.
4) ALWAYS rinse well after shaving.
5) ALWAYS use a moisturiser after shaving. Non fragranced is best.
6) NEVER apply aftershave or eau de toilette to shaved areas.
7) Battery operated vabrating razors are a MUST HAVE.
In summation, yep - I agree, razors are going to continue to develop, and the best razors genuinely ARE a quantuum leap ahead of el cheapo rubbish. The TCO of owning the latest and greatest razors is only marginally higher than cheap razors: you use less strokes, so the blades last longer.
I dispute that
How many escape pods are there? "NONE,SIR!" You counted them? "TWICE, SIR!"
But I use a rotary electric with three heads...12 blades each LOL
Caspar
Ya put the razor in cold water, not hot--'cause
metal does what in cold?
Driver
I dunno, Johnny.
We hear the back door slam and Caspar appears in the front
passenger window.
. . . 'Ats what I'm tellin' ya. It contracts.
'At way you get a first class shave.
Driver
Okay, Johnny.
"The world is a construct of forceful imagination. Those who don't know walk around in the reailties of those who do"
I've been shaving with a 1930's Gillette safety razor for the last 5 years now. I have spent 10 dollars on blades during this time, and have used about 40% of them. They stay sharp a very long time. I've recently in the past month, switched to a straight razor, and find it wonderful. Oddly enough, when you leave the bathroom after your morning shave, you have a feeling of adrenaline and satisfaction, of which I can only imagine comes from the realization that you haven't just taken your head clean off.
The problem with most razors, when shaving cream is not in the mix, is that they clog up with hair too quickly. The easiest razor to use without shaving cream is the Bic Metal razor, which unfortunately is no longer available in Canada.
Simply putting a Bic Metal razor (it has a single blade and a black handle - not a white handle) under a small amount of running water for a fraction of a second cleans it out. Each razor lasts about twenty shaves.
Fortunately for me, I bought a lifetime supply of these razors when they were getting hard to find in stores. I hope my supply doesn't rust out.
I wonder if the advent of the multiple blade razor led to the demise of my favourite model.
...I feel the limit is seventeen.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
From the cutting-edge-of-emo-technology dept.
Programmer: an ingenious device that converts caffeine into code.
I'm posting anonymously because I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to talk about this, but when I interned at a razor company,
Hello RPI Geek (640282).
Do you like living on the 'edge'?
Marketer: "Imagine a beowulf cluster of those...."
Table-ized A.I.
Does this mean that men with bald heads are appealing to women who want to have sex with babies?
Does this same argument apply to a woman shaving her legs? Women don't get fuzzy legs until a certain age.
Should I stop shaving my face so that I don't attract these sicko women who want someone who looks like a more like a child?
Where does this argument stop? Why does it fucking matter?
One day in the future...
"Today we would like to introduce our next generation 'razor.' Going back to one of our root products we had early in the millennium we have decided to name this the Fusion 2. However, unlike it's name-sake, there are no blades present. Today's introduction of the 'Fusion 2' is the first time we have been able to implement a small fusion reactor (thus the name) coupled with a high-powered laser that will remove any unwanted hair almost instantaneously. Today we embark on a new revolution in shaving history!*"
*Sides effects may include blindness or holes due to prolonged exposure. Device may double as a laser-pen.
This being slashdot, I though more people would be using electric shavers. In fact, I thought the Philishave Coolskin shavers would be the ultimate in geek shaving gear.
For the record, I use a philishave electric razor myself...
Slashdot: news from nerds.
doesn't that really just mean that they would have to round off their edges a bit?
The point was't in getting the sharpest ever blade... hell, go shave with a fresh surgical knife if that's what you want. The point was in having a blade that wouldn't dull out over the course of just a week's worth of shaving (mine actually recommend replacing every 5 shaves).
Ninjas only need one blade to shave. Ever.
Maybe this was already mentioned (and this story has been up for like forever now) but electrolysis, while it can be somewhat expensive, has done wonders for my face. I always hated my facial hair and I feel so much better now that it is finally getting under control. Smooth to the touch, and no shadow! Plus girls shouldn't have facial hair. ;) Anyway maybe guys don't need it as much but it may still be something to look into at least (and laser as well, though I haven't tried that, but I was thinking about it for my legs and underarms).
Few years ago I saw some ads for triple-edged windwhield-wipers. A bit later some no-name company introduced 8-edged windshield-wiper. I mean, one is good, three is better, eight must really kick ass, right? I looked at a picture of the windshield-wiper, and it had some of the edges pointing AWAY from the windshield Yes, it had 8 edges, but only 2-3 of those actually touched the windshield.
