Gillette alternatives

[BangkokHank]

On 2/15/2025 at 6:42 PM, Moonlover said:

Go visit Watsons and check out their own brand '5 System Razor'. Similar to Gillette, but cheaper. They often 2 for 1 sales as well. I've been using them for a few years now.

 

https://www.watsons.co.th/en/watsons-men-5-system-razor-1-handle-2-cartridges./p/BP_307927

I second this. I have been using Watson's razors for over a decade. And when they have one of their half-price sales, I load up with enough blades to last me for years - as they don't spoil.

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, BangkokHank said:

I second this. I have been using Watson's razors for over a decade. And when they have one of their half-price sales, I load up with enough blades to last me for years - as they don't spoil.

What is so special about their packing methods? Razor blades do get degenerated or deteriorated by time.

 

Always look for production date

 

[Wrwest]

On 2/15/2025 at 6:40 PM, proton said:

Mr DIY 25 baht for 5 !

Just tried them. Going back to Gillete.

[proton]

2 minutes ago, Wrwest said:

Just tried them. Going back to Gillete.

 

Woke blades

[NoshowJones]

On 2/15/2025 at 6:42 PM, Moonlover said:

Go visit Watsons and check out their own brand '5 System Razor'. Similar to Gillette, but cheaper. They often 2 for 1 sales as well. I've been using them for a few years now.

 

https://www.watsons.co.th/en/watsons-men-5-system-razor-1-handle-2-cartridges./p/BP_307927

Your link doesn't work.

[NoshowJones]

On 2/15/2025 at 9:35 PM, Hummin said:

Ehm, still shave with Gillette 

Have to be careful when buying these Fusion blades, there are I think copies as well as the real thing, very hard to distinguish.

[Yagoda]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

What is so special about their packing methods? Razor blades do get degenerated or deteriorated by time.

 

Always look for production date

 

I have used English Wilkinson Swords from the 80s with no problem.

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Take your time, turn your morning shave into a daily ritual. Working with a brush and soap is more satisfying than slathering on some aerosol gel product.

Barbasol works fine for me. Cheap and satisfying, if you can say that about a shave.

[NickyLouie]

3 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

Do you strop your razor before use? 

 

 

Stropping a plastic disposable?, always, it's a given said Sweeney Todd ...

 

 

Quote

Try Harry's Razors and then come back and give us your 'informed' opinion.
We'll listen.

 

 

Did Harry leave a bit of chaff on the sack 

 

 

[Andyfez]

I like the Shavy 6 blade. I buy on Lazada.

[FolkGuitar]

2 hours ago, NickyLouie said:

 

Stropping a plastic disposable?, always, it's a given said Sweeney Todd ...

 

 

Absolutely! If you're not, you are just throwing away money. Easily triple the lifespan of ANY disposable cartridge by stropping before each use. Why do you think barbers do it?!?

Just get a nice piece of shell cordovan horsehide and glue it to a stick. No need for anything fancy.  10-15 strokes on the strop before shaving removes all the oxidation that has built up overnight or overweek, depending, and gives a much more comfortable shave.

[GypsyT]

On 2/15/2025 at 6:39 PM, JontS said:

Any suggestions? What are you using yourself?

40+ years BIG Orange. One of the cheapest but also best. Big C has best price for pack of 5.

 

Works well at down under of gals too...

 

[digger70]

On 2/15/2025 at 6:28 PM, connda said:

Gillette will keep making "New And Improved" razors with expensive price tags to cater to those with tons of disposable income the toss in the trash.

They'll never improve on this.

 

Oh Yea, I tried that Cutthroat blade, Not bad.

For me I found that the Gillette Sensor Excel is the better blade .

I like the Twin blade Much better than the Multi blades.

Gives me the perfect all around shave.

[Acharn]

On 2/15/2025 at 7:11 PM, Lacessit said:

I buy BIC disposable razors, a French company.

 

I base my purchases on whether they are value for money, not their origin.

 

Having said that, the USA does not seem to produce quality goods and services any more, since bean counters took over.

 

An exception is military equipment, which I don't need.

