[NIEUW] Gillette Fusion Power (met 5 mesjes!)

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 00:12 schreef outcast_within het volgende:
tuurlijk gooi er maar weer een mesje bij

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 00:21 schreef outcast_within het volgende:
verrek mach 3. maar concurentie had volgens mij al 4

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 00:35 schreef outcast_within het volgende:
zit er trouwens ook zo'n onzinnige beckham virbrator bij?

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 00:42 schreef outcast_within het volgende:
ze zeggen dat scheerbewegingen toch slecht zijn

iig slogan: minder scheerbewegingen dus minder irritatie. dus irriteert deze mss wel 5keer zoveel als een gewoon mesje (als je maar een beweging nodig hebt om alles weg te krijgen)

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 00:45 schreef flipsen het volgende:
Was TS niet overgestapt op electrisch?

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 00:47 schreef outcast_within het volgende:
welk duur apperaat had je dan?

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 00:48 schreef OFfSprngr het volgende:

[..]

Natuurlijk hebben ze alleen het beste met je voor en zijn ze totaal niet uit op je geld, hoe kom ik er eigenlijk bij.. een bedrijf dat geld aan je wilt verdienen door je met marketing iets wijs te maken.. neh.. die bestaan echt niet.

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 01:23 schreef clumsy_clown het volgende:
Even een vraagje. Wat is nou precies het nut van een trillend scheermesje?

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 01:25 schreef outcast_within het volgende:
haren op je rug gezicht gaan ervan overeind staan

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 02:35 schreef Steijn het volgende:

[..]

Dat weten vrouwen denk ik beter dan mannen.

quote:

February 20, 2006
Review: Gillette Fusion from Shaving Stuff.com

I know you all have been eagerly awaiting this, so without further ado...

If you've been reading the articles about the new Gillette Fusion you'll know there have been several new innovations with this razor. Five blades for regular shaving and a lone sixth on the back for tough spots like under the nose and sideburns. More densely packed microfins under the blades to help whiskers stand up for a closer shave. And in the powered department, auto-shutoff after eight minutes, a low battery warning light, and an easier opening/closing to the compartment which houses the battery. All of these are truly quality improvements, but in the end all you really care about it is a better shave, right? The new Fusion does shave better than the Mach3, but with some caveats, so keep reading and see if you agree by the end.

Fusion vs. Fusion Power:
I don't think there a noticeable difference in the resulting shave between the powered and the non-powered version of the Fusion. Where I do think there is a difference is in the act of shaving. I like power, and if you haven't tried it, I think you're missing out. The powered version vibrates, and that vibration somehow translates into less drag against your face. When you pull the unpowered version of the Fusion across your face, you feel a slight tug against your skin. With the powered Fusion, it's a smooth glide. I suppose it's a matter of personal preference, and the thickness of your beard, but I would strongly recommend trying a powered razor at least once before poopoo-ing it at your next party.

Now the other difference that people always talk about when comparing these razors is the fact that with the unpowered Fusion you get two cartridges along with the razor and with the Fusion Power you only get one. The cartridges are expensive and no doubt there's savings to factor in here, but seriously, the cost of one additional cartridge over the course of a year is really insignificant. I agree Gillette should have packaged the Fusion Power with two cartridges, but they didn't. End of story.

Fusion Power vs. Mach3 Power:
Sounds like I'm repeating myself here but I don't think there's a noticeable difference in the resulting shave between the Mach3 Power and the Fusion Power. Where I do think there is a difference is in the act of shaving, and in the razor itself. The vibrations on the Fusion Power seem tighter and more powerful. I made sure to replace the battery in my old Mach3 before testing these head to head, and I think there's a slight improvement in the Fusion. Both give a seemingly frictionless shave, and both perform admirably after one, two, and three days' worth of growth, but somehow the Fusion Power's vibrations seem to stack up better. I'm sure they spent quite a bit time on the vibration mechanism and it shows.

Battery replacement on the Fusion is much easier than on the Mach3. With the Fusion it's a simple twist and the compartment locks and unlocks. With the Mach3 you feel like you're going to break the plastic when you're closing it up. Also, the auto-off feature it huge. You can finally travel with this razor and not have to worry about running down your battery accidentally.

