Electric razors suck. They are only good for when you are running late and you need to shave in the car. The only time you are going to get an electric razor is when someone buys it for you. Therefore, the electric razor companies do huge campaigns around Christmas. The ads are target to the buyers of the gifts, not the receivers, who have to fake excitement, “Oh, golly . . . an electric razor . . . just what I wanted.”

That commercial should be advertising Knob Creek Small Batch Bourbon.

I used to. Back when I shaved my face clean the right razor was important. Some guys have a rough time of it, and cutting hair from your face can be painful. The thing is, electric razors last damn near forever, so I don’t understand the advertising onslaught.

I dunno. I’ve had a few electrics. They’re OK at first. Once they get dull I generally give up on them.

Electric beard trimmers on the other hand are great. If the length adjustment is a slider it will eventually slide shut in process and take a chunk out of your beard or ’stache. Get one with a rotary length adjustment like the Norelcos use.

Buying presents for grown men is hard. I always had a tough time finding something for my dad, and I’m turning into him gift-wise.

P.S. - Belts from thebeltman.net rock. They’re custom-made belts made in Apex, NC. Use their shopping cart to order exactly what you want. I have the double bullhide belt in brown and love it. I’ve asked for one in black for Christmas.

From Jim, “The only time you are going to get an electric razor is when someone buys it for you.” — that’s an interesting insight to me because I also wondered why you wouldn’t just go to Target or Wal-HellMart or CVS and buy one for yourself if you wanted one. So generally, men don’t buy electric razors for themselves? Hmmmm….

From Mack, “electric razors last damn near forever” — I had that thought, too. Really, what is the demand for them?

From Les Jones, “Buying presents for grown men is hard.” and “Belts from thebeltman.net rock.” — Amen! and thanks for a great idea! I’m going to check that out for a couple people on my gift buying list.

I have a goatee. I bought an electric razor a year or two ago during an after-holiday sale at Kroger (!), dirt cheap. I find it’s much better than the one I used for a while in high school in the late 70s. It’s not as close as a blade shave, and may never be, but I have a light-colored beard anyway and it’s more than adequate for my needs. And it certainly saves money on blades and shaving cream.

I would love to try one of these high-end models that cleans itself , but I’m just not going to spend that kind of money on it.

“much better than the one I used for a while in high school in the late 70s”

My cynical opinion results from the only one I ever used, given as a gift around 1984.

Maybe I should give the new ones a try. According to the commercials, they are just great.

Shaving is a fool’s errand.

*Don’t worry, I have one for the womenfolk too.

Let me get a jump on this and say: after three years of marriage I finally had to tell my husband not to get me anything that comes with an on-off switch.

Really Southern Beale? Anything?

Electric razors suck. They are only good for when you are running late and you need to shave in the car. The only time you are going to get an electric razor is when someone buys it for you. Therefore, the electric razor companies do huge campaigns around Christmas. The ads are target to the buyers of the gifts, not the receivers, who have to fake excitement, “Oh, golly . . . an electric razor . . . just what I wanted.”

That commercial should be advertising Knob Creek Small Batch Bourbon.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Or tools. More tools are always good. On-off switches rock for guys.

So that’s a no on a new vacuum cleaner, SB?

I think that electric razors must be the great marketing scam of the holiday season. They trick us women into believing that it’s some great gift when I have NEVER known a man who wanted one as a gift. And, personally, I make it a habit not to buy a man anything with an on/off switch, either. They need to buy their own gadgets and stuff.

That said, I’d still like a Dyson for Christmas, but I know I’m not getting one.

ps–I may be in the minority, but I’ll go ahead and say that the other great marketing scam at Christmas is the “diamond pendant.” Every time I see an ad for Zales or whatever other chain jewelry store, I want to scream. I really don’t want the same piece of jewelry that every woman gets for Christmas. Guys, if you want to get her some bling, go to a local jeweler and get something custom-made or, at least, not assembly line-produced. Though, that is just my opinion.

Really Southern Beale? Anything?

snort.

There are gifts for “us” and gifts for “me.”

‘There are gifts for “us” and gifts for “me.”’

LOL! Great clarification!

So that’s a no on a new vacuum cleaner, SB?

You know, one of the best presents I ever got was a vacuum cleaner — from my SISTER. If my husband gave me that I’d clock him on the head with it.

Context is everything, folks.

Seriously, I’m over the Christmas present thing. These days we tend to give each other trips, theater tickets, stuff like that. I want memories, not more junk to clutter up my already overly cluttered house.

Lesley,
I was thinking the same thing about the jewelry commercials! I love me some bling but I don’t want the same stuff the gal next to me is wearing! And I certainly don’t want (and I’ve made it very clear to DB) that I have no interest in those circle pendants. No offense if you have one and love it but I just don’t get the appeal.

Electric razors suck. I used one years ago. Total razor burn.
If you want to go with a shaving gift, I recomend a shaving kit that includes a brush, a cup, and soap.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brusse/22432101/

If you want to give a nice present to a brush-and-soap guy, Caswell Massey has a very slightly almond-scented soap that makes the skin feel heavenly http://www.caswellmassey.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=314&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=78&iSubCat=97&iProductID=314 . I got it for my husband one year and we have both been very happy with it.

As for those jewelry commercials, just last night I was wondering how every kiss can begin with Kay if he went to Jared’s.

> That said, I’d still like a Dyson for Christmas, but I know I’m not getting
> one.

Now, see, that shocks me. I’m single, and admittedly an idiot in male-female relations, but I always thought the CW was that it was kind of insulting to give a woman a housework-related gift. Yes, if there’s a cool new labor-saving appliance, buy it, but as a household expense rather than in place of a more personal gift.

