Man’s Necessities
I’ve been using the Gilette Mach 3 Power razor for a couple of months, and I must say that while I didn’t believe its possible – Gilette actually got something. I won’t say the revolutionized the way men shave, but they definetly improved the situation considerably.
Initially when I saw the Mach 3 Power commercials I thought to myself “What did these guys cooked up again?” and I was quite skeptic regarding the usefulness of the gimmick. I remembered the “Turbo” version which came out with enough fan fare and was nothing more then a slightly redesigned lotion bar (and maybe tiny bit better blades, can’t say for sure). I thought that the power was just a gizmo that would buzz or something and won’t do much damage.
Apparently I was wrong. The “Power” version in case you haven’t used it yet is kind of like combination razor and water-proof electric shaver: It has a battery and a tiny motor in its handle (which has a slightly larger circumference then the previous Mach 3 razors) and when you push the button located on the handle, the motor starts vibrating the blade array. It feels kind of like shaving with the non-rotary shavers – like the ones from Brown? only its the same small razor that you’re used too (I mean small compared to an electric shaver – the Mach 3 has the biggest razor head to date).
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The advantages:
- It indeed shaves much quicker then a stationary razor – something with the vibration helps the razor cut the facial hair closer to the skin.
- The battery life is not a problem – I don’t shave every day, but I shave my entire had twice a week and I haven’t had to change a battery yet.
- Its even easier to clean then the normal Mach 3 which was the best so far in the category (which is an issue for me as I shave my head and if I shave a day too late the hair is kind of long and accumulates quickly between the blades) – you just splash it in some water while the vibration is on.
- It comes with better blades. I know I dissed the “Turbo” blades, but I think the ones that come with the “Power” are actually much better. I tried running the “Power” with normal Mach 3 blades, and while it of course fits (all Mach 3 razors use the same head assembly), its not as good. you really need the new blades to get the whole effect.
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The downside:
- Its much lighter then the normal Mach 3 – the handle is of course hollow to contain the battery and motor, and even with the battery it has a lot less mass then the original handle. It may not sound much, but it completely changes the way you use the razor – you actually have to put more effort into shaving because the razor is ungainly.
- The position of the power switch is not a great choice – its right were I put my thumb while shaving, especially when I’m working on my head, and I constantly press it and turn the damn thing off.
- Its damn expensive! I’m not talking about the handle with the motor gizmo – that will set you back about 90NIS, but its a one time purchase. I’m talking about the cost of operating this on a regular basis. Mach 3 blades where always expensive, and this one is no different – a 4 blade assemblies cartridge will cost you about 90NIS!!
Currently I’m going to stick with it. It does improve much on the whole shaving thing – something I thought I wont see happening for a while, and while Gilette have always been expensive, I tried the competitors – I used a BiC disposables (can’t remember the brand, but it was a top one) and a Protector 3D Diamond which sounded really cool (it has these metal wires that supposedly would prevent you from cutting yourself) and none of them come close to a Mach 3 blade.
So, if you want top notch shaving experience, you have to pay for it.<sigh>