Reader Jordan says that Gillette is adding a razor blade to their 4-pack. And raising the price $5.
A couple of weeks ago, I was at Target, and I saw that all of their Mach 3 cartridges were on clearance. As a Mach 3 user, I was kind of concerned as to what was going on. I hoped that they weren’t discontinuing the Mach 3 and Mach 3 turbo and forcing everyone to buy their newest razor.
Last night I was at the grocery store and wandered down the shaving aisle, and lo and behold, Mach 3 razors now only come in a 5-pack. Not only that, the price has been jacked way up. A 4-pack of Mach 3 turbo blades was about $8.99. The new 5-pack costs $13.99. So they give you one extra razor for 5 bucks. Thanks, Gillette. I am now switching to Schick.
Ouch.
More From Consumerist
-
How Much Does A Free Pair Of Gloves Cost? 60 Cents
-
Kroger Thinks You Might Want To Pay More For A 10-Pack Of Razors Than Two 5-Packs
-
Should You Have To Pay For Extra Ketchup At Fast Food Joints?
-
Best Buy Music Department Cares About Your Guitar Very, Very Much
-
Worst Company In America Round 1: Apple Vs. Microsoft
Merkur Classic + Feather High Stainless Platinum blades
10 blades for 5.99 thats what a shave should cost.
…or we can stop bitching about the price of razors and grow our beards!
The DE razor is a good choice. What I did for years before going that route was to use no name brand razors for my old Gillette Sensor Razor handle. You won’t find the no name brands at Wal-Mart, Target, and their ilk. You need to go to the grocery store or drug store. Some no names are awful. Others are almost comparable to Gillette’s brands. They’re worth looking for and I still use them when I travel. Would hate the thought of losing my $50 Merkur handle.
Storing the razor in oil works well, but honestly, for the best/closest shave, you need to replace the blades after 3-4 shaves.
Invest in some good shaving product. Get a good brush, and use some shaving oil as well.
[www.theartofshaving.com] has some really awesome stuff that I use. Expensive, but in my opinion worth it. I shave every morning for duty, so I’ve got really sensitive skin.
After Gillette got bought out a few years ago, the quality was crap almost immediately. The metal on the new blades actually looked different than a pack I had from before.
I think this new 5-pack might have something to do with the new Mach 3 disposable razors. Those come in a 3-pack and are somewhat cheaper.
Also, Costco sells the Mach 3 and Fusion cartridges in bulk for a decent price.
Too bad that that save-a-blade thing is worthless….
You can pick up a Braun self-cleaning unit for $139… I bought a Braun Pulsonic for $200 with the Bed/Bath/Beyond 20% of thing and will never look back.
Schick is no better, I’m afraid, at providing customers with a good product at a good price: [bstewart23.com] (warning: swears).
omg!
Supply and Demand FTW!!!
sometimes I wonder if any of you understand some of the basic laws of economics.
here is like rule 3 or 6 or somthing
If people will pay it…Charge it
no company needs to be nice
@Landru: I would never buy anything that regulary can make contact with my blood on ebay
@bluewyvern: Perhaps not a straight razor, but a nice DE(Double Edge) safety razor would be great for you. The safety razors have a bar on each side that help prevent cuts by keeping the razor edge recessed. There is a specific Lady model made by Gillette. Here’s a review. [reviews.ebay.com]
@realist.com: Sealed razor blades on eBay are just as safe as ones you would by in the store. Because as we’ve all seen in articles on Consumerist, stores always maintain a level 5 clean room standard.
@realist.com: And if you’re drawing that much blood when you shave, perhaps you may need to improve your technique.
@Git Em SteveDave: Thanks, but that review says that they’re “not properly designed to shave women’s legs”…it’s talking about how great they are for men.
Maybe there’s something else out there, though.
@ChuckECheese: How do you shave with a Ford Fusion?
@Git Em SteveDave: somehow I doub’t the Chinese made knock offs that you see for sale that look real (probably the ones that end up on ebay) maintain that standard.
once or twice a year I have my fiancee’s mother pick me up a 30 pack of mach 3 razors at sam’s club for $25…can’t beat it.
Razors and hearing aids are highly overpriced. What a racket.
@realist.com: Well, recently Consumerist had a story about how a lot of shoplifted blades were being sold on eBay. And let’s be honest, current US stuff doesn’t have that high of standards.
@catdogpigduck: WHAT?!?! Speak up!
@doctor_cos: How do you shave with a Ford Fusion?
Verrry carefully.
