My Account
Browse Our Products
FREE UPS Ground Shipping
On All Orders Over $99.00!
$6.95 for all other UPS Ground Orders
|
|
Shavers.com - The Shaver Blog
October 10th, 2008
Impending Holidays Amongst Economic Turmoil
Rarely do I post on this blog a bunch of "RA RA RA--Shavers.com is the best!" type of rhetoric, and I am keeping that firmly in mind when writing this post. So at the risk of teetering over that impartial fence, I write: What the heck do the troubles on Wall Street have to do with shaving on main street?
Ultimately the simple fact of the matter is that everyone is going to have a crappy holiday season--buyers and sellers alike. The goal here, as far as sellers should be concerned, is to get the shoppers the best deal possible for each and every red cent they drop out of an ever tightening wallet.
So what are we going to do about this dilemma? Shavers.com Holiday policy of the past was to simply go head to head in a price war with competitors and set the prices that everyone else would either emulate or try to undercut in order to stay competitive with us. Will that change this year? In some cases not, but in most cases, it has to. Shavers.com has no interest in cheapening any manufacturer brand by selling items as lost leaders to bring you in and then wallop you with astronomical shipping costs or piecemeal pricing where you buy the shaver at cost but then pay 40% over retail for the parts and accessories. No, folks, that is not how we work.
The parent company of Shavers.com went into the shaver business in 1957. We took it to the internet in 1995. We're still going strong in 2008. You don't get our track record or reputation by playing games with customers. We will offer fair, honest, highly competitive prices on all the products we sell with the understanding that our customers expect our knowledge and service to be at their beck and call. No one stands behind products like we do and no one knows more about the products we sell. When was the last time that customer service reps from Braun and Remington called Amazon for information on discontinued shaver parts? Never, but they sure call us, and that we can guarantee.
The holidays may be rough for everyone this year but if an electric shaver is on your list then it's not only price that you should be concerned with. Price, service, knowledge and longevity should all be factors to consider in tough economic times where no decision should be taken lightly. Buy for the long term and consider no income to be disposable, even when buying an electric shaver.
October 7th, 2008
Long-Winded Blog
So I hear through the grapevine that my silly little blog here has been called "long-winded" by other blogs. Well, my feeling is this… if ya don't like readin' what I got here, go read somethin' else.
There's plenty to do on the internet here today folks. I cater to people who want to learn about electric shavers. What on earth could be more boring than electric shavers? Is it not better that I try to spice it up a little with a little whimsy and some bad jokes? That's all I have to say about that.
Shavers, shavers, shavers. We sell shavers. Buy shavers from us and not others.
Short-winded enough for you?
August 19, 2008 Testy, Testy
First of all, please don’t be angry with me. I do not need to be reminded that I have not posted a blog entry here in… forever. Without going into the gory little details of my pathetic excuse, we’ll just say that I have a pathetic excuse and leave it at that.
I will tell you that our Shavetronics model ST-50 corded electric shaver is finally back in, but don’t leap out of your chairs yet my fine folks, we’re in the process of testing them for quality and assurance of durability. It’s going to be a little longer before they are ready for release—if they are ready for release. Yes, I said “if”.
IF the shaver meets quality testing and IF the shaver can withstand the daily pounding of doing its thing, then we will release it. IF it does not, then I’m afraid that this represents the last shot we are taking with this model on an indefinite basis.
Frankly, we’ve had it. So for those of you holding high hopes for the ST-50, we’re there right along side of you in the cheering section, but we cannot devote any more time and expense to the high hopes this shaver has represented if it is not perfect this time around. Stay tuned for the results.
March 14th, 2008
Long Time, No BlogHowdy do, boys and girls perusing the Shaver site. It's your favorite webmaster again with a blog post to apologize for the lack of blog posts. I can assure you that it was not intentional and none of you should take any offense. It has been a long and stressful couple of months here at Shavers.com and Shavetronics.
Not that we were stressed for lack of business, mind you. No, our problem was in our disastrous glitches that appeared in our Shavetronics ST-50 model shaver that we put out. Fully realizing that I have mentioned this issue in the past and that I gave the big old "A-OK" on the shaver, that all the bugs were worked out and everything was hunky-dory, but apparently that was not the case, as we later found out. It's a funny thing-stress fractures and how they impede the workings of a system based upon plastic. I'm sure even the most non-technically inclined of you can put the rest together in your heads.
BUT (chicken-butt), there is light at the end of the tunnel for those of you not thoroughly disgusted in giving us second chances. The shaver has once again gone through rigorous testing (I threw one against the wall as hard as I could) and redevelopment (I glued all 473 pieces back together) and we're finally ready to give it one more shot. Of course, should the powers above frown on our little shaver once again, the warranty and return policy will always still stand.
For those of you not so trusting of the ST-50, or, for the other masses who prefer the rechargeable system shavers, we have another announcement to…well, announce. We are proud to introduce the Shavetronics ST-100 Rechargeable, Double-head shaver. There's a picture of it below and you might be pleased to see that it has a metal headframe. Yes, I said it has a METAL headframe…
…No, it will not be too heavy to lift to your face.
The shaver will be a one-hour, world-wide rechargeable, two-indicator-light, washable headframe (the shaver cannot be used with, near, or under water-only the headframe can be rinsed), stout and hearty 2-bladed and foiled shaver. Whew!
While we expect to have the shaver available within the next two months, feel free to ask questions (see our contact page). When you get yours, we will also welcome feedback and the results of your own testing.
But don't throw it against the wall. The wall will need repairs.
January 16th, 2008
Who is Shavetronics and what do they want?
I for one don't like eating cheeze whiz and crackers directly after shaving because of the little hairs that get caught in the cheeze...
We interrupt this post for a very important message…
Is this thing on? Hello! I seek here, fine readers, to clear the murky waters of confusion regarding the identity of the Shavetronics company and the controversial message they seek to spread across the world. Perhaps they seek cloning technology? Maybe to recruit Tom Cruise as a spokesman? World domination? Well the answers are finally here…
Shavetronics seeks to provide the electric shaver users of the world with the ultimate tools of power--machines that will remove your facial hair quickly, economically, and for the long term. Now sit back down…it's all going to be okay. Take a deep breath and put the nitro pill under your tongue. It's true; high quality, fair price, long lasting. At least that is what's being strived for.
