Electric razor

[blackthorn]

I am considering buying an electric razor. I am tired of fooling around with shaving cream and safety razors. I would welcome suggestions for a reasonably priced good functioning unit. Thanks.

[Blkpwdrbuff]

blackthorn,
I'm on my 3rd Norelco. I have had this particular one since about 2019-2020.
It's a 3000 series.
Just stay away from the S3650/88. It is a piece of crap.
I bought a 9 pack of blades from Amazon and still have one set of 3 left.
I also use preshave which helps. Mine can also be used in the shower but I don't.
I occasionally pull the blades out and give them a good scrub with an old toothbrush.
Back together and works great.
If I skip more than one day I just go a but slower and get a good close shave.
Don't ask me which particular model I have, I've worn the model number completely off.
I bought my son one of those S3650/88.
I bought one for my son and it only lasted a year.
I shave my head and face nearly every day.
I buy a set of blades about once per year.
Blkpwdrbuff

[Winger Ed.]

I've got a 'Pit Bull' Gold and like it.
They are marketed to us bald guys that have realized hair is over rated anyway.

It is cord less, and has 4 rotary heads like a Norelco. The blades last about a year.
Replacement blade heads are pretty cheap,
and I saw a video presented by Professor youtube on how to re-sharpen your old ones.

[zardoz]

One thing to consider. If your beard hairs are quite thick in diameter (read older guys), some of those rectangular head foil shavers will not cut those hairs. The little holes in the foil just do not let the hairs pass through. On myself, that is the case on a couple of those type of electrics. The triple rotary heads with slots work far better for me, as those let the thicker beard hairs come through.

[SciFiJim]

You'll find that an electric razor won't give you as close a shave as a blade and cream. That works for me because when I have to use a disposable razor, my neck has areas that bleed without being nicked. My electric razor is pretty close and is good enough for me.

[poppy42]

No electric razor for me. I use soap and a k-bar, on my bald head.

[Handloader109]

I use an electric, mainly as I'm lazy. But I still find I need to shave once a week or so. The blade gets way closer than the electric. Just sayin.

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[Minerat]

Used norelco's for 55 years. I get ingrown hairs if I don't shave every day or use a blade. Even in elk camp. The foil shavers never worked for me.

[Froogal]

I've owned several electric razors. Different brands. NONE of them gave me the close shave that I get from a razor. Not even close. I now use, and am happy with, the BIC disposable razors. I shave in the shower. Just lather up with common bar soap and have at it. I have one can of shaving cream that has been setting on the shelf for 25 years or more. I probably should dispose of it before it rusts through and makes a mess.

[GregLaROCHE]

I had two electric razors. The ones with the three rotating heads. They do get dull after a while. The replacement blades I bought didn’t seem to be as good as the originals. Maybe they were knock offs. I often grow a beard and could never find the charging cord and had to by another razor.

I now have a Phillips One blade. It doesn’t shave as close as my other electric razors did. And the replacement blades aren’t that cheap. Now that I don’t go out in public that much and the unshaven look has become acceptable, it works great every week or to to remove the stubble before a straight razor.

I haven’t used shaving cream for years, only shampoo. The new razors today with the special strip are a great improvement over what came before. Still the best shave is with hot towels done by a real barber with a straight razor. Difficult to find these days.

[dverna]

I had the same experience as Greg...

I bought a set of "no name" replacement blades for my Norelco from Amazon or eBay and they are not as good as the OEM blades. I get a year out of a set of blades.

I am not anal about getting a close shave. Good enough is good enough.

[nueces5]

I have two, a Phillips 5000 series, and a brown series 3
Both require more time standing in front of the mirror, and there are some hairs that need to be touched up with the regular shaver.
but I take advantage of the fact that the phillips can get wet and I shave while I shower, and then touch up when I go out
It is more complicated than the regular shaver, but it does not hurt the skin as much

[GregLaROCHE]

When switching to an electric razor, your whiskers really need time to get used to it after being cut with a blade.