The advertisers want us all to think that the only great holiday present you can get for men an electric razor. And that the only great holiday present you can get for women in jewelry.

Anything else that invovled, oh, actually thinking about the person and getting something you know they’d like–we can’t have that!

Every time I see a jewelry commercial I remind my husband that if he spends that kind of money, it better either have an Intel chip or be usable on something with an Intel chip.

@John–I think Dyson vacuums may be the one exception to CW. I know a lot of people who pine over those. However, it would be a lot better for a vacuum to be a just-because present….IMHO. Tho Dysons are pricey.

@kat….Yowza. Don’t talk so much about Intel chips around here….all the guys in town will think that’s all they need to do!

I guess my family is the exception to the rule, because my Dad specifically asks for an electric razor every 4-5 years. He uses it all the time. And yes, he does request one of the fancy self-cleaning ones (and gets it).

Laura is right–the Dyson is an exception to the rules. No plain vacuum is acceptable, but a Dyson is. I also think that a fancy KitchenAid mixer is a safe gift, though it’s teetering on the brink. It is a massive time-saver from what I understand. Like the Dyson.

My dad got pulled over on the LA Freeway a million years ago because he was shaving while driving. This was back when electrics were new.

Yep, what everyone else says, a Dyson is the grand exception to the no-household stuff rule. I know quite a few ladies that pine over KitchenAid mixers like that, too. Like me. If my husband got me a KitchenAid mixer, I’d be completely thrilled. Once I figured out where he got the money for one, haha.

I’m ambivalent about a Dyson, but I would sooooo love a KitchenAid mixer. I have to keep reminding myself that I don’t, in fact, need one.

Sheesh, all I want for Christmas from the German is a pair of jeans that fit and some black socks. At times I can be low maintenance. * snicker *

I have a KitchenAid Mixer still in the box. Sitting in storage at my house. Used to have a restaurant, never used it.

Gotta buy the kid Christmas presents.

Hmmmmm . . .bidding war?

Jim - give your mixer to nm.

I am the primary housekeeper at my home, and LOVE to get cooking and cleaning stuff. Must be a gender thing (getting offended).

I have the toughest beard known to man. There has never been an electric razor that can stand up to it. Right now, i use one of those 5-blade dealies. I’m this close to just using a straight razor from now on.

Just DON’T get your husband a nosehair trimmer!

Well, I can surely understand the KitchenAid mixer. The KitchenAid is
something that has mental associations with special occasions and for
“fun” types of cooking (as opposed to the nightly what’s-for-dinner
grind).  My father, who is the more passionate cook among my two
parents, has a KitchenAid and loves it. There are certain
cooking-related gifts like this that I wouldn’t mind receiving myself
and that I’d have no problem giving someone if I knew she enjoyed
cooking (or at least enjoyed the type of cooking specific to the
gift). I wasn’t thinking of those when I made my earlier statement
about housework-related gifts.
I love Alton Brown’s KitchenAid with the flame decals on it.

I got an Electric razor for Christmas a year or two ago (the Norelco one that spurts the shaving gel out from the top of the razor). I can’t complain because I asked for one. I found it gave me a plenty close shave, but I wanted it because I thought it would save me time in the mornings, but it ended up not really being much of a time save (in fact I think total time it was a bit longer since you had to take the top of the razor off and clean it everytime) so I still have it but don’t use it anymore.

I would love a Dyson. Also would like a Roomba (though I think they still have a ways to go). I think I want one of those just to watch it chase the cats around the house. If it gets any vacuuming done in the mean time, that’s a bonus.

I don’t understand the dyson appeal. I mean, sure it looks different but Consumer Reports says it’s a middle-of-the-road sucker, so to speak.

We’ve got a KA mixer. the wife doesn’t care for it that much. I use it more than she does.

I don’t understand the dyson appeal. I mean, sure it looks different but Consumer Reports says it’s a middle-of-the-road sucker, so to speak.

That’s what I’ve heard from everyone who has used one. I invested in a Miele: pricey, but they’re awesome, and I’m told they will last 20 years. It really does “work properly.”

I think the best vacuums out there are the Kirbys but I don’t want to endure a door-to-door salesman’s pitch to get one. My MiL has had one for years and years and it still works fabulously with just a bit of maintenance from time to time.

My reaction is just don’t clean. When the house gets dirty, then move.

Wait, I don’t have kids. Nevermind.
Remember, incidentally, the days of this ladies:
http://www.epilady.com/
Yikes!

1. I love that a post that started out talking about razors and men has been totally hijacked to talking about vacuums.

2. That said, the absolute best vacuum, without question, is a Miele. I don’t care whether or not it has a cool Scandy Tim Gunn lookalike hawking it. It just works better.

Interesting queries, Malia.

From Mack, “electric razors last damn near forever” — I had that thought, too. Really, what is the demand for them?

I think the “allure” or “demand” is related to the fact that every man would like a closer shave, every man would like for shaving to take less time, but every man has used an electric shaver and been generally unimpressed. In that context, “new” and “improved” electric shavers hold promise.

Miele, eh? Hmmm. I’m more interested in picking up long human hair and short cat hair than allergens. This might be a question for Home-Ec 101.

I think someone truly interested in a close shave will forgo the electric altogether. That man has already settled on blades of some type. Electrics are for conveinance, and portability. Heck, you can shave driving to work if you are late. You can shave in the shower now with the damn things. I have a water-proof electric that sits there in the charger, mocking me, and my beard is not that tough.
Also, i think i read somewhere that electrics are bad for you, but i cannot remember the details. I just thank my personal God I’ve never been forced to use “magic shave”. Yuck.

[…] I asked the guys about those electric razors that are heavily advertised during this time of year. There was a fun discussion that started with […]

Electric razors are generally only to shave your back.