From the keyboard of Dr Jan

Gillette have increased the shaving tax (again). They’ve introduced the new Sensor 3 razor.

Back in the mists of time when I started using a wet razor, there was the Sensor. Then came the Sensor Excel, which was more comfortable to use and generally a very good razor. Both the Sensor and the Sensor Excel are twin-blade designs.

Next came the Mach 3 triple-blade razor. I don’t like the Mach 3. The blades are mounted on a head which feels like a huge raft skimming around your face in a rather uncontrolled fashion. The problem is, the head is mounted to the handle at the trailing edge, which makes the head to be difficult to control, especially for those of us who are not entirely clean shaven.

Now Gillette have produced the Sensor 3. It seems to be a more compact design of head which fits into a standard Sensor or Sensor Excel handle. So now I have all the advantages of a triple-blade design (close, easy shaving) coupled with the controllability of the Sensor Excel handle and mounting mechanism.

Gillette have been very sneaky. When you buy a 10-pack of Sensor Excel blades, you only get 8, but you do get 2 Sensor 3 blades. So you’re kind of forced to try them out. And of course, they’re much more expensive than the Sensor Excel blades. A cursory glance in Waitrose this afternoon seems to indicate that the Sensor 3 blades are even more expensive than the Mach 3 blades.

So, the shaving tax has gone up again.