Now let's talk about that sixth blade. Here's the most marked improvement in shaving. A return to the single blade. Shaving with the Mach3 can be a challenge in certain areas, such as under your nose and around your sideburns. It's hard to tell when in that paddle of a cartridge the aloe strip stops and the blades begin. You end up shoving this razor head up your nose to hopefully catch those errant hairs. With the single blade on the back, tough to reach spots are a snap. This single feature might just be the real reason to switch.

There was one area where the Fusion didn't hold up to its older brother, and that was in the life of the aloe and soap strip on the top of the cartridge. This is supposed to act as an indication of when you need to replace the cartridge, kind of like those toothbrushes with the blue bristles which lose their color with use. I found that the Fusion's aloe/soap strip wore off pretty darn quickly, after only three or four shave, while with the Mach3 I could go to five or six shaves and still have plently of that colored strip. Personally I don't think that strip adds much. As long as you're using a high quality shaving cream the effects of the strip are minimal. Just know that you've got a few more shaves in the cartridge once that strip is worn off.

Recommendations:
So what should you do? Well, if you're a non-powered Mach3 fanatic who thinks the whole powered razor idea is a gimmick to sell more razors and batteries, stick with what you've got. However if you're at all interested in that sixth blade for the tough to reach spots, it might be worth the ten bucks to see what all the fuss is about. Then you can poopoo with first hand experience.

If you're a Mach3 Power user, I think you should check out the Fusion Power. The cartridges are not compatible, so use up your current stock before switching, but I think you'll be happy with the upgrade. Again, the vibrations are better, the auto-off is a welcome addition, and oh that sixth blade!

And remember, now that the Fusion is the premium brand, the prices on Mach3 blades will likely fall. It's a win win for everyone!

Last check on Amazon the Gillette Fusion unpowered was $7.99, the Gillette Fusion Power was $8.99, an 8-pack of Fusion blades was $24.99, and an 8-pack of Fusion Power blades was $27.69. Oh yeah, and I don't think there's any difference between the two types of blades.

quote:

I tried Gillette's new 5-blade Fusion razor over the weekend. Not the battery powered version -- that's for saps. No, I just tried the regular Fusion. Five blades on the shaving side, and an extra blade on the back for trimming around the sideburns/goatee/pubic mound or anywhere else five blades can't quite spelunk.

I actually snuck out to CVS last Thursday to get a Fusion on the first day they put them on the floor, lying to Beloved Wife that I needed to go run a few errands, because I couldn't admit to her that I was getting in my car and driving to the drugstore solely to buy the new Gillette shaving system. I can stand in front of this woman in boxers and black socks without shame, but I couldn't tell her where I was going or what I was going to do when I got there.

It wasn't any better standing in line to pay for it. I would've felt less embarrassed holding a tube of strawberry K-Y and a copy of Barely Beagle in full view. I felt like a sucker, and if anybody I knew had come into the store, I would've dropped the package and pretended I was there to buy almost anything else in the store. Seriously, how can anybody at Gillette say the words "five blades" with a straight face? Three blades was silly. Four was ridiculous. Five is where I feel pretty confident that, as Hunter Thompson put it, the wave finally broke and rolled back.

As a card-carrying shavegeek who loves vintage razors, I'd love to dis the Fusion's fake macho futuro/Nike/Terminator looks, but as Gillette chose a blue/orange motif -- Bears colors -- I cannot. The plasti-chrome is plenty cheezy, but the colors are sacred. Sweetness. Danimal. Fridge. Ming the Merciless. Iron Mike. So we won't spend any time making fun of the looks of this razor. We will let them be and move on.

The thing that bothers me most about the Fusion's design isn't the fact that it's got five blades. It's that the "micro-fins" that precede the blades as you shave, supposedly raising your whiskers and setting them up for the cut, take up much more space in front of the blade array than on any other razor I've ever seen. The Fusion's micro-fin zone is twice as long as the Mach3's, even though its shaving area is nearly the same size, owing to the closer grouping of the Fusion's blades versus the Mach3's.

Why does the Fusion need such a long patch of micro-fins in front of the blades? Well, because if it had as short a patch as the Mach3, you'd slice your face open. The extra-long micro-fin zone is required to keep the 5-blade array flat on your face so it won't nick your skin. The more blades Gillette puts on a razor, the longer the safety bar in front of the blades has to be to keep the blades angle from becoming too aggressive.

Do you see where this is going? When they come out with six, or seven, or maybe ten blades (laugh now; report back in a few years), they'll have to lengthen the landing strip in front of the blades even more, till the shaving head becomes nearly as big as your face. The Fusion's shaving surface is too long for the average face, and makes the Mach3 seem compact and nimble by comparison.

