Men: what's the best manual razor out there?

The Gillette Mach version razors are kind of awesome.

I bought a Merkur Futur adjustable safety razor and it does give a remarkably superior shave EXCEPT it doesn’t quite fit under my nose so I end up looking like Xavier Cugat.

I’m not saying that’s a bad look, check it out, he’s a close personal friend of mine! .

So recommended if you have a button nose. Or you want a pencil mustache.

I don’t shave often, but when I do it is with a Solingen straight razor. They are not cheap, my razor and strop cost about $200 ten years ago.

Another vote for Gillette Mach 3 series.

I use a Gilette Fusion Power. It has 4 blades and is battery powered. The lubricating strips are very effective and the blades are pretty tough. I shave my face and my head daily and I go through about 1 blade every two weeks. It shaves so close, I can usually skip a day when I’m feeling lazy!

Gilette Senor 3’s are awesome throwaways. best I have ever used. They last a while too!

Gillette Fusion Pro Glide

I love my Mach 3 Power. The power handle allows me to do in one slow swipe what used to take me more stroking than masturbation, and the triple blades make my cheeks the smoothest skin on my body in nearly no time.

I think the Fusion is a little overkill, especially since the wider head won’t follow the curves of my face nearly as well. Mere twin-blades do in a pinch, but that third blade does make a difference and makes shaving considerably quicker. Even my old non-power Mach 3 was considerably better than any twin-blade I ever used.

And the blades last quite a while too, even though my wife steals it for her legs. She prefers my M3 Power over her Schick Quattro. Both are battery-powered, but again, it’s about following curves.

As a sidenote, I use gel; I find shaving cream to be nearly useless by comparison and barely better than dry-shaving. I am prone to “razor burn”, even with cream, but just a little pea-sized dollop of shaving gel lathered onto each cheek and I don’t even feel the razor and I get to keep all of my skin while removing all of the hair.

@jerv Dude… Impressive analysis.

@josie When I was in the Navy, I often had to shave 2–3 times a day and earned the nickname “Razor” for the skin I lost off my sensitive cheeks until I found out what really worked. Gel plus triple-blade action equals a painless shave that still satisfies a pissed-off LCPO even if you skip a day.

Gillette Custom Plus . . . well that, and this slather of unicorns horn I found while I was walking through the forest, that shit’s da’ BOOOMB!

I use gilette too and I’m starting to suspect it’s just the only existing brand.

I want one of those massive, ancient razorblades because I’m not satisfied with the precision of any modern razorblade. Plus Sweeney Todd was awesome. PISS AND INK! PISS AND INK!

I used to have a two-bladed Shick(?) that I bought in 1984, and it did a decent job.
Then sometime late last decade they stopped making them.

The next two-blader I tried gave me results that would have made Sweeney Todd jealous and Akasha drool.

Then I tried the Gillette Mach 3, and it’s by far the best I’ve ever used.

Dollar General Stores special make of manual razor. they are made by Schick, but cost at least half the price. they have a green handle and last about 15 shaves each. they have three blades each and has been satisfactory for me for 10 years.

The Gillette Mach 3 series. I also like the Gillette Fusion Power. I’ve tried quite a few manual razors, but these are great to hold in your hands, and they feel “right” when you move the head of the razor across your face and under your chin and elsewhere. They have good weight and a “solid feeling” to them, which I appreciate. I can’t stand those cheap razors made to look like good quality razors but they’re not. They feel flimsy and are rough on the face. Yeech.

gillette for me.

I use this one ;)

Wanted to post this earlier but fluther was on it’s period.

@syphotoguy Just spent half an hour reading about damascus steel on wikipedia, fascinating. I never thought history was interesting until I found out ancient swordsmiths were better at nanotubing than we are.

Hey everyone, just wanted to say thanks for all your suggestions. I ended up buying a Gilette Mach 3 Turbo and used it a couple days ago. There’s no doubt it’s a really nice razor, but it still didn’t give me as close a shave as my electric razor can. Ah well. C’est la vie.

are you mad??? What electric razor are you using, if it shaves closer than a manual then why do you want to wet shave everyday? I have never come across any electric razor that can shave as close as any manual (wet) razor. Keen to know what yours is.

@syphotoguy I know it’s weird, right? People always tell me their electric razors don’t give them nearly the shave their wet razors do. Maybe I just have a weird face. Also, I don’t shave every day – more like once every week. I have blond hair, so my facial hair doesn’t show as visibly as someone with darker hair. I switched to wet shaving after a lifetime of electric shaving because my girlfriend said she liked the smell of shaving cream on my face (!!) but also because it’s just plain fun to do. Also, I figured I should learn how to do it sometime in case I ever travel somewhere without electricity (Boy Scout outings, etc).

As far as the brand of my electric razor, to be honest I don’t remember. I’m at work right now and can’t pop into the bathroom to check. I know it wasn’t incredibly expensive and that my dad bought it for me (a number of years ago) at Fred Meyer.

@camertron

“As far as the brand of my electric razor, to be honest I don’t remember. I’m at work right now and can’t pop into the bathroom to check.”

Please let us know when you find out. :-)
I’d also like to know what pre-shave you use, if any.

Ok, I have a Braun 3612. Definitely not high-end, but really gives a close shave. Here it is on Amazon. I’m not sure what you (@Brian1946) are referring to when you say “pre-shave”. I use shaving gel when I am wet shaving (brand: Edge with Vitamin E) but that’s during the shaving experience, not before it.

Another vote for the Merkur, I use the Progress razor. After 20 years, I actually enjoy shaving now. Cartridge razors are a ripoff, a scam, and they don’t do a good job anyway! :)

Here’s my kit FWIW:
Merkur Progress
Mitchell’s Wool Fat Shaving Soap
Vulfix Badger Brush
Feather Blades
Dominica Bay Rum Aftershave

Thanks for your suggestion @PupnTaco.

I know I am a female but I’d rather use Gilette Mach 3 to shave than Venus and other female razors… :)