 

 

No, the military equipment is all junk too. There are six huge contractors who do 95% of DoD's work. At outrageous prices. Elon is on the wrong track. He'll never save any money firing govenrment employees. According to Dean Baker their salaries make up only 5% of government spending. He could save more by requiring the DoD fire all their consultants. All of them. And at least half their contractors. Make the government employees and soldiers to the work like they used to. Cut the Army back to the size it was in 1933. Fire 90% of the generals, 50% of the Colonels, and a third of the Majors. There's a lot the military could save, but they like their little taste.

[Yellowtail]

25 minutes ago, Acharn said:

No, the military equipment is all junk too. There are six huge contractors who do 95% of DoD's work. At outrageous prices. Elon is on the wrong track. He'll never save any money firing govenrment employees. According to Dean Baker their salaries make up only 5% of government spending. He could save more by requiring the DoD fire all their consultants. All of them. And at least half their contractors. Make the government employees and soldiers to the work like they used to. Cut the Army back to the size it was in 1933. Fire 90% of the generals, 50% of the Colonels, and a third of the Majors. There's a lot the military could save, but they like their little taste.

"The Pentagon plans to welcome Elon Musk and "the keen eye of DOGE" to scrutinize its spending "very soon," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Axios on his first overseas trip since taking office.

 

Why it matters: At more than $890 billion, the Pentagon's budget is a behemoth — accounting for roughly half of the U.S. government's discretionary spending this fiscal year."

 

Hegseth welcomes DOGE's "keen eye" to massive Pentagon budget

[Jimi007]

I’ve tried the Chinese knockoffs of the Gillette 5 blade and they are horrible! The Bic disposable ones work but not as good as the Gillette. I just ended up ordering real Gillette blades from Lazada. Sometimes they go down in price. I also stock up on them when I go to the US. I also have a Phillips electric shaver that I use in between my Gillette shaves. 

[Fab5BKK]

Why paying over the odds and getting average results?

 

I use a german razor: Merkur 42C (THB1,200) https://merkur-razors.com with a japanese blade: Feather (THB8.00 per blade)

 

Simple, easy to maintain, cheap & very good results

[Felton Jarvis]

"Shavy" is a Korean brand. I have had good luck with these razors.

[Felton Jarvis]

8 hours ago, Fab5BKK said:

Why paying over the odds and getting average results?

 

I use a german razor: Merkur 42C (THB1,200) https://merkur-razors.com with a japanese blade: Feather (THB8.00 per blade)

 

Simple, easy to maintain, cheap & very good results

Merkur products are excellent. I have several razors from this company. The Feather blades are a bit too sharp.  You can easily slice your head off.  🙂

[bendejo]

My shaving fetish is Edge shaving gel.  Never saw it in any SEA country.

Women love it for shaving their legs.  A few have stolen mine on the way out.

 

 

[Yellowtail]

10 minutes ago, bendejo said:

My shaving fetish is Edge shaving gel.  Never saw it in any SEA country.

Women love it for shaving their legs.  A few have stolen mine on the way out.

 

 

I liked Edge as well, but it is tough to find here. Great product, inexpensive and a can lasted forever. When I was working, I'd get it and have it shipped over with other freight. Mennen Speed Stick anti-perspirant as well. Those were the days. 

 

I've since switched Cremo shave cream. Non aerosol and I like it much better than anything I have used.

 

For guys that don't mind the extra effort, soap of choice on a scuttle-mug and brush is nice. 

 

Fill the scuttle with boiling water and have a nice hot lather....

 

 

 

 

[newnative]

       Tried other products, nothing comes close to Gillette.  To the poster who wondered what your skin has to do with a shave, your hair grows out of your skin so how your skin reacts to a shave is actually at least as important as the hair.  Gillette gives me a very close, fast, comfortable shave with no skin irritation, rashes, etc.  And, many times I have been saved from cutting myself with the razor's good, forgiving design.   For me, well worth the cost.

[Celsius]

On 2/17/2025 at 11:28 AM, BangkokHank said:

I second this. I have been using Watson's razors for over a decade. And when they have one of their half-price sales, I load up with enough blades to last me for years - as they don't spoil.

 

I third it, however still not good as Gillette, but second best.

