The Gillette Proglide is out. Opinions??

I liked Sensor a lot. I thought they nailed it right there. I used Sensor successfully for about 15 years. My switch to DE was motivated by the escalating prices and the growing scarcity of Sensor cartridges. I even wrote Gillette to complain. They actually wrote back! They explained that Sensor is not discontinued. But, it has a shrinking userbase. Gillette no longer requires retailers to allocate valuable shelf space to sensor and most are choosing not to. They are no longer marketing Sensor which means they no longer advertise and promote it. The no longer give coupons for it and no longer give discounts to retailers and marketing incentives (i.e. to allow the retailers to cut their prices). They also no longer do cooperative promotion for Sensor (pay retailers to advertize and promote Sensor). They even sent me a free pack of Sensor cartridges. Nice.

But, it only delayed my problem by five weeks.

I'm also convinced that with Gillette's declining interest in Sensor, quality has also declined. I used to rarely encounter a bad sensor cartridge. Recently, it seemed like 15-20% of them are bad.

Gillette also sent me a Fusion. I tried it. I really did. I tried it for two weeks. But I hated it. What a horrible shave.

So, I thought I might switch to a straight. But, that's quite a jump. And straight razor shaving, while a great thing, is time- and labor-intensive. I'm just not willing to spend more than about 12 minutes per day shaving. In researching that option, I discovered DE.

DE has saved me a huge amount of money. And DE now gives me a significantly-superior shave even to Sensor. My everyday shave is now at least ten times better than the best Sensor shave I ever had.
 
I noticed the same thing with the Sensor carts. I used to never get a bad one. Then I started getting bad ones all the time. And I never liked the Sensor Excel carts. I don't like wiper blades on the bottom of the cart.
I'm going to try some Personna cartridges for the Sensor. They're much cheaper than Gillette. Wal-Mart has Sensor carts for $20.00/10 blades. While a significant improvement over FUsion cart prices, it's still too much money, IMO.
Based on my personal experience and satisfaction with the Personna cartridges for the Atra, and the fact that the Personna Tri-Flexxx carts for the Sensor cost $3.49/4 blades(less than a dollar a blade) on the Personna website, I don't think I can go wrong.
This from their website:
Tri-Flexxx® Razor System for Men Cartridge Refill

Tri-Flexxx for Men is a technologically advanced system designed to give an exceptionally close, comfortable shave.
Features:

* Three Blades aligned with precision to shave close with one stroke.
* Micro Matrix® guard prepares the hair for an incredibly close shave.
* Premium Blade Coating allows the blades to glide comfortably across your skin.
* Slim Cartridge offers greater control in hard to shave areas.
* Vitamin E and Aloe Lubricating Strip reduces skin irritation.
* Flexing Blades adjust to the contours of your skin.


Cartridges Fit Personna® Tri-Flexxx® and any Sensor® Razor
Available under Store brand at:

Bi-Mart, CVS, Freds, Giant Food, H E Butt, Meijer, Publix, RiteAid, SaveMart, and Walgreens.

I hate that it's a 3 blade cart, not a 2 blade cart, but not enough to keep me from trying them.

Did I mention that they're less than a dollar a cart, AND that shipping is FREE?

The fact that Personna sells carts for the TracII for $2.99/10 carts, makes a TracII handle awfully tempting for those days when a quick, presentable shave is needed. The Bump Fighter razor is nothing more than a TracII handle with special carts.
 
I use a Sensor in tight places....along with the Proglide in most spots.....great combo in my view;and there is a technique to it.
 
The only razor that has been as good and maybe even better than a DE is the Bic Metal disposable. Walgreens use to carry them but I haven't seen them in a long time. If you have a chance to try them do it.
 
Gollnick said:
I checked at the store today and the blade cartridges are pennies shy of $5 each.

Derby blades are $0.10 each.

Each Proglide cartridge had better give fifty times as many shaves as a Derby does. I get six great shaves from a typical Derby (I could push to eight if I was the penny-pinching type). So, a Proglide cartridge had better give 300 shaves. While I will certainly wait for reviews from those who actually try the product, somehow, I doubt that it will.

I have only a limited experience of DE blades, but I have tried the brands that commonly get praised as the best. The best I've tried in terms of durability are the Zyletek Super Iridium blades made by Petersburg Products in St. Petersburg, Russia. Gillette owns Petersburg Products and most of that factory's production is blade cartridges for Gillette though nobody who's saying seems to know which cartridges are made by Petersburg Products, it wouldn't surprise me if the Proglide cartridges are (Gillette would be silly to have any other factory making their premier product). Based on my experience with Super Iridium blades, I would not be surprised if you can get ten or twelve good shaves from a Proglide cartridge. But that's still 42-50 cents per shave vs. 1-2 cents for DE blades.

