Many years ago in a CVS not so far away, the razor market was simple. One or two blades. Disposable or cartridge. Then came the revolution: Gillette released the Mach 3, putting all other razors to shame. For a while, Schick struggled to recover. After matching their arch rival with three blades, Schick took the lead by introducing the world's first four-bladed razor, the Quattro. Then in an episode of corporate one-upmanship, Gillette skipped four blades and jumped to five. Just for safe measure they even slapped another blade on the back of their new Fusion razor. But how much razor does a man need? Can a shave actually change your life? I have ventured to answer these questions that have longed plagued men by pitting the Gillette Fusion versus the mildly new Schick Quattro Titanium (the blades are now coated with titanium, which is only the coolest metallic element and second coolest metal overall behind the paradoxically named alloy, liquidmetal).
Let's start with design. The Quattro Titanium sports a redesigned, lighter handle, yet still manages to look chubby. The white and chrome color scheme looks good though, and the razor feels good in the hand. In comparison, the Fusion has a flared design to the handle and a garish copper and blue design scheme. Naturally, the Fusion cartridge is huge and looks ready to chew through your face. However, the Fusion carries over an open blade design from the Mach 3. This makes it much easier to rinse than the Quattro. Overall, I would say that neither of these razors looks as slender and lithe as the classic Mach 3.
As for actual shaving experience, both razors performed admirably. The Fusion made quick work of my measly facial hair, gliding over my skin with nary any resistance. It is a good thing Gillette put the extra blade on the back of the cartridge, because otherwise the large cartridge is unwieldy to work through tight spots, like below the nose. The end result was a smooth, close shave. The Quattro did not produce results as smooth as the Fusion. Its wire wrap guard prevented the blades from snagging on longer hairs, but overall the Quattro experience fell behind that of the Fusion's. The main point separating the two razors is hinge location. The Quattro has a hinge in the middle of its cartridge, which does not prove as flexible or comfortable as the Fusion, with its hinge at the bottom of the cartridge.
In the end, neither of these razors provides the quantum leap forward in shaving that came with the Mach 3. In fact, if you own a Mach 3 (or any of its variants), you do not have much reason to go out and get either of these razors. You aren't missing out on much. However, if you are looking for a new razor, go with the Fusion. It shaves a lot like the Mach 3, but it has five blades. The chance to scoff at your roommate's less well-endowed razor might make it worth the price.
Now, this is only the tip of the razor iceberg. I have not even ventured into the realm of the vibrating razors. Nor have I touched on the vibrate feature on the Motorola RAZR. (Someone please teach Motorola how to use vowels, use more than four letters at a time, and to turn off capslock. They are butchering the English language here.) Just kidding, I am not going to try and shave with a RAZR. That was just a bad joke and a poor attempt to keep this column tangentially about technology. My remaining inquiries will have to wait until another day. (That is, if my editors ever let me write another article.)
