Harry’s Review

I came across Harry’s completely by accident while searching for something, don’t remember what that something was but it had nothing to do with shaving.

What initially caught my attention was the orange shaver. I have a thing for orange…

And… the fact that there is an available re-supply service. See Harry’s Shave Plans. What a good idea!

I purchased the Truman Set (pictured above) for $15. Cheap right? So cheap, bought one for my son too. When your package arrives, take some time to appreciate the packaging; well thought out and fun to open. Like a kid on Christmas morning, I tore into all those little boxes to see what treasures they held.

I’ve had the set for many months and didn’t bother with it since I had a few blades left for my Gillette Fusion vibrating shaver. My son tried his and the review was neither positive or negative… not much to go on.

Eventually, having run out of Gillette blades, I approached the Truman Set, a little wary. Not sure I could live without the vibrating handle I’d been using for years. After using the Harry’s shaver for a couple months though, I can’t imagine ever needing it again.

Read Harry’s story here. An excerpt from their page speaks to their Quality Construction:

We spent over a year meticulously crafting our first Harry’s line. Our blades are made by German engineers with decades of experience honing high-grade steel. Our handles were designed to blend timeless simplicity and modern ergonomics. Our shaving cream comes from the same chemists who make creams for high-end brands. The result: a set of modern shaving products made with respect for the tradition of a good, clean shave.

Here’s my quick review of the Truman Set:

The shaver itself doesn’t vibrate, have special hinges or the latest technology… a ‘ball’. The handle is comfortably weighted and balanced. You’d think the shiny handle would make it slippery but that’s not the case.

The blades are very sharp and the after-burn I sometimes get is non-existent. I was worried about the integrated plastic ‘hinge’ but it works fine… great even. I can’t comment on the lubrication strip since I’m not convinced it does anything. I’m used to the old ones that change colour… not sure what they did either. More research maybe?

I actually tracked how many shaves I got from the Gillette vs. Harry’s blades. In the name of science, I went to the outer limits of a sharp blade… dull really. The lubrication strip on the Gillette model turned from blue to white and finally disintegrated while the Harry’s strip seemed no different from start to end. The results: Gillette 26, Harry’s 22.

The one negative is the shaving gel that came with the Truman Set. Didn’t like it… seemed to gum up the blades. I much prefer the old shaving gels I’ve always used (made by Gillette in my case).

Overall, I’d say this is excellent value for your money. At almost half the price, feels great in your hand, gives you a nice close shave, comes with a cover for the sharp end and it doesn’t need batteries.

And if all that isn’t enough… it comes in orange.

UPDATE: just so you know what kind of people you are dealing with at Harry’s… they responded, via twitter, to this post… twice! With some shaving tips and comments about the shaving gel. Nice!

UPDATE #2: I gave Harry’s Shaving Gel another chance today. Seemed to work fine. Looking back, I realize I had only tried it once or twice while travelling… maybe the hotel water wasn’t hot enough? Didn’t seem to gum up the works today.