In fact, the Fusion's head is so large, it's even harder to shave under your nose or square off your sideburns than it is with the Mach3. So Gillette put a single blade on the back of the Fusion, just for these tasks. Some shavegeeks have even hoped this single-edge blade might actually deliver a better shave than the front of the razor, and convince billions to suddenly throw down their multi-blade razors en masse and join the DE-volution.

Keep dreaming, boys. The single blade on the back of the Fusion is mostly useless at anything but trimming your sideburns. I tried shaving half my face with it to see how it performed, and it's just not up to it. The shave was mediocre, harsh, and not nearly as good as using the front of the razor.

As for the Fusion's 5-blade shave, I'll give it this -- it's surprisingly comfortable, even a bit moreso than the Mach3's shave. After tearing my face up with the free 4-blade Quattro Schick sent me awhile back, I was leery of shaving with a razor with yet another blade added to the mix. But the Fusion is actually a very comfortable razor to shave with -- razor drag is practically nil, and even against the grain the Fusion simply glides across the face as if it were hovering. Of course, my prep was better than the typical scenario this razor's going to find itself in -- I took a hot shower beforehand and used Nancy Boy shaving cream and a Simpson Wee Scot badger brush -- but even so, the Fusion was a bit more comfortable to shave with than the Mach3.

That's the good news. The bad news is, the quality of the shave just wasn't any better than a Mach3's. Rubbing my fingers against the grain, I could still feel stubble, despite three full passes -- with-grain, against-grain, and then a second against-grain because I still felt stubble all over. Yet even this extra against-grain pass didn't leave my skin as glass-smooth as Gillette's 66 years-older Super Speed DE safety razor does every morning. What I got was the typical Mach3 shave -- quick, easy, requiring no thought, technique, or concentration, and looking good enough for the office even though if you rub your face you'll still feel some stubble.

Like the Mach3, the Fusion's a deceptively comfortable razor. During the shave it hardly felt like I was shaving at all. But afterward, my skin felt raw for hours, and still felt pretty tender at the end of the day. I remember feeling this way every day back when I was using the Mach3, which is why I tried so many different shaving creams and after-shave lotions to help "fix" the problem, which immediately went away when I started using a DE.

All that said, I don't think the Fusion sucks. It's no better than a Mach3, but it's no worse, either. I don't care for these razors, but they don't suck. They just don't shave nearly as closely or as irritation-free as a safety razor.

Finally, there's the matter of cost. Much has been made about the price of the Fusion's blade cartridges -- $3.50 apiece on average, or 50 cents more per blade than the Mach3's. I don't know and won't be finding out how long a Fusion cartridge lasts before the shaves start to go south, but I was only ever able to get about three or four good shaves from a Mach3 catridge. That's a buck a shave! (Could I have ever been that stupid?) (well, there were those parachute pants back in the 80s..)

I remember back in '98 when the Mach3 hit the market. Guys (me included) went apeshit for it, because it really did shave and feel different than any razor that had come before it. Millions of men felt it really was much better than what they were using at the time. I mean, the freakin' New Yorker even did a profile on it written by Mr. Tipping Point himself, Malcolm Gladwell, who treated the new razor like the Next Big Thing that it actually was. The Mach3 devoured the market in no time flat. 99 percent of the guys I know who shave, shave with a Mach3.

I don't think the Fusion's going to be the same kind of hit. Besides the fact that there's a world of difference between the tail-end of the go-go Clinton years and the slow-motion depression this country's in today, the simple fact is the Fusion just doesn't shave any better or differently than its predecessor. It's a bit more comfortable during the shave, but that's it -- the shave's no closer, the razor burn's no lesser, and the blades are even more expensive. It's hard for me to imagine anyone trying a Fusion and feeling it's better than, or even different enough to elicit interest in switching from, the Mach3.

