

Gillette's fanaticism with R&D - adnam
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,2181337,00.html

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enonko
That reminds me: <http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33930>

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karzeem
You've stumbled onto a pet obsession of mine, so I'm compelled to comment.
This isn't hacking-related, so apologies in advance.

The most important element of a good shave is by no means the razor--it's
wetness. If you start using a shaving brush and a good cream (the kind that
comes in a small tub, not an aerosol can), and make sure your skin is always
wet, the improvement is something like switching from a chainsaw to a scalpel.

Secondary to that is the razor. In my experience, the best shaves are to be
had with a single-blade safety razor. The learning curve is steeper, because
it doesn't let you get away with all the bad habits and sloppy technique that
pivoting, vibrating, multi-colored blades forgive. After three or four shaves,
though, you're all set.

<http://shaveblog.com> hasn't been updated in a while, but its archive is
informative and well-read by shavegeeks.

~~~
kingkongrevenge
Technology trumps nostalgia. Sorry buddy, a good modern cartridge blows away
straight edges and single blades. And wetness has nothing on the sharpness of
the blade.

In any case, the best daily shaving experience is to be had with a high
quality electric foil razor. Wet shaving daily irritates the skin too much,
and one day's growth isn't enough for the razor to pull on and make a close
shave.

~~~
karzeem
A good analogy is a comparison between a Honda Civic and a Lamborghini.
Driving the Civic is predictable and undemanding, and it gets the job done
decently. The Lamborghini is less forgiving and asks more of its driver, but
used well will handily outperform the Civic.

"And wetness has nothing on the sharpness of the blade." I'm not saying that
people should shave with dull blades. I'm saying that given a sharp blade, the
single biggest improvement that people can make while shaving is maintaining
proper lubrication.

Have you learned to use a single-blade razor with a brush and some proper
cream? It takes a week or two to develop good habits. If you still found that
setup inferior, maybe you were responding to the fact that it takes about
twice as long as the more popular kind of shave. (Ameliorating that is the
fact that a nice cream is one of Earth's finest olfactory delights.)

In fairness to your point, I never shave every day, no matter the type of
blade or cream, because of the reason you cite--not enough growth to do
anything but irritate the skin.

To each his own, but your advocacy of electric razors saps credibility. I
haven't used one of the super fancy ones, but the ones I have used, which were
mid-range, were uniformly mediocre. They do make it easier to shave every day,
but at the annoying cost of a sub-par shave.

------
Tichy
I am waiting for the shaver with laser blades...

