DE & blade combo question

I have several DE`s liked em all except for my Gilette adjustables. Never could get a decent shave from them, lots of cuts, not smooth at all, just plain face butchering going on. Well the other day I got some new blades and wanted to try them out. The only DE `s that didnt already have a blade in them was the adjustables so I thought what the heck Ill give it a try. It was super smooth, not super close but smooth!. Shaved again with it the next day and moved it to more agressive setting, still smooth but better shave over all.
Now my question: Do different blades behave differently in different DEs? I havent really found a difference in any of my other blades, the ones I like I seem to like in all my DEs and same for dislikes.
Or is it possible I am just using the adjustable differently now and it is my technique that has caused the difference?

I haven't had much love for adjustables but I also haven't given them the time they deserve to get used to them. I usually stayed at 2 or 3 and I have heard a few times recently that adjustables perform best around 5.

All I know for sure is an Aristoctat with 7 Oclock yellows will deliver a fantastic shave for me even when I rush. That's the true reason why I haven't given adjustables much time, my crat kills it everytime almost effortlessly.

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My experience with vintage DE safety razors;

I only use the Gillettes; I don't have a modern DE razor. The youngest of mine were made in the 70's . I have three adjustable razors & they stay in the collection. I really don't find anything special about the shave. I prefer Feather blades as the top choice & actually Sharks are my #2 choice.

I enjoy an open comb Gillette shave the most , with a Shark loaded in it. I don't use Feathers in my open combs. The shave is a little too close for comfort.

The TTO's are fine with any DE blade, but Sharks perform well in all my razors.

Not all TTO's perform the same, the Lady Gillette K1 , though not the macho choice, gives me the best shave of all my DE razors. I can load it with any brand blade & the shave is great.

http://www.mr-razor.com/Rasierer/One...tte%20blue.JPG

Choices as to what brand blade, to place in what style razor , is a very personal one. Getting a sample pack & rotating them through the razor will tell you a lot as to what razor/blade combination you like.

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Originally Posted by Stu929

I haven't had much love for adjustables but I also haven't given them the time they deserve to get used to them. I usually stayed at 2 or 3 and I have heard a few times recently that adjustables perform best around 5.

All I know for sure is an Aristoctat with 7 Oclock yellows will deliver a fantastic shave for me even when I rush. That's the true reason why I haven't given adjustables much time, my crat kills it everytime almost effortlessly.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

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Thanx I use the DE`s when I'm in a hurry straights when I have more time. I do like to experiment though so I try almost anything I can get my hands on

I guess different blades can make a difference but that drastic a difference may be down to learning to shave with a straight razor which improved your DE shaving. If you are going to shave with a Gillette adjustable at anywhere near the #9 setting do not be in a rush but shave with it like it was a straight razor.

Bob

Back when i used a DE i enjoyed my open comb old style the most but habe used all the different gillette razors. I found the Gillette Silver and Blue to be the most.comfortable and great shaves no mater what i put the blade in.

After the transision to S.R. i havent picked up a DE and still have a dozen blades. Never know when i might habe to step back.

I have 1 TTO adjustable Gillette and I so far have not cared for it. As stated above I have not put the leg work in with it to see if I can enjoy it. I have 2 or 3 other Gillette razors I truly enjoy. And I only use dollar store blades in them. Cheap, easy access and they perform for me.

Oh boy do they! I shaved with DE's for over 50 years until I discovered the forums and the joy of shaving with a straight. I must have had 25 to 30 different DE's from some of the earliest to the most modern, and each one seemed to give their best shaves with only one or two particular blades. The best thing to do is to buy a sample pack of a dozen or so different blades, and try them out in each of your razors. Of course there are many other things that contribute to a good shave with a DE, such as blade gap. Within a year of discovering straights, I sold all of my DE's except a Gillette slim that I purchase new in 1962 and had thousands of good shaves with it.

^+1 Richard's advice on blade sample packs and input on blade gaps is spot on!

My experience is similar to his; shaved with DEs for about 25 years, but let most of them go when I switched to straights. I've kept 2 DEs and 1 SE that are stellar performers when I don't have the time or etc. for a straight shave.

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Originally Posted by evnpar

Oh boy do they! I shaved with DE's for over 50 years until I discovered the forums and the joy of shaving with a straight. I must have had 25 to 30 different DE's from some of the earliest to the most modern, and each one seemed to give their best shaves with only one or two particular blades. The best thing to do is to buy a sample pack of a dozen or so different blades, and try them out in each of your razors. Of course there are many other things that contribute to a good shave with a DE, such as blade gap. Within a year of discovering straights, I sold all of my DE's except a Gillette slim that I purchase new in 1962 and had thousands of good shaves with it.

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Thanx I wasnt sure as I have 7 DE`s and tried all kinds of blades in all of them. The adjsutable is the only one I didnt like untill the other day. Perhaps I need to try experimenting more. On a similar note I have tried my feather blades in 2 of them and really dont like them atall , in fact I had given up on them compeltely. I guess I try them in some other DEs and see if they start working better.