That said, the triple-edged windshield-wiper disappeared soon afterwards. And the 8-edged is nowhere to be seen anymore either.
Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
I think they are over complicating things. Instead of applying Moore's Law, why not Occam's Razor?
Pretty soon it will be a reverse argument for "unification" where one blade does the job of two (ore more).
A five-hundred blade razor, shaped to perfectly to fit your face. Take a run up..
This race-for-more-blades is silly, and worse is, Gilette still gets it wrong.
...only problem is, Gilette is sold everywhere, Wilkinsons I had to get from a UK webstore. Today, when friends have borrowed a blade from me, they too switch to Wilkinson, if they can get them anywhere. /G
Now, I have some pretty coarse, thick hair, but Gilette-razors are unable to give me 1 full shave. When face(!) is ~80% done, the blades are so dull, that I risk cutting myself.
Wilkinsons Quattro (yes, 4-bladed) actually lasts me 2-3 full shaves, and even older models would last me at least 1 full shave.
Razor blade companies! Now's the time to jump one step ahead of your competitors. While they are working on 6 blade razors, whip out a 7 blade razor. This leap in technomalogical whatists will stun them, ensure your market share and spank the competition!
I like most people have never had/used on or even seen them on sale (I will check Ebay in a min) my question is to the people that use straight razors;
I do, on occasion. I'm a rather large fan of it. Closest shave in the world. Tend to only use it for occasions where I need to really look good though, because you can't really do the whole 'quick shave right before heading out to work in the morning' thing.
Stainless steel doesn't hold a very good edge at all - it tends to crumble. High carbon steel makes for a much better razor, though you have the problem that shaving usually involves water at some point, and high carbon steel tends to rust easily.
That said, you can make your own razor blades - well, to be more specific, you can forge your own straight razor. Of course, that would take quite a bit of blacksmithing skill (I used to hand-forge very sharp knives), so unless you have a forge nearby and someone to teach you, that is probably out.
Simplest thing to do would be just to buy a straight razor. You can re-sharpen them very well, and they stay extremely sharp for a good ten shaves or more, depending on how tough your facial hair is. They do take a little bit of care though, aren't cheap (start at $60), and take some small amount of manual dexterity to sharpen without messing up the edge. That said, it's easily the more viable of the two.
I'm legally obligated to mention the Onion article that predicted this.
So did Irregular Webcomic. Fractal razor technology could well be the answer to the phsysical limitation on the number of blades.
the Fusion has 6 blades. I recieved one in the mail for free. great design w/ 6th blade for trimming pubes or something.
... prob not. I will just go back to using my girls blade in the shower /shrug
I will be sticking with the Mach 6 name, not fusion.
Will i ever buy blades for the Mach 6?
Kill your TV
I see the evoloution of blades to the evolution of automobile transmissions - first you had a 3 speed, then 4, 5, 6, and I think there is some car now that has an 8 speed manual. But - continiously variable transmisissions ("analog") are now appearing as well. That seems to be the future of razor blades - an "infinite" (or very large) number of blades in some sort of "Continuous" configuration.
I can only imagine you have fine facial hair and not a lot of it. If I try to shave without cream, the razor clogs on the first half the first stroke and is useless after that until manually cleaned. While cream has the benefits of keeping the beard moist and soft, its main purpose for me is that it keeps the stubble in a foamy suspension so it can flow through and clear of the blades. When traveling I use a brush and soap, and it's hard to get as good a lather as with an aerosol, in which case I have to make short strokes and rinse well in between. Shaving without soap or cream is nearly impossible (and very unpleasant) for me.
And given how sui/hom-cidal I have felt after some dumb-ass meetings with the dumb-ass clients , I don't think I would have survived having a blade in my hands.
I decided that a goatee should HURT, damn it.
MSBPodcast.com The opinions expressed here are my own. If you don't like 'em... Think up your own stuff.
I love watching the stupid ads with razor flying in from outer space, and hot chicks just waiting to rub their hands on the guys smooth cheek. Also, every now and then I'll crave that Onion article again, and this has gone on for years, and it still makes me laugh out loud, just so perfect! "You're taking the "safety" part of "safety razor" too literally, grandma."
Amazing.
fak3r.com
I don't understand why everyone still uses the barbaric shaving methods. An excellent shave, without the junk, (and high "coolness factor") is from Braun's Syncro shavers. Dry shavers, doesn't eat the face, and has a super-nifty automatic clean and recharge base. Replace the cleaning cartridge every few months, and replace the cutting foil+block every 6. Ok, it costs more dollars, but damn... saves a lot of pain.