I'm not one of those deluded shavegeeks who thinks the world's male population is just one DE shave away from a mass exodus away from multi-blade razors. It's never going to happen, for a myriad of reasons, first and foremost being that it takes some time spent learning the proper technique before you start getting amazing shaves from a safety razor. With the Mach3 and Fusion, your first shave is as good as it's ever going to get. It may not be "the best a man can get", but it's pretty good right off the bat and stays that way, and for most men that's good enough.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in the next few months. The ad blitz during the Super Bowl will be concussive, and then the apes will descend upon the fruit. You can't count Gillette's marketing expertise out, but this time, I wonder if they can really convince a planet of men to change razors when the new one shaves just like the old one but costs more.

quote:

Gillette’s new Fusion shaving system – a razor with no fewer than five blades – attracted de rigueur cynicism in much of the mainstream media. Here’s Canada’s Toronto Star:

Adding another blade is "just coming up with gadgets to outdo the other guys," [marketing strategist Pete Dodd] says. "But I think they've gone past the usefulness of the razor." Gillette could add neon lights to it, he says, or a hand massager to the handle. Perhaps it could be an adjunct to your Blackberry, so you could receive email in the shower, he laughs. "To the buyer, it's not really going to make any difference."

Or the Wilmington Advocate:

Advertising and merchandising will make this new five-bladed razor ("system", sorry!) a very profitable line, just as the two-blade, three-blade, and four-blade were in their time, I predict. More power to King Gillette and his descendants. If you can make people spend their-hard-earned money on this, perhaps you deserve to be rich.

It also illustrates one more axiom of media and advertising that we too-seldom realize. It's a saying attributed to P.T. Barnum: "There's a sucker born every minute."

Multiple-blade shaving systems rest on this simple concept, and for that reason, they'll flourish.

Or the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

Once liberated from its plastic container -- really more of a razor sarcophagus -- Fusion's futuristic design didn't exactly strike me as a feat of engineering. And what exactly is the purpose of the aerodynamic Y cutout in the middle of the razor's shaft? Perhaps it's there to cut down on bathroom wind-drag as I shave across my great savannah of cheek.

...Setting up my seven-day thicket of beard with great dollops of Edge shaving cream (Gillette also markets a special Fusion gel), I passed the armada of Fusion blades over my thickened beard. Fusion's shifting head, with its wider wheelbase and Elvis-like swivel, navigated over the San Andreas fault of my jawline and swooped down into the valley of my neck, hugging my Adam's apple, curling up into the cul-de-sac between my ear lobe and face…

…etc, etc…

But bloggers tried it too, and they wrote real analysis, not sarcasm. Many were impressed. A lengthy and objective commentary came from The Wild Duck blog. Here’s an excerpt:

After pressing the better placed switch, we held the razor to assess the changes in vibration frequency. We’d say the Fusion vibrates slightly faster and smoother than the Mach 3 Power, and a lot smoother than our Oral B battery operated toothbrush.

The smoother vibration was noticeable on the face, as well, though so much so that we really wondered if this razor was getting all the stubble on our face. We obviously swiped over previously cleared face a few extra times this morning, so it is difficult to express the relative closeness of the shave on the long flat runs on the cheek & jowls.

….May we quack/whine about price? Nah, that’s what razors are all about…charging way too much for a few doodads we don’t really need.

Overall, we’re happy with the Fusion Power, and recommend it.

Doogie of Eureka Iron Works also liked it:

Ok, men. Here's the razor for you. The Gillette Fusion.

I've grown up shaving with Gillette technology: Trac II, Atra, Sensor, Mach 3 and now Fusion. Each time, the latest razor system was significantly better than its predecessor. The Fusion does not disappoint.

I was a bit skeptical...5 blades, how could that be better? Whats the deal here? All I can say is that it works, and works marvelously. VERY smooth. Little or no irritation. And it leaves much less 5 o'clock shadow than anything I have ever used. One tip: the blades are much closer together, so rinse often to avoid clogging.

And Mrs. Iron Works has pronounced the results excellent.

Get one. Try it. Believe it.

So did blogger king Professor “Instapundit” Glenn Reynolds:

Hey, it's a steep $9.99, but no sacrifice is too great for you guys so I picked one up. Actually, it's even better than the other one, and the scientific Insta-wife hand-on-the-cheek test confirms that. You want to make fun of this stuff (er, at least, I do), but it actually works.

quote:

Gillette Fusion Power Review
Published by David W. Boles 1 month, 2 weeks ago in Reviews

The Gillette Fusion Power razor is the best blade shaving system ever invented! There are two new Fusion razors from Gillette. Make sure you get the POWER version because it vibrates like the historic Gillette MP3 Power razor. The Gillette Fusion Power cuts you close without giving you a moment of razor burn.