Who are they specifically? Well that can be a bit on the complicated side, but I will endeavor to spill it quickly and painlessly. In 1957 a tiny New York business named Winston Sales & Service opened and provided sales and repairs for cigarette lighters, writing instruments and electric shavers. It was later taken over by a member of the same family and renamed Authorized Repair Service, still providing lighter, pen and shaver sales and repairs. When the internet came bubbling out of a hole in Al Gore's head, the business shifted its focus from the rapidly declining industry of lighter and pen sales and service to emphasize more on the electric shaver industry. Shavers.com was born and enjoyed dominance on the internet for electric shaver sales and service (that is, before every stupid big and little electronics store decided that "Hey, selling shavers is easy!"). A little spin-off website was created to sell electric shaver batteries, which quickly tanked, and then mutated into the Shaver Depot--a seller of wholesale electric shaver parts to the industry "Mom & Pop" repair shops and resellers.
Almost there, I promise…
So come the masses of customers and resellers to the doors of SDC who complain that prices are getting out of hand, service is virtually non-existant, and the tried and true designs just aint there no mo'. Hence the creation of Shavetronics many years ago, created by the parent corporation of Shavers.com and the Shaver Depot, to research, design and if necessary, reproduce quality machines from the past with modern updates-subtle changes though they may be.
So there, WE are Shavetronics. This is our bag and although we are still the "newbies" we have, and continue to, quickly learn our lessons in an industry that has some hard rights and wrongs. And YES, the "ST-50 60-Second Shaver" had a few bumps in the beginning, but all that is taken care of now and we've got a good product on our hands here and at a great price, so come on down.
We expect to greatly expand the line over the next year, so please give us a shot and let us prove it to you. We know you'll be pleasantly surprised.
We now return to our regularly scheduled blog post, already in progress…
…so why don't you all go back where you came from and leave me alone? And take that cheeze whiz with you! Just kidding, I'm already lonely and in despirate need of a shave. Ironic, no?
January 11th, 2008
Myth! Check please!Reading in the dark will screw up your eyes.
Walt Disney's head is frozen so he can someday be revived.
Shaving hair will cause it to grow back thicker and darker.
Holding kittens underwater will drown them.
Although I may have to check again on that last one, these are all untrue, boys and girls! Myths them all! And guess which one we're going to talk about today? Yes, while the angry fans of kittens get in line to give me what-for, let's briefly discuss that old B-S that shaving somehow promotes the need for more shaving.
Shaving, epilating, waxing: none of it matters in the slightest. Your hair will not grow darker, nor any speedier than if you had left it alone. All the variations of this myth also do not apply; the hair will not get "coarser" or "thicker", "sharper", "chunkier", nope, nope and nope. How do I know? Because I said so.
So now you can stop emailing us about this myth (you know who you are), because it is what it is-a myth.
Oh, and by the way, a freight carrier carrying 1,500 tons of raw tapioca nearly sank when a fire in its hold (and the water used to extinguish the blase) cooked the cargo and nearly burst the welded seams of the ships hull.
And yes, tea brewed by being left to steep in sunlight (AKA "Sun Tea") can harbor dangerous bacteria.
Both are true…scouts honor.
November 21st, 2007
Jingle, Jingle and the Festival of LightsIt's that time again kids, the season of salivating celebration and expectation, culminating in a frenzy of highly marketed and newly purchased, moderately needed…stuff.
And what "stuff" should be on the list? Yeah, yeah, an electric shaver, blah, blah, we know, we know, that's why we came to the site in the first place, right?
Sparing you the "how good a shaver would be as a gift" spiel, let's talk instead about what's really hot this year. As many loyal readers of my silly little blog will remember, I have much spewed about the virtues and failures of the Braun and Norelco companies of late, specifically about the two new top-dog shavers that have been thrust into the commercial breaks of our favorite prime time shows. So what's the latest? What are people saying? How is it all boiling down? What's this bump on my neck?
Well, here y'are…
The Braun Pulsonic series of shavers (3 units that are virtually indiscernible from one another) has been stomping across the shaver battlefields for the past few months, giving atomic wedgies to the majority of the competition. As Braun continues to flex its muscles before the masses, the feedback continues to be consistently positive. Men's Health Magazine published that it was voted the 2007 best shaver for men. High accolades indeed for a really pricy machine-and speaking of which, you're going to see very little price war going on for this unit, as Proctor and Gamble has put their foot down on who is allowed to sell what, and for what price. Expect to pay a lot of money for a lot of shaver. Is it worth it? According to those clean shaven faces that reported back to us, yeah, it is.
The Norelco Arcitec has found some cooler reviews by comparison, but the jury is still out due to the fact that Norelco blundered in its decision to only allow a few mass-retailers to carry the product. Little product saturation + cheapo advertising = less sales. I think they have learned their lesson though, and now the product is more widely available, as I was accosted by an ad for it during prime time recently. Is it good? We have found that most people really do like the machine, especially if they are current/former Norelco shaver users. Personally I think it does a fine job. I'm still a little iffy on the stupid trimmer they've got there, but to be fair, Braun's Pulsonic trimmer is kinda stinko too.
So there you have it. The two front runners are high quality, high price, highly reviewed, and highly advertised. The recommendation stands as it always has-not every shaver is for every face. If rotary works for you-stick with Norelco (or Remington rotary if you want a cheaper option), if foil shavers are your preference, go for the Braun Pusonic. If you aint got the money, then there are other options too, but don't expect to see many commercials for Remington, Panasonic, and Shavetronics shavers this holiday season.
Me? I'm going to consume my five-thousand calories for Thanksgiving and then steel myself to the frenzied, panic-driven online shoppers until the holidays are all over. Once I can breathe again and the facial ticks stop, we can truly access the winner of the shaver war.
And maybe I'll get some good stuff to boot. Happy Holidays from all of us at Shavers.com.
October 25th, 2007
What's Wit Th' ST-FIDDY?Come the sounds from the mouth of the gentleman on the phone, displaying his oatmeal-thick New Yawker accent. Yes, it's finally here in some quantity my fine gentlemen. The Shavetronics 60-Second Shaver model ST-50 is in stock after many footfalls and hullabaloo during its arduous journey to our door. How long it stays in stock…well… hard to say. Yes, there are that many backorders.
