Thread: shave testing to find my best shaver

Today I decided to try to shave test some razors to try to find out what gave me the best shave. I like all my razors and so far they all have been good shavers but I really wanted to see which ones stood out after noticeing a remarkable difference between one shave and the next when useing a different razor. I also wanted to put a couple of my wedges up against some full hollow ground razors. So, I grabed a brush some soap and got down to work...or should I say fun. anyway here is the lineup in no perticular order

red imp wedge
henckels 401
double duck special no1
silver ring by brah &plumacher
henckels 407
wade&butcher celebrated

keep in mind that I'm not trying to start a what's the best blade ever for me or anyone else type of thread.

here is what I found out. first of all its pretty fun to shave with more than one razor now I know why presidents use a different pen for every letter in those signing ceramonies. second without shaveing one razor on the same shave as the other you don't get as good of an idea about which one shaves you the best. third when useing wedges and hollows at the same shave you really find out if you like wedges or hollows better. fourth even though the shave feels smoother with razor A than razor B (refering to how it feels to shave with not to closeness of the shave) there might be a reason you still like razor B just as much. fifth if you want to know which one shaves better you just have to try it yourself because I aint gonna tell.

Like I said I'm not trying to start a whats the best razor discussion.

I guess we all have favorite razors for whatever reason. But I have found no difference based on the grind. Extra hollow to full wedge, they shave the same to me. I have a couple that I really like based on how they look, but no difference in the shave.

perhaps it was in my immagination or slight variations in honeing since I hadnt used a couple in a while and just stroped them all identicaly instead of putting a fresh hone on all of them. but they did all feel different against my face and they deffinately felt different in my hand especially the larger heavier blade of the wade & butcher.

I don't have a long count of razors. I always feel as though none of them ever shave as nice as my first razor. It could totally be in my head though seeing as my first one was my great-grandfathers. It is my measuring stick though.

Every razor has a different feel as you shave. Even duplicates of the same razor. There are many factors for that. Different grind, different size, different scale types and shape and balance of the razor and of course the degree of sharpness. Some of these factors will cause you to use the razor in a different fashion which can result in a very different outcome.

We have also discussed on this site the fact there are a small number of razors that are just...well, perfect pieces and they shave in a way just superior than most others.

Also you can't divorce closeness of shave and comfort of shave. The mark of a really good honer is to be able to get a razor so it both shaves close and comfortably.

Is a huge amt of mental stuff involved also,blades,brushes,soaps, preps, the list is endless in this sport.
I have my faves of course,but at the end of the day,all my blades shave the same.

I decided to repeat the experiment only this time I grabbed some that I used last time and some that I hadn't used. This time I touched up the edges on all of them. they were all smooth, comfortable, and close shaveing. They also did feel different when I shaved with them. Perhaps I was useing the wrong word when I said comfortable shave when I was talking about finding which one was the best shaver. I guess what I really meant was finding out which razor had the feel that I prefered when not takeing into account non-shaveing factors like looks, weather it was one of my first razors, and if it was one that I had an affinity for because it was inherited or given to me.

I did find that some felt better than the others. The others still shaved good, but now I know which is a favorite because of the way it feels to shave with it and which is a favorite because I like its looks, because it was my first, or because it was given to me by a loved one or inherited. I did confirm that its fun to go through several at a time and get to know each one in comparison to the others and a good way to rediscover that razor that you havent used in a while and may have forgotten about.