Quick review of the Gillette Sensor Excel

I know, I know… dabbling in the Dark Side. But how can we see where the light comes from unless we wander in darkness?

Before I started enjoying my shaves, I was pulling my whiskers off with a Gillette Sensor I was given while in Boot Camp. Never got a really good shave with it – or with any of the electric shavers I’ve tried over the years – but I persevered for lack of anything better (growing a full beard is just not an option). Last summer I decided to revisit the Sensor, to see if it was as bad as I remembered it to be… having spotted it in the back of the cabinet again, I decided to write up a short review:

The Sensor is a mild razor – which is good, since I needed four passes and some touch ups to get close to the DFS I get from two passes and no touch ups with my DE razors. Honestly Gillette; if this is supposed to be “the best a man can get” then I suggest you all hand in your man-cards. Half an hour after shaving I found myself longing for a real shave – and to add insult to injury I got shave bumps again; something I always had before switching to DE and haven’t been bothered with since I switched.

I hate shave-bumps with a passion – it used to be because the next shave would slice them open, meaning I’ll dislike shaving even more. These days I hate them because it means I have to take a couple of days pause from shaving… things change even if they stay the same.

On the other hand, the shave was better than I got from the Sensor before I switched to DE, so I guess it highlights the benefits of a good prep and a great lather.

On the upside, the handle is rock solid and near indestructible; it has lasted twenty years so far and still see regular use when my Better Half do her legs. I guess it highlights the Gillette Idea; they will pretty much give you the razor, and then gouge you on the cartridges. Which is fitting in it’s own way, since the cartridges will gouge your face just as efficiently as Gillette will gouge your wallet…

Bottom line? Rock solid razor, not so much blades. Bad for your wallet and face – Your Mileage May Vary off course, but please don’t skimp on the prep-work if you go for cartridges.

One thought on “Quick review of the Gillette Sensor Excel

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