battery powered shaver

-m2-

Holy Cow!

the batteries on my old rechargeable phillishave won't hold a charge any longer, are not owner-accessible, and there is no service centre handy. Yesterday, while picking up a few travel items in town, I noticed a Braun razor, powered by 2 AA batteries, for the rather stunning price of $15 CDN (around $10 US). and bought one to try it out.

It is a nicely made unit with little features like a mustache/sideburn trimmer, cleaning brush etc. Hard to describe, but it is hinged in a way that makes it very compact for carrying as well as protecting the foil. It is roughly the size of a very compact camera and I estimate it's weight at around 200gm. It claims 60min use on a pair of alkalines -- I tried it this morning on a 2-day growth and it did a reasonable job in about 2 minutes so batteries *might* last a couple of weeks of normal use.

Anyone used one of these for any length of time? I'll be bringing it along anyway, if it packs it in, there is always the occasional visit to a barber or just growing out a beard, I guess.

mike

Midnite Toker

Ten dollars is amazingly cheap. I'll be interested to hear how long it lasts, although Braun is generally a good brand.

I always take plastic disposable razors - about one per month is enough for me. I just use the same soap I wash my hands with. Used electric for about ten years, but it never felt as "clean" as a wet shave.

__________________
travel tips, blog, downloads, panorama photos, online security, tokes:
the tokezone

-m2-

I couldn't believe the price either -- the rechargeable ones were all well over $100 and, though it is made in China, what isn't these days? and the quality seems to be very high.

Yeah, I used disposables up until 5 or 6 years ago. I'd only get around to shaving every 4 or 5 days and it was so tough with cold water and lousy mirror. (perhaps the final straw was the motorcycle camping trip) I'm not particular about close shaves and all that but at my age, it's not good to look like a homeless derelict either. My old phillips 'Tracer' is a 2 head rotary and it was very comfortable, would hold a month's charge and the charger was built-in 110-220v so was perfect.

indiamike

I actually travel with a $10USD battery operated beard trimmer. It works great and has never let me down. Two AA batteries will last two or three months.

It's not a proper electric shaver as it always leaves a "five o'clock" shadow.

However I am still stuck in the "Miami Vice" era (sans the white jacket of course).

Mike

Alan D

This is a problem I don't have. I wear a full grey beard and moustache - the moustache turned up at the ends Rajasthani style, which I think gives my appearance a touch of levity (narcissistic ?). In India people often comment on it. "Nice beard, uncle" or "Like your beard, maharaj".

In UK it has some disadvantages. In supermarkets security guards tend to follow me and watch me, especially when I am near the booze section (paranoid?). Some members of the public in the street move away from my line of progress, afraid I think, that I'm going to demand 50 pence for a cup of tea.

The minute some do-gooder offers me a free meal and a bed for the night I'll shave it all off!

-m2-

The evolution of facial hair for me goes something like this: well-barbered Ford jr manager drops everying in '68 and orders 2CV Citroen van from Paris factory, sells off all worldly posessions, grabs skis and heads for Europe. Lives in van for a year and gives up shaving until beard starts getting patchy grey a dozen years later and gets removed. Disposable razors, bar soap and foggy mirrors suffice for winter travels in SE Asia. Return again to India and grow to hate shaving just as need for same is increasing. Keep mustache as link to past, try rechargeable razor (good), rechargeable razor dies, will now try battery-powered with disposeable backup. I still have all my hair and teeth -- I keep it short for convenience and haven't had to do a 'comb-over' or try that horrible bald in front, pony-tail or scraggly mane at the back look favored by some of our fellow aging ones.

mike

(out of curiosity, Alan, do you wear a topee and favor safari-type outfits? )

Alan D

To answer your question Mike. No. A question for you

Are you a lumberjack and are you OK?

-m2-

Update:

--10 weeks on a pair of AA's
--requires daily shaving as will not handle longer stubble very well

verdict: a 'keeper', I'd rate it a 4 out of 5 in use and 5 out of 5 for value and traveller practicallity (at least for those of us who shave )

picklepak

Great update m2.

I assume the 10 weeks on a pair of AA's were with good Duracell/Energizer type batteries? Any estimate on how long the shaver would last with any of the famous Indian brand-name batteries? I would guess about half, maybe? It would be interesting if you decide to test this idea out. Imagine the kinds of conversations you could get into about it on the train. One guy I met from Mysore had this thing about insisting that Indian batteries were getting much better now. You could explain that if only there were better quality Indian batteries, you'd actually look more clean cut... though when I was in India and single, it's debatable whether or not it would have made any difference anyway.

I like the idea of something electric and that small. I carry regargeable AAs for my camera so I could use that in the shaver too... my last trip I took a regargeable Remmington, it was half the price of the expensive ones (at $50, instead of $100) and this thing is bullet-proof -- not quite as good deal as $10 but it did the trick too.

I am wishing that I had to worry about crappy Indian batteries and constant power outages right about now... sadly, the return of the picklepak in India will not be for some time.

archits

Well, india now has duracell , energizer and bpl sanyo alkaline batteries. cheaper than in the west. say fifty rupees for a pack of two AA for duracell.

I fail to understand this thread - i use an old fashioned gillette sensor razor and sensor excel blades. one blade lasts me about three weeks and a five pack is portable; two or three sets hardly take any space. One gets a nice clean shave everyday

Why this obsession with "no labour" battery operated razors that cannot attack decent fudge ?

plan to upgrade to a mach3 soon - anyone with feedback on that as compared to a sensor excel !

Gillette ka jawaab nahin - yeh dil maangey more !

======

PS recommend the book - a close shave or a fine shave ? - the story of the gillette company ; about 750 million pounds went into creating the excel brand and blade ; buffett is one of the largest shareholders and not without reason !

-m2-

Yes, started with a pair of Duracells and switched to rechargeables which lasted the 8 weeks till I got home. (I brought four rechargeable AA and AAA along, but not the charger as it is 110v)

I've used locally bought Duracells in my PDA and get the same life as home bought and, like archits says, the price OK.

As to why electric -- was going to say the difference is shaving in the comfort of home vs 'less than ideal conditions' but then I realized I don't shave much with blade anymore at home either despite having hot water, fresh razors, and decent light and mirror so I guess I am just lazy .

vistet

You haven`t seen the film ?


I wont enter into the manual/electric debate (never question others choices of mate or way of grooming without extreme reason) ; I find it easier to use razor, thats all.

Re batteries : I think it`s worth the extra money to get a set of lithium batteries at home. Lasts a lot longer, less weight.

PS. Mach 3 are better

archits

hmm so i have to get a mach 3 - what prize in target stores in the usa and how much does a pack of fifty razors cost ?

indiamike

Archits, Mach 3 are pretty expensive. The razor itself is about $6.99 USD and refills are a whopping $17.99 USD for twelve of them.

That's a good amount of cash just to be clean shaven, personally I don't use razors and stick with my electric trimmer. I don't like the clean shaven look or feel and part of my "rules for being a single guy" is that shaving is something I can't be bothered with. I will pull out the trimmer every two or three weeks and that just gives me a five o'clock shadow. I am never clean shaven for no one, no how.

Mike

archits

that is indeed very expensive and if the blades last about a month at most , i think i shall stick to my gillette sensor excel.

anyone who has bought the mach 3 blades cheaper - say dubai or singapore or elsewhere ?