The third Monday shave proved to test the limits of my reuse-until-my-face-bleeds experiment. I could definitely feel the razor dragging a bit. This experiment may have a shorter lifespan than I had intended.
The more I think about it, however, the more I recall what shaving used to be like for me. I switched to the Mach3 maybe 15 years ago. Before that, I used the Gillette Atra, which consisted of a pivoting head and two--count 'em two--blades. I remember that I had to use after-shave balm of some kind (conveniently also produced by Gillette) because my face felt like fire after I shaved. Every time.
And that's what we accepted. So a blade that I've now used for two weeks still feels better than a brand-new blade from 15 years ago.
The upward spiral of consumer experience does not break new ground in the blogosphere, much less in the province of the written word. We've all seen Facebook posts that tell us how today's college freshman never rode to school on a dinosaur or made fire by striking flint on steel, or what have you. However, humble implements such as razors never make that list.
They should, however.
I remember that a Pakistani cab driver once told me not to complain about cheap Chinese consumer products. In other countries, they have a whole other level of cheap Chinese consumer products. He mentioned steam irons, for instance. The steam iron you buy at Wal-Mart in America works as you expect it to work. Nothing exciting, of course, but it works.
In Pakistan and other countries, they routinely get irons and other simple products that work for a month and then die. I can't imagine a steam iron that simply doesn't work. However, that kind of product evidently exists elsewhere.
So let us continue to celebrate the humble Schick Quattro and its unassuming competence.
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