Gillette Guard

hunnymonster

hunnymonster

Member
Grand Society
2017 Sabbatical
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Location
Near Pommieland
As you may be aware Gillette brought out a single blade, designed to be cheaper than DE cartridge system in India. I've recently taken delivery of one (and some blades of course) mostly to see what it's like in use, with a view to it being my "carry on" razor for travel.

The shave experience is "beige", that's to say entirely forgettable - it just happened, no drama, no interest. The result is acceptable, not brilliant but good enough compared to sitting in a room of unshaved (or electric shaved) scruff bags when you're on business. Having a quick one pass run over with a New Improved*, it still found beard to remove but nothing too much. Definitely coming on my next flying trip.

Sells for 19 rupees in India for a handle plus one cartridge and 7 rupees per blade - which is peanuts in anybody's book - obviously by the time you've paid for shipping from India it's a different story.

*My standard test method of how good a shaver any particular device is - do the 1/2/3 pass shave as appropriate with the test piece then do a 1-pass WTG shave with the New Improved and see if there's anything it finds to cut, if it finds loads then the test piece is garbage, if it finds none then the test piece is obviously brilliant :)
 
JugV2 said:
Do you have any pics or a name for this razor?
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Its the Gillette Guard, as stated in the subjectline. :) Here's a press story from its launch, I remember reading about it and how it was Gillette's way of trying to extract more revenue from these poorer markets. As DE blades in these places sells for absolutely squat and people use the blades for a LOT more shaves than we do. Hence not a lot of money in it for the makers, as well as other blade companies in the market (Supermax etc)...but this is Gillettes way of trying to grab these dollars onto whats a relatively expensive product compared to the DE blades (it is for these folks anyway).

This was a good story on it. Of course this won't stop them shoving the next 7 bladed model with 12 lubricating strips and a vibrating motor that runs on a lithium solar charged cell down our throats! Baaaaaaa go the sheep.

To be fair could see it being an ok travel/carry on luggage only razor option - I 'spose we all have to compromise our ideals at some point. :confused:
 
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If they want to do low cost. Why not just bring back the injectable for use in a movable plastic head.
The Guard looks a lot like the old single blade BIC to me.
 
I looked for these in Singapore and Malaysia last time I was out there, but didn't notice any. Will check again next week.
 
eggbert said:
I looked for these in Singapore and Malaysia last time I was out there, but didn't notice any. Will check again next week.
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Take a nose around eBlag... usually heaps on there for a couple of quid (probably less than a dollar these days :rolleyes:) so you can concentrate on other stuff in Singers/Malaysia.... Mustafas in Singers is a site to behold, all humanity is there after cheap gear (I got 1000 Superthins there for S$5.5 per hundred about 2 years back)
 
I thought about picking up 10 or so for use as pifs while I was in mustafas.
The choice didn't seem as great as others had led me to believe in mustafas. Maybe I was in the wrong areas but I did find 2 shaving sections.
 
hunnymonster said:
Take a nose around eBlag... usually heaps on there for a couple of quid (probably less than a dollar these days :rolleyes:) so you can concentrate on other stuff in Singers/Malaysia.... Mustafas in Singers is a site to behold, all humanity is there after cheap gear (I got 1000 Superthins there for S$5.5 per hundred about 2 years back)
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I wonder what the blokes on the X-ray made of this as your luggage went through!?
 
I misread that as 100 blades because my tiny little mind still can't quite work out why anyone would need a 20 year (1 blade per week in my case) supply of a single type of blade.

I know most of you have several lifetimes supply, but I just don't get it. I guess if all the major factories closed down I would make sure I got a couple of hundred in stock.
 
eggbert said:
I misread that as 100 blades because my tiny little mind still can't quite work out why anyone would need a 20 year (1 blade per week in my case) supply of a single type of blade.

I know most of you have several lifetimes supply, but I just don't get it. I guess if all the major factories closed down I would make sure I got a couple of hundred in stock.
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My wee little brain doesn't know either. Could be an evolution/off spring thing, ensuring the survival of the fittest great-great-grandson. Or maybe in RMs case a secret desire for his emormous co-buried funeral stash to be discovered in the year 4000 by archeologists with metal detectors and for them to draw the conclusion that razor blades were obviously a status symbol.
 
I have a few less than 400 at the moment...can't really see myself acquiring more than the odd taster here and there for a looong time.

Pretty sure the Archaeologists will just assume RM had some sort of disorder where his hair grew at a phenomenal rate!

Hirsuteus Maximus - the next missing link!
 
Gentlemen you show a sad lack of imagination. I have it on good authority the RM and Mark1966 have set up an arranged marriage for their progeny who will then inherit the worlds greatest collection of razors and an even bigger collection of blades.
One of said progenywill then organise the sale of this metal mountain to China thus ensure untold wealth for subsequent generations and at the same time driving BHP Rio Tinto and the delectable Gina into bankruptcy. We can only be proud that we were here to witness the beginning of the MarkMonsta dynasty (or the Razor1966 conglomerate).
Now if you will excuse me I must go and take my yellow and purple tablets.
 
Holy Thread Resurrection Batman

I've just noticed an ebay auction for these, and was about to ask if anyone wanted to go in on a group buy to try them out as it was around $15 for 24 of them.

Then I realised how cheap they are selling them for in India. Seems like they are really trying to oust the DE as shaver of choice in developing countries
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Thats 5 Rupees per razor, or around 9 cents each!
 
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