[rockrat]

Been using an electric for about 55 years. First Norelco lasted about 10 years, second about 20. Nowadays, I use one of the mid-priced ones at the house and if I am off on a trip, I carry one of the cheaper ones.
Blade does give me a closer shave, but like SciFiJim, if I am not really careful, neck will bleed a bit, so I seldom use a blade. Tender skin and hog bristle whiskers are a bad combination.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I usually shave with a blade but I do use an electric on occasion. I have a very old Remington 100, a foil shaver. I have replaced the foil and blades several times, the foil wears though, still works fine. I did have a Norelco Triple Head rotary, found that the Norelco gave me more ingrown hairs. A blade does get closer, but scrubbing with the foil shaver does pretty good, a hot wet cloth over your beard helps no matter what you use to shave. I find weather also makes a difference, dry and windy really hardens the hair. I usually shave at night when I shower.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

In 1985 my Dad bought a new razor, he gave me his old Remington. I cleaned it and swaped out the blades and ran it many years. I've replaced the blades 3 or 4 more times. I can no longer find blades for it. About 5 years ago, I picked up a used Norelco two head razor from a "free box" at a garage sale. I brought it home and cleaned it. It's been working well ever since, just used it this morning.

[gc45]

I got tired of shaving so let it grow. Now I just trim it on occasion. Used a razor for years, sometimes my norelco, the razor wins hands down for a smooth shave. Electric razors always left my neck burning and never did work well there..

[Electrod47]

Got sick of shaving in my late 60's. Thin skinned, knicking moles, and just let it grow out. Never could trim it right though til I broke down and bought professional barbers clippers, now I'm "dapper"...........enough

[czgunner]

I just shave my neck and upper cheeks and have a beard. I use a Henson DE. Best shave of my life. I wish I would have found it sooner.

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[.429&H110]

Customer service school taught me to carry a battery electric in the service truck
so I would have no 5 o'clock shadow working past dinnertime.
So for years I shaved on my way to work.
Depends on the beard, YMMV, worked for me.
A razor shaves, an electric beats hair to death.

[15meter]

Electrics never cut it for me(pardon the pun). 50 years this July since the last full shave. I use Peacock brand double edge blades, not easy to find. I'm another checkbone and neck shaver. I get mine from Maggard's Razors in Adrian Michigan. They have an incredible selection of razor blades. I had no idea there were that many different kinds of razor blades until I stumbled on to Maggard's.

You couldn't give me an electric razor.

[Ed K]

Completely agree it depends on the beard. Electric’s don’t do it for me. Played with top dollar disposable blades for a while. Have fallen back to a double edged safety. Not quite as good as the disposable but if you search out good stuff, it is pretty cheap.

[MT Gianni]

I played with electrics for ten years or so and went back to wet shaving with a brush and double bladed razor. The comfort is worth it.

[elmacgyver0]

I just burn'em off with a torch.

[15meter]

Completely agree it depends on the beard. Electric’s don’t do it for me. Played with top dollar disposable blades for a while. Have fallen back to a double edged safety. Not quite as good as the disposable but if you search out good stuff, it is pretty cheap.

Maggard's have a large web presence, order up and try a selection of different blades, you'll find stunning differences in how the blades cut. Also try different razor handles. I have two different ones, the difference between the two is like night and day. One I can get easily two weeks out of a fresh blade. The second one more like two shaves and it is time to change blades to get a mediocre shave.

[abunaitoo]

A long, long, time ago, I got a Norelco for Christmas.
Don't have much face hair, so it's worked well.
Shave maybe once a week.
Until I dropped it.
Then it didn't do anything.
Used a razor since.
But I got one of those foil one last year.
It just doesn't cut clean.
Probably let the hair get to long.
Does the round head clean better???
Hair got a bunch stronger since I was young.

[Coopaloop86]

I second the Skull Shaver series of "Pitbulls". I use it to shave my head and face all at once. It works wet or dry and has deployed to several disaster zones with me. A single charge will last up to 2 weeks.

[openbook]

Though I prefer to use a blade, work made it necessary to shave very quickly for a number of years. I have a Braun Series 7 that has been going strong for over a decade. I've only replaced the blade cassette once. This shaver uses a cleaning station that runs alcohol through the shaving cassette while it charges the unit. Note that you do have to replace the alcohol packs. They are expensive if you buy them in 1's or 2's at the drug store, but you can buy 6-packs for much less online.

I've experimented over the years with extending the life of the alcohol packs. They last for 1-2 months if you use them daily and just let them sit. Best tips if you go this route are: 1) If not using the shaver for a while, take the "cap" that comes on the alcohol pack and seal it up so the cleaning solution doesn't evaporate; 2) If you want, you can rinse out the old solution and replace it with isopropyl alcohol.

The shaver can also be charged using just the cord if you travel (you don't have to take the cleaning unit with you).

[GregLaROCHE]

Something to add about electric razors, those pop up trimmers never worked for me.