As we sheepishly twiddle our fingers to those waiting in line for this Braun 2000 series look-alike, we nervously hope that the coming onslaught of people waiting 2+ years for this machine will forgive us and not kick too hard. Really, it wasn't our fault that it took so long. Let's just say that the manufacturing process is akin to self castration. Clear enough of an image? Good.
Haven't heard of the ST-50? Fair enough. Can't say we've been pouring in the advertising dollars yet, but you may have read something here and there on a message board or two about it. Regardless, here's what we've got:
"Simple, Powerful, Effective - The way electric shavers used to be!
Shavetronics has engineered a new line of shaving products with a strong focus on performance, style and ease of use. The ST-50 gives a close, precision shave every time utilizing a powerful single foil and cutter shaving system with less irritation. No gimmicks, no batteries to replace, and the ONLY shaver on the market today with a 6-month warranty on the shaver FOIL."
Those of you who remember the old Braun 2000 shaver know that it was one little powerhouse of a machine. Despite all the claptrap these days of how important having multiple heads are, this one single foil design guarding a thirty blade, wide linear cutter on top of a strong, magnetic AC motor is all the heads you need. Even the old problems of changing foil mounts into the headframe have been eliminated due to the fact that foils will be sold already mounted into the headframes. There's also a 6-month warranty on the original shaver foil. How's that for standing behind a product?
Enough shameless self promotion here. I remain objective as always and will diligently report problems if they arise. In the meantime, get those orders in people. Keeping them in stock is secondary to filling our backorders, and only a limited amount are released for sale on Shavers.com during any given time. You can check out the ST-50's here.
October 15th, 2007
Hittin' the High RoadSo as many of you may or may not know (or care, for that matter), Shavers.com and its affiliated sub-companies have relocated to the high mountain tops of North Carolina's Asheville area.
I must say that the air here is clean, the views spectacular, and the bread sucks, but all in all, it's pretty sweet living down here.
I can hear you saying it, "Cut the crap, Bogie. How does this affect our shaver orders?"
Very little, my fine patrons. For all you New Yorkers there is the addition of an extra day for delivery (two business days in most cases) and no more showroom to visit. My apologies for any of you that stood outside our closed door red-faced, with your fists clenched in fury and a thick, purple vein bulging from your forehead. And I can assure you--screaming into the glass door will not help.
BUT (I say amidst the collective Bronx cheers), there is the added benefit of no more New York sales tax. And really, do you know how much a cab ride through midtown costs these days? Pshaw.
For most of the rest of the country, this is a moot point. Orders will come flying out of here just as fast as always with nary a difference to any of ya (NY tri-state area excluded of course). You North Carolinians though, you'll have to start paying sales tax now. Ha-ha.
Onward we proceed then, through our shaver selling and manufacturing as we bask in our hours-turned-minutes commute to work each morning. Look for a post on our new Shavetronics ST-50 really soon.
…and can anyone tell me where to find a half-decent bagel in this bread forsaken state?
July 12th, 2007
New Shavers on the Block
After all my years in the shaver business, you would think that I would have a better grasp on how the shaver manufacturers think. Based upon their actions of late, apparently not.
To me, the proper time to release a new shaver for major distribution is about six weeks before Father's Day. Makes sense, no? I mean, aside from the jingle and candle holidays in the winter, Dad day is the biggest holiday for shaver sales. It's a very simple equation. New shaver line + impending holiday that can be hard to buy for = easy sales!
Well, the mass minds at the shaver makers seem to disagree. Instead, they feel that the first two weeks in July is the best time to release new shavers. Braun, Norelco and Shavetronics alike have all launched new shaver lines during the slowest shaver selling season of the year. They are:
Braun's Pulsonic Shaving system (9000 series - still on presale as of this writing, scheduled for shipment after July 13th, 2007). Covered in this blog previously, this shaver promises to "break the current bipolar categorization of rotary and foil (to) give the closest, most comfortable shave ever". Wow. Even if the shaver sucks, you've got to give them points for vernacular. Not that I'm saying it sucks-I have yet to hold one in my hand--but it's making big promises for an awful lot of money.
Norelco's Arcitec Shaving system came completely out of left field and arrived on our doorstep with no fanfare whatsoever. Reminiscent of a daisy, this system promises "a 360 degree swiveling shaving head and a state-of-the art sleek design, arcitec is the most advanced Philips Norelco shaver yet. Compared to other Philips Norelco shavers, arcitec offers new flex & pivot technology, a more aerodynamic design, and an advanced tube trimmer." How aerodynamic does a shaver have to be? If you're moving that machine across your face so fast that wind resistance becomes a factor, I would suggest both a beard and a career in tennis. That "tube trimmer" thing also raises great concerns because of the location of it's blades, but the jury is still out. We'll have to see what is said by the masses.
Shavetronics has created the 60 Second Shaver Corded model ST-50. The underdog in the shaving arena, Shavetronics has snapped back from a previous disaster called the "Duoshave". All preliminary tests have come back ultra-positive, provided you are looking for a really simple, cord use only, single head design. So far, so good, but again, why wait so long?
Maybe I'll never understand how the shaver company men work…maybe I don't really want to. Mountains of statistics and spreadsheets are not my cup of tea, but it seems to me that the time of year when most people BUY SHAVERS should be the deciding factor when determining launch date. Anyway…
April 17th, 2007
Tradition!
I would like to call back to a post I made a few years ago regarding the whole lift-n-cut quandary and the religious no-no's that have had a great majority of the Jewish faith scratching their heads and tugging at their beards. It has been our experience (at
Shavers.com) that about half the representatives of the chosen people believe that lift-n-cut (exclusively indicative of Norelco shavers) is non-kosher, and the other half kind of shrugs at it; clearly not concerned.
In a nutshell, the whole problem has to do with the "no knife against the face" rule. Orthodox laws dictate that at no time is a blade supposed to come in contact with the face (thank you for the info, Rabbi Hager). The Norelco system of lifting the hair and then slicing the hair off to release it, comes under great scrutiny as to whether the shaver blade actually comes into contact with the skin or not. The fact that some Norelco's are also adjustable for sensitivity--allowing the blade to be moved closer to, or farther from, the foil head--creates even greater reservations with those who are simply unsure as to what to do.
