Headblade - what exactly am I missing?

[Chavster]

Around 6 months ago, I bought a Headblade. I bought the one without wheels. I could be wrong, but I dont think there are any retail stores here that sell them so I had to buy it on eBay, and it cost quite a lot of money. (I also bought the exfoliating head scrub or whatever its called, which is very good, but hugely overpriced for what it is).

I used it on the day it arrived, and I had blood pouring down my face from several cuts. I didnt put any pressure on the Headblade while I was using it, I just let it glide over my head. Before it arrived, I'd watched a few videos on YouTube, where guys were demonstrating how it should be used, how easy it is to use, how great it is to use, etc. Nonetheless, my head was like a pin cushion and it was bleeding. A lot. It was like Nightmare on Elm Street 17 - Revenge of the Headblade.

I persevered for maybe 5 weeks, and although I didnt cut myself often, I found that the Headblade didnt give a close shave at all. My head always felt like sandpaper after I used it (I cant remember the blades I used, but I think there are two types of blade that can be used - one without a freaky looking attachment, the other with). Whatever the two types of blades are called, I tried them both, and I still had sandpaperhead.

Like a fool, I then bought the Headblade with wheels (the one that looks like an F1 racing car) to see if it would be an improvement. Same results. Sandpaperhead.

I could well be wrong, and this certainly isnt a criticism aimed at anyone else, but from my perspective, it seems like the Headblade is great for anyone who doesnt particularly want a close shave, or isnt bothered about having areas of roughness. Or am I missing something?

I have a more-or-less indestructible head. No matter which blades I use, no matter what type of prep I go through, I never get cuts or bumps or any of that kind of thing, but to me, Headblade is the razor version of Jack the Ripper.

So really, what am I missing about this device? Obviously, none of you have actually watched me shave my head, so you wont know whether I'm actually using it correctly or not, but I'm pretty sure I am, but at the end of it, sandpaper head.

I now have two Headblades gathering dust, and I've reverted back to my favourite (oops, favorite) blades, which is Gillette Sensor. Not Excel, not ProGlide, just the regular Sensor, which (IMO), does the best job.

So if anyone can enlighten me as to the Headblade's greatness, I'd be very grateful  

Also, a note for anyone in the UK (or anyone anywhere who can buy this product) - Taylors of Bond Street Sandalwood shaving cream is, in my opinion, excellent. I've been using it for the past couple of days with a shaving brush made by L'Occitane, and my trusty Sensor blades, and my head is so smooth, not even superglue would stick to it (not that I plan on testing that theory any time soon).

[TheSlyBear]

I wanted to like the HB, but have never come to terms with it. I just use a Mach 3 and am very happy with the results.

[Laser Man]

I started shaving with a HeadBlade and had a few minor nicks with it, but nothing serious.  The nicks stopped after a couple days when I got used to using the HeadBlade.  I was never able to get a really smooth shave on the sides, but the back and top were pretty good. 

While on vacation, I experimented with the Mach 3 I use on my face to see if I could get a closer shave and sure enough, I did.  I then switched to a Fusion (I had a free sample sitting in a drawer) and got an incredibly smooth shave with no nicks or cuts.  After that, I retired the HeadBlade and stuck with the Fusion. 

Part of it comes down to how comfortable you are with a regular razor (I was worried about this at first, but now it's second nature) and the other part is how smooth a shave you can get.  I like a super-smooth shave, and for me the Fusion works best, but others seem to get a great shave with fewer blades.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

The Headblade is a beautiful piece of industrial design, but like others it just doesn't work for me, too touchy and prone to nicks and a lot of work switching it around to do the job.  I really like the Headslick though.  Stick razors work best for me, currently the Shick Hydro 5--great tool. 

[Razor X]

I wanted to like the HB, but have never come to terms with it.

Ditto.

[Chavster]

Well I'm pleased I'm not the only one. I thought I was the only nakedhead on the planet who didnt have a good relationship with his Headblade 

I agree, its a great design, but I think its also a little gimmicky. And when push comes to shove, if it doesn't do the job (for me or others), then its not worth the money (for me or others).

Which product is Headslick. I'll have to look it up. Actually I bought the exfoliator and also the gloss moisturizing cream or whatever its called. I like the former but not the latter. It feels as if I've rubbed melted candle wax onto my head. If I want to go for a really shiny look, I usually use pure Aloe Vera gel which tends to produce a very very shiny shine.

[Razor X]

Headslick is the shaving cream.

[Chavster]

I wanted to like the HB, but have never come to terms with it. I just use a Mach 3 and am very happy with the results.

I'm not sure we can still buy Mach 3 on this side of the world. I could be wrong about that. I know we can buy Mach 3 disposable razors, but I'm not sure about the blades. I'll have to check

[Chavster]

Headslick is the shaving cream.

Thanks Nope, I havent tried that. Just the scrub and the shiny stuff.

[buddha]

I'm a BIG fan of the Classic/Ghost type HB but the Sport (wheels) is an invitation to a blood feast for me. I can either use HB Triples with the yellow adapter or Sensors with the black one, aside from that I need a transfusion.
The sides are also kind of a trouble spot for me but I generally touch up with a stick razor to smooth that out.
I like it because it's fast and easy but like with any razor there are gonna be different opinions. But that's the beauty of democracy in action. We get to choose our razors and blades.

[Chavster]

Very true

The sides are a problem for me too, no matter what blades/razor I use. There's one area on the left side of my head that just wont get smooth no matter what I do, and shaving around my ears takes forever. I have hair like barbed wire and the same goes for my beard.

When I watched a guy on YouTube using his Headblade, he made it look so easy. He looked as if he just wiped his hand over his head 3 or 4 times, and hey presto, bald. But for me it took an absolute age, as well as at least 500 gallons of blood, and my head still felt like a hedgehog's backside.

[valldo]

I use the Headblade and am pleased with it. The triple blade works fine for me. What I like the most is the easy handling and I get a smooth shave too. Sandpaper feeling starts around 7 to 10hours after I shaved (haven't figured out yet why sometimes its 7 and other times 10h, must be the blade, the more I extend it's use the less time I stay bald)
If you say that you get a sandpaper head all the time, did you try to shave against the grain? This is crucial in getting a close shave.
Eventually one day I will try a regular razor of the likes of a Mach3 or Fusion but for now I have a large stock of blades for the HB
The other Headblade products are great too, specially the Headslick and the Lube

[Chavster]

Im a rebel, I always go against the grain

Even when I use Fusion / ProGlide etc, the sandpaper feeling starts around 3 hours after I shave, but with HB, it was there as soon as I finished shaving.

[theebaldguy]

I liked the HeadBlade for what it was, and it really isn't a bad product. I just lost interest in it once I tried out a Fusion. It seemed kind of impractical and expensive to keep the HeadBlade for my head, and a Fusion for my face when the Fusion could do it all.

[Chavster]

The HB didnt really make much logical sense to me, even if it had given me the worlds best ever shave. They're not available for purchase in the UK, apart from on eBay at stupid prices, and the blades are very hard to find (and even more expensive), so it was never going to make logical sense for me.

The UK is around a year behind the US when it comes to razors, it seems. I remember when ProGlide was launched in the US, which was (I think) July 2010, but they've only recently been launched here.