A few yrs ago when I went to a remote tropical jungle lodge, I forgot shaving cream and aftershave. The nearest town was a few hrs by boat and going there not an option because of fuel and manpower restrictions. I just about wanted to drown myself given the place was as rife with exotic womenfolk as it was with exotic wildlife!
Being a nerd, I quickly realized toothpaste - which lathers, contains a mild abrasive, astringent and antibacterial, and smells like toothfairy heaven - would be a perfect substitute for both shaving cream AND aftershave AND anti-perspirant. That evening onwards, I was a particularly popular dance partner.
I use one of the new powers razors. While I don't think the shave itself is any thing special, what I have noticed is the blades are lasting much longer. I'm not quite a caveman but I do get fairly scruffy and on the new razor the blades have been lasting for about 4 months or so. Usually I'm good for about 4-5 weeks. I'm not sure if it the vibrating or better quality, but it is definately nice.
Heck, you really only need one. Wish I had the inclination to learn to use a straight razor.
In any case, The Gillette Sensor--a two blade mode--was and remains the best disposable blade razor produced. Unfortunately, you can't get them anymore because everyone has to have more and more blades. I just got some fancy Schick something or other in the mail, for free to try it, and it was crap.
I like the KJV in part because the language is so rich. It's like reading Shakespeare or Milton -- you're not necessarily reading it for the content (that's what the newspaper, or a modern translation is for). It's like the difference between a modern song and a hymn. There's nothing _wrong_ with modern songs, but there's something special in the way that the words in old hymns are put together.
:-)
On my Palm I have BibleReader+ which offers a split-window view of two versions (top and bottom) which I really like. When I'm reading the KJV and come to someplace where the rendering is convoluted, I just look at the NEV and see how it would be put by someone using today's simpler syntax. My wife has a parallel New Testament with four (I think) translations in it, which is also nice.
Of course, I'm one of those odd people who read old stuff (Chaucer, Spenser, etc.) for fun
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it could also nick something else on the way down ... ouch.
For the first two weeks I looked like I went to a knife fight but forgot my knife, partially because my hands aren't very steady. For the last eight years, it's been the closest, smoothest shave I've ever had. The long blade minimizes the opportunities for nicks and I don't think it's ever given me razor burn. You can buy very expensive hollow-ground blades on the internet, or you can go to the local beauty supply store and pick one up for $8, and $10 for a couple of years worth of blades. Fair warning though, it's called a Hair Shaper, because apparently straight razors scare the bejezus out of people.
Easy Online Role Playing Campaign Management
It is important to consider the theoretical limits of the thing you are analyzing before choosing what type of curve will best model your statistical data. In this case a power curve or hyperbolic curve is not a particularly good fit since we certainly will not be seeing 50 blade razors in one year.
I would suggest that a logistic curve would be more appropriate. I am pretty sure we will see more blades on razors, but we are certainly nearing the top -- really the only thing left will be to split the blades horizontally -- you may see up to ten or eleven "blade" razors marketed this way, but keep in mind that even today you can grab a gilette fusion in both hands and go at your face with twelve blades blazin'
Nerds? Hygiene?
Any sufficiently simple magic can be passed off as mere advanced technology.
I hate to bust the bubble, but when I was an undergraduate (around 1979), I was going through a bunch of old Popular Science magazines in the campus library. They had a page that highlighted stuff from their magazine 25, 50, and 75 years ago. So this was almost 30 years ago now, and I believe the entry was in their "50 years ago" section in what was already an old copy of Popular Science. The entry showed a 5 bladed razor that the inventor (who was French if I recall correctly) claimed gave a much cleaner, closer shave that a single bladed razor. The illustration reminded me very much of the Trac-II I used back then, only with three more blades.
I'd love to be able to find that article again. Prior art and all that.
I invite you to a "sack race."
I am Emperor Kenney! The Gladiators must fight to puh-leaze me. The winner will be muh bitch.
Great MadTV sketch, hadn't thought about it in years.
Makes sense why google bought youtube, its getting to the point where you can find anything.
Spishak Mach 20 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F7TMlrDXtw
Ironically enough, I think that's the principle which best applies to razor selection. Simpler *is* better--I get the best results with single-bladed razors. For years, Gillette has been a "new products" company, relying on advertizing hype for the latest and greatest to keep the brand in customers' minds. The problem with that strategy is there always needs to be something new. Hence the Blade Wars, which really are just marketing hype.
Some time ago I shifted to shaving with a safety razor with a double-edged blade. The shave I get is better than with multiblade cartridges, but the greatest benefit is that I now actually enjoy and look forward to the morning shave---quite a change from seeing it as routine or a chore. I collected in one long post everything I've learned about shaving with a safety razor, so if you're inclined to give it a go, have a look.