Not too long ago I received a flyer in the mail (yes, actual snail mail sold me) from the folks at Harry’s Shaving offering a three dollar trial of their shaving system. In a sense I was only paying for shipping, so it seemed like a pretty good deal. Now, normally, I wouldn’t typically review a cartridge razor and canned shaving gel, but Harry’s is an incredibly popular and growing brand. So, I figured my readers might be interested in a Harry’s Shaving review.
Ordering the trial was quite simple. I went to the website listed on the flyer, which I’m assuming was specific to track the promotion, followed the instructions, and placed an order for the initial trial kit. The kit arrived a few days later, and I was ready to go.
The package included a razor that accommodates Harry’s five-blade cartridges, one cartridge, a can of shaving gel, and a set of simple instructions. Overall, I really liked the packaging. It opened easily, was well organized and quite simple to understand. The only thing I thought the trial kit was missing was some sort of aftershave product. Harry’s does offer one, but I understand the need to keep the trial limited.
Harry’s Shaving Review
Now, onto the shave. I will be the first one to admit that I am biased. I haven’t shaved with anything but a single blade safety razor for years now. Even when I need to just get a “quick shave” in, I’ll use a brushless shave cream, but keep the DE razor. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
To start, I sprayed out much more shaving cream than I needed. The gel quickly formed into a cream, and before I knew it both my hands and my face were covered. I’m pretty sure I won’t make that same mistake again though. Once I started shaving, the cream was actually quite protective and lubricating, and I was surprised by how well the blades slid over my cheeks.
The razor and blades themselves felt quite strange, as I haven’t used something like them for a long time. Shaving with a cartridge razor felt, and I mean this in the mildest sense, like a cheese grater running over my face. It didn’t hurt, but I could feel every blade, every tug, every slice of hair. It was so foreign to me.
Once again, after finishing my shave, I wished I had a Harry’s aftershave product to try to get the full experience. Instead I used a lightly scented, gentle aftershave balm that I use for a lot of my testing. I had made two passes, but I noticed my shave was definitely not as close as I get with a similar two-pass shave using a single blade razor and a shaving soap or traditional shaving cream.
Conclusion
I have already cancelled my subscription (part of ordering the trial), and I don’t think I’ll be switching back to a cartridge razor in the future. That being said, if you are a cartridge razor shaver, and plan to continue to be one, Harry’s shaving products are absolutely better than your average drugstore brand, and I think you should give them a shot. I just think you should give traditional wet shaving a shot instead.
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