You can see there are FIVE blades to shave your beautiful face and there’s a hidden single blade – a “precision trimmer” — behind the blue lubrication strip at the top of the razor. That single blade is fantastic because you can finally trim under your nose. You can finally delicately run it over your earlobes to whack stray hairs. You can finally tenderly trim your sideburns. You can finally easily remove your unibrow by shaping and forming two separate eyebrows.

Don’t buy extra blades with your new Gillette Fusion Power because there’s a coupon included with the razor that will snap $2.00 off the price of a package of Power blades.

Yes, the Gillette Fusion Power razor has a lot of orange. I guess orange translates into greater “power” and the razor handle is fatter — and phatter! — than the Gillette MP3 Power, but that larger size gives you a better grip on the reality of your new vibrating shave experience.

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 03:03 schreef cerror het volgende:
Waarom flikkeren ze niet gelijk eentje op de markt met 1001 mesjes.

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 12:53 schreef LostFormat het volgende:
Wat een onzin weer. Dikke marketingtruc net zoals die power versie.

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 11:39 schreef Philanthropist het volgende:

[..]

Heeft iemand enig idee waar ze straight razors in Nederland verkopen?

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 14:52 schreef _Henry_ het volgende:
Wat een onzin.

In die reclame van de Mach 3 zag je duidelijk in zo'n animatiefilmpje dat na het 3e mesje over zo'n haar ging, de haar helemaal weg was

Nu gaan er dus 2 mesjes teveel overheen, wat tot onnodige irritatie leidt.

Bovendien was het idee van de Mach 3 dat je maar één scheerbeweging hoeft te maken met 3 mesjes ipv 2 bewegingen met 2 mesjes. Dan gaat er dus 4 keer een mesje over je huid, maar met dit ding 5 keer

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 14:57 schreef flipsen het volgende:
Ik zit ernstig te twijfelen of ik weer terugga naar natscheren eigenlijk. Ben erg tevreden over m'n Coolskin (waarvan ik die creme nooit gebruik), maar hij is al knap oud en nieuwe mesjes zijn flink aan de prijs. En als ik dit topic zo lees wordt het bijna een feest om je 'ouderwets' te scheren (met futuristisch gereedschap, dat wel)... Doen?

quote:

Op dinsdag 21 maart 2006 20:54 schreef Philanthropist het volgende:

[..]

Nope, jammer genoeg niet .

quote:

Op woensdag 22 maart 2006 12:24 schreef TrenTs het volgende:

[..]

Wat een rare redenering.

quote:

Op woensdag 22 maart 2006 17:18 schreef TrenTs het volgende:

[..]

Ja, behoorlijk.

quote:

Op woensdag 22 maart 2006 17:48 schreef Solopeople het volgende:

[..]

Nee, met andere woorden zegt hij dat het een rare redenering is om te bepalen dat omdát Gillette heel veel geld steekt in het ontwikkelen van scheerapparaten ze dús weten waar ze mee bezig zijn. Ik bedoel, kom op, wees eerlijk. Zes mesjes. Wow, nee, *dat* zag niemand aankomen hoor! Amazing!

quote:

Op maandag 27 maart 2006 00:06 schreef Tembaco3kwart het volgende:
wanneer zijn ze nou hier te koop?

quote:

Op maandag 27 maart 2006 09:22 schreef Tembaco3kwart het volgende:
kee dan, als je zo vriendelijk bent om het nog een keer te posten tegen die tijd

quote:

Op maandag 27 maart 2006 19:30 schreef Tobz het volgende:

[..]

Het perfecte scheerapparaat zou om te beginnen niet na een paar keer scheren al weer bot zijn, waardoor de consument gedwongen wordt een nieuw mesje te pakken. Ik denk dat Gilette vooral geld geld besteed aan marketing en product 'design'.

quote:

Op maandag 27 maart 2006 21:45 schreef OFfSprngr het volgende:

[..]

TS: ik wil antwoord.

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 mei 2006 18:09 schreef Wytze het volgende:
lol, ik heb deze in Canada gekocht omdat ik vergeten was scheermesje mee te nemen. En geloof me hij scheert helemaal glad, verder is het natuurlijk allemaal marketing poes pas

Alleen nu zijn mijn mesjes op en zit ik zonder mes
Hebben jullie al iets gehoord van Gilette?

quote:

Op maandag 26 juni 2006 22:20 schreef flashermx het volgende:

[..]

gehe dan moet je nog ff 3 maanden wachten.

Weet trouwns iemand al wanneer die dingen hier komen??