Product Description

Pro-Curve compact men's shaver with double blades. Shave wet with lather or dry - unit rinses clean under tap water.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6678 in Health and Beauty
• Color: Silver/Blue
• Brand: Panasonic
• Model: ES4815S
• Released on: 2004-04-10
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 4.00" h x 1.00" w x 2.00" l,

Features

• Wet / Dry double blade compact Pro Curve Men's Shaver
• Stainless Steel Foil with counter directional inner blades
• Requires "AA" Batteries ( not included)
• Approx. 30 Shaves ( 3 min/1 shave)
• Includes soft travel pouch

Customer Reviews

Decent little shaver, and I mean little!
Bought this a few weeks ago, and these are my impressions:

1. It is very small. The actual shaving head is about 1/2 to 2/3rds as long as a typical shaver. This means it takes longer to shave.

2. Shaves just great.

3. Works just great in the shower. This is my first wet/dry shaver and I love shaving in the shower now!

4. It is NOT rechargeable. I should have noticed that because it is clearly stated in the amazon page, but I have never heard of a battery powered NON-rechargeable razor before! Surprise!

5. It burned through a set of two AA batteries in about a week or 10 days for me. I bought some NiMH rechargeables and they are working fine so far.

Hope this helps!

(...)

Great travel shaver!
Strengths: Close shave. Can use wet or dry. Uses AA batteries, so you don't have to worry about replacing the whole shaver like most electrics that start losing their charging ability. Remarkably low price!

Weaknesses: None, other than it does not have a pop-up trimmer, but I assume that is possibly due to the high drain power on batteries.

Summary: I have been a faithful Panasonic electric "wet/dry" shaver user for over 25 years. I started using their shavers when I was a teenager. My skin was very sensitive, so I always suffered from razor burn when using twin-blade razors (ie, Gillette). I also tried various other electric shavers, including Remington & Norelco, but I just never felt I got a close enough shave, not to mention, I did not like splashing those pre-shave lotions on my face. Kind of made my face feel oily.

Most of you are probably too young to remember, but Panasonic introduced the first wet/dry shaver as a single foil shaver named "Mr. Whisk." They showed a picture of the shaver running under water and another with a guy using shaving cream while shaving with Mr. Whisk. That sold me and I have been a loyal Panasonic user ever since. The ability to use shaving cream combined with an electric shaver literally saved my face.

Since then I have graduated to using the more advanced Panasonic models over the years. I currently use a triple-head shaver, model# ES8152 as my main shaver. Needless to say, it works great! It gives an unbelievably close shave. However, for traveling, I prefer NOT to lug around a charger. Thus, this is why I bought the ES4815S. Since it uses AA batteries, I never have to worry about charging. I just keep an extra pair of batteries in my travel bag and I'm set.

I should mention that I am an owner of another Panasonic wet/dry travel shaver, model# ES805S. I actually paid $50.00 for this model at Brookstone a few years ago, and it has not disappointed me. I was actually looking to buy an extra set of blades and foil for my ES805S, when I came across the ES4815S. It uses the exact same blades and foil as my older ES805S. Amazon.com had the ES4815S on sale for $24.99. Buying just the replacement blades and foil cost at least that much, so I bought the new shaver for "spare parts."

However, after the ES4815S arrived, I decided to try it out. It is ergonomically better than the older ES805S, although the ES805S is still very ergonomic. The "curve" makes it a little more maneuverable. The shave is excellent. Don't be fooled by its small size. It has good power and will last for 20+ shaves on just 2 AA alkaline batteries. Although I haven't tried it yet, I assume you will get more shaves with 2400 mAh Ni-Mh rechargeable batteries. That's what else is nice about this shaver. You never have to worry about a power source. You can opt to use rechargeables or alkalines. You won't have to throw away the shaver when the built-in batteries lose their charging ability, as we all know will eventually happen with any rechargeable product. I wish Panasonic would make ALL of their shavers operate with REPLACEABLE batteries as with the ES4815S.

I have read a lot of reviews about Panasonic wet/dry shavers and I am literally astonished whenever I read a negative review. I am assuming that these people use these shavers as a "dry" shaver, and in my opinion, regardless of which brand electric shaver you use, you will generally never get as close a shave as with a blade. Something that people do not think about is when you shave with a blade, you are shaving "wet" (i.e., with shaving cream or gel). Why? Because it reduces friction against your skin. If you did not shave "wet", you would cut up your skin. The principle is no different with an electric shaver. You want to reduce the friction against your face to get a smoother, closer shave. I have shaved "dry" with the ES4815S when I was in a hurry. I was presentable, but I could feel a little stubble. If I had used a pre-shave lotion, my shave would have been closer. But the secret to using the ES4815S, or any other Panasonic Wet/Dry shaver is to shave "wet." Why else buy a shaver that is "wet" capable? It does not make any sense to me. Save yourself some money and buy a "dry" or "rinseable" shaver. If you buy a shaver designated "wet/dry", you are paying extra for that ability. Look this fact up on PriceGrabber.com or Amazon.com. You will notice that Panasonic shavers that are "rinseable" will generally cost less than shavers that are classified "wet/dry". "Rinseable" means exactly that. You can ONLY "rinse" the shaver clean under water. You CANNOT shave in the shower as with a "wet/dry" shaver.

This leads me to the main reason that I am a true and loyal fan of the Panasonic Wet/Dry shavers. I prefer to shave in the shower. The best friction reducer you can use while shaving "wet" is shower/bath gel (NOT shaving cream/gel). I get very smooth/close shaves with shower gel. Also, since I use shower gel, the shaver is being cleaned as I shave!

The only warning that I will give when using the ES4815S is to shave daily with it. If you skip a day or 2 of shaving, it takes a little longer to shave. I would recommend a Panasonic triple-head shaver if you skip days of shaving.

The only feature I wish Panasonic would add to this shaver is a pop-up trimmer.

Good Shaver - What do YOU expect for $25?
Unfortunately, I found the reviews of electric wet/dry shavers somewhat confusing because the responses varied so widely. The manual on the Panasonic ES4815S Pro Curve says that you need to try shaving with it for one month to get accustomed to the shaving system. I think this a fair statement, as I slowly began to learn how to best use the shaver over time and my skin also gradually adapted to the machine. I think many people expect the same close shave that their razor provides from a wet/dry electric shaver, which is unfair. My experience with Panasonic ES4815S Pro Curve was a positive one, although every now and then I need to touch up areas of my face with my Gilette Sensor Excel. I am satisfied with the unit overall as it provides a comfortabe shave, the batterlies have good longevity and the unit is compact, ergonomic, attractive. Panasonic deserves an extra pat on the back for the order sheet included in the box that lists parts on the shaver that need replacing after one or two years of use. It allows people like you and me to order spare parts in advance before the unit breaks down, or even worse, the replacement parts are discontinued. So, if you are proactive and order them ahead of time, you never will have any down time with this nifty shaver.
Pricewise, for $25, there is no other competitor that provides as many features/benefits as the Panasonic ES4815S Pro Curve.