As requested- Gillette Sensor Excel vs. Gillette Vector. A comparison of a vintage & modern Gillette 

I want a compilation video of all of Kens best reactions when he slaps on the aftershave starting with this video. 😆

😂😂 Ken you never fail to make me laugh with your reaction to the “burn”. I used the sensor in the 80s too and my Dad still uses his today. I still have mine and revisited it on occasion for a bit of nostalgia. Love the videos, keep up the good work.

My father had a Exel sensor. I used to watch him shave every day before going to office. Basically I learned to shave by watching my father shave🙂

There's is no shame about using cartridge razors. I have some friends, including me, that have a huge sensitive skin, and sometimes it's hard to go for DE Shaving. But I'm still shaving with my safety razors, only two passes. But, when I'm in a hurry, I go for my Sensor Excel, I think, in my opinion, that still the best cartridge razors that Gillette made. Was my first razor, when I was 13, my dad gave to me in my birthday...man, what a wonderful nostalgia! I still remember that vintage tv commercials "Sensor Excel, Gillette, the best a man can get". Here in Brazil, there is a bunch of people, including me, that still use the Sensor, and here in my country, the pack of cartridge razors, is kind of cheap, like 4$ ( USA dollars). It's a good deal. Another great video Ken! Good memories about Quorum, was in the past, my dad's favorite after shave and cologne. Have a good one, greetings from Brazil!

@Kensurfs You were right. I have a Gillette Sensor Excel like yours coming in this Friday. I am excited to use it.

Love the video Ken it brought back memories of when I would sit on the toilet and watch my dad shave with the Sensor.

The Sensor was my first razor after five teenage years of using a Remington Microscreen (which I still have because my parents bought it for me and I just can't part with it). Loved my Sensor and used it for about six years until the Mach 3 and then Schick Quattro, which is still my favorite cartridge ever. Still, nothing's quite as good as a DE. Thanks for taking so many of us back a long, long time, Ken!

Another great video, Ken. Thanks for sharing it! I haven't used a cartridge razor in over four years. That being said, I'm not a shaving snob. My opinion is, shave with what works for you. There are shavers that prefer cartridge razors. I say, good for them. The experience of using the great soaps and creams that are available to us is universal. ;)

I graduated High School in 1991 and have been using the Sensor Excel since! I've tried them ALL. I even recently gave safety razors (Leaf) a shot and can say without a doubt that the closest shave I can get on my face ( I use the Sensor 3 on my head) is the 2 blade Sensor Excel. No contest!

The Sensor and Sensor Excel were absolutely terrific. I started shaving with Gillette’s Atra Plus and went to the Sensor when it was released in 1990 and then the Sensor Excel when it debuted around ‘93. The Sensor Excel is my favourite razor ever from Gillette.

sensor excel was my first razor back in the early 2002, with the same grey holder and brushed aluminum handle. i wish i had held onto the stick!

I still use the Gillette sensor excel 2 blade razor. Its my favorite razor. Its a smooth shave with it. Gillette stopped making the razor, but they still sell the blades thankfully.

I started shaving with a Gillette Sensor. And did like it quite a bit. Used several cartridge types after that. I don’t really think they improved much after the sensor. Especially for the cost.

"Pheeew, Jesus, that burns!"...Absolutely epic response to the burn of the Quorum!!!! Great. Just great and made my day. ;-)

i had to laugh when the old disco night aftershave hit your chops mate :)

Hello Ken ! Greetings from Greece 🇬🇷 and a happy new year ! I bought the same razor you used Gillette Sensor Excel (white not black) in the late 90's when i started shaving . A few months later Mach 3 was introduced but never got into it . Later on because replacement cartridges cost a lot of money and since my stubble was not as thick i stopped using them and switched to cheeper disposable ones . For thick stubble or sensitive skin , or compilation of both , you better use a good quality razor . For the last couple of years i switched to wet shaving and continue since then . DE blades are cheeper and do a terrific job ! I still keep my Sensor Excel only for nostalgia as you mentioned .

I absolutely love the Sensor Excel! As a black man I'm more susceptible to razor bumps than most and started out with a Profusion Glide...big mistake. After some research I learned that a single blade might be best to rid myself of the bumps. It worked wonders, but I quite never got the hang of it and it would take me a while to shave. I switched back to a cartridge with the Mach 3 Turbo and it worked ok for me, but I would experience razor burn around my neck line and on the front part of sides due to my desire to shave my head daily. My uncle, who's been bald since I could remember recommended a twin blade as the perfect solution. I researched and found the Sensor Excel on Amazon which was a godsend for me, but I hated the cheap feel of the plastic handle. I went on Ebay and found the old school metal handle for about $50.00 and it's the best $50.00 I've ever spent. I get a great, close shave everyday without irritation from a heavy weighted razor that feels heavy in my hand. I'll never use anything else as long as I shave.