Either way, a solution has presented itself some time ago that we have unfortunately overlooked until just the other day. We came to the realization that no only are the Remington rotary shavers really good machines, but they are also 100% non lift-n-cut. Thereby solving the dilemma for those kosher kittens who really like the rotary system, but believe that the lift-n-cut might bring down lightning from the heavens. Being a landsman myself (more "kosher-style" actually), it is my personal feeling that there is no contact between a blade and the skin with a Norelco or any other shaver, but far be it from me to argue the point since we now have another option for any and all who have concerns.
Finally a solution! For years this has been driving me as crazy as a...
...fiddler on the roof.
April 10th, 2007
On The Pulse of Shaving Tech
Shhhh...do you hear that? That sound? Sounds like something new approaching. It's the crushing sound of the Braun 360 model being driven into an early burial by the sleek, sonic pulsations of the new Braun "Pulsonic" shaving system.
What's that you say? The Braun 360 just came out less than a year ago? Yeah, we know. Remember back to my post about how few the differences are between the 360 and the Activator? I guess the good folks at Braun figured that they could get away with that for just so long, and jumped onto the Proctor and Gamble powerhouse behind them to finance something new, sleek, super high-tech...and a wee bit noisy.
Not that I know that from first hand experience or anything, so I guess it's really not fair to say yet. As for what we do know already, the Pulsonic is making use of some kind of "sonic pulsing technology" involved with an "active power comb" which by look of design and by description of theory, is starting to look and sound a LOT like the current Panasonic shavers.
Again, let me emphasize the fact that this is purely hearsay, topped with a tiny bit of actual fact from a German website selling the product overseas, but the mental deconstruction I have done with regard to this new model suggests that Braun is taking a sharp left turn from where they were going with their product line, opting instead to follow the Japanese design of electric shaving.
Evidence:
- The new foil and cutter configuration looks REALLY close to that of the Panasonic.
- The keywords "pulse", "sonic", "powercomb", etc... all ring of the same tunes as Panasonics riff: "Vortex", "hydraclean", "high speed linear", blah, blah, blah. Keywords are keywords, and basically they're just advertising anchors, but do you really think that some kind of sonic pulses are going to be shooting out of the shaver against your face? Isn't it more likely that the foil and cutter will just shake really fast?
- Fully washable under water (well, everyone is doing this now, but still.)
- Finally, the redesign of the shaver body is very Panasonic-ish.
In case you're ready to wag your finger in my face for being slanted to the negative side of things, I would agree with you. I do tend to be negative to a certain extent when companies move away from a system that was working, in favor of something that has the perception of popularity. It begins to stink of suits in a conference room, rather than shaver designers and technicians, deciding what is going to shave you better than what has worked in the past.
Here’s the best part. In case you were beginning to froth at the mouth in anticipation of this new unit coming out in July—guess what the suggested retail price is going to be--$250.00! Yes, two-hundred and fifty smackeroos for a unit that might shave better than the existing Braun Activator/360's. We’ll have to wait and see (obviously), and I’ve been wrong before (sorry Remington), but to justify two-and-a-half bills for a new shaving system, the Pulsonic had better knock the hairs off of my face with great prejudice, rendering me baby-ass smooth with nary a touch of its sonic pulses. Wouldn’t that be something? Yeah...
March 29th, 2007
Shave This
It's time to step aside gentlemen, and allow some well deserved time to go out to the ladies for this post.
With the ever encroaching warm weather peeking up over the horizon, many a question comes in to Shavers.com about the removal of hair not isolated to the face, but from the bikini line and legs, from the gentler sex. It's all too important to remember that I said "gentler". You'll see why.
Well, Women, what've we got for you? Some of you shave, most of you trim, a few of you epilate.
Shaving is often misunderstood with regard to women. Although most of you out there probably think that using your man's shaver on your legs/bikini/underarms is perfectly fine--you would be wrong. A man's facial shaver is designed exclusively for use on facial hair. Now there are various types of facial hair out there, almost as varied as the men that grow it, but that hair is nowhere near as punishing as the pelt that you (and we--meaning men in general) grow upon the body. In other words, don't use a man’s facial shaver on your body. It will take too long with too poor a result to waste your time with.
Trimming is trimming is trimming. All it comes down to is which trimmer is most comfortable for you to hold.
"But wait!" you scream. "Your last post talked all about the differences between trimmers--some good, some bad. Are you going back on what you said? Don't you remember your own posts? I hate you!"
Easy now. Trimmers for men's faces are once again vastly different than for body trimming. You are body trimming. Thicker hairs=less finesse. If the trimmer cuts cleanly without slipping from your hand and eviscerating the cat, it's fine. Don't spend a lot of money on a trimmer for the body.
Epilators.... (chill runs down the spine). This is where the term "gentler sex" comes into question. I tell you, I've been in this business for a lot of years, but I never understood the use of epilators. Don't get me wrong, they do a fine job. Clean, smooth, silky, milky have all been used to describe epilation. What is never written on the box though, is painful, irritating, ripping, screaming, etc... The mere thought of having a machine spin a few dozen little tweezers at 10,346 mph as they rip hairs out of my legs or (gulp) crotch, is beyond sanity for most men looking to simply remove hair. The European femms seem to really like epilators, and it is catching on in the USA, but whoa-nelly, keep that away from me. How you women deal with that...I actually think that childbirth might look more attractive to men that those electric torture devices.
But, (there's always a but) epilation lasts a LOT longer than shaving does. How long? Try about a month for some. Hmmm? Got you thinking? So what's a little pain, you ask? That being said, you can buy epilators at Shavers.com too.
Women, I've got to hand it to you. Although men really have no excuse to avoid trimming themselves here and there, how you maintain this on a regular basis is a practice that we really must thank you for more often. We hate shaving out faces. It's boring, tedious, and repetitive, but the act of shaving our bodies on a regular basis, for most of us, is beyond consideration.
So what advice can I (we) lend? Shave if you can't take the pain of epilation, trim simply, epilate if you have weak nerve endings.
And if the man in your life has the nerve to comment about your shaving habits, throw the back of your hand up and give them a good old, New York, "Shave this!"
...but don't use his shaver.
