There are so many mens electric shavers available today that determining which one is right for you can be challenging. You can increase the chances of getting a shaver that fits your needs by reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of shavers and by looking over the many features and options that are available.
Rotary shaver or foil shaver?
The two basic types of electric shavers are rotary shavers and foil shavers.
Remington rotary shaver
Rotary shavers have two or three independently pivoting circular blades mounted on the head of the shaver. This makes rotary shavers a little faster at shaving the areas of the face that curve in more than one direction, such as the chin. Rotary shavers are also slightly better at cutting long whiskers due to the design of the blades. This might be something to consider if your beard grows fast or if you occasionally let your beard grow out. Rotary shavers are usually easier to clean and slightly quieter than foil shavers.
Panasonic foil shaver
Foil shavers have a thin perforated metal surface covering one or more oscillating blades. Most men agree that they get a closer shave with a foil shaver than they get with a rotary shaver. Foil shavers are also better at precise detailing around mustaches and goatees and the larger cutting area allows for a faster shave. Reviews of the two types have found that foil shavers cause less skin irritation than rotary shavers. However, the thin foil surface does wear out and it is prone to damage if dropped.
The available features:
Most electric shavers are rechargeable, although you can still find some plug-in models available. A few Remington shavers allow you to plug it in while you shave if you ever forget to charge it. Several manufacturers make models that have a “quick-charge” feature which will produce enough charge for one shave in a few minutes. A charge indicator can also be a nice feature to get. An often overlooked but very important feature is automatic shut-off when the charge is complete, since overcharging will shorten the life of the shaver battery. For those who travel overseas, a model with dual-voltage capability is an added bonus.
The versatility of a wet/dry shaver is great. You can use them in the shower and with shaving cream, and they can
Automatic cleaning, drying and charging all at once.
also be rinsed clean under running water. The more expensive wet/dry shavers also have automatic cleaning, and some will even clean, dry and charge all at the same time.
Some of the other features are; pop-up or slide-out trimmer (great for trimming
The pivoting head on a Panasonic shaver.
mustaches, beards and sideburns), a pivoting or swiveling shaver head (this really helps keep the blades in contact with your skin), foil shavers with a vibrating foil (can help you get a closer and faster shave).
By carefully evaluating which features are important to you, you will be more likely to get a shaver that you will be happy with.
A video follow-up to an article I wrote over 4 years ago, about how to get a great shave. The only right way is to shave with a safety razor. It’s better for you, and it’s better for the planet, because the little stainless steel blade you throw away is fully recyclable. There’s no plastic that enters the equation, which means less pollution and less waste. Filmed in 720p HD with the Olympus PEN E-P2. Here’s the original article: raoulpop.com
The Men’s Grooming Blog Comments:
I’m no shaving expert, but I have found some shaving tips that are slightly different than what is given in the video. First of all, the shaving cream should be able to produce a good, rich lather that will not dry on your face even if it is left on for several minutes. If your shaving cream dries before you are finished you need to either add more water or try a different brand. I personally have never had a problem with it drying on my face and I have tried several different brands.
Shaving cream should soften the whiskers, but to do this, it needs to stay on your face for a little while. A lot of advice that I have seen says to leave the shaving cream on your face for as long as 5 minutes! This will seem like forever if you just stand there waiting, so what I do is apply the lather and do something else like put on deodorant and anything else that wont disturb my lathered-up face. The sequence of shaving should be as follows: both cheeks, neck, upper lip and the chin last. This will allow the areas that tend to have the toughest whiskers to be in contact with the shaving cream for the longest period of time.
Now, a few words about his sharp blade warning. A dull razor is FAR more likely to cut you than a sharp one. Razor blades do not dull evenly so the edge becomes jagged and deformed after several uses. Think of a serrated knife: great for cutting raw meat but not something I would like to use for shaving. By the way, try flipping the razor to the other edge every time you rinse. This will ensure even use on both edges. I get at least eight to ten good shaves from a blade, but this will vary from person to person depending on such factors as the quality of the blade and the toughness of your whiskers.
Raoul is correct about warming the shaving brush which therefore warms the lather. A warm lather not only feels great, it also helps soften the beard. To go even further with this, warm your shaving mug with hot water before adding the shaving cream. As for warming the razor: ultimately the razor should be at or about body temperature. The issue with a cold razor (or hot for that matter) is that your skin will warm the blade unevenly as you shave. Because temperature will cause any metal to expand or contract the blade can warp slightly as you shave. A warped blade, like a dull one, is more likely to nick your face. You will probably never feel the affects of a warped blade but warming it wont hurt and besides, a warm blade feels better against the skin.
Again, these are tips that I have come across. They have worked well for me so I thought I would share them here. What has worked for you? If you have any ideas, suggestions or tips please consider sharing them.
World Shaving Brush Championship. Video by Male Concept.
The Premiere Shaving Brush - Unfortunately, despite what the cool flashing picture suggests, this brush is only available with a black handle at this time. Sorry.
I really like it when my husband has about two weeks beard growth on his face. Every two weeks he uses a regular shaver with shaving cream to go smooth. When he does this, he looks like he’s 12. He says that he will keep the two week growth look if I can find him some sort of shaver or trimmer that will do the job. I am not familiar with electric shavers or trimmers and I am not sure what brands are good.. What would you recommend he use to keep the 2 week growth look without ever having to shave smooth again?
The first thing I want to ask is does it matter what type of blades you use in your safety razor and which brands did you find the best?