So, now I'm telling you that you can save $40-48 cents per day by using a DE instead of a Proglide. That's $160 per year and that's a considerable savings. Oh, and that is real savings. For $20, you can buy a hundred DE blades that will last you a 18 months. You will not spend a penny for razor blades for a year-and-a-half. Or, for $20, you can buy four Proglide cartriges that will, assuming all four are good, shave you for six-and-a-half weeks. In six or seven weeks, you will be back at the store plunking down another twenty for four more cartriges. And you will do that every six or seven weeks. The savings by using DE blades is real.
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What is a Derby?
Do you have any links, prices, pics, etc?
How hard is it to "learn" after only ever using an electric and disposable razors?
Where do you get the blades?
Is it expensive to start?
Thanks for any info...
I am Not "into" shaving, I hate it, even tried electrolisis..., it does not work, LOL!
 
waynejitsu said:
What is a Derby?
Do you have any links, prices, pics, etc?
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http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Derby-Extra-Double-Edge-Razor-Blades-40100-Blades41_p_141.html


How hard is it to "learn" after only ever using an electric and disposable razors?
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We've had four new folks switch to DE shaving here on this forum in the last few months and all have had great success

Where do you get the blades?
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I, myself, use westcoastshaving.com. Their prices tend to be very good and I've had nothing but good service from them. Others will suggest their favorite retailers too.


Is it expensive to start?
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It can be, yes. But it is a once-in-a-lifetime expense, literally. If you look on eBay, great razors can be had for less than $25 shipped. You'll need a brush; you can get very nice brushes in the $25 range too. So, the inital investment can be about $50. That is four or five times the price of Gillette ProGlide starter kit, but it will last a lifetime and you'll make up the difference on blade savings in just a few months.


I am Not "into" shaving, !
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Neither am I, really. I'm not a shaving hobbiest. I want a good shave. I want it in less than 12 minutes start-to-finish. And I want it cheap. DE gives me that.

You don't have to become a shaving hobbiest.
 
I did not know that stuff was even still in use. I remember my granddad when I was very young having something like that. I thought it was antique now, LOL!!

I looked at the link, there is a lot of stuff to choose from.
What blades do you recommend?
I like quality knives, they last and stay sharp a long time, so we can go from there:)

What is the brush for?
Can I not just use a foam, gel or soap?

Thanks for your help..., this is all totally new to me...
 
waynejitsu said:
What blades do you recommend?
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That does take a bit of experimentation. I recommend starting with Dorco ST301. Then try Derby, Bic, and Feather in that order. There are a lot of others; you can make a whole hobby of collecting and trying blades. I think that if you've tried those four, you've tried the essential blades. Others here will chime in to suggest others to try. Get a pack of each and try each for a few weeks. But start with the Dorcos.


I like quality knives, they last and stay sharp a long time, so we can go from there:)
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I like quality, well-made things in general and my Merkur Futur razor and brush certainly do appeal to that. The shaves are great and the savings are huge. I calculate about $350/year. That'll pay for a hotel room, ground transportation, and basic meals for a three-day weekend in Atlanta every year.

What is the brush for?
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Making lather. There are brushless products. I have never tried one. They generally get lack-luster reviews.

Can I not just use a foam, gel or soap?
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Only creams and soaps to which you add water. Water is the key. It's not called "wet shaving" for no reason.

Thanks for your help..., this is all totally new to me...
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Look on Youtube for Mantic's shaving channel. He's one of these gonzo shaving hobbiest. That's fine. You don't have to become one. But spending an hour or two with one will spin you up-to-speed fast.

If you look at the Shave of the Day thread here, you'll see that I do pretty much the same shave every day. That's me. I'm not into this thing to try every product and blade and method. But, we've got folks here who take great delight in experimenting and trying new things. That's great for them. You can go either way.

I was just thinking the other day that these cartridge systems and electric razors (and I've been through both and would still be using Sensor if the price hadn't skyrocketted, the supply dried up, and the quality spiraled down) can give you a perfectly adequate shave. The cartriges are better than electrics, but they're such a very expensive way to shave. It's like getting up in the morning and encountering one of those vending machine dollar bill slots right next to your own bathroom sink and you have to deposit a dollar just to get your day started. Anyway, you can get an adequate shave and no technique is required; it's largely push-button. With a DE, you can get a much, much better shave for a lot less, but you do have to learn a bit of technique; it's not push-button. At the risk of approaching that hobbiest clif, I'm glad that I have learned this technique and now can bet that significantly-better shave for pennies-per-day. It's now something I do, not just a button to push.
 
I've taken a slightly different track than Gollnick, though I find I have been using my DE more often as a time saver. BTW you are right once you have the technique, feathers are a great blade, I have a few other types being shipped to me to see if I like them, but I think I'll keep them as my go to DE.
Back to the off-topic at hand, my DE handle is a Gillette open comb from about 1936 or so, and at least one of my straights is from the turn of the century (the old one).
I switched because I was sick of the price of a poor shave. I could get a few ok shaves from a mach 3, and a few good ones from a schick quatro, but that isn't the point. I'd grow a full beard for all I care, but my wife hates the stubble. so it's gotta be a really good shave, and a DE gets me that with no trouble at all, and is cheaper, so I win in every direction I can. my current fave soap is Michell's Wool Fat. Great stuff.

I am starting to agree with Gollnick on one thing though, I think a lot of guys didn't straight shave themselves. It is a rather time consuming process from keeping blades keen to the technique. So it stands to reason why safety razors became so popular so fast. But it is a skill I like to have.
 
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