The good folks at Gillette recently sent a sample of their new pentabladed razor. My curiosity was peaked when I noticed that it was addressed to me personally rather than ‘occupant’ or ‘resident’ as with all the other mail I receive. Something like 93% of American men and women shave, so you would think the AOL spam CD marketing approach would work for them with minimal effort.
Ironically, I have a beard, but since the crack marketing team at Gillette sought me out personally, I assume they found me through this blog and hoped I would do a review. I decided to trim my neck with it this morning. Here’s how it went:
1. Packaging
It came in a box. Within that box the razor was safely wrapped in another impenetrable plastic box. After 6 minutes of creative cursing the razor was finally liberated. I threw away all the packaging, and I was ready to begin.
2. Contents
- One razor (blade factory installed).
- An instruction manual or something. I don’t know. I threw it away.
- A clear plastic razor support thing to avoid resting the razor on the counter when not it use. It was made of the packaging material and should last about 20,000 years. I threw it away.
3. Appearance
As you can see this thing is a real looker. It’s shiny with blue trim.
4. Features
The blades are the focus of this new model as it has five of them. The Onion famously predicted this advance way back in 2004, but it took scientists this long to bring this technology from the realm of science fiction into our bathrooms. Technically, this beauty has six blades because there’s an extra one on the back for trimming up tight spots. There’s also an oval blade-release button visible in the picture above.
5. Performance
The handle is well padded, and the weight evenly balanced. The five blades work so smoothly you’d swear there were only four. I enjoyed it so much that I shaved my entire body. I’m silky smooth, four pounds lighter, and I’m lovin’ it. I can’t wait to use it again. While I’m waiting for more hair to grow I’m considering shaving the cat.
However, the blade release mechanism is easily my favorite thing in the world right now. With previous models, when the release button was pushed, the razor blades just fell off into the trash can. This baby ejects the blades at high velocity. There’s nothing like a six-razor-bladed projectile careening around the bathroom to perk you up in the morning.
6. Conclusion
With the Gillette Fusion I think we have reached the pinnacle of multiple blade technological achievement and possibly the zenith of human civilization. I highly recommend this razor. It worked at least as well as the double-bladed razor I’ve been using since 1988, and the blade shooting feature is well worth the $22 upgrade price. However, I’m going to stick with the old razor for actual shaving. At $2 per blade, these blades are twice as much as I normally pay, and something like 20 times what they are really worth.
Purchase yours here, and I’ll make 40 cents: Gillette Fusion Starter Kit at Amazon
