A shout out for the Matrix. That would be the razor, not the movie.

Update: Oops. The correct name of the razor is the Matrix3, not the "Matrix". I've corrected the post below. Also, I checked the exact price on the replacement blades at Acme the other day. It's $5.49 for four blades, or $1.37 each. And, since I can get at least six days use out of one blade, that comes out to about 23 cents a shave. Not bad!

Very rarely do I come across a generic product that I gush about, but the Equaline Matrix3 is one of them.

I'm a hairy dude and shaving my facial hair is usually better served with a metal file than with a common razor. That being said, I'm a difficult person to please when it comes to razors. To me, there's always been Gillette and a bunch of also-rans. For whatever reason, even Shick's highest end blades tore my face apart like any other razor. And of the few companies that actually tried to compete with the big two, no one ever came close. It always seemed like Gillette knew something about making blades that no one else did. And because of that, I always had to pay a premium price to get a decent shave. My blade of choice has been the Gillette Sensor and, although they make better razors, I'll be damned if I'm going to pay more than that for five frigging blades.

But not anymore.

About two months ago, I discovered the Equaline Matrix3. Acme had them on sale and it had been over two years since I tried a new razor in vain, so I figured what the hell? It was a triple blade razor that was actually cheaper than the Gillette Sensor so what did I have to lose (besides a little skin)?

The first shave seemed decent. Not blow me away decent, but good. Of course, I had a two-day growth on my face, so that may have factored in. But after that it was smooth sailing. The shaves were as good as the Sensor, if not better. But that's not the best part. My stubble can render a new Gillette Sensor blade inoperable after two shaves...sometimes three. Ever since I've been using the Matrix3, I've been able to squeeze out up to a *week* of shaves before changing the blade. A WEEK. So not only is the Matrix3 cheaper than the Sensor, the blades last about three times as long. And guess what? I ran out of Matrix3 blades the other week and had to resort back to my Sensor. It tore my face up, even with a brand new blade.

Two caveats though. The female equivalent of the Matrix3...the Mystique...didn't get good reviews from my wife. Second, the Equaline brand is made by Albertson's, so you'll only be able to find it in Albertson's related stores. Around me, it's Acme. Not sure what other stores...aside from Albertson's itself...are also affiliated with it.