It makes me smile how men’s and women’s shavers have more and more blades, and they’re getting more expensive. Celebrities in the ads mock the earlier three-blade razors, saying now you need five. But do you? Where will it end – 10-blades?
I haven’t been able to find hard, independent research on this issue. There is expert opinion, though. Summing up, it appears more blades give a closer shave. Whether that warrants the extra cost is the consumer’s call. But when it comes to nicks, shaving technique is a higher priority than blade numbers. More blades may even give more nicks, though in my personal experience they don’t. I put this down to five blades allowing me to move the razor lightly over my skin – to let it glide as it were. A downside of five-blade shavers is that their size limits manoeuvrability.
For that reason, I doubt we’ll ever see the 10-blade shaver! Of course, the best a man can ever get is the old-fashioned cut-throat version by an experienced barber. I had the best shave of my life from one of these artisans in Melbourne. By skilfully varying the angle, they make a long single blade really work. But I wouldn’t recommend this at home. Remember Sweeney Todd!
.jpg)
