When Razor meets Laser

Big science strikes again! I, too, was skeptical when the world’s first beard trimmer equipped with a real, live laser beam to help men shave in a straight line was introduced. Sounds like a gimmick, right? And yet I walk by botched grooming jobs every day on the street. So today, after test-driving the Norelco Beard Trimmer 9100, I find myself forced to admit this futuristic groomer actually does work—and quite well.

Part of that is because the device is state-of-the-art in almost every way I can think of, with 17 preprogrammed length settings, a sharp blade that swivels to multiple angles of attack, and a water-resistant casing so you can splash with abandon.

The laser itself kind of looks exactly how you’d imagine: Press down on a spring-loaded attachment behind the blade and up pops a unit that projects an intense, thin line of red light straight onto your face. Stick to this illuminated edge as you trim, and the borders of your beard will be perfectly straight; adjust the angle slightly for symmetrical curves.

Again, who cares? Shaving in a straight line with only your own eyes to guide you isn’t akin to, say, executing a Brâncuşi sculpture—I’d give it a three on a one-to-ten scale of manual dexterity—but that’s not to say there aren’t times when my old-fashioned razor accidentally strays. Now, it would appear, I have no excuse.