Last week I put three Dorco razors to the test, and came away from the whole thing very impressed. The best of the bunch was the Pace 6 Plus, seen as I shave my whole face having a razor that can remove all hair from my face quickly, with minimal irritation is a must. So I’ve been comparing it to a few Gillette Brand 5 blade razors, seeing how it compares.
Gillette is a well known brand, it needs no introduction, but I’m getting paid by the word, so it’s getting one anyway. They have existed for more than a century, and their innovations in razor blades are well known. They pioneered the multi blade razor, and released the first three blade build. Up until recently I used their Fusion model, with the built in pulse technology. A fine razor, more than up to the task at hand, at least I thought at the time. Today’s model is the ProShield, a riff on the old Fusion razor.
The South Korean firm Dorco have been in the business for over 60 years, and have a fair few technical innovations of their own to boast. The most impressive of which is their new seven bladed razor, something I intend to review quite soon, very excited about that. The Pace 6 Plus is one of their flagships, and if you have read any of my previous reviews you will know that the quality on offer here is amazing.
Let’s talk about shaving methodology for a minute here. I am sure you have your own ritual, most folk do. It took a long time for me to nail down my own style of shaving. Trial and erroring my way through a variety of products, holding positions etc before settling on this five step process. For review purposes I will be shaving every three days, instead of every two. It should give me enough growth to put the blade through its paces, aha.
The five steps are as follows. First an exfoliant, removes excess skin and creates as smooth a surface as possible with which to shave. Next we use the hot towel, opens pores, raises and separates the hairs. Then we apply warm foam, warm for the same reason that the towel was warm and foam because is adheres to hairs better than the gels, in my opinion. The shave itself is a three pass shave. That’s with the grain, perpendicular to the grain and against the grain. Be sure to figure out the direction your facial hair grows, as in some places it is not where you think. I finish off with a menthol moisturizing balm, to close up the pores again.
I am meticulous, and I am also a huge fan of multi blade razors. They reduce the time that whole shave process takes by quite a bit. But when you go over 5 blades do you really get the better shave? Let’s find out.
The Fresh Blade – Gillette ProShield Experience
The Gillette ProShield is the flagship razor from the firm. It has so many little design features that facilitate the easy tight shave. Using this thing was a dream, from the ergonomic handle to the robust lubricating square. Key features here are the flex ball tech handle, this thing conforms to the contours of your face in a way I have never experienced before. The lubricating square around it is great too, still don’t know what combination of chemicals is being used, but it glides well and did not irritate my face, so points. The handy trimmer at the back grabs the bespoke beard market nicely. Overall this is just a fantastic build on paper, so let’s see how well it cuts.
All the add ons here might make you think this is a revolution is shaving. But it is really just a minor upgrade over the Fusion. It is the same core tech. One major boost over the Fusion, or at least the batch of Fusions I tested, the lubrication ring will last multiple shaves, very hard to lose this. The three passes went by without a hitch, the final pass was much easier than the Fusion Manual. The trimmer was pretty good too, made short work of my upper lip at the very least. I would like to be able to go against the grain with a trimmer at some point, but no model on the market allows this.
The same as the Fusion applies here, if you want a close clean shave this is a great option. It isn’t as close a shave as I would like on the first pass, but will be more than sufficient to go into work with, or even go to an interview. If you are looking for that light stubble look you will need to go down a few blade types, try the Mach 3 and you will be fine.
Overall, this was a better experience than the one had with the Fusion, simply by virtue of the improved lubricating area. The trimmer is well put together, and the flex ball handle is one of the most amazing new pieces of tech in razors.
The Fresh Blade – Dorco Pace 6 Plus Razor Experience
Try number three with the Pace 6 Plus, and I have decided that I will be going from memory from here on in. So if you see the same picture of my unshaven cheek know at least that I used this thing on three separate occasions. I got the Pace 7 in the mail there, and am very much looking forward to a new review on that build. In the meantime. The Pace 6 Plus is a familiar thing to me now.
The handle is very easy to hold, and the groves make it a doodle to keep a firm grip even when wet. It lacks the impressive flex ball tech seen in the ProShield, but it has a fair range of movement inherent in it’s handle. The lubricating strip is a nice combination of materials, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E and Lavender. All in all on paper this is a very nice piece of kit. If you have read my other reviews then you know how it shaves, but let’s relive it again here.
Sublime, the Pace 6 Plus glides over the skin with ease. So long as you prepare properly shaving with this thing is as easy as falling off a bike shed onto a barb wire fence when you were nine. But enough about my youth. After two passes I was pretty much done, but that final pass left me with the closest shave of my life. You literally cannot feel the hair, the shave is that tight. Both of these razors are for the man who prefers a clean shaven face, almost no way to get that subtle stubble look with this many blades on the go.
The Dorco Pace 6 plus also comes with a trimmer on the back, and it is equal to the one on the Gillette Pro Shield. I found it useful when shaving my upper lip, but others can use it to style and shape their facial hair. Overall a wonderful experience. But we aren’t done with these blades yet.
The Dull Blade – Dorco Pace 6 Plus Vs Gillette ProShield
This next section is all about the longevity of the blade. I don’t know about you, but I find the price of most razor cartridges to be a bit on the expensive side, almost as if they are still priced as though most folk shave. Buying a cartridge it is nice to think that it will last you more than a single shave. So after I use the blade I leave it in a sealed container fro two days and use it again. Let’s see how these two took to it.
The Pro Shield survived the first shave unscathed, so when I took it out I was expecting it to fare at least better than the Fusion, and while that was true it still had not fared as well as I would have liked. It shaved me, no mistake, but the tug was real, and not the pleasant kind. Too long a time between starting the shave and ending it for my liking.
The Pace 6 Plus was a joy to shave with two days after. This time did not go quite as smoothly as the last time, took a little longer than I would have liked, but it still gilded across my face like a derange figure skater. I may even use this blade again in two more days, see how it does on day seven.
Conclusion – Dorco Pace 6 Plus Vs Gillette ProShield
The price is going to astound you here. The Pro Shield is Gillette’s flagship, and all of their models are more expensive than Dorco’s, but for a handle and 2 cartridges, $21.50 is actually a better price than some of their other models. Granted, you’ll be spending $12 per week to keep it going, but still. The Dorco Pace 6 Plus, handle and 6 cartridges, will cost you a little less $16.50.
The last thing to think about is the interchangeability of the two products. All Dorco handles will accept all other Dorco Cartridges, so if you buy the Pace 6 Plus handle you can fit it with Pace 7 to Pace 3 cartridges. This is not true of the Gillette range, for one thing Dorco cartridges won’t fit, but neither will Mach 3 cartridges. only Fusion cartridges will fit.
The Pro Shield does an awful lot right. I love the tech on display, I love the feel of the handle and the quality of the lubricating strip. But the core shaving experience was a little below Dorco’s. That is the most important part for me, and so I have to recommend the Dorco Pace 6 Plus over the Fusion Pro Shield.
Addendum – So I tried the Pace 6 Plus on day seven, and while I did end up with a shaved face, it took more than fifteen minutes, and I was left more than a little red. Better I think to use it within a week. It’ll do in a pinch though.
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