Earlier this summer I received a free Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer provided to me with the hope, but no requirement, that I review it here on my blog. I spent over a month shaving with it exclusively.

To be fair, I'm probably not the best person to give something new to review. I'm very set in my ways and once I find something I like, I'm not very open to change. I think I've primarily used two different razors my entire life, a free model given to me when I entered college, either a Gillette or a Schick twin blade and my current Gillette Mach 3 triple blade. In other words, the potential exists that the new Schick Quattro might be better than my old Gillette Mach 3, but I wouldn't notice it.

The Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer has four blades which have a titanium coating that is supposed to reduce irritation. While good in theory, I can't say I noticed a difference between it and my current razor. The razor also has a single blade on the back side for getting into tight places around your nose or...we'll that's the only place I tried it. It worked pretty good, but I didn't find it a necessary feature. Finally, the razor includes a small trimmer built into the handle powered by a AAA battery. I shaved my annual goatee just prior to getting the razor and, so, was only able to try it out on my sideburns. While a neat feature for those with more facial hair than myself, especially for people who travel or want minimum clutter, I was unimpressed by the trimmer which I didn't need. The trimmer also adds a substantial amount of bulk and weight to the razor which really annoyed me from the start. There's an ideal heft and ergonomics to a razor and the built in trimmer causes the razor to blow past any ideal proportions. Although, it's probably not so bad that you couldn't get used to it.

Now to the biggest, most annoying problem, with this razor. It's increased blade count and cartridge design causes the razor to easily clog and be difficult to unclog. The clogged blades in the picture occurred with almost every shave with the Schick Quattro. Through some combination of increased number of blades, decreased space between the blades and a horrible design which prevents water from washing though, the blades are very clog prone.

In comparison, my old Gillette Mach 3 on the left, you can actually see light pass through between the blades which is blocked on the Schick Quattro. That means a quick swish under the faucet will clear the Gillette but not the Schick. Absent this design flaw, I'd recommend guys with mustaches or goatees to give the Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer a try. However, it's propensity for clogging requires me to rate this razor: not recommended.