March 23th, 2007
Looking For Trim…
…mers that can best chop our beards and moustaches into a manageable thatch that will cut back on the weight of crumbs, soup and cereal milk that build up in our facial forests. The search is difficult one, with only a few options available for many a type of beard and stache.
Speaking from personal experience on the subject, being a member of the goatee guild (sorry), I have yet to find the "perfect" beard and moustache trimmer. Yes, yes, I know I always say that everyone's face is different, but being that a clipper is not affected by different types of hair, you would think that creating a head design that can accommodate most beard types would be an easy task. Apparently not.
The Norelco T980 is a decent trimmer, except for the stupid vacuum feature that collects just about 13.5 percent of the hair that is clipped from your face and leaves you with yet another chamber to empty. I like the job that it does for the most part, but I get the feeling that Norelco is sacrificing trim-quality for high-tech wiz-bangs in making the trimmer look like a light saber.
The Panasonic Trimmers are the ancients of the trimming pantheon, remaining virtually unchanged for the past fifteen years. I never found them particularly thorough, the major problem being that the trimmer guide would collapse down to the lowest setting if you put just a little too much pressure upon your face. Somebody out there must like them though, longevity alone a testament to that.
Now Wahl has a very decent set of professional trimmers available--many of which can be seen in use at your local barber shop. They are powerful, sharp, and shaped correctly for maximum trimmability (I love inventing words). BUT for all their strong points, Wahl suffers severely from lack of options for the common man.
What I mean is, the Wahl trimmers come with only a few combs that can be used to get the hair length you might be looking for. The average is a selection of four, non-adjustable guides that do a fine job, but if you need a length longer than the largest or shorter than the smallest or any variation beyond the "in-between" comb guides, you are out of luck. It is my belief that these trimmers are especially designed for professionals who skip the use of the guide combs altogether, relying instead on their expertise in giving you that perfect trim, by eye alone. When yours truly attempts this though, I end up looking like the lead in a 1930's Robin Hood flick.
Remington has a few trimmers too. Yeah.
Anyway, as you can see the list is short, and except for a few isolated models, relatively undistinguished, which is unfortunate considering how many people sport the facial fuzz. And if you are looking for worldwide voltage for your trimmer-Fuggedaboudit-nothing out there, at least not yet.
Maybe the manufacturers will hear the collective cries of the bearded? Maybe not? Maybe we'll just make one and show them how it's done. Maybe. Until then, we trim by the seat of our pants. Welcome to Sherwood.
March 6th, 2007
Shaving 101 Gentlemen, I bet you're all wondering why I've called you here today. It's because of the overwhelming flood of questions regarding shaving that have been pouring across our phone lines and into the collective ears of Shavers.com representatives. Frankly, they need a rest from giving the same answers all day long. Let's then, take a brief look at shaving, shall we?
Ladies-you have purposely been left out of this discussion for the simple reason that your needs are a whole different ballgame altogether. We'll try to cover your most common questions in another entry.
So men, how are we shaving these days? Getting missed spots? Breaking out? Painful or really sensitive areas? Overall poor shave? Yup, that's what I figured. I get the feeling that for the majority of you though, the solution is simple (especially if you are using a "newer" shaver, purchased within the last 4-5 years)…you're pressing too hard on your face.
"What?!" you exclaim. "Don't you know that I've been using an electric shaver for (insert years since puberty here) years?!"
C'mon guys! This is not your father's shaver here! The great majority of electric shavers manufactured today are specifically designed to work much differently than the dark age shavers of yesteryear. Pressing too hard with the shaver head against your skin will flatten the hairs into an undesirable position that will be a detriment to your shaving process. A smooth, slow movement with only minimal pressure is what is needed here. Let the shaver do the work, let the shaver do the work, let the shaver do the work…
If that does not solve your problem completely then I'm at least willing to bet that it helps a great deal. Let's also follow these shaving tips:
- Shave your sensitive areas first. A cool shaver head will irritate less.
- Tough or stubborn neck hairs should be trimmed down prior to shaving.
- Areas of the face/neck that have problems with severe razor bumps or ingrown hairs-DON'T SHAVE THESE AREAS WITHOUT FIRST ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. Use a treatment or a specially designed shaver like the Remington ES-1000.
- Rub your face liberally with a frog prior to shaving.
Okay, just kidding with that last one, but a pre-shave lotion or powder stick is highly recommended in making improvements to any shave. A few adjustments to your routine and following a few simple rules can turn a bad shave into a much improved one, and a good shave into a great shave.
Thank you for taking Shaving 101… See me after class.
February 2nd, 2007
Dry Shave, Wet Shave-Red Shave, Blue Shave
Okay folks, it's time to spread a little smooth understanding over the rough, pot-hole ridden differences between the wet shaver systems, the dry shaver systems, and the dry shaver systems that you can clean with water. At the risk of sounding like my fourth-grade teacher, I will endeavor to make this as easy to swallow as possible. Here goes…
The wet shaver…no matter who makes it, be it Panasonic, Norelco or Remington, the shaver can be used, cleaned, and otherwise carelessly manipulated in or out of water, or a watery environment. It is an all-in-all, happy to be moistened shaver to any capacity aside from the process of charging (look elsewhere for a post on the dangers of electrocution). Most wet shavers are designed to be used in some sort of showering environment, and as stated by Panasonic, are fully immersable in water. Why you would actually want to fully immerse your shaver escapes me, as shaving underwater is not usually something most of us would set out to do--but to each his own.
The dry shaver…just about says it all doesn't it? This is a dry shaver. Use it dry. Don't get it wet. Worry about it if it falls into the toilet. Avoid getting moisture on, into or near this shaver. Always assume an electric shaver is a dry shaver unless otherwise specifically indicated by the packaging, the website, or your friendly neighborhood shaver store representative (and double check with websites). Period….
…unless, of course, you are using a dry shaver that comes with a self-cleaning stand. But that's another story entirely, boys and girls. Okay, back on track now.
Now there's dry shaver that can be cleaned with water. So here is that murky area that many people are having trouble with, but it's actually pretty simple if you follow these simple rules:
- Use this (these) shaver(s) as if they were DRY shavers. Why? Because they are dry shavers. Calm down now…keep reading.
- When you are done shaving with this dry shaver, carefully avoiding using it in the shower, bathtub, or swimming pool, it will be time to clean it. And you will clean it with water. Take a deep breath.
