Righty, you’ve all been asking and i’ve used each of them for long enough now. Here’s what I think of the latest razor releases!

Y'know what the next innovation should be? COLOUR.

1. Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 – Right, so I was trying to find a succinct way to express my problems with this razor when Charlie Brooker tweeted this:

Pretty much spot-on. Except it doesn’t so much piss as it does er… well… jizz on your face.

Let me explain. The Hydro 5 has a lubrication strip which, unlike most razors, contains a large amount of gel that lasts well in to the life of the razor. The problem? Get this anywhere near hot water (or, like me, leave it face-down on the side of the sink) and you’ll end up picking up a razor that’s attached to a ridiculously long, thick string of snotty goo. I can’t count the amount of times i’ve had to stand around pulling this gunk off just so I can shave. Same goes if you rinse your blade with hot water, you’ll end up with those long goo-strings all over your face. Not nice.

On a positive note – if you can get past this problem – the razor does give a really nice, comfortable shave. Perfect if you have very sensitive skin or if you shave daily. I’ve found myself reaching for this quite often, just keep it near tepid water and place it on a stand when done with it.

2. King of Shaves Azor 5 – Alright, I came at this one a little bit biased because the Azor M Alloy by King of Shaves was probably my favourite go-to razor. The Azor 5 is more-or-less the same but with an extra blade. The result? Didn’t like it. The Azor 5 was a bit clumsy and gave me a few nicks on the way to a good shave – despite using it for weeks and changing blades. It just feels a bit unrefined compared to the old version – i’ll be sticking with my M Alloy.

3. Gillette ProGlide – Brilliant. Annoying commericals aside (‘Well good shave!’) the ProGlide really does feel like a step-up in razorville. It glides across the skin, no tug (not even on gnarly beards) and it leaves you with a crisp, impeccable shave in no time at all. I usually have to pull at my skin a little to get a really close shave – not with the ProGlide. It’s definitely the best razor i’ve tried to date.

Problems? If you’re someone that shaves daily, you may have a little trouble with the ProGlide. The reason simply being that it shaves so close to the skin (without irritating, mind you) that passing over the same area the next day may cause a bit of irritation. Especially if you’re shaving 4 or 5 days in a row. Still, a pretty minor problem and something expected for a blade that shaves so close.

Soooo, my thoughts overall? Gillette > Wilko > King of Shaves. Which one are you using?

Note:  One thing I haven’t mentioned in these reviews is cost of blades. King of Shaves is cheapest, Gillette is most expensive (by quite a margin). I think The Grooming Guru put it best:

Now, to me the cost aspect is totally bogus. Here’s how I look at it. I  really like a nice omelette right? I do, and I’m very funny about my eggs. I happen to like Burford Browns. They cost a packet compared to your bog standard ova but have such wonderfully rich orange, tasty yolks that I will settle for nothing less. And, whether you think I’m a snob or not, I will pay what I can afford for a good egg because, for me, a good egg makes a good omelette and while I can still spare the money I will. In fact, I’d probably go without  for a good egg – it’s that important to me. And my point is, why should shaving be any different?

Either that or buy a Razorpit!