Yea, gonna have to say DE razor all the way…I picked up a $ 15 Feather Portable (it just breaks down in a case, nothing special), I use the cheap Walmart blades, I have a cheap boar brush and use cheap mug soap (both from Walmart)…and with all that cheap stuff, I still get a better shave than I did from my Fusion, spend less, and the soap smells better than any shaving cream. Sometimes I’ll splurge and get some high end blades (Feathers or equivalent) if I have to go to a wedding or something.
Oh, and my grandmother still shaves her legs with a DE razor, so women can use them
I used a double edge safety razor, which runs me around $.20 per blade, and each blade lasts as long as a Mach 3 blade, but for those who aren’t so bold, there is also the option of cryogenically tempered blades from [www.greatrazors.com]
I used to buy Mach 3 blades from them before I switched to the old school safety razor, and they literally lasted FOREVER. They buy Mach 3 blades off the shelf and freeze them down to -300 degrees, which for some reason makes the metal in the blades REALLY strong and durable. I don’t understand the science behind it, but I can tell you that it definitely works. Each blade would literally last me months in terms of sharpness (I didn’t shave everyday at the time, was a college student). I would guess that I got AT LEAST 20 shaves out of each cryogenically tempered blade, possibly more.
On the women’s side, I know I’ll draw fire for this, but my solution is the good old Epilady. I’ve been using mine for 18 years now, and most of my leg hair doesn’t even grow back anymore (apparently I’ve finally scarred the follicles permanently shut.)
My original one from 1989 finally burned out about 4 years ago and I bought a replacement on Ebay. Apparently Epiladies only exist in two states: burned out and used once.
Sure beats paying thousands for laser hair removal!
For underarms, Intuition FTW.
@LatherRinseRepeat: Costco is the only place I’ll buy them. 16 Fusion blades is something like $32, and 16 Mach 3 blades is something like $28. Not bad at all.
I tried to submit a story on this subject several months ago to consumerist, but no interest, so I’ll post this here:
Look into Cryogenically frozen razor blades.
There are several companies providing this product. One that I’ve used is http:/greatrazors.com . There are others. Basically, they take an unopened box of Gillette or Schick razors, briefly put them in a freezer that reduces their temperature to -300 degrees (F or C, not sure). They then bring them back to room temperature. This act of cryogenically tempering the blades literally makes them last 3 to 4 times as long. The price is marginally higher than what you’d pay for the regular blades in the store. I highly recommend them. I’m sick of Schick and Gillette exploiting their customers.
I have found the key to long life in razor blades, you have to use the right shaving cream. Years ago I used to use cheap ass shaving cream like Barbasol and my blades would last for 2 weeks. I changed to “EDGE”, you know the gel based shaving cream and voila, my blades last me more than 2 months (I use the mach 3.) I often change my blade after two months just because I think I should, I bet I could get 4 – 5 months out of a single blade.
I believe that there is an ingrediant in most shaving creams that attach the metal in the blade and dulls it over a short period of time. After all, lots of the shaving creams are made by the razor manufacturers. Edge is made by SC Johnson.
Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
oops, correction B4 the grammer police catch me. LOL
I believe that most shaving creams contain an ingrediant that attacks the metal in the blade and dulls it over a short period of time.
Double edged safety razors ftw!
Also, it’s important to find a cream or gel that you like and works with your skin. I like King of Shaves gels.
Finally, razor blades are one of the most counterfeited items out there. If you open up a new blade and find it rips your face it is probably fake. It doesn’t matter where you buy them Ebay or a major store who sourced a supply on the grey market.
@irfan: I use the Schick Xtreme III too. I’ve been buying them for years, and much prefer them to anything Gillette makes. I wish Costco carried them in bulk packs, but I have been able to find some good deals on multiple-cartridge packs on Amazon (look for the seller Razors Direct).
Once I started shaving in the shower with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap I learned that I can pretty much get a good shave with a butter knife. I grow my beard during the cold months so between the shower/soap and less surface area to shave, I go through 2-3 blades in a year, even with the Fusion blades.
Last time I checked the fusion power blades were more expensive than the fusion non-power blades. The only difference: color
I know I’m repeating posts, but razor blades are a ripoff!
I purchase something like 112 blades for my Mach 3 on eBay for around $130. I don’t remember the exact price, because I only need to purchase one a year!
@not_kosher:
Do you know what a monopoly is? How does Gilette have a monopoly on razors?
@Git Em SteveDave:
Cast iron is good, but some instances an aluminum skillet or pan works better. Different tools for different jobs and all that. You wouldn’t try to use the same screwdriver for every job, why would you try to use the same skillet or saucepan for every cooking task?
As far as razor blades, I usually get 10 or 12 shaves per blade with my Mach3, but I also dry shave after warming my skin to soften the hairs and tighten the skin.
