Thread: Stupid Question about DE blades.

The blades do very somewhat so it's nice to get a sampler to figure out what works for you. But if you're shaving correctly you should be Able to get a good shave with any of them.

Originally Posted by BeJay

But if you're shaving correctly you should be Able to get a good shave with any of them.

I wouldn't go quite that far - even considering the often abused "YMMV" (Your mileage may vary.) - as some blades are just notoriously bad and will only give below-average shaves.

This is where sites like this one come handy, where a novice can search for reviews and get a better understaning which blades tend to work and which ones don't.

For example; Merkur blades, distributed by the same company that makes reasonably good DE razors, are widely accepted as being poor razor blades.


B.

Strangely, I've had decent shaves from Merkur blades. They weren't the best I'd used, but they were not too bad.

There are several decent blade brands: Astra and Feather among them.

The sampler is often the way to start out, but with a caveat. A beginner's skill and tastes will change, so that The Blade selected from the sampler while a greenhorn may not be The Blade six months later. Try and avoid bulk blade purchases at first, or end up like the unnamed dummy with 180+ Derbies languishing under the sink ..

Welcome, Ian. Two suggestions for shaving that upper lip of yours with a straight: 1) stretch your lip over your teeth to smooth it out (some gents bite their lip to help) and 2) Use a scooping motion with the blade -- start with a higher angle, then lower it as the stroke proceeds from your nose to your mouth.

These tips helped me greatly when I stuggled with the real estate between my nose and mouth.

I imagine the metal used to make the blades is a tad different from maker to maker and the process is also different meaning the machine tools can be better from maker to maker and the tolerances can be different.

It's like buying a watch. They all keep time but some do it better than others and when you examine the movement (even a quartz one) you uncover drastic differences.

I actually know what Fool's pass means and no. Hell no! I cannot imagine the blood loss I'd incur if I tried that.

I've actually worked out what I'm doing wrong. I start off stretching the top lip pretty good but seem to release the tension a bit when repositioning the blade. Then the blade hits tough hair and skips.... blood. I also noticed the last time I shaved that the lather had dried a bit by the time I got to the top lip.

I've only been at this about 10 days and I imagine I'll get it right soon or build up enough scar tissue that it won't matter.

Again, thanks for the advice guys.

I remember when I was a kid, when cartridge razors were still new, (and only had one or two blades each), the local drug store carried 3 or 4 brands of blades, and 2 or 3 soaps. Dad just made due with what he could get his hands on. I'm sure before I came along, he tried each of those 3 or 4 blades and settled on The One, and simply learned to use that one. We pretty much do the same thing today, but thanks to the internet, we have a hundred or so types at our disposal. The basic size and shape are standard, but they can be amazingly different other than that.

I know i am new to DE shaving as well (1 year), but i have managed to make it with a few lessons learned, at least for my own beard, which is heavy.

I tried astra, derby, and crystal blades. there are differences. However, in my experience, i get more consistent shaves with less brand-dependence, if i merely change blade each day.

astras cost $0.11/each X 6 days/week = $0.66/week. when i started this, i have no weepers; i have no razor burn; i have no nicks, etc. from the enjoyment and smooth finish i get from this DE hobby, its worth this to me.

all-in-all, this is the one thing i have done that has significantly improved my experience, other than upgrading my razor and brush.

Originally Posted by dpete

I know i am new to DE shaving as well (1 year), but i have managed to make it with a few lessons learned, at least for my own beard, which is heavy.

I tried astra, derby, and crystal blades. there are differences. However, in my experience, i get more consistent shaves with less brand-dependence, if i merely change blade each day.

astras cost $0.11/each X 6 days/week = $0.66/week. when i started this, i have no weepers; i have no razor burn; i have no nicks, etc. from the enjoyment and smooth finish i get from this DE hobby, its worth this to me.

all-in-all, this is the one thing i have done that has significantly improved my experience, other than upgrading my razor and brush.

Thanks for that info. Was wondering if you'd tried turning the blades over and getting 2 shaves from each? I've read that shaving acts like a "strop" and sharpens the blade.
My Gillette slim adjustable finally turned up. Tried it with a Gillette 7 o'clock and got a bit of barbers burn. That was one shave on a new blade, razor set on 5. Next blade up Derby.