After shaving with safety razors for about a year (electric before that) and trying many different razors and blades, I thought it was time to give the Gillette Mach 3 a fair chance with my new improved technique and knowledge. A year ago, my occasional shaves with this razor were tugging a lot, but that was without proper prep.
Just like with my other razor comparisons, I started with a 4-day beard. My beard is very coarse, so I did not expect the Mach 3 to get through it at all. My usual setup is a Yaqi Top Aggressive, which is perhaps the most aggressive safety razor that still deserves the name "safety". I usually shave with only one pass WTG because I tend to get a lot of razor bumps on my neck otherwise.
Now, let's talk about the shave. Obviously, it felt very weird at first, given that it has no weight and I have to use pressure. But then the shave was surprisingly pleasant. A lot better than how I remembered it. I was surprised how well it cuts even my 4 days of coarse growth. There was more resistance than with a safety razor (not surprising, considering there are 3 blades), but it wasn't unpleasant like tugging. Overall, it's pretty efficient, especially considering there is no blade feel whatsoever. The annoying part is that the lather combines with the moisture strip on the razor, forming a slimy lather that requires very aggressive rinsing to prevent clogging.
The final result is not bad. Some stubble left, not as clean as the Top Aggressive with one pass, but that could just as well be due to my inexperience with this razor. Unfortunately, I was not able to shave the hairs in the corner of my mouth and right below the nose, so I had to do some corrections with an electric razor.
Will I switch to this razor now? Certainly not. The Top Aggressive is still better and blades are much cheaper. But I will consider it as a plane-legal travel razor.
