Welcome aboard, Phil. Good to have you here.
Introduce Yourself
- Thread starter Jim Elliott
- Start date
Greetings Jim,
I am new to the forum and you approved me today. My name is Dan, and I'm in California.
I'm almost 60 and have been shaving for 45 years or so. Probably 3/4 of that time was with an electric razor, although I've done my fair share of shaving with a blade of one sort or another. While I love the closeness of a razor blade, I've never liked how I feel like a layer of my skin is being removed, no matter how careful, the products used, the quality of the razor, etc. So for me, it's mostly been electric.
However, until about 2 or 3 months ago, I've always been a shave dry with a good electric razor kind of guy. I don't know why, but I started to research shaving in more depth. I was always aware that some people were passionate about shaving, but I never was. I viewed it as a necessity I strongly disliked rather than something I looked forward to, enjoyed, could make a hobby. I used to shave every 2nd or 3rd day when possible other than for work.
I'm now semi-retired and have no need to shave daily, but have come to love it. Over the past two months, I've read countless reviews, articles, websites, approaches to dry and wet shaving, pre-shave conditioners, proper shaving creams (not out of a can), post shave conditioners, post shave lotions, creams, etc. I'm a full convert now to shaving as a hobby and actually wish I could shave more than once a day (I suppose I could but that would be a bit ridiculous). I have acquired many higher end name brands of all of the above products. My bathroom counter is full as I wish to try all of the products from all of the best brands, including Tabac, Speick, Cremo, Taylor of Bond Street, Afta Pre Shave, Mennen Lectric Shave, Proraso, Freelette, Jack Black Beard Lube (fantastic!), and probably a few I'm forgetting.
For several years, I used a Panasonic Arc5 EV-LS65. It crapped out and I replaced it, but around that time was when I started reading up on things and getting educated on the art of shaving. I decided to acquire a number of other products in this space to get into the hobby but also to do a deeper dive comparison of the best shavers out there. I have since acquired a couple of Panasonic Arc 6 models (ES-LS 8a and ES-LS 9N) along with their cleaning stations, two Braun 9 Pro+, one with the 94m shaving head and one with the newest 96m shaving head, and a Gamma+ Boosted shaver (really meant more for barbers). All of these are of course foil shavers.
I have owned several Norelcos in the past as well and just gave two old ones away to the cleaning lady. I kept one Norelco 5000, but they always, always gave me razor burn on the lower neck (adam's apple area). So I quit using them. They also lacked the closeness I sought.
I have to say, it's quite a race to the top for the Panasonic Arc5, Arc6 and Braun Razors I own now. And the Gamma+ Boosted is pretty damned good as well, and you can find it for well under $100 and it does as good of a job as the Panasonics and Brauns.
If pressed, I'd say that the Arc6 with a new head is just a hair bit closer than the Braun 9 Pro+ with a 96m head. But man is it close. I'm not sure I could truly say one is closer than the other. I have come to enjoy greatly the process of wet shaving with an electric razor, something I NEVER tried until the past two months. It's smooth, tremendously comfortable, and certainly closer than dry shaving (even with something like Speick or Lectric Shave). And unlike some others and other reviewers, I find that the Braun when used wet can get closer and shave more effectively and rival the Arc6.
I've felt that on some days the Braun has gotten me closer than the Arc6. Also, the Arc5 witih newer blades is virtually just as great as the Arc6, and equally close. Perhaps just a hair slower overall due to 5 vs 6 blades, but is it worth the premium for the Arc6 for the average everyday guy who isn't obsessed like me? No. Get the Arc5, the cheapest version, which is the ES-LS65 when on sale, and you're set for 5 or more years.
So I'm on the beginning of the journey of shaving as a hobby now, and only wish I had not wasted the past 40 or so years not knowing what it could really be to enjoy a proper electric shave.
I do have to admit, I am now tempted to shave with a blade again now that I truly understand proper shaving techniques, conditioners, creams, a proper shaving cream vs. shaving cream out of a can, post shave treatments, etc. I'll give that a go at some point but am still getting a kick out of the daily electric shave with these top end razors that end up leaving me feeling as if I've had as close of a shave as I used to get with a blade.
For me, the most important factors are closeness followed by comfort.
Thank you for reading all of this. I've been chatting with some friends about this to hear their shaving game / routine, and the funny thing is some of them told me they have been considering making the same journey. So I'm something of a proselytizer now when it comes to shaving amongst my buddies.