I love my sensor razor. Especially with the regulars sensor blades.

Great video Ken I used to shave with a 6 blade cartridge shaver. For more then 19 years I stopped using them because the blade replacements are so costly and they would pull and tug on my face. There was some discomfort that I disliked, because the course of my facial hair is thick and it would also clog up, and I had to wash it with the shower faucet, because the water that came out had a lot of pressure on it, however it did get all the hair out. But as soon as I shaved with it again it clogged up once again, and also it gave me razor burns, as well it was rather annoying. So I switched to DE wet back shaving and I decided to gave it a try, and to this day I love it I wish I would of known about this earlier, about shaving with a Safety razor I didn't know anything about it in the first place, and I know that they existed for more then 100 years lol. And now I do know about it I also love it to this day, I prefer shaving with a safety razor. I have my own collection, I have about 9 Safety razors most of them are vintage. I love vintage safety razors. I started wet back shaving in the starting of January 2017 it was one of the best choices I've ever made in my life :) Keep up the good work on the videos man I like them.

Wow! This really made me think. "What did I do with some of my older handles. I did start with a Remington Microscreen and used that for a long time. I did go back and forth between electric razors and then cartridge. I went looking tonight for what I had and I did find my Gillette Sensor handle and I have a Gillette Mach 3 Turbo with 4 unused blades (I wrote on the pack, Opened Oct. 14th, 07). I used the Mach 3 Turbo for a long time and then got a Gillette Fusion as a gift, then a Gillette Proglide (two different versions actually). I switched over to disposables when the blades became so expensive. I'm just over a year into DE shaving and I'm using a Wilkinson Sword Butterfly razor with the German made Wilkinson Sword blades. I really like this razor. I will keep watching from Canada, Ken.

The Sensor Excel was my choice when I started wetshaving back in the 80's. Used them for many years and then the Mach 3 came and after a while the Excel blades were hard to come by so I had to move over to the Mach 3. I never liked the Mach 3 and it's followers and the quality on the blades seemed to suffer to after a while because there were almost always one of the samples that were more or less useless. With a 3- or 4-blade razor it still only takes one bad blade to ruin the razor. That ended it for me with those expensive cartridges and I started to look for old school alternatives and the rest is, as they say, history. With cartridges shaving was just a necessity, something that had to be done. With Safety Razors it's not just better but a true joy...and a part of your lifestyle.:) Thanks for this interesting video, would actually be fun to try the Excel again and see what I think... :)

My dad gave me one of his Gillette Sensor razors in the early 2000's sadly i threw it out along with the blades a few months ago. Im willing to shave with a DE Safety razor and am practicing doing it while primarily shaving with a 5 blade cartridge razor. Heck who knows i might buy another Gillette Sensor razor to see if i like it now as an adult.

thanks Ken. enjoyed it. brings me back to my 70's and 80's. only doing single edge and de razors now. but i still use the fusion trimmer part for hard to reach areas. i only wish someone would make a special trimmer for hard to reach areas.

I don't know if you know about this, but according to an online article about Gillette razors, Gillette sold off its old machinery in order to focus more on cartridge refill manufacturing, and some of the machines they sold are still used in DE blade factories overseas to this day. With blades discontinued sometime after their DE razors were discontinued, the only shaving method to rely on before the reemerging of DE shaving was cartridge shaving

You can still buy the Gillette Sensor Excel in Australia. The razor with 1 blade costs only $4.54 AUD. Very cheap

My dad used the sensor for many years. I think it’s it’s the last really good looking cartridge razor Gillette made. I also don’t understand how a safety razor would burn a guy but a 3 to 5 blade razor doesn’t.

Just came across this video. I'm new to safety razors, it's really fun an way more enjoyable to shave with DE razors than with cartriges. But this brought me back to high school days when I first tried the Sensor Excel. And I remember those were great. Never had a problem with those. I think Gillette should have stopped at 2 blades cartriges because it's probably the most practical. This has basically everything you need for a decent shave. Why go to 4, 5, and even six blades? Apart from the obvious reason, profit. I would probably buy a Sensor Excel today if I found it in a store, great for travel etc. but those 5-6 blades cartriges, come on! Great video.

I had no luck with the Atra back in the day. Tugged a lot and the head would flop around. The Sensor Excel was a completely different experience. Still have mine to date and even use it on occasion. A great cart razor and particularly good at shaving under the nose.