[Ed K]

Maggard's have a large web presence, order up and try a selection of different blades, you'll find stunning differences in how the blades cut. Also try different razor handles. I have two different ones, the difference between the two is like night and day. One I can get easily two weeks out of a fresh blade. The second one more like two shaves and it is time to change blades to get a mediocre shave.

Thanks for the tip on Maggard's. Actually I do use "better" grade blades but always in search of betterer! My comment was to the effect of I haven't quite managed to match disposables from the very top manufacturers' but we're talking $2/blade for those. I'm frugal and quite happy with my double edged safety razor as is. Better for cheap would be welcomed.

[fecmech]

Been shaving with electrics for 60 years. Started with the Remington foil shavers then went to the Norelco style shavers for a while. Just bought a Braun Series 7 and am very happy with it, shaves fast and close.

[Kestrel4k]

Long ago, I made do with with a Remington foil-type electric shaver; I thought the mediocre performance was the price I had to pay for the convenience.

But once I tried a Norelco, you couldn't pay me to go back to the other methods. I am on my third after ~30 years of them; the rotary blades don't seem to get dull in the same way that the foil-types do.

[BobT]

I tried electrics back in the day and never could find one that worked for me so I used disposables. When my mom died and we were cleaning out her stuff I found my dads 1959 Gillette Red Tip. As soon as I could get some decent blades I started using the Gillette and never regretted it. Soon after going back to wet shaving I found a pristine 1958 Gillette Tech and it's a fantastic razor.

[blackthorn]

Thank you to all who have replied. You have given me a lot of things to think about. I may try to fond a Norelco as it seems to have gotten the most "likes".

[fiberoptik]

Another happy Maggard’s customer. They were where I finally found single edge razor blades for my 1912 EverReady razor. I tried a ton of electric razors, both foil and rotary. I found te Norelco rotary best and longest lasting, though I was pretty partial to Brauns. In my 50’s I found safely razors and slant edges worked best for me. Wizamet Super Iridium and Personna Stainless Steel (Red box) Double Edge Gillette Razor Blades both give me two weeks or more per blade. Dollar store 5 for a buck no name blades a week. Can’t get much cheaper. Once bought some Gillete blades in a Guatemalan store. Tried them out and they didn’t cut at all! Guess they have soft beards. I use homemade shaving oil (massage) or hair conditioner for lubricant. Bar soap and brush. When the Gillete Sensor twin blades didn’t cut it I went old school. 7 blades, electric do-dads and funky strips don’t make up for recycled aluminum foil and bubble gum wrapper blades. Just 1 GOOD one!

[shooterg]

Still using blades but curious enough to ask some friends - preference ran into the Braun brand.

[rbuck351]

I have only tried two, A Remington and a Norelco. Both pulled some of the hairs out instead of cutting them. I have been using Bic or Gillette disposable since and much prefer the Gillette.

[ulav8r]

Used a Bic once, nearly bled to death.

[Handloader109]

Still using blades but curious enough to ask some friends - preference ran into the Braun brand.No better than any other brand. Just ok. I use one now, quicker than a blade, but only half as smooth. I can shave with a blade razor and go 2 days and not have bad stubble the 2nd day that is worse than the evening of an electric shave. And I use a blade about one every 2 weeks to get what the electric missed

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[Wag]

No matter what I use, my face comes out raw and frequently bleeding. Electrics are the worst of them all. I only need a clean shave, not a self-sacrifice!

The Bic shavers, just about as bad. The triple blade Mach-3's do okay but they leave quite the stubble.

Safety razors like granddaddy used to use are very good but it took a while to learn to use them.

Now, the best thing is straight razors. Took a while to learn to use those, too but they give me the best shave of all and the least amount of abrasion.

I'm fortunate that I really only have to shave once a week at the most. If I had to shave every day, I would never be able to do it. Especially in the summer. I've got a very light colored beard and you can only just tell I need to shave after about a week. Occasionally, I can get away with two weeks between shaves.

I don't envy all y'all who have to shave every day.


I just burn'em off with a torch.

May have to try that! :-)

--Wag--

[farmerjim]

I quit shaving 25 years ago. I use a clipper on the top of my head once a month and trim the beard, mustache and sideburns at that time.

[Slugster]

I just beat my whiskers back in with a hammer and chew them off on the inside. Just kidding. Have used Norelco's for years, but lately have been using a shaver/trimmer that does an ok job.