Cheers.
Hi all
My name is Charles I reside in the UK.
Razors that I use are. Philips i9000 prestige ultra. Braun S9 pro+. Panasonic Arc5. Philips compact 700. Panasonic Arc5 palm. I have been using electric razors since the age of 15 now 76.
My first razor was a Remington no longer remember the model.
Served 22 years in the Royal Army Medical Corps.
Came to the forum for general interest and to see what other users think of there razors.
Pre shave lotion I use Blue Stratos excellent results modestly priced and Nivea after shave balm very cooling.
My name is Charles I reside in the UK.
Razors that I use are. Philips i9000 prestige ultra. Braun S9 pro+. Panasonic Arc5. Philips compact 700. Panasonic Arc5 palm. I have been using electric razors since the age of 15 now 76.
My first razor was a Remington no longer remember the model.
Served 22 years in the Royal Army Medical Corps.
Came to the forum for general interest and to see what other users think of there razors.
Pre shave lotion I use Blue Stratos excellent results modestly priced and Nivea after shave balm very cooling.
That is a snap from me. I retired in 2012 Welcome to the forum
Texbrackdelmonte
New member
Hi All,
I am new here from Melbourne Australia. I’ve been shaving electric now for around 2 years. Prior to that was mostly DE shaving got the bug and was into all sorts of creams and blades and razors
Now I have a Phillips 9000 series it’s about 2 years old, just replaced the heads yesterday so it’s back to its old self
I’ve recently also added a Speick pre shave which seems to be going well. I can’t get the Lectric Shave here in Australia
I am new here from Melbourne Australia. I’ve been shaving electric now for around 2 years. Prior to that was mostly DE shaving got the bug and was into all sorts of creams and blades and razors
Now I have a Phillips 9000 series it’s about 2 years old, just replaced the heads yesterday so it’s back to its old self
I’ve recently also added a Speick pre shave which seems to be going well. I can’t get the Lectric Shave here in Australia
Hello Charles and welcome to our forum. I lived in the UK for six years...Northants and Oxon with the USAF and loved it.
I just recently got the i9000 Prestige Ultra from Philips...cheaper than Amazon and they give you a 7-year warranty if you buy it from Philips. It is the best of my rotaries, but I overall prefer foil as their thinner foils can cut closer...though the i9000 Ultra cuts very well. I bought a few new corded Philips for convenience at the gym here and to avoid our extreme Las Vegas heat didn't want battery shavers dying in my gym bag. I first started using an electric (battery-powered Braun) when in Britain to avoid messing up my uniform with a blade. I'd sometimes go to Boot's to get spare parts.
The first Remington shaver you had may have been the classic XLR series....(I know Boot's sold them). I just bought some new XLRs on eBay and their power, smoothness, and lack of a battery make them extremely convenient to use and parts are readily available there.
Thank you for your service in the Royal Army Medical Corps. I met a couple of those members when I lived at RAF Bicester in Oxon. To be close to Oxford there plus Cambridge in Northants (near Stony Stratford) on my second assignment were the most wonderful memories for my wife and me.
I was given the Braun 9000 series a few years ago to test. As a foil shaver, it was excellent, though the parts I understand were quite expensive then. I have never had a Panasonic, though one of the shaver "experts" who lives in Europe says they are among his favorite shavers. His site is Shaver Check. I find the dual-foil (that Remington made famous) works very well for me...whether Remington or Braun. Of course, the big advantages I find for rotaries are 1) I can skip a day or two and easily shave with a rotary; 2) there is almost zero chance of cutting yourself like a thin foil as the combs are thicker; and 3, I've never had to replace a damaged comb on a rotary but have had to replace worn foils on a foil shaver.
The only job I haven't tackled with a shaver is replacing a battery. I understand dripping solder on the circuits is not the best thing to do, so at almost 80, I don't think I'll try to do that when my batteries die. We have a store chain here that does bulbs and batteries so I can always get it done there if I want to keep the shaver, though I find plug-ins less work to maintain. I guess I should add the Remington plug-ins I have besides the XLR series are the DA, DF series. Rechargeables are Remingtons F5100, F5700 and the Philips 6820 and i9000 Prestige Ultra.
Again, welcome, Charles. Speaking of "Charles"....the highlight of my British tours was at RAF Lakenheath where my wife and I had a 3-minute, private conversation with HM. Of course, at that time he was HRH. Glad you are onboard our shaver site, Charles!
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