Thread: Blade suggestions for new DE users

Hiya,

Time for a little more spooking the new DE shaver.....heh. For them, most of this post will be difficult to understand. That's only because of absence of previous experience, and that'll be corrected over time.

Some blades are milder than others. Some pull more than others, some cut too closely or not close enough. The differences can be subtle, but those things really exist.

Some blades are more forgiving than others. It means those blades give the shaver a little extra warning before screwing up. Yep, it's a very small amount of time, but it's there if you can recognize it in time. Milder blades are by nature gonna be on the forgiving side, which makes them good ones to start with.

The Feather is the least forgiving blade I've tried. That means there's almost zero room for error, so paying attention is very important. I very much enjoy using that blade in a fatboy because that razor's design somehow tames the Feather for me. I don't use those blades in any other razor because they're just too sharp.

Sometimes you'll hear of a blade that's both very sharp, and forgiving as well. Best of both worlds if the blade fits you, otherwise it's just another blade. The idea is that you have a lot more warning than normal for a blade that sharp. The Iridium is one like that for many people, myself included. Those should be in everyone's blade sampler.

So it seems to me there's a bunch of subtle variations that determine what the best blade's gonna be for each of us. The blade reviews can be a good guidline as to what's the most popular brands and what to try early on. You still have to try em yourself of course...........

The blade badger burrow is bottomless I believe. This is a particularly nasty piece of work....diabolical.

Martin

This is a thoughtful idea for a thread. Unfortunately, I cannot add much to it. Thanks to the economies of eBay, I bought 100 Red Personnas and 100 Derbys for $10 each.

Those are the only two brands I've used and both worked just fine. I didn't know that they were considered to be mild, but I will say that I got great shaves from both of them. That is, until I gave my DE razor to my wife who also likes the shaves from both brands of blades.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Thanks to the economies of eBay, I bought 100 Red Personnas and 100 Derbys for $10 each.

Those are the only two brands I've used and both worked just fine. I didn't know that they were considered to be mild, but I will say that I got great shaves from both of them. That is, until I gave my DE razor to my wife who also likes the shaves from both brands of blades.

Hi there,

Yeah, both those blades have good reputations as mild, yet effective blades to try. The other would be the Crystal(Israeli Personna). Those are the ones I use when needing a milder blade than usual. I'll put those in an aggressive type razor used as a change of pace set up. Many of the razors I'll occasionally use need a blade that takes off a little less than usual as it goes over my face. I may sacrifice a tiny extra bit of closeness, but make up for it in the comfort department.

As you've seen, there's a fair bit to this blade thing. I'm glad you're finding the thread an interesting read. Heh, it can get pretty crazy.

Martin

Hey De Layne

I agree that your approach to finding a blade for a newbie is a lot like finding a car... you have to take a test drive before agreeing you like the feel...

I know many online vendors have blade sample packs for a few dollars that have a wide assortment of blades, sure to contain the right blade for the the shavers face and beard type

Just my two cents!

Thanks Again

Originally Posted by wetshaving

I know many online vendors have blade sample packs for a few dollars that have a wide assortment of blades, sure to contain the right blade for the the shavers face and beard type

Just my two cents!

Thanks Again

Hi there,

Yeah, a sample pack is the way to go, since there's no telling what blade's gonna match up well. I don't think a new DE user needs to order 15-20 different types to start with, but the sampler should include at least 3-4 of the more popular brands.

Thanks for mentioning that option.

Martin

I agree with wetshaving...Get a sampler pack from an online vendor. Try them all and then settle on the one or two that work best for you.

derazorblades and West Coast Shaving offer sampler packs of de razor blades. Check them out.

Besides more than adequate prep time, I have found the best method of extending the life of a blade is by starting with the most sharp blade I can find and letting it dull over time, without replacing it.

It's not extending the life of the blade, but extending the value of the blades.

I would have to agree that Wilkinson Sword are by far one of the best blades I have ever tried. I recently got stuck with a ten pack of Wal Greens brand blades as I absolutely had to have something to shave with on an out of town meeting. Boy do they make me miss the good stuff.

Vintage Wilkinsons are pretty easy to find online and the newer ones coming out these days in the white plastic are none too shabby in my opinion.