• Wall Street Journal, Friday, February 12, 2010 10:38 AM

Before we go any further, let's get to the question most of you are dying to know the answer to. When Procter & Gamble launches the Gillette Fusion ProGlide in June -- the first significant upgrade to the line since its birth four years ago -- it will not contain a single blade more than the five that are currently installed in the cartridge.

"It's not about blade count," Matthew Wohl, P&G's gm of male new products and shave care, tells Ellen Byron. Instead, there will be technological advances such as blade edges "so fine they can only be seen at high magnification," a "snow-plow guard" that prevents hydroplaning and a new ergonomic grip that improves traction.

P&G hopes ProGlide will push existing Fusion users to upgrade and will also convert stalwarts who still manage to get the whiskers off with the three-edged Mach 3 or other devices instead of five blades, sometimes accompanied by battery-powered vibration. A four-pack of the new manual cartridges will sell for about $16.99; blades for the battery-powered razor for $17.99. That's about 15% more than regular Fusion blades, which are about twice the average price of competitors, such as they are.

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