Red Gillette Vector Plus Razor Blade

I had previously been using a Lord brand Atra-compatible shaving handle, which worked okay but wasn't quite as good as the official Gilette blades at fitting either the real Atra blades (which have long since been discontinued in the US) or the Atra-Compatible Personna Blades. It worked, but the range of motion was slightly reduced. This handle works better. It feels lighter weight and not quite as sturdy, but it has a greater range of motion. I prefer it to the Lord brand handle, although both are good options. I use this with the Personna Blades. If you order this handle and the Personna blades, which come in a 40-pack, you can save BIG. Like we're talking a cost of less than 40 cents a month. I've been doing this for years now and I highly recommend, if you shave and want to use replaceable cartridges and not a safety razor and double edge razor, this is really the best / cheapest option out there. I highly recommend it and I have been very happy with this purchase, I even ordered a spare one. Great for gifts too, if you want to allow someone try out this shaving system and see if they want to save money too!

Better than disposables, this has a rubberized grip like the sensor2 with a longer handle that is easier to hold securely and spins easily. The handles top has the same parts as a 30+ year old Atra with lower quality stamped steel. It's a tad lighter weight than the old plastic handle but is easier to grip and control than a disposable. I prefer a secure grip that I can hold on my fingertips over the weight of a metal handle. The vector blade is almost the same as Contour blade with the addition of the cleaning button. Not the same as Atra blades. At first it felt dull and I got several nicks. The second time went much better and no nicks. I'll probably use the handle with Contour or Atra blades. The package is surely from India. The overly stiff pivot is due mostly to the handle but I couldn't tell why the blade pivots so poorly on the vector handle compared to on my old handles. The stiffness is what leads to more nicks from the blade. PS - notice the Mach3 are still in the packaging. They get very little use- maybe for arms or back/neck areas.

Been using Atra since the early 80's, this works like a charm

I've used a Trac II original razor most of my life. I bought this in hopes of having a replacement if my Trac II gives out one day. I am totally impressed with the shave. The included blade is compatible to the after-market blades now available for the Trac II. One detail on the Vector is the blade does not pivot as easily to follow contours of the face as the Trac II. I'm not sure why, but that is the only minor drawback compared to the original Trac II. The button on the blade designed to help clear beard stubble in the top blade area is a good idea even though it never seemed to be a problem for me in my shaving history. I would recommend this shaver.

Years ago, I remembered using a twin-blade razor that had a plastic bar between the blades and I'd push a button and the plastic bar would push out the whiskers that were stuck between the blades. But then I started using the disposable razors my wife was using. Recently I was bemoaning how difficult it is to clean out the hair between the blades of the disposables. I tried using the pointy end of a dental flosser to clear the hair but it was surprisingly ineffective. So I went looking for my old razors and couldn't find them. For whatever reason, the descriptions of twin-blade razors (including this one) don't say anything about that cleaning bar. I went to the grocery store and checked the razor section, but that wasn't very helpful either. None of the razors I could look at had the easy-button cleaner. And all if the more expensive, non-disposable razors were locked up and I would have to request help just to take a closer look at them. I didn't feel like waiting on an agent to come and help me. However, while doing a Google search, I saw that one company highlighted this Gilette Atra (Vector) as having the easy-clean button. I clicked the link to the Amazon page, but on Amazon, they didn't seem to think that the easy-clean button was important enough to write a bullet about. I took a chance and purchased it anyway. And I'm glad I did! Indeed, this is the one with the cleaning button! I also found replacement blades (30-count) under the Atra-compatible brand "miechua" that have the easy-clean button. So happy to have this razor again! And with the miechua refills, I've got about a year's supply of easy-to-use razors. No multi-blade razor should be without the easy-clean button!

Be aware that this handle does not work with the new Atra 2 plus blades. It does work with the original now discontinued Atra blades. Unfortunately, I bought two thinking they would work with the new blades. Fool me once...

It is functional, and the Atra blades do fit. It is a quality plastic product. I am disappointed that it is so light. The original Atra was metal and heavier. I like the heavier feel. This is very light, almost like a disposable razor. So if you are looking for a heavy Atra replacement, this isn’t it. But it does function the way it is supposed to, so if looking for functionality and you don’t care about the weight, you will be happy with this product.

First, a confession: the few times I'd... ummm... "borrowed" one of those expensive azzt so-called "5-blade shaving systems," I must admit that I was shockingly amazed at how well it performed -- so definitely believe the hype! But were any of those shaves awesome enough to justify the ridiculous "MONOPOLY PRICE GOUGING" wallet breaking costs that backfired laughably and made growing out & retaining facial hair a cultural trend all over again? I think that last sentence answers that question quite effectively enough. Regardless, there are plenty of us who still prefer to parade around without face fur, and many of us are "Old School" shavers for whom "shaving systems" such as the Gillette "Atra" and Schick "Trac-2" were the "new innovations" of their Day. And it definitely did not help those of us out when these Monopoly companies saturated the market with their 3-5 blade bank breakers and surreptitiously pulled & cancelled their "classic" cartridges & holders... especially if we were the type who liked to "stock-up" on cartridges. But what happens when your "Atra" handle gets a bit old & weak and you need to purchase a replacement? Normally, you'd just go down to your favorite (or most convenient) retailer and pick one out from the display shelf. Now however, all you'll find are those expensive multi-bladed monster holders which are only compatible with those expensive multi-blade monsters -- so you can forget about attaching your "Atra" cartridge onto any of them! Yet at the same time, you notice that generic & store-brand "Atra-compatible" shaving cartridges are still being produced... which begs the question: "WHERE ARE THE 'ATRA' (or their design knock-off) HOLDING HANDLES?" Well... it seems the rest of the world is not quite as backwards (or gullible) as the United States markets, and different countries continue to offer (or be offered) things that were either abandoned in this Country or simply kept away from us altogether (try finding "Lipton Forest Fruits" teabags being sold in any store anywhere in the U.S., for example). And that holds true for the classic "Atra," which is not only still being produced & sold in other countries, but is actually still being offered by the ORIGINAL "Parent Company"! So rather than giving us a OPTION here at Home, we're either forced to give in and dig deep into our wallets for the only thing they want us to buy from them... OR we have to look OUTSIDE of the U.S. for what it is that we actually want, what works for us, and what's STILL being marketed to other parts of the World! So yes, the "ATRA" is still being made and sold (by "GILLETTE") -- only it's marketed under the name, "VECTOR"! (Why do similar products sold in "foreign" markets always seem to get cooler names that when they're being marketed in the U.S.?) Even the original "Atra" cartridges are still being made & sold, if you're so inclined to spend a premium for the privilege of supporting a "Brand Name." Therefore, if you want the lesser expensive option for a blade shaving regimen that the American markets are refusing to offer because of their greed and their desire to milk a captive audience, then here's your opportunity to Vote with your metaphorical FEET, and with your literal DOLLARS! ~ And now you can also pull that stash of your old "Atra" and/or compatible shaving cartridges out of their long hibernation and put them back to the good use you'd intended for them!

As described

the springs are weak, making blade changes tricky 5 stars for the shave.