Second, I like getting a close shave so when I rub my hands on my face it feels smooth. I know you’re suppose to go with the grain, or in some places a little across the grain, but I get the closest shave when I go against the grain. The problem is, I get cut sometimes and once in a while I get ingrown hairs (not a lot, but it still bothers me). So is this wrong? Should I only be shaving with the grain?
Third, I would to know from those who go for a smooth feel to the face after a shave (you know, baby smooth), does it only feel smooth running your hands with the grain or does it also feel smooth against the grain?
I bought a straight razor and it isn’t as effective as when I bought it a few weeks ago. How can I sharpen it myself without having to take it somewhere?
I don’t know if I have ingrown hairs or shaving bumps. It looks like pimples on the side of my face and there are a lot of small bumps. I don’t know what happened, my face wasn’t like this like a few months ago.
I’m Asian and I’m 17 years old (if it matters). Anyway, I shaved the side of my face for the first time a few months ago. I used Nivea Multi-Protecting Balm aftershave for the first time as well because I thought it might help to prevent any problems but it seems like my face just keeps getting worse. I have now stopped shaving because I’m afraid of getting more bumps.
Could it be that my skin is sensitive to this product? I’m not sure if this after-shave is alcohol free or not. Would it help if I only use alcohol free after-shave in the future? Should I go to a men’s beauty salon or see a dermatologist about this problem? I really don’t want to keep going back for many treatments or anything. I was also wondering, is there any cream or any other type of product that will help solve my problem?
I am thinking about buying a beard trimmer for my boyfriend as a gift. He’s always messing with his beard and complaining about how he has to trim it all the time. He currently uses scissors to cut his beard and he gets hair all over the sink. This beard trimmer has vacuum suction to catch the hair so I thought it might be a good idea.
So, any of you guys who use a Philips T980, what do you think? Do you like it or dislike it? Would you recommend it? My only concern is; will it cut his beard too short? There are nine different settings for length, so I think this wouldn’t be a problem, but I’m not sure.
At the time of this post, there were 622 reviews for the Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer. On their scale of one to five stars, 295 reviewers gave it 5 stars, 205 reviewers gave it 4 stars, 49 gave it 3 stars, 38 gave it 2 stars and 35 gave it 1 star.
Some of the negatives involved the locking device for the length settings. Even some of the reviewers who gave it a high rating said that you have to be careful about pushing too hard while trimming or it can move to a lower setting without you realizing it. Others said they had no problem with this and they didn’t understand the complaints about this.
Another problem discussed was the touch-sensitive on/off/turbo button. Some reviewers said it was too sensitive and you can accidentally switch it off while trimming if you’re not careful. Others were concerned that it would get switched on in luggage while traveling.
A few other reviewers said they had problems with either real close trimming or trimming very long beards but many others said it worked well for both. The few high-raters who addressed the problems that the low-raters had suggested that they read the instruction manual. Good advice, but what man ever reads instructions?
I recently decided to try straight razor shaving. I am Asian so I have minimal facial hair (mainly in the mustache/goatee area) and I have sensitive skin. Therefore, I have a lot of questions and I’m hoping someone can clear them up for me.
1. Straight razor or safety razor, is there any real difference in closeness or is it just different technique and preparation?
2. Is a disposable straight edge (shavette) just as good as a straight razor? Is it worthwhile to invest in a real straight edge with all the accessories? I figure if a double edge blade is good in a safety razor, then why not for a disposable style straight edge? This would help save time for sharpening and it would also be good for hygiene/sanitary purposes.Do you agree or disagree?
3. I’ve been using the straight edge (disposable type) for 2 days now and I’ve had a few nicks but nothing major. What’s the learning curve on a straight edge? So far, I haven’t really noticed any difference from the Mach 3 Turbo I was using. No one has really shown me any techniques so far, I just take my time and use shorter strokes. I shave once with, then once against the grain.
4. Is shaving in the shower better or worse then shaving after a shower? I have heard that the skin and hair tend to get too soft if you shave in the shower. Is that true?
5. Is it a good idea to shave twice a day with either a straight or a safety razor, say morning and again in the evening?
Bottom line; is it worth my time to use a straight (disposable) or should I just get a high-end safety razor like a Merkur? considering i only really need to shave my mustache area and my chin and neck since there is no real facial hair growing on my cheeks and I don’t have a bushy beard or anything.
If you know anything else that I should know, please feel free to comment. I really want to get into straight razor or safety razor shaving because I don’t like the cost or the quality of shave I get from disposables.
I want to buy a good shaver that will give me a close shave so my skin will feel soft. I don’t want to buy a shaver that will leave me with a five-o’clock shadow right after I shave. I’ve never had an electric shaver, but the ones with the three circular blades seem like the best ones. I’m just assuming, but if anyone knows of a shaver that would leave my face nice and smooth, then please help. I’m not too worried about the price, it can cost $100 or $200 as long as it’s a really good one.
How to sharpen an electric shaver such as Philips Norelco, Remington or any rotary shaver using basic household items such as a ceramic plate or a large enough coffee cup. Works best if the surface is flat and not glazed. It will save you a year in blade replacements or sharpening kits. Just make sure to sharpen 5-10 seconds depending on how dull your blades are. Clean and lubricate blades before re-installing.
I found this video on youtube and I thought I would share it here. I have never tried this but it does make sense and I think it would be worth a try. There’s nothing to lose since the blades are dull and require replacing anyway.
If you have tried this, did it work?
If you haven’t tried it, do you think it would work?
Jane @sell music ... (1)