- Turn on the HOT water. Turn it on STRONG. There should be a good flow of hot water running into your sink.
- Thoroughly rinse the HEAD of the shaver. Otherwise known as the headframe, foil and cutter, top-part, "The thing that touches my face", or any incarnation thereof. Heaven forbid that I suggest reading the instruction manual that came with the shaver, but this is where you will receive the most detailed instruction as to where it is safe to let the aqua flow through.
Pretty simple, right? The important thing to remember here is not to get creative. It does make a difference if "the part where the plug goes in" gets a little wet. It WILL affect the shaver if you used it in the shower "only once". And no, nobody ever told you that putting it in the dishwasher was safe for this type of electric razor.
Finally, when rinsing this shaver out (the correct way-see #3 & #4 above), please do not assume that waving the shaver head quickly under a thin, hair-like trickle of cool water is enough to clean your shaver. If you don't flush out all that garbage that's building up in there, then all you are doing is creating a nice, cozy, germ ridden bacteria farm that you are putting against your face every day. Yummy!
And because I know you're going to ask, yes, you STILL have to do a thorough cleaning of the shaver head at least once a month. Pull the foils and cutters off of the shaver and soak them in straight rubbing alcohol for a few minutes and then allow them to dry. Death to bacteria.
So that's that! See? Easy as pie. Keep your shaver clean and so will it keep your face. And for God's sake, read your instruction manual…
...but not under water.
December 13th, 2006
Latkes and Ho Ho HoWith the holiday season in full swing, we are forced to believe that electric shavers are definitely up there with the "get-this-for-me-because-I'll-never-buy-it-for-myself" category of holiday gifts.
The Braun 8995 is by far the front runner in the movement of shaver matter, followed closely by the Norelco 9190 and other SmartTouch models, with the Remington line of Powerclean models that I was forced to eat crow about just a month ago. Surprisingly, women's shavers have been an unexpected mover and shaker this year. I guess the guys finally caught on that these make great holiday gifts for the ladies who are always looking for a better way to keep nature at bay. Words of advice though guys-ask HER if she would prefer an epilator to a shaver-don't decide for her. You'll be sorry.
A popular question this holiday season is also that of travel/pocket/groomer type shavers, which have been good sellers. The "Weekenders" specifically have been big with the Chanukah crowd. We even had a guy buy 24 of them to give out as prizes for an adult driedel game he was planning for his upcoming festivities. HA!
Anyway, the word on personal gifts for the holidays is "Shaver", and it is good. Don't make assumptions about your man's face, nor your woman's bikini or legs, …and oh yeah, cinnamon applesauce goes great both on the latkes or baked into a fruitcake. To me, cinnamon applesauce is like pureed holiday.
We want everyone to have a happy, healthy, and clean-shaven holiday season from all of us here at Shavers.com.
November 6th, 2006
Eating my words regarding RemingtonOkay, far be it from me to not admit when I was wrong about something.
In fact, I owe the good folks at Remington an enormous apology regarding my last post (see October 24th, 2006 below) where I basically showed no faith whatsoever in the new line of Remington Rotary shavers. I also alluded to the fact that they have a long line of shaving failures under their belt (which, I'm afraid, is still technically true), but is still my bad that I passed judgment before touching the shaver to my face.
Remington-I apologize. You've got a winner on your hands here.
Now admittedly, I am not a rotary user-be it Norelco, Remington or otherwise. They have just never traditionally worked for me because I've just got that kind of face, and there are a lot of us out there. Some people can use rotary, some can use foil, and very few can use both. I am a die-hard foil user, but in the interest of being fair, I try every new rotary that comes out for the purposes of control. Everyone here at Shavers.com does the same (yes, even the women. Ever use a man's face shaver on your legs? Yeesh! What a thought!).
So as always, I post my little blog here about first impressions and the enclosed hype about the machine as supplied by the manufacturer, and yes, I was a little hard on them. But speaking as a traditionally non-rotary user, this machine gave me a great shave right out of the box. No adjustment period, no bad irritation, no necessity for grinding the shaver into my skin to get those neck hairs. It just did a really great job, and I must admit that I am perplexed. My cheeks and neck are smooth. There is no redness. It was a clean, fast shave.
Of course (A.K.A - "but"), not everything is perfect--as no shaver is perfect. If there was a perfect shaver, it would be the only one out there. The problems that remain with the shaver are the same problems inherent with any rotary shaver. Edging is a problem. Moustache, beard, goatee, soul patch, micro-lines, or any other tuft-like growth of hair on the face will be hard to get those nice clean edges we all want with a rotary (in my case-goatee). The Remington rotaries DO have a good trimmer on their backs, which will allow the edging we are looking for, but it does take some practice. Those of you without facial hair, no sweat except for your sideburns (again, use the trimmer).
All right, Remington, all right, I've admitted that I was wrong. You've got a good series here and I'm proud to sell it. Now-let's keep the momentum going and not discontinue the line in place of some cheaply made piece of garbage. If you can make this new trend last then maybe we will all forget what happened from 2002 - 2005 and I won't have to eat my words anymore. My words after all, are very filling.
You can take a look at the new Remington Rotaries here.
October 24th, 2006
Remington Reinventing the Rotary (and allowing for alliteration)Cracking the proverbial whip in the face of Norelco, Remington is apparently trying to take a new leap at the rotary shaver market. According to Remington, these new shavers have been: "Fashioned by the latest style trends; Remington has linked up with BMW and the design world to re-invent the brand and revolutionize the shaving category".
Which means that the ever-confused ladies and gents over at Remington have temporarily stopped wondering which company their paychecks are coming from, and hooked up with the design team that works for BMW to design a shaver--Which to most of us should seem a little scary considering that few car manufacturers are in the top ten of electric shaver manufacturers these days (or in history for that matter).
Maybe they mean that the BMW'ers have designed the look of the shaver, which is fine, so long as the machine itself can actually hatchet its way through a beard. This, as always, remains to be seen. But this webmaster refuses to offer high hopes after the last round of Remington rotaries that bobbed and gurgled their way to the bottom of a long list of shaving failures.
