Today the world of consumer electronics covers a much broader base then it did when I first discovered the crystal radio set with my father.

Things that you might not even think of as consumer electronics are such as the coffee pot that is also a clock radio, a kitchen timer.

For the past year I have been testing an addition to the world of consumer electronics, the portable electric shaver, specifically the Phillips Norelco, 711X.

The shaver can be used with a dry face while in the shower or with a wet face and it is truly portable and easy to charge.

As far as shaving is actually concerned I have found these following problems.

1. The thicker your beard is, and despite the fact I am a senior citizen my beard does grow thick each day, the harder the shaving is to do. It tends to leave stubble under the lower lip and under the chin.

2. It is basically a myth that it will give you as close a shave as does a razor. In the commercials it looks good but in real life even after using the razor several times dark hairs are still left behind.

3. While it can be used to shave while in the shower it tends to run the battery out quicker and once again leaves stubble.

4. The length of battery charge leaves much to be desired if you have to shave several times a day due to a thick beard.

5. While the shaver will tell you if your charge is running out it does not tell you if the battery is fully charged and you are left to guess for yourself when to unplug it.

I have found that if several times a week you use a razor to shave with the electric shaver works best and that if you truly wish a close shave then use both the razor and the shaver. This of course is self defeating since why use the shaver if your using the razor.

Finally there is the problem of the blades on the razor getting dull. How long they will last depends upon how often you shave and how thick the beard is. Honestly I have to use the shaver twice a day on my beard and most only shave once a day.

The cost of replacing the blades as I have found are just about the same a buying a new shaver which means the razor is definitely not green. Why replace a dull blade on a old shaver when you can pick up a new one for the same price or nearly the same.

Personally for an electric razor it works as well as any I have ever used over the years. Still if it had not been a Christmas present I would not have went out and bough it.

If you want an electric razor then look at how you want to use, the type of beard you have an cost of the blade replacement versus the cost of using razors for six months to a year.

William Herman

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