Shaving Revisited

by DShan on August 26, 2009

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If you’re not familiar with shaving your face, which I’d expect some of you may not be, let me tell you that it’s one of the most tedious aspects of being a man.

I realize that might come very close to stating that life as a male is pretty easy, but let’s not forget that we do have to navigate the intricacies of you women once we’re done shortening the hair on our chinny chin chin.  We still have to figure out what it is you want to hear when you ask us questions we think we know the answer to.

That being said, shaving is a pain in the butt, but in college I was lucky enough to get a free Gillette Mach 3 Razor and the course of my shaving woes was forever changed.

I think Gillette (warning: do not click that link unless you LOVE Flash) may have given every single adolescent male a free Mach 3 Razor ten years ago because they knew that these things were the crack cocaine of shaving.  I mean, one day your sliding a disposable razor across your chin and then next day you’re wiping the hair off your face with a soft laundered cloth that happens to have three razors built into it.  Gillette probably doesn’t want you to know this, but you didn’t even need shaving cream anymore.

The thing was perfect.  I think you could actually ask your facial hair to go away if you owned one.

Now granted, for the next ten years I was begrudgingly buying replacement blades which cost more than the outfit I’d put on after shaving, but that razor lasted me ten years, no joke.  It lasted four dob kits (where does that word come from, anyway?) and five residences.  Every girl I have kissed since freshman year in college reaped the benefit of that razor.

Until it disappeared on me about two months ago and I went through the same thing I went though when I stopped playing competitive soccer and my cleats wore out.  The Do Not Replace Syndrome that’s founded in something you’ve taken for granted for longer than you can remember.  Do people BUY razors these days?  Once free, always free, no?

And please don’t tell me people are falling for the FUSIONFive blades is totally ridiculous.

So here I am, pushing thirty years old and in an all out battle with facial hair without a suitable weapon.  I am not joking when I tell you that I was commuting home today on a bus, thinking that although I really haven’t blatantly asked for anything from the Gods of Blog, and I really haven’t received anything in return (besides some effing awesome new friends, sidenote), if they gave me one wish I think I might wish for a Mach 3 Razor.

At which point I realized that my aspirations could probably be raised.

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  • laura_marie
    d, let me tell you a tale:
    This tale begins with me stealing my father's Gillette Mach razor many, many years ago. It picks up again 6 months ago when my roommate threw out that very same razor mistaking it for her own. Why she would throw away her own version of the beautiful tool is not the subject of this tale, but worth criticizing later.
    The tale ends with me in the shaving aisle at Target scrunching up my nose at the pink monstrous things for which I now have to pay to have and to hate.

    so, on such a random topic as this, i feel ya.
  • I kind of forgot that women use the Best Razor Ever too. I did know one or two who've used it here and there.

    But pink is so pretty! *ahem*
  • Ok, three things.

    One - I REMEMBER when these graced the "welcome kits" and bags in freshman dorms and every freshman guy (and maybe the girls?) got a free Mach 3 razor.

    Two? The one thing, like your soccer cleats, that I have not EVER replaced are my rollerblades. I've had the SAME BladeRunners for THIRTEEN years, though yes, I've replaced the wheels a time or two.

    I have absolutely no desire for new ones.

    Three - I like my Venus razor just fine, but I'm wondering... would you recommend the Best Razor Ever for the females instead? I like my leggies silky smooth.
  • Ok, roller blades? Really?

    :)