My wife was laughing so hard over hearing you talk about the 80s because I am the same too back them..lol Thanks brother I am blessed to wach your blogs of shaving etc. I really like that Dragon kit I bought you demo..Yes it works Great everything in it.

I purchased Sensor Excel when I was about 16 and, believe or not, have not switched to anything else ever since. Only purchased a 5-pack razor replenishment off eBay. Why look for anything else if it does what it's supposed to do?)

Now I also don't go back to the cartridge razors. But among others Sensor Excel is not bad. I remember how I had a razor Shick Protector, after which Sensor Excel seemed an answer to prayers. Thank you for remembering me.)In my country, we still can buy cartridges for this razor in online stores. Production Poland.

Good evening Ken! I liked this comparison. There is nothing inherently bad about cartridge razors. As a daily driver, a cartridge worked great (except on my upper lip area) and as I have mentioned, I used a Trac II throughout a 27 year military career. However, I found this to be true...if there is more than a week's worth of growth the cartridge clogs. In fairness, a DE razor can clog too, but the clog can be easily cleared. I digress. My reason to give up cartridge razors was the $5 per cartridge. I did a case study in business school about margins on manufactured goods. The products that has the greatest margins overall were baked goods and replacement cartridges for razors. Baked goods typically realize a profit of around 70% above the cost to produce. Gillette Fusion replacement cartridge obtain 450% above the cost to manufacture. OMG. I was paying for convenience and share holder greed. I bought a Muhle R41 and a pack of Astra SP blades plus a brush. I had a tub of soap. If RAD, BAD, and SAD hadn't reared its head, I would have saved $80 in the first year alone...lol. The consumer has a choice. I voted with my money in the hope to curb the cost of shaving...Gillette could price the cartridges to be more affordable and still turn a tidy profit. Instead, they just keep introducing new models and increasing costs (Which is their business model). Shave wise, two or more blades are not better than one. My final thought is the cartridge (or disposable) razor is more travel friendly. An individual has to know the tools and their pros and cons for each. Enjoy the carnival...what type of church sells alcohol? I need a membership there! Take care.

Great shave Ken. Yeah between my skin being so sensitive & the fact that my hands draw up and tend to shake, i went back to cartridges but i kept the soap & brush. I use the Gillette Track 2, Mach 3, Mach 3 Turbo which are as low as DE blades are and my more expensive blades such as the Schick Quattro & Gillette Fusion. My most expensive razor is my Gillette Proshield blades which costs $25 dollars for 4 blades.

The "Sensor Excel" was my razor to-go in the 80's and 90's, before I went into DE-razors. I was slways satified with it. They worked well. Todays cartridges with up to 7 blades is just nonsense. I prefer DE-razors though, and don't want to go back. I still have 2 "Sensor Excel"-handles, one exactly like yours, but black side stripes instead of grey/silver. OMG, the QUORUM, still my all time favourite!!! It is still available by the way. Liked this video, Ken, as always.

I’m a Trac2, Atra and Sensor fan myself. I get great shaves with these. Prices are not too pricey if you buy generic.

1990 for the sensor razors. Atras were the gillette razors of the 80's.

I love my pro shield gillette razors! Been eyeballing that victory shaving company DE razor kit you did a video on though. Been wanting to try them out.

great review! i have been trying all sorts of de razors in the last few months from cheap to 50-60 dollars. they all work pretty well, but for a really close shave i get razor burn. recently i started going back to a schick quattro for first pass and then finishing up carefully with a de razor with multiples cycles of lathering and shaving. i use my water pic to clean out the cartridge grooves...

Good video Ken!! CArts have their merits... and users/fans. As long as you can enjoy the shave, its fair game. Isn't mine either but like you said. They have their purpose. My first razor was a Sensor... the first model. The Sensor Excel you are showing, was the next generation already. Good shave... had to laugh when you put on the Aftershave.....

Hey man the sensor line is from the 80s or the 90s?? I think the Atra was from the 80s,, the design is so similar but the Atra has classic pivoting head while the Sensor has pivoting head and spring bouncing blades as well,, I believe the sensor and sensor excel were released in the early 90s up to 98 were the mach 3 was released..

First time watching your videos and I am a fan now I enjoyed your your video

Ken, that was interesting to see you try something different in one of your videos. I prefer DE shaving over cartridge shaving as well. Your next video sounds pretty cool; I look forward to seeing it.

late to the party on this but I just got a Gillette Vector3 for 9 bucks from eBay using Barbasol such a good shave from it going to keep using it

There are certainly pros to cartridges. You can keep them in carry on luggage, they work in freezing temperatures, and the personna twin pivots can be had for less than some de blades. Clogging can be an issue if you don't shave daily though.

