It may be a bit amusing to think of, but the competition amongst shaving companies is fierce. Consider this – it’s well known that Gillette spent over $750 million on the R&D costs for the Mach3 razor. But I’m here to discuss the latest from Schick which as far as I know is a first. It’s a safety razor with replaceable blades and a powered trimmer on the other end (at the far end of the stylized marketing photo).
The Quattro Titanium with Trimmer (there’s also a model without the trimmer) sports a 4-blade razor with a 5th blade on the back of those main 4 for edging. These blades are titanium coated for reducing nicks and cuts. I still maintain that cuts still happen, despite the added lotion strips, etc., but I’ll certainly take anything that vendors throw in to mitigate the possibility.
The other end of the handle has the 4-position trimmer. The shaft of this razor is significantly thicker than any other popular razor out there and has a lot of heft to it, which is a bit strange at first if you’re used to traditional razors (even the powered ones). The reason for this weight is the AAA battery and the trimmer itself.
I tested out the Quattro Titanium and was pretty pleased with the results. I definitely like multi-blade razors over the single and even the double blades, so 4 was good. The inclusion of the moisturizing strips above and below the blades is a must-have today. Check. I totally forgot to use the edging blade, but then I also forget whenever I use that ‘other’ razor. The razor head is pivoting. Good. However, the blades are not spring-loaded in the head. I’ve found that this helps tremendously with both reducing nicks as well as getting a closer shave on the first pass.
Now for the unique feature: the trimmer. To my surprise, I found that I liked the trimmer. I had grown a bit of a beard and then let it grow out for a few extra days, and then used the Quattro to trim it. I found that the trimmer was quite powerful and the blades sharp. One problem – if you do have a full beard and need to trim it back periodically, you’ll find that it will take 2+ times as long with this trimmer as with a larger trimmer. The other minor annoyance was how difficult it was to adjust the height setting.
I have 1 request for Schick – include a small brush to brush the hair away from the trimmer blades when you’re done with it. Leaving the hair on it will not only clog it and make it less effective, but it will probably quicken the dulling process. I ended up using my fingers and running it under water to clean it out. I’ll find out soon enough if that was a bad idea!
All in all, the Quattro Titanium with Trimmer is a solid new entrant into the market and here’s where I think it can have an impact – for bearded road warriors who want to pack light. No need to carry around a full trimmer and a razor. Just throw this in your kit instead of your traditional razor. At about $10 a pop, this is not an expensive razor. Of course, you’ll end up paying more over the years for replacement blades, but that’s how this market works.
The battery requires changing and there are not any instructions
A silly product. For its looking, you will expect it as an power razor, but actually it's not; only the trimmer works with power. I feel cheated.