    I honestly don't know about the female razor world, although I do believe the Mach 3 does a bang up job down there too!
  • I meant for my legs.
  • Oh, I know:) I did too.
  • timoteosays
    Dude, Gillete randomly sent me one of these in the mail on my bday. That's when I was 18. 23 Now, and my metallic little side kick is still kickin'. I have been reading recently though that using a double edged razor and a shaving brush are supposedly "the best" you can get, in terms of shaving.
  • Hm, the shaving brush - I've never understood. I mean, the Mach3 shaves like champ, so I'm happy. Right?
  • Iva
    Wow. such love behind a razor. This is beautiful. lol. I have to say though, finding a razor that is that good to you is truly remarkable. "Every girl I have kissed since freshman year in college reaped the benefit of that razor." {hahah you are hilarious} I feel a sense of urgency to call up the 'Gods of Blog' for you and plead to send you another. Although, then the whole replacement thing would have to happen. ahh. so sorry. How did you loose it anyway! :) Hope you are having a great Wednesday! Anywho, I need to pick up a new razor myself, maybe, just maybe, this will be the one...pink or not! hehe.
  • Right! Good luck with the next razor; could be a forever thing! And I'm down with the replacements, in fact I still HAVE blades! Just no stem! UGH.
  • I use Mach 4 and I shave w/ ONLY water. No cream or anything else
  • There's a FOUR? How long did that last?

    And yes, Machs apparently destroyed the need for cream. I discovered that in college; now only with major facebeard do I need cream.
  • Wow. I am still rocking the Gillette Sensor. TWO blades!

    I think I got it in college too.
  • Gillette owned us as young men. I'm proud of you, man. Two blades. So neanderthal.
  • More often than not, when I'm shaving I'll look over and see Michelle standing in the doorways staring at me. While I find shaving my face tedious, she finds it to be incredible and foreign.

    As a blonde I used to have to shave once a week, but in the last few years if I go that long I'm on my way to beards-ville. So annoying.
  • Yeah, I'm like you with the lucky lighter shading, although mine goes red. And the face beard is just aggressive these days. Killing me, with effing crap disposable razors.

    Also, you should make Shellster shave you. If you haven't, I know when I did that with my girlfriend (at the time) it was really, really funny how scared she was of killing me.
  • That's precisely why she WON'T be shaving me anytime soon!
  • I recently changed my razor from the mach 3 to a schick quattro. The reason? My mach 3 handle was becoming more bogged down and sticky with who knows what kind of residue, and the shaving "indicators" would wear out (along with the aloe of the mach 3 turbo blades) and result in much facial frustration.

    I did a price comparison based on 8 blades in a pack for quattro, 3 and 3 turbo. In all cases, the quattro had more blades: including the "trimmer" on the back. The quattro has an aloe strip, so does the 3 turbo. the 3 is just the blades and indicator.

    Prices were (Cnd $): 3 - 20/8, 3 turbo - 26/8, and quattro - 24/8. Base replacement was only moderately more expensive.

    I still see gillette come in the fall to universities and give away razors, but i usually see my friends team up to get as many free as possible and get rid of them when finished. And they're up to the fusion for sure.
  • Yeah, Gillette is pushing their new cocaine. I get it. I'm actually impressed with the workout on cost; obviously I'm holding out (til what? dunno...my next shot at adolescence and free Gillette stuff?).
  • http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1907847

    You can get one free! Except that it was only valid until may...

    I'm sure they'd do something like that again though.
  • Yeah, I don't know much about shaving and men, but even though men are usually considered to have it easy, I agree that it is tough for them to have to figure out the "intricacies" of us women. Ughhh!
  • shit, i totally have the fusion.

    i like to be smoooooooooooooooooth.
  • amandasaurus
    At least you only have to shave your face and not your legs, armpits, bikini line, etc. That being said, good razors are hard to find. Even some of the 23947293874-blade ones still hurt and don't even work!
  • Clayco
    D.

    One thing. While the razor is certainly the central character, let's not forget the pre game warm up. Since changing from the chemically infested shaving gel that Gillette and all the other CPG's churn out, to the simple and sophisticated English lather and a badger brush my face has seen a revolution of sweet softness (and you save a ton of money in the long run...I've had the same English lather last me almost 12 months, just gotta invest upfront in the badger brush).

    I don't know how any man wouldn't educate his son on the benefits of a silver tipped badger brush and English lather.
  • Interesting story but the love of a razor is not to be denied! Just wait until you are married and on vacay when your wife forgets her razor at home and "accidentally" borrows yours to shave her stubbly legs...let the drama begin! Maybe it might be wise to either include a disclaimer in your pre-nup or whatever that specifically prohibits such acts of intrusion or you can date a hairless chick! :) Nice Blog BTW!
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