Still, a new design is a new design, and I will give them this--at least they have actually made changes in the shaver itself and didn't just try to rehash some old pile of spinning knives with a pretty coat of paint and a shiny new headframe to mash against our faces. Our examination (the impartial folks at Shavers.com, that is) is still underway and we hope to have an opinion soon. At very least, there's still the 30-day money back guarantee to fall back upon, so Joe-consumer has very little to lose aside from a few whiskers. Ultimately, Remington will be hard pressed to defeat Norelco's unsurpassed forty-year vice grip on the rotary market.
Nervous, Norelco? Maybe just a bit? I doubt it, but maybe they're pulling at their collars a little...just a little.
Some of the models available are: The Powerclean Titanium with Comfort Select model R-1000, and the Microflex 800 Comfort Select Rechargeable Shaver.
October 5th, 2006
Take a Powder
Y'know all these pre-shave powder sticks that are available these days? Yeah, the ones from Remington and Parks. Well, there's a new powder in town, folks. Turns out that all them there powder sticks are made by one company on earth called "The Powder Company" in Europe (formerly known as "Bloc") and that's a fact.
Now don't get me wrong-this is a fine product indeed-we've been touting them for years. But until now you've been hard-pressed to find one without some sort of perfumed scent in them. So, we now carry the Shavetronics line of powder sticks called "Pre Shave Powder Stick - Derma Bloc". Still the same quality hypo-allergenic compressed powder stick, none of the scent.
Available now on Shavers.com.
May 10th, 2006
360° View--so what else is new?
According to Braun, the latest and greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread is going to be the new "Braun 360 Complete", which in the eyes of this shaver-site webmaster looks…okay.
Believe me, I would love nothing more than to jump up and down to the tune of the collective chants of Braun shaver users regarding this model, but the simple fact remains-don't try to dazzle me with BS. We (the shaver industry) remember all too well just how impressive the Norelco Quadra razors were going to be when they first came out. The fizzle of those insanely mismatched head configurations fluttered across the faces of Norelco users, leaving nothing but perplexed looks and more than a few missed hairs.
Thinking that Braun would learn from Norelco's mistakes (who did by the way, redeem themselves with later models like Spectra and Speed-XL), one would think that a few extra gimmicks on an already good shaver like Activator would do nothing but aggravate those who would run out to buy the latest and greatest in shaving technology. I myself would be one of them.
So what has Braun done? They have taken that previously mentioned Activator system and changed that little useless clipper between the two foil heads (the smart foil) to something called the "Power Comb". They have also changed the design of the blades themselves-now calling them "Precision Comfort Blades".
Theoretically, the Power Comb is supposed to have some sort of movement action that will grab hold of longer hairs down by the neck area and other problem areas, and ensure that they are sheared off by the new cutters. The cutters have been redesigned with a funky angle that is supposed to cut the hair closer to the skin with fewer strokes.
Oooooooo! Sweet…I hope. Maybe the changes will be fantazamagorical...maybe.
As nice as all of this sounds, to be perfectly honest, that stupid little clipper never did anything on the Activator and it was (is) a great shaver regardless. It seems that Braun is looking for a way to compete with the Remington ES-1000; a shaver that is designed specifically for reducing the occurrence of ingrown hairs and razor bumps. The cutter re-design can only be examined under speculation-but heaven help this series if there is no discernable effect.
The shaver manufacturers had better begin learning from mistakes of the past if they expect consumers to continue paying the steadily rising price points for these new machines. A couple of fancied-up, flashy commercial pushed whiz-bangs and do-dads hardly warrant another $200 out of pocket from Joe American. Give us something substantial or get back to basics. "New" does not always mean "improved".
July 14th, 2005
That Norelco's one SmartTouch
The new Norelco SmartTouch shavers are in at Shavers.com and they are pretty impressive if we do say so ourselves. The units with the new Jet-Clean cleaning system are pretty sci-fi, but do the job nonetheless. Unlike Braun, they do not use replaceable cleaning cartridges, but instead use a cleaning solution that is filled into a reservoir in the unit.
The shavers themselves are very interesting. Norelco has come up with this new blade design called "Speed-XL" that each of the three heads have three consecutive rows of blades as opposed to the traditional one row of blades on all other Norelco shavers to date. So that's nine rows of blades doing the job that three used to do-nice! Please note for clarity- there are SmartTouch shavers and Speed-XL shavers. Both have the Speed-XL blades (HQ9), but the SmartTouch shavers also have a 3-level comfort setting adjustment as well as a pivoting head that helps follow the contours of the face, the Speed-XL shavers ONLY have the upgraded blades-and because we know you're going to ask, no, you cannot interchange Speed-XL blades onto your older Norelco shaver. Whaddaya think, they're stupid?
But, of course, not everything is peachy keen. Although the new SmartTouch razors are cool and seem to do a really good job for Norelco (or other rotary-style) shaver users, another new addition to the Norelco family is not so cool. Norelco has decided to release another new shaver with a Jet-Clean cleaning system called…(drumroll) get ready… the QUADRA! Yes, the Quadra 7800XLCC! What's that? You say there's ALREADY a shaver series called the Quadra that's been out for years? Well you're right, but you don't know the best part yet. You see, all of you out there with old Quadra's know that they take the HQ6 and/or the HQ7 Norelco blades right? Guess what-THIS Quadra uses HQ8 blades. Yes, that's right-can you hear the collective forehead smacks across the nation? For those of you who don't get it-the HQ8 blades are for the Spectra series of Norelco shavers, the line that REPLACED the original Quadra action series shavers years ago. Confused yet?
So what this means boys and girls is that when you order blades for your Norelco shaver, you can no longer ask for blades for a particular SERIES of shaver (Reflex, Quadra, Spectra, etc…) but you have to order by the EXACT model number of your shaver. If you don't, lord only knows what you'll be sent and it won't be anyone's fault but Norelco's.
May 26th, 2005
Poppa Day
Well it's Father's Day once again and I'll spare you the "you know what would make a great gift for Father's Day? How about an electric shaver?!" Yeah, yeah, like you never thought of that. But I will say is this--IF you should decide that purchasing an electric shaver for Dad, Husband, Grandpa, or any other male previously indoctrinated into fatherhood, then I will tell you this...there's not a whole lot of new stuff out there this year, and in some ways that's a good thing.
