Harry's.com Shave Gear

1623

1623

Joined
Jul 5, 2011
Messages
235
Gent's,

I'd like to ask if anyone's had experience (good or bad) with Harry's for shaving products and what you think about the quality and performance.

https://www.harrys.com/

I'm not a straight razor kind of guy and have been looking for an alternative to the big brand, multi-blade systems.

Thanks.
 
I REALLY wanted to like the Harry's products as the Gillette blades I use are absurdly expensive; sadly they just don't perform to expectation.
Initially, I was impressed with the shape and design of the handle, its length and curve exactly right for a comfortable shave. The problem
is the flexability of the blade head; rather than using a spring mechanism to follow the curvature of the face, Harry's blades have a plastic
membrane that is supposed to flex enough to adjust to the contour of your jaw. It doesn't. You wind up having to push and pull too hard to
get the blade assy to follow the shape of your face resulting in an uneven and uncomfortable shave.

I also found the blades themselves just aren't that sharp, nowhere near as sharp as Mach III or Profusion. This, combined with the lack
of flexability, has made me remain a Gillette customer.
 
Sorry, haven't tried Harry's. I use double edged safety razors myself and I get a much better shave than with the multi-blade systems. Try Italian Barber for a good source for new safety razors. Or, it can be fun to start looking at flea markets and antique shops.

My favourite shave is with a 46-47 Gilette Artistocrat. I can't believe how much more fun shaving is now that I do wet shaving with safety razors.
2014-10-04192812_zps600d4724.jpg
 
I wish I shaved just so I could use a safety razor or straight razor to wet shave instead of using a mach 3trillion to remove stray hairs from my cheeks and lower neck. But I am too attached to my beard; I haven't shaved clean in over 8 years, although I have trimmed my beard very close to the skin a few times. I have load a shopping cart with all the items necessary to get started, on several occasions, just never pulled the trigger.
 
CARRERA50 said:
I REALLY wanted to like the Harry's products as the Gillette blades I use are absurdly expensive; sadly they just don't perform to expectation.
Initially, I was impressed with the shape and design of the handle, its length and curve exactly right for a comfortable shave. The problem
is the flexability of the blade head; rather than using a spring mechanism to follow the curvature of the face, Harry's blades have a plastic
membrane that is supposed to flex enough to adjust to the contour of your jaw. It doesn't. You wind up having to push and pull too hard to
get the blade assy to follow the shape of your face resulting in an uneven and uncomfortable shave.

I also found the blades themselves just aren't that sharp, nowhere near as sharp as Mach III or Profusion. This, combined with the lack
of flexability, has made me remain a Gillette customer.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the detailed response, that's exactly what I wanted to find out. I use a Mach 3 as well (got one free in the mail with a promo when they were originally released) but I recently began using Gillette's Sensor 3 disposables, as the cost is much less than refills for my Mach 3. They're actually not bad and last almost as long as refills, but I really miss the weight of the Mach 3 in hand. I think the blades are ground a little better as well.

How do you like the Pro Fusion? Seemed a bit gimmicky to me and I instantly thought that the ball would make it more difficult to shave.

stargawker said:
Sorry, haven't tried Harry's. I use double edged safety razors myself and I get a much better shave than with the multi-blade systems. Try Italian Barber for a good source for new safety razors. Or, it can be fun to start looking at flea markets and antique shops.

My favourite shave is with a 46-47 Gilette Artistocrat. I can't believe how much more fun shaving is now that I do wet shaving with safety razors.
2014-10-04192812_zps600d4724.jpg
Click to expand...

Vintage safety razors are interesting. I actually have a couple Gillette models that I picked up on a whim, but never considered using them.
 
Frankly, the Proglide Fusion is probably the best shave I've ever had. As long as the blue lubrication strip on the top of the blade has not
deteriorated it is much closer than the MACH III; after that the pull increases but it still is acceptable...

I wish I could use a safety razor but arthritis and a shaky hand make it unwise. If Harry's offers a new blade design I will certainly give it
a try as their product support and customer service are first rate.
 
CARRERA50 said:
Frankly, the Proglide Fusion is probably the best shave I've ever had. As long as the blue lubrication strip on the top of the blade has not
deteriorated it is much closer than the MACH III; after that the pull increases but it still is acceptable...

I wish I could use a safety razor but arthritis and a shaky hand make it unwise. If Harry's offers a new blade design I will certainly give it
a try as their product support and customer service are first rate.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.
 
Prep makes up for a lot of sins of the blade, so maybe doing brush and soap, along with a good soak may make the cheaper units (harry's and dollarshave) much better.
 
I agree, good prep and lather will do more than a $12, 5 blade cart will. Pick up some RazoRock cream, a VdH brush/bowl kit from Target and you're set. Less than $20.


-X
 
Only use top of the line products. Brush, Muhele Pincel. Taylor Of Old Bond Street cream. Harry's just does not provide the performance it promises. Sorry
 
Fair enough. It seems like both the discount ones work really good for those who are used to stretching razors out really far, or for those who do not demand a lot of them. Either way it doesn't bother me. If either of them did a DE blade I'd try it, but until then they can't beat my shaves on cost, so doesn't really matter how good they are.
 
I'll stick with razorock soap, an omega boar brush, a cheap bowl I found at a dollar store, and a merkur with feather blades. And for aftershave, I stick with razorock aftershave wax followed by captain's choice cat o' 9. Does me right every time. Unless I'm in a hurry, then I'll suck it up and break out my Mach 3, that's so rare now one cartridge lasts months instead of weeks. My normal routine is much better than a 5 minute shave with a Mach 3.
 
OK, to be fair, I have not tried Harry's Blades for a couple of years. I ordered 8 of them for $15 shipping, handling and tax included which works out to 1.88 per cartridge.
The best deal I could find for Gillette Pro Glide Power was $30.91 per 8, sht included, which works out to 3.86 per cartridge. The difference between the two is 1.98
per cartridge.

Is the Gillette shave worth nearly 2 bucks a cartridge more than the Harry's shave? It is to me. The Harry's shave is exactly as I remember it; poor cartridge flexibility,
marginally sharp blades and poor lubrication. The Gillette shave lasts me 2 days.

You get what you pay for.
 
I've been using harrys blades for about 2 months now. Personally I'm happy with them. They shave well and a catritridge will generally last me about 7 or 8 shaves. The handle is a bit slick when wet but has a good weight to it. I use the Truman version. The blades seem pretty sharp to me and the shave is smooth. It cuts close and comfortably. The only thing I dislike is that it's hard to rinse the gunk(cut hairs and shaving cream) out between strokes. What I found helps is filling the sink with water and shaking the cartridge in the sink. I think this has something to do with their shaving cream. Their cream is mediocre. It doesn't lather good and seems to dry fast on your face. I think $8 is a bit over priced for what it is. I haven't tried the new cream they have, maybe it's better. Other than that the blades and handle work fine for me. I shave every other day.
 
I like HARRYS cart.blades.When they start getting dull...I strop & they are good to go.
Jim
 
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