Have you Tried a Gillette Skinguard Disposable Razors Plus you can Take Off the Gillette Skinguard Disposable Refills And it would Fit Your Gillette Sensor Cartridge Razor 😊

Hey Ken nice video! Love your channel along with Sinatra Lennons you both are great guys and are the two go toos in the RU-vid shave community for questions and honest opinions. That being said I got a question for you. I do own 2 DE razors a R41 3 piece version & a black beauty butterfly adjustable. R41 I bought myself and is my go to razor along with the Astra green blades. Tried with Astra blues, feathers, Gillette silver/blue and a few other common blades and to me the green Astra platinums are the all around blade. Feather for sure is sharper but doesn’t glide as much and give as nice and comfortable of a shave. I shave every 3 days usually sometimes once a week main reason for getting that R41 and the black beauty I can never get the right setting down and I wind up cutting and or get more irritation from that vs the Muhle. After saying all that my question to you is I’m thinking about getting a cartridge razor as an everyday or every other day shaver and keep my 41 for handling the thick stuff. I been researching cartridge styles and been looking at Trac 2 plus, Atra plus and sensor excel. Considered Mach3 but a lot of old school cartridge users are saying it don’t compare to the 70s and 80’s razor systems. I’m looking for the one that gives the best shave in shortest amount of time ( I go slow with a DE and cant always spend extra time shaving) and which also has the cheapest and best deal on cartridges. Cause I see a basic 4 or 5 pack of sensor blades and cost close to what Mach3 blades can cost. Thank Ken!!! take care and keep up the great videos man!!!

I still use that sensor excel, just got my first double edge razor a couple weeks ago(Rockwell 6C).

Gillete Sensor available on Amazon, from Poland and Germany, at fairly cheap price.

Very interesting Ken, he went back to old times!

I dug an old Excel out of my shave kit (it had been languising at the bottom for many years) and checked the price of blades. At $2.25 CDN per I'll skip the nostalgia angle, stuff it back in the shave bag, and stick with DE action.

Found the Sensor to be a more pleasant to use but not by much. Given the price of compatible cartridges it's hard to beat the Vector. Like you I enjoy shaving with a DE a bit more due to the feedback one gets from a single blade as well as the overall feel of a nicely crafted all metal razor.

Another very enjoyable video Ken. Great job.

I am from India & I use vector Gillete razor & I am satisfied 100% with this

I didn't realise the Excel was so vintage - they are readily available here in Sydney at Woolworths. I don't know how the Excel compares with other cartridge razors, because it's the only one I've tried recently, and I think it's excellent. Beforehand I was using a Feather single-edge razor, but got sick of the occasional cuts. The Excel shaves *almost* as close, but is much faster, easier, and safer. (and in fact superior for lateral strokes on the neck, which I do need to do). With the Excel I use very rapid, repeated, overlapping strokes - almost like painting. I only need the tiniest amount of shaving soap spread very thinly - in fact I can even just use water alone if I exercise a bit of caution. Out of pure curiousity, I recently got a DE safety razor, and what a waste of money that was - I'm sticking with the Excel. I imagine that I'd be happy enough with most cartridge razors - I just don't see any reason to go above a 2-blade razor.

Still keep my "mach 3" for Travel. Works really well with good technique, and a 3 pass shave. Actually it gets closer, but it not worth it for the cost. I just keep it for when I on the road and you don't have time to do the full shaving routine. Also if you fly the TSA does not like you having DE blades.

Nice job. I loved Sensor, but hated the prices of cartridges so then had a few years with the Vector. I had issues where some of the blades weren't so sharp and wouldn't feel good for more than 1-2 shaves; then I saw a triple blade BIC being sold at a fraction of the cost (hanbdle+2 blades $2 and packs of 4 blades $2.50) so it was a no-brainer. Those are cheap and I felt no issues throwing them away after a week... but they do clog more easily - harder to clean out. DE is nice and easy to rinse off and pop open on a microfibre cloth to polish dry; I got a 'Futur' copy (Ming-shi 2000S) for 330 baht ($10) so cost isn't the issue - the issue is prep and time. You can't do a quick dry/shower shave with the DE.

I have tried many razor, include DE and Gillette Fusion 5, but for me the Sensor Excel is the best

I use a Schick Xtreme3 for my head shaves. I'm not sure why anyone would give a damn what others think, unless you are buying my gear shut up. The Atra is a solid razor, nice shave Ken. Do you.

I've tried them all...sensor series is the greatest in history of gillette

Dollar shave club. 4 cartridges a month. 6 bucks. Beautiful.

