May
26
2009
By
Hunter R. Slaton
for Valet.
Blade Runner

Putting the Best Shaving Supplies
(At Any Budget) to the Test

 

Cartridge

Gillette Fusion Phenom Manual
with Gillette Fusion HydraGel

Gillette's well-made, finely tuned Fusion Phenom is currently winning the ever-escalating "War of How Many Razor Blades," with five on the main shaving surface and one on top for "precision trimming" around sideburns, mustaches and in that little space under one's nose where five-blade high ordnance just won't do. The razor itself looks like something from a Gatorade-sponsored future, and though some say anything more than two blades is overkill—never mind five—it can't be said that the Fusion Phenom doesn't deliver a super-fast, very close and almost impossible-to-screw-up shave. Fusion HydraGel shave gel comes in five varieties, from "Clear Skin" to "Tough Beard," and lathers thickly and aromatically, with a refreshing, citrus-y scent. If you want to severely minimize the time you'll spend on those 14,000 shaves you'll perform over your lifetime, and make it so you'll never have a nick again, the Gillette Fusion Phenom is your best bet by far.

Gillette Fusion Phenom, $3.89; Refillsicon, $24; Gillette Fusion HydraGelicon, $4

  • Love the feel of the Fusion blades, but can't stand the razor's gaudy handle? Spring for Art of Shaving's Chrome Collection Manual Razor ($100), which accepts Gillette's cartridges.

Continue...

 

Best in Show...

For the
Efficient
Man
(Plus an ongoing cost of $3 per cartridge)
For the
Nostalgic
Man
(Plus an ongoing cost of $0.57 per razor blade)
 
 

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