When it comes to shaving I freely admit I am very much old school in my preference of using a shaving brush and soap over canned foam and a single blade razor rather than one of the numerous multi bladed cartridges that are now available. That is not to say I don’t try them, I just find myself returning to that which I am used to.
While a wet shave is always preferable, there are times when it’s just not practical and for that reason I also have an electric razor, it doesn’t give me as close a shave as I would like but I’m not sure anyone would notice. I don’t feel I’m alone there, a lot of men I know say the same thing and it seems manufacturers are starting to listen, or at least Panasonic are.
Panasonic have recently launched two new 4-blade wet and dry shavers for men. They claim the new models, the ES-RF41 and the ES-RF31, are certain to put smiles on men’s faces thanks to a revolutionary 4-blade cutting system unique to Panasonic. The secret seemingly lies in an additional, extra-thin, finishing foil thereby expanding the shaving surface and enhancing results.
By increasing the number of blades the shave should be both faster (more blades cut down shaving time) and smoother (four blades achieve closer skin contact with lighter shaving strokes) resulting in a closer shave, even if you have tough stubble. Interestingly the average male facial hair, when dry, is as tough as a copper wire of the same thickness. This may explain why most women are not so keen on stubble when it’s pressed against their face!
As with the majority of Panasonic’s men’s shavers, the RF-series are 100% waterproof so can be used dry or in the shower with gel, foam or soap to further protect and soften the skin. The outer foils feature a revolutionary curved shape that fits uniformly against the skin, even under the chin and the multi-directional pivoting head in both models adapts up, down, left and right to fit the contours of the face for irritation free results.
Combine all that with nano-polished blades that have been sharpened to a 30° knife’s edge and Panasonic claim it will give you the sharpest, closest, smoothest shave they have ever offered. The extra-long battery in both models will give around 65 minutes shaving when used cordlessly and as far as I can make out the only difference between the two models are that the ES-RF41 comes with a charging stand and has five LED charge indicators, while the ES-RF31 has three LED charging indicators.
The retail price of the ES-RF41 is £169.99 and the ES-RF31 £149.99. Both models are available from John Lewis, www.amazon.co.uk