The MRD Pro Vector Foil Shaver is the second best-selling MRD tool we stock, and its replacement head is the fourth, which tells you two things: barbers are finishing fades with it every day, and foils wear out. Here is what it does, how to use it on a fade, and when to change the head.
What it is
The Vector Foil Shaver is a cordless double-foil shaver with an 11,500-strokes-per-minute vector motor, built for professional finishing on fades and short stubble. It comes in five colours to match the Smart Brain and Vector clippers and trimmers, and it is the third piece of the MRD trios.
What a foil shaver is for
Clippers take hair to a millimetre or two. Trimmers clean the edges. A foil shaver takes the skin section of a fade to nothing and blends the first transition so there is no line. It also finishes bald heads and tidies stubble under a beard. It is the last tool on the cut.
How to use it on a fade
- Finish the clipper and trimmer work first, and make sure the skin is dry. Foils drag on damp skin.
- Hold the shaver flat against the skin with light pressure. Pressing harder does not cut closer; it heats the foil.
- Work in short strokes against the direction of growth, overlapping each pass.
- At the transition, feather the shaver upward with a rolling motion so the skin section blends into the 0.5 guard line rather than stopping at it.
- Brush the foil clean between clients and oil the cutters at the end of the day.
When to replace the head
A foil is a thin metal screen and it wears. Change the Vector Foil Shaver replacement head when you see a shiny worn patch, when the shave starts pulling instead of gliding, or when it stops getting the skin clean in one pass. On a busy station that is every few months; at home it is once a year. The head is a fraction of a new shaver and clicks in without tools.
Vector Foil Shaver vs the alternatives
- Vs Wahl Vanish: similar job, similar close finish; the MRD is cheaper and matches an MRD kit. The Vanish has independent suspension cutter bars that follow contours.
- Vs BaBylissPRO FoilFX02: the FoilFX02 is heavier-duty and costs more; the MRD holds its own for daily fade finishing.
- Vs an electric razor from the supermarket: not the same tool. Consumer shavers are not built to finish a fade or run all day.
Build the set
Buy it with the Smart Brain Clipper and Smart Brain Trimmer in the same colour, or as part of an MRD trio, which is priced below the three tools. The best MRD Pro tools list covers the rest of the range.
Where to buy the MRD Vector Foil Shaver in Adelaide
All five colours and the replacement head are at MV Hair & Beauty, 412 Churchill Road, Kilburn, with click and collect locally and delivery Australia-wide. Standard shipping is free on orders of A$99 and over.