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Originally Posted by AlanQ

Thanx I wasnt sure as I have 7 DE`s and tried all kinds of blades in all of them. The adjsutable is the only one I didnt like untill the other day. Perhaps I need to try experimenting more. On a similar note I have tried my feather blades in 2 of them and really dont like them atall , in fact I had given up on them compeltely. I guess I try them in some other DEs and see if they start working better.

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Feather blades are quite sharp and unforgiving.

When I try out a new DE I place the top cap flat on my face with the handle straight out parallel to the floor. Then rotate the handle downward till I can just feel the blade. That is the minimum angle it will shave at and the right angle to use for that razor. If you drop the handle further it will still cut whiskers but more in a scraping manner likely leading to irritation. Using that angle with just the weight of the razor just guide guide the razor with the handle maintain that angle while you follow the contours of your face. Just mentioning this as not all DEs have the same minimum angle they will shave at as the geometry of the heads can be pretty different.

Bob

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Originally Posted by BobH

Feather blades are quite sharp and unforgiving.

When I try out a new DE I place the top cap flat on my face with the handle straight out parallel to the floor. Then rotate the handle downward till I can just feel the blade. That is the minimum angle it will shave at and the right angle to use for that razor. If you drop the handle further it will still cut whiskers but more in a scraping manner likely leading to irritation. Using that angle with just the weight of the razor just guide guide the razor with the handle maintain that angle while you follow the contours of your face. Just mentioning this as not all DEs have the same minimum angle they will shave at as the geometry of the heads can be pretty different.

Bob

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That is a really intelligent way of doing things, no wonder I never thought of it myself

I know for a fact different blades behave differently in different DEs. Feather and KAI are perfect examples because they are exeptionally sharp. They work better in milder razors and cause massive irritation in aggressive ones. That's been my experience anyway. Feather is for a Gillette Tech, or an adjustable on a low setting. Pol silver SI is for a more aggressive razor, maybe a New type, or an OC TTO. It takes some experimenting, so I'd go with a sampler pack as well, and take the time to figure it out. The Adjustable (Fatboy) and the Slim adjustable aren't bad razors, they just need some practice and the right blade. I know a lot of people who swear by the Slim, although I sold all of mine cos I have a Fatboy which does a better job for me, due to the added weight.

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Originally Posted by Srdjan

I know for a fact different blades behave differently in different DEs. Feather and KAI are perfect examples because they are exeptionally sharp. They work better in milder razors and cause massive irritation in aggressive ones. That's been my experience anyway.

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Just as a counter point, my experience with aggressive DEs and Feather blades has been a little different. I learned to shave on a DE, a Gillette adjustable in fact. Strayed away over the years through different cartridge and electric shavers. Got into straight razor shaving a few years back and also picked up some DEs along the way. Among the DEs were a Gillette Fat boy, a 2012 Muhle R41 and a Fatip OC. The Fatboy when set at 9 is an aggressive DE and I was never able to shave with it dialed all the way up. That is until I got my straight razor technique sorted and started to play with the Fatboy again. It is perfectly possible, for me, to do a 4 pass shave using a Fatboy @9 with a Feather blade without massive irritation. Same goes for the Muhle R41 and Fatip OC. My only conclusion is that if you treat these aggressive DEs as if they were straight razors you can get a comfortable shave.

Bob

Aloha!

I have about 5 blades that I like in certain razors across the DEs in my Shave Cave, but I DO NOT have ONE blade that works universally in all my razors with my skin type and beard.

For example, Feather blades and the Edwin Jagger DE89 are a match made in heaven for my beard. On the flip-side, the Q-Shave (Merkur Futur Chinese Knock-off) will give me the razor burn from hell with Feather blades. Mostly because the Q-Shave blade reveal is not consistent on both sides of the razor due to poor manufacture. If you choose setting 4 (as an example), then one side will give you a reveal of setting of about 1 and the other will be a reveal setting of about 7. So one side and you hardly have any agression at all, the other and you have full bore agression. If you don't catch this and adapt from one side of the razor to the other, you are setting your skin up for wild changes in agression from one side of the razor to the other and welcoming issues galore. My other adjustables are engineered and manufactured with higher quality control, so no wild blade reveal swings, but I do have to be careful on blade reveal setting with such blades as Feather, whereas Voskhods give me a milder shave across the setting spectrum.

I love Voskhod blades but they are a bit too mild for my Jagger DE89 as this has a milder blade reveal - thus I prefer Feather by far in that razor. But the Voskhods work better in more agressive razors for my skin. So much of this is subjective and what works for one person's beard may not work for another.

If I want a BBS shave out of my DE, the razor and blade of choice for me is the Jagger DE89 matched with Feather blades. Any other more agressive or adjustable razors get the Voskhod blades or similar. And as always with wet shaving where individual skin is involved, YMMV.

-Zip

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Originally Posted by ZipZop

Aloha! And as always with wet shaving where individual skin is involved, YMMV.

-Zip

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I don't think that can be stressed too much when you read responses to questions posted. We are all individuals which puts a lot of variables into play. You just have to try different blades and shaving techniques till you find a combo that works for you.

