Nobrainer’s Think Tank

It’s been nearly a month since I began my quest for the perfect shave.

I have been boring you all to tears with the same generic post of “I used this and that and it was ok.” My work remains incomplete. Expect continued boring shaving posts because it’s just the easiest way for me to keep a record of all the tests. However, per Tom’s request, I’ll give my status update for where I’m at.

Razors: My goal was to get the closest shave possible. I’ve found that none of the blades I’ve tried have given me an acceptable shave with the grain, with all models performing more or less the same. In shaving against the grain, they again all performed equally.

So while I don’t feel I’ve given adequate time to the Sensor, I’ll still summarize my feelings.

• The Fusion is just too big for its own good.
• The Mach3 is probably the best combo of idiot-proofing and good shaving. The Mach3 seems a lot less likely to create nicks and cuts.
• The Sensor is a little less comfortable, although the SensorXL may be better.
• The double-edge safety razor requires much more attention but shaves as well. I don’t like getting that thing near my neck, but I did like it against the grain.

The tradeoff is between comfort and price. If comfort isn’t an issue, I’d suggest the DESR. Because of this testing, I have enough blades to last for a solid year. Right now I’m not sure which type I’ll buy when I finally run out. The Fusion is right out. The Sensor probably isn’t in play either as it’s not as cheap as the DESR and not as comfortable as the Mach3.

Shaving creams:
Again, I don’t feel I’ve done adequate testing here. Nonetheless here’s my rundown.

• Edge Advanced Gel - Extra Protection: The gel is a pretty decent product, though I haven’t tested it with the cheaper blades.
• Edge ActiveCare Deep Cleansing Shave Cream: I’ve used it twice, I’ve hated it twice. I don’t want to use it anymore even though I probably will.
• Gillette Fusion HydraGel - Ultra Sensitive: I took this on my last trip to Atlanta. After a few brutal days I was fairly impressed.
• Nivea for Men Sensitive Shaving Gel: I haven’t used it a lot. The last time I did use it, I didn’t like it. I’m still willing to give it another few shots.
• Williams Mug Soap (and a cheap shaving brush): I haven’t really used this one enough to know.
• Shave Secret Shaving Oil: This is the one I’m most enthused about. It’s not messy. You don’t have to re-apply it if you want to make a second pass. And it’s great for traveling. Maybe it’s just because it is a novel product and maybe I’ll tire of it eventually, but I really believe that it helps deliver a comfortable shave.

Here I’ve got to recommend the Shave Secret. Pony up a few bucks the next time you get a chance and buy a little bottle. If you don’t like it, you can send the remainder to me.

I’ll also note, that I like the Nivea for Men After Shave Cooling Balm. However, it doesn’t cool too much if you used a crappy shave cream to start with.