I shave my head every other day and only use disposable razors.
My trick to saving $$$ is USE COUPONS and not be brand loyal …
There really isn’t much of a difference between all of these brands … 8 blades, 9 blades … whatever.
I tend to spend about 50 – 75 cents on each razor and they last about 2 – 3 weeks.
Oh, and as other posters mentioned, DRY them off and they DO last about 2x as longer …
So, he saw the new, higher-priced package at a *different* store than where he saw the cheaper four-pack. And based solely on that he’s ready to boycott Gillette and e-mail Consumerist. And Consumerist just slaps it online without any further pricing at other retailers, checking with Gillette, etc.
I dont use shaveing cream or aftershave.
just water and the razor.
/ am I the only one?
@kable2: No. There’s a whole group of people who believe in “The Great Shaving Cream Consipracy”
Whatever it costs like 2 cents a shave.
@doctor_cos: I just run it over my face a few times. Har har. I’m talking about the Gillette Fusion, the most overwrought razor yet. There’s five blades in them razors.
@kable2: I use soap, unless I’m too lazy to lather, when I’ll use water.
@R3PUBLIC0N: I will second this. You can find an old safety razor handle at thrift or antique stores for a few dollars, and after a good cleaning and sanitizing, you’re ready to go. Shoot, you can get a brand new Merkur DE handle for about $35, which is the same price as about a dozen cartridges these days. Add in a shaving brush and a tube of Proraso, and you’ll never go back.
I just never bothered with any soaps or creams, I dont find that my skin gets sore or anything. I just wet my face and the razor and shave (rinsing and tapping the hairs out of the razor into the sink).
I only use disposable ones and I find I get like 2 weeks from a razor before it starts to dull out.
test
I’d go with an electric if it wasn’t for the fact that I haven’t found one yet that doesn’t manage to yank the beard out of my face instead of actually cutting it.
@BensAngel I’ve been following and using Gillette blades a long time. EVERY time they come out with a new blade (more blades per head) they try to force all their customers to use that by reducing the availability of the existing ones, or packaging them together so that you have to buy a new one. I’m using the basic two-blade with glide strip I’ve been using for years – praying they don’t finally discontinue them. their Mach and quattro simply do not provide a better shave in my case, and cost more money. But YES, they keep jacking the price, and the price never seems to stay consistent. Unfortunately, I’ve never found a blade that cuts as close or as well as Gillettes, even though I’ve tried several others. It sucks to either buy Gillette, or have a cut up face.
Oh, one more thing. I used to only be able to use a blade 3 times, then I’d have to switch to make sure they stayed super sharp (always clean and dry them). I had to do this b/c I have serious issues with curly hair on the face, which leads to bumps. Dealt with this for YEARS – until I found [www.tendskin.com]
If you have this problem, I promise you this will help. But make sure you use it for 2-3 weeks, EXACTLY like the directions say, to give it time to do its magic. Now, I can use my blades much longer than I use to use them.
If I could see this stuff I would – it’s that good! Oh, the small bottle lasts me a year, easily. Usually need to replace it before it’s used up b/c it really does stop working after it’s expiration date.
@tvh2k:
He’s a maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
Such a maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! (Such a man!)
He’s a reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal, reeeeeeeeeeeal man’s maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
On a serious note, if you don’t mind buying in massive bulk, you can find good deals on razor cartridges on eBay.
(Big fan of the Gilette Sensor Excel — not so much of the prices for cartridges).
Am i the only person here that just uses a cheap electric? I hate shaving way more than having a 5:00 shadow. I don’t even buy replacement blades for it, just throw it out every two years or so when it breaks.
Seriously – as mentioned – double edged safety razor. Last longer, cheaper, classier (imo). Don’t fall for the 17 blades on one razor schtick. Takes a few times to get used to, but you’ll never go back.
I use a double edged safety razor myself. It takes a little while to learn the proper technique because we are so used to the modern razors that are idiot proof. Once you get the hang of it though, they are much more gentle on your face and provide a much closer shave. The trade-off is you have to make two or more passes.
As far as the length of time a blade lasts, it doesn’t just depend on dryness, impurities, etc. Your beard (or hair for the ladies) also plays a part. The thickness and coarseness of your hair will wear a blade differently. A man with a thick beard will wear blades out quicker than a guy that is just shaving his lip and chin. If you have coarse hair (thick individual hairs) like me watch out, you are doomed to dull blades quickly for the rest of your life. Coarse hair dulls blades faster than anything else.
@Leisureguy – Hey, I know you from shavemyface.com!! I remember when your book was just a living blog post. Look at you now…I’m so proud.