Thread: The Mach Delivers ?!

Originally Posted by groovyd

I think most people get irritation from a mach because they try to stretch the number of uses of the cartridge too much. And it is understandable since they aren't cheap. But then again nothing about wet shaving is really cheap either outside of the theory of it.

Yup. I was one of the many that tried to "get the most" from a blade and learned to regret it. In the waning days of my Mach use I had learned that cartridge blades aren't made to last, which is in fact the trap that Gillette tries to get you in - the constant cycle of buying blades. Unbiased reports put the average number of shaves per blade at 3, after that the quality dropped drastically. After testing out that theory I found it to be 100% correct, at least to my sensitive skin, as my beard seemed to chew through them in record time. By that point I was more than disillusioned with the Mach 3, especially with the realization that 3 blades per shave is pretty expensive.

I could never understand the guys who could make cartridges last for days or weeks on end. Those gentlemen must have either light beards or skin like leather - perhaps both!

I could never understand the guys who could make cartridges last for days or weeks on end. Those gentlemen must have either light beards or skin like leather - perhaps both!

I could only make mine last two before it started pulling. I worked out if I lived to 70 I would spend about £20,000 on cartridges if I shaved every day, thats not including gunk in a can, aftershave or anything else. So far I'm below £700 for the rest of my life and I have more razors, soaps, strops than I know what to do with. Now Imagine what you could buy with £20,000 in str8 razor terms...

Gimpyalex: you just inspired my next survival kit!

Don't forget to buy the Sean Connery accent how he is now, Young Sean Connery is creepy

Originally Posted by Ryan82

Yup. I was one of the many that tried to "get the most" from a blade and learned to regret it. In the waning days of my Mach use I had learned that cartridge blades aren't made to last, which is in fact the trap that Gillette tries to get you in - the constant cycle of buying blades. Unbiased reports put the average number of shaves per blade at 3, after that the quality dropped drastically. After testing out that theory I found it to be 100% correct, at least to my sensitive skin, as my beard seemed to chew through them in record time. By that point I was more than disillusioned with the Mach 3, especially with the realization that 3 blades per shave is pretty expensive.

I could never understand the guys who could make cartridges last for days or weeks on end. Those gentlemen must have either light beards or skin like leather - perhaps both!

While traveling the world I used a mach 3 and used to shave once a week and stretch the cartridge for 2-3 months, that is about 10 shaves. I was rugged and didn't care about a little irritation once a week since it was only once a week my face didn't really care anyway since it had an inch of sludge and dead skin on top. I noticed since the mach 3 the 4 and 5 have gotten me less shaves per cartridge and not really any closer either. I might put the Mach 3 as the best of the Machs in my history book.

Today was my second 3 pass shave with the new cartridge only having added a bit of nancy boy signature cream to the proraso soap as I normally do working my way through my 30 soap and cream rotation and I got more or less the same quality shave off it with only a slight sting of the alum on a few spots. Compared to the first shave this is just as close but there was some very minor irritation.

I can project from this that after 3 might be where it starts irritating to a significant level where you might notice it if you weren't hell bent on finding it and most likely the cartridge will be useable up to 6 shaves but the last few might be marginal. I will stop my experiment when the blade reaches a level of irritation similar to what I get normally with a str8 marking that as the water high mark since I should only get better and better at the str8 seems logical.

So essentially how many shaves would I get off a Mach before it compares negatively off my str8 with my current experience. I will then use that number to project on cost and value.

This conversation reminds me of...



Only...there's no tootsie roll at the end of a cartridge.

My sons bought me the vibrating Mach 3 or 4 and it works fine,the thing that puzzles me is that although it give a very smooth shave when the cartrages are sharp, they dont last as long as a shave from a straight,just my observation,but I prefer the straight,and use the mach as a quick clean up razor once in a while.JMHO