 

I actually use 2 different razors when I shave. 5 blade for hair, beard and ballz and small 2 blade for hard to reach places

[livram]

On 2/17/2025 at 5:03 AM, Mike T said:

I switched back to the old style safety razor a few years ago and found it to be a better shave than all the fancy multi-blade ones. 
I use a Japanese brand called Feather, which has a range of razors from pretty cheap (around 300thb) to top of the range style stuff. I have been using the cheap one for almost 4 years now, and it’s still works perfectly. 
For blades, I use either Feather or Derby and they are easy and cheap to order a hundred or so from Lazada at a time for around 600thb. I get about 5 shaves out of a blade. 

So, for me, excellent shave and much cheaper than the Gillette et al. 
A decent quality shaving brush and good shaving soap add to the quality of the shave, in my experience. 

Since I only shave once otr twice a week I find the 3 or 5 blade shavers don't work for me as I spend more time trying to unclog the shaver than actually shaving.

 

I found that the Gillette plastic disposable blades that come with some safety razor blades actually shave MUST better and closer than the multi blade options. Plus I doubt you can find anything cheaper.

[Mike T]

On 2/17/2025 at 5:58 AM, Woke to Sounds said:

 

Excellent post.

 

My advice to the OP is buy a good razor handle (even a hard plastic one will do the trick) and fill it with blades from Dorco or whatever brand is out there. I've seen Dorco safety blades sold on the streets by vendors in BKK in packs of 5 or 10.

 

Get a good shave soap like the Italian Proraso (I have yet to find a better smelling shave soap) and a brush and get back to basics.

 

Take your time, turn your morning shave into a daily ritual. Working with a brush and soap is more satisfying than slathering on some aerosol gel product.

 

The multiblade stuff (3, 4, 5 ... blades now?)  is just clever marketing, not necessarily better. It's certainly a lot more expensive.

 

Cheers buddy

This is my shaving kit. Just as a reference.

on the subject of soap, Prorado is excellent, but, just as a matter of interest, the soap in the pic is also really good and made in Thailand. 

[Confuscious]

When I was iin Thailand, I used to buy the single blade razors in a 20 Baht shop.
But most of the time, I simply went to my hairdresser and let him shave me (30 Baht and SUPER CLEAN SHAVE).

In Spain now, I buy the same single blade razors at a 1 EUR shop.
Still the best for me.

[daveAustin]

On 2/15/2025 at 7:05 PM, BangkokReady said:

DORCO are reasonable.  Available in Big C.  Not as good as Gillette, but nothing really is.  Unfortunately, Gillette went woke.

Main reason I stopped using them after they denigrated the white male with their horrible adds. 
I always bring razors over with me since prices here for shaving products are ridiculous. 

[daveAustin]

On 2/15/2025 at 8:51 PM, Mike_Hunt said:

The US invented the core protocol and make a commercial success.  You should also thank us for GPS. 

Stop it already. While the foundation protocol goes back, the internet as we know it today came about through Berners Lee’s WWW. Typical of you guys though, next you’ll be telling us you were behind the Industrial Revolution or the jet engine. Very easy to utilise Tim’s baby—together with another English invention, the computer—to find out who is behind most of the world’s creations. As for the US, yes indeed they’ve come up with some cool stuff, albeit it would typically haul in scientists from other countries and chuck loads of money at problems and patents, such as rockets and nukes. 

[Yellowtail]

8 hours ago, Mike T said:

This is my shaving kit. Just as a reference.

on the subject of soap, Prorado is excellent, but, just as a matter of interest, the soap in the pic is also really good and made in Thailand. 

I used to use a double-edge and except for a straight razor, there is no closer shave. 

 

I also used to use a mug and brush, and tried countless soaps, and they all provided a great shave, so it just came down to what you liked. My favorite was "Williams Mug Shaving Soap". It came in regular and menthol and regular, but they discontinued the menthol over 20 years ago. It was hard and lasted forever, but it really worked up nice. It was also the cheapest at under a dollar a cake ten years ago. 

 

I just checked on Amazon and it's $48.98 a cake....

 

Hey, if you like using the brush, get a scuttle-mug. 

 

 

[BangkokReady]

8 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Main reason I stopped using them after they denigrated the white male with their horrible adds. 

 

Exactly the same for me. It wasn't even gradual or subtle, just straight to "men are all evil, violent abusers of women".

 

That's the problem when you operate a "customer for life" business model. Once you betray your customers, some will stop being your customers, for life.