Bob

Honestly I look at this issue the same way we discuss straight razors. Some folks talk about some straights as being too sharp and that's really no different than folks saying this DE or that DE doesn't work with a feather or a Gillette Yellow blade but that one works with a poly silver or whatever. I'm kind of the mind that you can take an R41 and put a feather in it and get a shave with no nicks or irritation at all. As a matter of fact I've done it. It ain't fast and it ain't fun but I never said I was highly skilled with a DE.

Now I'm not saying all DEs are created equal, obviously some are more tame than others and blades differ in how sharp they are which is roughly equal to straights that are not at their optimum keenness and I imagine most are not. I'm not sure you can take a tame DE with a feather Blade and have the equivalent of a expertly honed straight.

I think you just need to give these razors more respect than most folks do. Most look at a DE as something you use for a quick shave and an easy shave. I think the combination you use for a quick easy shave is different than what you can use if you treat the DE like a straight. Of course that assumes you want to treat a DE shave as you would a straight and I'm not sure most do.

So what's my point here?

Well what I guess I'm trying to say is that in truly skilled hands the most aggressive DE and Blade can shave everyone equally well and safe the same as the sharpest straight can all other things like prep being equal.

Then the next thing to discuss is why folks shave with a DE and what they are willing to put into it and what they want to get out of it.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Then the next thing to discuss is why folks shave with a DE and what they are willing to put into it and what they want to get out of it.

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OK, I'll start. I shave with a DE for variety and because when I travel by car I do not want to drag along a strop and hone. I put enough into learning to shave with a DE so as to approach the level of shave I get from a straight razor. For me that means the use of an aggressive DE and sharp blade.

Bob

Bob, I tried the R41 a few times and honestly hated the experience. That thing is not coming into my home again :)

We're all different, just like Spendur said, when we discuss straights, "shave-ready" means different things to different people and it's the same with DE blades. I can't take the Green Astra in most of my DEs, but I'm OK with Feathers, and Pol Silver SI is probably the best, most comfortable blade for me. Some people don't care for it at all, as I've read many times.

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Originally Posted by Srdjan

Bob, I tried the R41 a few times and honestly hated the experience. That thing is not coming into my home again :)

We're all different, just like Spendur said, when we discuss straights, "shave-ready" means different things to different people and it's the same with DE blades. I can't take the Green Astra in most of my DEs, but I'm OK with Feathers, and Pol Silver SI is probably the best, most comfortable blade for me. Some people don't care for it at all, as I've read many times.

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Yea, we are all different for sure.

Which version of the Muhle R41 did you have? I have the later version which is not as aggressive as the first version from what I have read.

Yes, shave ready means different things to different people. The edges I put on my blades and am happy to shave with would likely not be good enough for others.

Bob

I have the early version of the R41 and the first few times I used it I sliced myself worse than I ever did with any straight even when I was learning to use a straight.

However what I learned is you need some real skill with that razor. You need to use really minimal pressure and the angle you hold the thing has to be watched carefully and you need to go slow, really slow.

In the end I decided with all the fuss with that razor I might just as well use a straight.

Bob, I think the version I tried was from last year (around this time), I remember a friend let me have his new R41 to try. I put a Feather inside and butchered my face, then I put a PSI in and didn't really get many weepers (maybe one on my neck), but I remember these shaves being extremely unpleasant - as Spendur says, I'd rather use a straight in this case, and it will be a lot easier.

OP sorry about the off topic!

I too tried the r41. Got the closest shave from it. Mine was the newer version not as agressive as the old version. It was the last DE i used before SR's. The angle made all the difference to me.

I also have the Muhle R41, and still use it when traveling. At home I use straights - the day I can get as close a shave with a straight as I can with the R41 and a fresh Astra blade is the day I'll know I've truly mastered straight razor shaving. The R41 gives the closest shaves I've ever experienced, turning even my cheese-grater stubble into baby's butt smoothness.

But it's far less forgiving than any straight razor, definitely demands attention. Pull your skin as tight as you would with a straight razor, use the right angle and enjoy how great your face feels the rest of the day.

Gentlemen,

Currently I use mostly modern stainless steel safety razors, double or single edge, and leave the straight razor shaving for the weekends. Some physical limitations in my shoulders and hands plus just straight razor fatigue have changed my shaving focus.

My current safety razor lineup is this: BBS-1, three Timeless SB and OC, Blackbird, Mongoose, and then the Gillette Aristocrat, Fatboy, Red Tip and Flaretip.

After years of using Feather, Gillette yellow, Astra, Iridium Super, Polsilver and Personna red, I have discovered that the Feather works best for me — in any razor. Since I have a good supply of all these blades, I still use them, even though I prefer the Feather. Once my supply of them is finished, it'll be Feather all the way.

I use a new blade with every shave, except for the Feather, which gets smoother on the second shave, and then dies on the third. So, then, it is two shaves and out with the Feather.

My shave moto is: Comfort over Perfect. And the older I get, the more I stick to it.