Shavers.com Blog

You'd Be Crazy Not To...

I realize this is a really short term thing to be posting in a long term blog, but...

The Braun Series 7- 790CC-4 is now on sale for $197.95. That is an amazing price. Just putting it out there...

 

What Determines The Price Of A Shaver?

Unfortunately there are many different factors that determine the price of a shaver (other than unscrupulous things like price gouging or selling loss-leaders).  Everything from where the shaver was made (Germany, US, China, etc...) to the features, functionality and accessories it contains (cleaning systems, pulsing head frames, water-cleaning, etc...) to the company name which many people associate with levels of quality (Braun draws a higher shaver-quality rating than Wahl, for instance). For the average consumer I recommend staying along the lines of what has worked for you in the past, carefully consider "bells and whistles" if you don't really need them, and understand that when considering the lower-end machines that you do get what you pay for. Really.

Wut ' s D ' best Shavuh?

Asks one of my favorite New York customers, clearly frustrated with the decision he faces now that his old Abercrombie & Fitch razor has finally sputtered and fizzled through its last whisker. "It's the most frequently asked question we get!" I reply, bracing myself for his disappointment that the next sentence will bring. "Unfortunately (dramatic pause) there IS no best shaver. If there were, it would be the only one and we'd all be using it." His silence speaks volumes at how unimpressed he is at my reply. The reality of the situation sets in and he asks me instead for my best guess. And here the problem lingers on, kids. In actuality, the problem is not that we want to know what the best shaver is. The problem is that we want to know what the best shaver is for ME, the individual. Be damned the great unwashed and their urinating and moaning about missed hairs and sensitive areas. I have real problems here. I need a great shave. What am I going to do? Here it is then: stick with what has worked in the past. If Braun has always been good enough, then chances are the improvements they've made over the years will reflect positively with your face. Same goes for all the manufacturers. If what you've been using no longer exists or you've never used an electric shaver before, then find a nice, safe, middle-of-the-road shaver to start with (something not the most or least expensive). The safety factor here is the fact that all the manufacturers offer some form of money back guarantee. Give your face the 2 weeks of shaving it needs to fully acclimate to the way the shaver is shaving you and then decide. You'll know if it's the right shaver or not. If it is, then great. If not, get your money back and start again (yes, we can help you). Sooner (preferably) or later you will find the perfect shaver and you too will echo the accolades of my good NY friend: "Youse guys are d'best. Ynno dat?" Yes… yes we do.

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.