Why you ask? Because, the stuff out there right now is tried and true, tested and thoroughly worked over by both manufacturers and consumers alike. Looking at the Shavers.com website or speaking to one of our representatives will afford you much more information about picking the right shaver for the Dad in question--rather than if a whole bunch of new flashy lines just came out and zero experience information is available. Not that EVERY shaver available on Shavers.com is perfect for every face, but knowing what we know allows us to narrow the search and pick a winner for you.
And speaking of new flashy product lines--we just recently saw the entire new Norelco line that's going to be released in a few months, and might I say--whoa! Flashy, bright, and loaded with lot's of tech. How does it shave? Not a clue. Time and testing will tell, but they sure do look nice!
April 27th, 2005
Unoshave - Duoshave.
So the Shavetronics Duoshave electric shaver and personal groomer has crossed the threshold of our little corner of the internet here, and we are looking forward to gauging the reaction of consumers. Those of you willing to take the plunge on this nifty little device will find an interesting array of features suitable for both men and women-yes ladies, we are daring to say that you also get hair in your noses and ears (heaven forbid!).
Most impressive is the "all body" system, in that the shaver has two "business ends", in that the opposite side of the dual-head shaver is a nose/ear trimmer that easily attaches to the unit and is powered by the same motor. The detachable head is simply stored in the bottom cover so that it won't get lost. The shaver head itself is comparable to the now discontinued Eltron 4000 series of shavers, and has an easily replaceable foil and cutter (seriously-the replacement of the cutter is one of the easiest we've ever seen).
So, in a nutshell--we like the shaver. Nice hard travel case with a mirror, overnight recharge, cleaning brush, procap, long hair trimmer, nose/ear trimmer, and a very attractive pricepoint makes the Duoshave a good pick for that travel/backup/everyday shaver.
Word of warning-if you have an extremely tough beard--look elsewhere. Just like the older Eltron 4000 series, if you've got a steel-wool-ish beard, this won't do much to hack through that, but it's still pretty good for you as a backup or 5:00 shadow wrangler.
April 15th, 2005
Finally the Weekend--Vay iz meer!.
We continue to be amazed at how popular our little shaver called "the Weekender" has become these days. We had a feeling that a dual-head, lightweight, battery operated shaver would fill a niche since Norelco stopped producing their dual-head line, but wow, did we misinterpret the market! Apparently, there are a good number of religious restrictions out there, particularly with those of the Orthodox Jewish faith, that severely limit the options of shaving with a rotary head shaver. It's all due to the lift-n-cut thing that Norelco so proudly touts on all their packaging (not that there's anything wrong with that).
The action of lifting and cutting is apparently a BIG no-no in the orthodox community, as the process involves the hair being lifted, then sliced off, allowing the remaining hair to then retract below the skin line. Well, the often over-interpreted
"no-knife-against-the-skin" rule kicks in here, and hence the problem.
So what's this got to do with our little Weekender you ask? The Weekender you see, is a non-lift and cut rotary head system. One double-set of blades, no lifting--just cutting, the blade never touches the skin.
We've evidently supplied an often overlooked market here without even trying--Oi Veh! We plan to expand our line of non lift-and-cut rotary products through our manufacturing division--Shavetronics. Oh, and Happy Passover.
April 11th, 2005
Positively perplexing pre-shave..
Now that the summer months are well on their way, it's time to get ready for the hot and sweaty days of shaving. Many customers ask us regularly as to which is the best pre-shave to use, or if the products actually do anything at all. The answer is...kinda. Now before the phone calls begin coming in from angry customers and pre-shave manufacturers, allow me to elaborate.
Just like electric shavers, not every pre-shave is for every face. Personally, the webmaster of Shavers.com (yours truly) uses a powder stick--usually referred to as shave stick
--during the warmer months. Powder sticks are great for setting up the unshaven beard, as the little powder particles coat the hairs and soak up any sweat and oil that might be holding the hair down on the face.
Lotions (Parks Pre-Aft) are great for year-round use, usually recommended for those of the dry skin--use them sparingly! Liquids (Williams Lectric Shave) are also good for soaking up the oils on the face before shaving, just as the powder sticks above, but do require some time to dry on the face before shaving. Do not shave with a wet face unless you are using a wet/dry shaver! Shaving a wet face will develop a cement-like buildup in the head of your shaver--not cool.
Bottom line - Do you HAVE to use pre-shave? Nope, but give a pre-shave a shot if you're not getting a good shave during certain times of the year, and/or, if you're getting a decent shave, but feel it could be just a little better. A pre-shave product is an inexpensive way to get more out of your electric shaver, and if used properly, it could make all the difference to your face.
April 5th, 2005
Shaver man, build me a Shaver...
Shavetronics, the manufacturing division of Shavers.com, has several new models of shavers--based upon older, tried and true designs--coming out in the very near future. Many of our customers have been very anxious for updates on these models, and we plan to offer more information in these pages as it becomes available. I know, I know--we've been telling everyone "about 2-3 months" for a long time now, but what can we say? We want them to be perfect, and we are not willing to sacrifice the quality we've been promising for speed. We'll leave that to some of the other manufacturers.
April 3rd, 2005
Cruzin' with Braun.
Braun has recently released a new shaver called the CRUZER (displayed as "cruZer3") that has just come into stock at Shavers.com. Nice! Since discontinuing the Shave N' Shape, Braun left a big hole in the market. Now we finally have an answer to the continual questions we get from consumers who want that five-o'clock shadow--"unshaven look", yet keep that beard under control on a day to day basis. We also like the swivel trimmer that is great for shaping beard lines and moustache...and just about anything else for that matter. We can see no reason that women couldn't use it on the bikini line or under the arms (it does have a single-head shaving head after all). Check it out here.
April 1st, 2005
Today the Shavers.com repair department wallows in the misery that is EBAY.
Facing the daily influx of frustrated customers, our repair department pulls what little hair is left from their heads while trying to explain to customers that purchasing electric shavers from EBAY does NOT guarantee that the product is: A)Original, B)Unused, and C)in working condition. The fact that the picture included with the auction was that of a new shaver somehow makes people believe that they are getting what they see, and not what they pay for. Chances are that if you get the shaver on EBAY $50.00 cheaper than anywhere else, then it's quite possibly stolen, used, or otherwise of questionable origin. At the risk of sounding cliché--let the buyer beware.
|
| | |
|
