Thread: Was looking at blade sample packs...

Originally Posted by lz6

Give Buy Individual Razor Blades for Double Edge, Single Edge and Shavettes a look. Pick your own sampler blades.

Great site! Sample Feather Blades for those trying out the Feather system or Cobra, Mongoose etc.

I like the sites that allow you to choose the blades in the sample, makes much more sense if the shaver knows the blades they want to try out. The problem is that the typical Sampler Pack customer hasn't a clue (not in a bad way, they are just noobs) so how would they intelligently choose? While I want on some level to appreciate the Sampler Pack option, to me it wasn't worth it. My first and only sampler, early 2009 was comprised of Derbies, Merkurs, Sharks, and some Personna's, likely Israelis. Of those only some Sharks remain, Feathers are the best for me but they are absent from many samplers.

As a reborn DE shaver, I tried the samples out, while at the same time learning (not re-learning, I never had it right in the sixties) blade angle, prep, lather making, et alia. Guess what? I was mixing so many variables it's a wonder I didn't regress to carts.

Rather than a one size fits all sampler (where the individual blade price is 10 X'ed usually) I'd first determine beard type, experience and then try two or three blades that target the individual, or maybe bracket is a better word. No Derbies for a Bogart beard, no need to spend on Feathers for peach fuzz. Try a couple and see, setting up a ten blade comparison for a new shaver is a path to frustration.

GaryG makes a great point.
There is a lot to be said for keeping the sample pack down to a short list of blades that make most lists...

So I'll start:

Feather
Persona Lab/MED (I can't tell the diff and this is the blade I go to for my 10 +/- DE shaves a year)
Astra Blue
Astra Green

Sample packs are great. Try many brands because everyone's face is different. Feathers gave me a good shave but ultimately were too irritating. Personna med preps are my favorites among blades currently being produced. Of NOS, I love Gillrtte Swedes and Schick Platinum Plus. Happily, I have some good supplies of both.