Reviewing the Norelco 7310 Rotary Razor

People who know me in the real world know that I hate shaving. It's just a hassle, and I've never really seen the necessity of hacking all of the hair off of my face with a sharp metal object. Thank God I was born after Don Johnson popularized the slightly unshaven look. But then again, I've tended to take that to an extreme... shaving approximately once or twice per month, whether I need it or not. And during the winter I tend to not shave at all.

I've had an electric razor in the past... it was a Braun, and I liked it well enough. I finally stopped using it because the foil got trashed and I couldn't find another one. That was several years ago; about a month ago, I came to the conclusion that it was time to try another electric razor.

When the foil on the Braun went, it blew in a spectacular fashion, and tore my face up pretty good, so I was inclined to try out a rotary razor this time. In the end, I settled on the Norelco 7310.

I'm going to start by saying that no electric razor will ever cut as close as a blade. That stated though, the 7310 is more than "good enough." Right out of the box, I put it to a test I never thought it would pass... I used it to shave two weeks worth of facial hair. It took a while, but the 7310 was up to the task, and it removed all of that stubble painlessly. That's right -- no pulling, just shaving. I was really impressed.

Based on my understanding, there's always an ajdustment period when you change shaving styles. My experience certainly echoes that conventional wisdom. I had a little bit of facial irritation for the first week or so... that combination of mild itching and burning that usually accompanies shaving with a slightly dull disposable blade. Again though, I tend to shave so infrequently that I get this with a brand new blade.

The adjustment period was over in about a week, and I can shave without irritation. For me the shave is quicker than a blade shave, but again it's not quite as close a blade shave. Some things I've noticed about the razor...

Pros: It's really quiet. Cleaning is quick and easy, because you can rinse it with water instead of having to use the brush to clean it.

Cons: The sideburn trimmer doesn't lock open, so it tends to snap shut while trimming the sideburns. And since it's a rotary razor, it's difficult to get that sharp sideburn trim. The power cord is really short. Not a major problem, because it's coiled, but I'd like it a bit longer. The box says something like "up to a month of shaving on a single charge," but that's certainly not the case for me. I get about a week and a half on a charge.

Overall review: My list of cons looks longer, but I'm happy with this razor. If you're considering an electric razor, consider this one. It works for me.