15:24 - who wouldn't like to smell like Martin Riggs? 👍

the little plastic thingy is to clean between the blades just push gently on it..oh yes in Denmark we can still buy the sensor exel

I Have a Vintage Gillette Sensor 3 Cartridge Razor Handle 😊

Ken: I still use a Gillette Mach3 as my shower shaver when I'm running late for work or something. Just use bath soap and get pretty good shaves with it. I still prefer my Gillette Red Tip or my Maggard MR6 though for my daily shave. How did you like the pre-shave? WIll you be using it again?

hey ken the sensor excel came out in 1993 not 1980?

Where did you find the sensor handle on eBay? I can’t seem to find a metal handle under 50 bucks.

The one on the right shaves very good. Nice

Do you Think you can Shave with a Gillette Sensor 3 It's Similar To your Gillette Sensor Excel 😊

For all of you that watch but can't use a DE razor and are looking for blades for a trac2 or Atra razor USRAZOR on Ebay sells Cartridges for them at really good prices

Those old handles go for $50-$70 now on eBay.

Mr Surfs. You do a good job with your vids. Could you please do a comparison shave with Gillette Proglide Power and Gillette Profusion (any)? Thanks

I had used sensor excel when I was in class 10

I think my first good razor was the Gillette Excel but when i discovered de shaving,was like c ya! It's funny,i had that old Excel for years.It would turn up everywhere ,and didn' t think twice about it when i threw it away,now sort of wished i would of kept it.😐😁

Would it pay to buy a Vector? My sensor excel handle is getting worn out and a new original handle is $75+ and the Vector is $6.99 on eBay

The 80s? The sensor excel arrived in my country during the LATE 90s!

I remember the clogging cartridge razors - it really annoyed me. I think the type of soap you use can have quite an impact on how easily razors rinses out. The blue gel in a can was the worst as far as I recall.

Loved the sensor excel- but the handle we get in 🇬🇧 isn’t that older one, it’s horrible

Aaaah Nothing like nostalgia Ken. Thanks for the video.

Cartridge razors can do a fine job shaving, but after switching to DE razors find they can't match the shaving performance of a Mühle R41 or an iKon Tech. Unfortunately, you may pay a price in comfort using those!

Did you have to press harder on your face when shaving with these types of razors? I haven’t Shaves with a cart in like 4 years, I would be scared to use one again.

Interesting video Ken.

It's the Gillette family feud.

HAVE you Tried You're Gillette Sensor 3 😊

Do you travel with your DE blades?

After wetshaving with a DE for about 8 years from 2008-2016, I suddenly couldn't because of a health issue. I had to go back to cartridges. And y'know what? I wouldn't go back to DE now. Combined with proper technique, cartridge razors shave great. I firmly believe that poor technique is probably to blame for most of the difficulty people have with them. Treat them like a DE razor and the hair just falls off with no irritation. The Sensor is perhaps the best one for me.

You can buy Sensor razor and blades a Wallmart ( in Quebec Canada)...but blade cost for 10 cost around $22 can. To much money...so start wet shaving 2 years ago.....many razors, badgers and a lot of soap......second hobby for me! See you Ken..

Sensor Excel Still The Best For Me ,, And if You Want To Compare Sensor VS Vector ! You Must Shave in One Way Only VERTICALLY [Up To Down] ,, To Feel That Sensor Inner Blade Are Much Fine, Sharp, And Smooth ,, Thanks For This Rich Clip.

And the Black Beauty makes a guest appearance ...

That's a good burn!

12:54 it is just 1.50€ each Excel blade in Europe

Hi, can i use sensor excel blades for gillette blue?

When you drop a J bomb you know that burns like an SOB cause I know you like burn there Ken

Ken try to use this soap on the next shave

can you try Gillette Sensor Excel 3 blade

What is the opposite of clog proof ?

here is the Sensor Excell says as it was and still is a great piece of razor its still around www.postmeshave.dk/products/120-gillette-sensor-excel-skraber-med-3-blade.aspx

you can sharpen the blades of disposable razor just take old jeans and push with the grain it will last months i am surprised that people don't know that you even can lengthen its life by cleaning it properly and keeping it in a vacuum sealed bag if you want to the extra mile

Ken is right about those Crystal Skulls, you can get them on Ebay. I also found an Amazon link, which I believe is THE exact model he has. www.amazon.com/Abbott-Collection-Skull-Tealite-holder/dp/B00CP1CWO4 Note: Not an affiliate link, just spreading love.

Expensive blade in the 80s only hand shave once week that how good sensor was

Have ever use a electric razor before