As has alreay been mentioned, there is a break-in period when switching from one shaving method to another. When I first switched to a Norelco from blade I was also unimpressed - irritation, feeling of not getting a close enough shave, etc. (I've noticed the same thing just switching from one brand of an electric shaver to another.) After a few weeks my skin and beard adjusted to the new method, and these days I would not go back to the world of styptic pencils, nicks and occasional sleep-induced bloodlettings. It may turn out that you prefer a blade razor, but you will not get a fair assessment of an electric shaver until you've used it for awhile.