Wet Shavers' preferred blades

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Stick

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For those who use a DE safety razor, what's your preferred choice of blade?

Poorly regarded by many, I'm having great results with Derby Extras.  They give me a very close, comfortable and smooth shave every time with 2 passes plus touch up.  My current go to blade.

I've also used Feathers, mostly because I was intrigued by their fearsome reputation.  If I'd heeded the hype I'd have considered myself lucky to have both ears and my head still firmly attached to my neck.  Turned out to have little difference to the Derbys, but just a fair bit sharper (IMO).  No nicks or weepers, just another very close shave.  I achieve a great shave quicker with these than I do the Derbys.

So what are you loading into your DE razors chaps?
 
About 2 years ago, a friend of mine who worked for the Wallgreen's pharmacy co. told me that Shick was stopping making DE blades and he could get me some remaining stock from his distributor so I bought 400 blades worth and am set for life !! :twisted: :twisted:  Over the years I've been shaving, having tried just about everything from Wilkonson Sword to Gillette Blue blades I kept coming back to the Shick Platinum Plus DE blades that worked best in my Gillette 109 DE razor and my face! If you can find some, I recomend you try them. they are sharp. smooth and work well with a good lathering soap such as Williams. They came in the 10 blade blister packs in boxes of 200 count and I'm barely down a 1/4 of the first box !!!  :twisted: :twisted:
 
I'm still working through some samples, but I've had great luck with Bluebird, Gillette 7 'OClocks here lately.
 
As seen on my Shaveology 101 Exit Exam cheat sheet.

Q:Are feathers as sharp as rumored on the Internet?

A: Yes. Feathers are sharp because they are razor blades. Razor blades that aren't sharp aren't razor blades, they are just thin pieces of metal.



Part of the Feather Myth started when the first pack was ever sold.. The guy behind the counter told the gent "These are made by the folk that make scalpels." It's true, and it's fun, but it's still just a razor blade.  Later on that same gent bought a pack of Personna Med Prep and was told "These are what hospital use to shave patients, and Hospitals chose these over feather brand, so you know how sharp they must be."  Maybe true? maybe not, it's still fun, but it's still just a razor blade.

 One thing that is very true about feathers: They are made in Japan. Japan is where Samurai Sword came from. Samurai Sword often killed Ninja. Feathers are tiny modern Samurai Swords. Carry some in your pocket in case miniature ninja are ever foolish enough to attack you... You'll show them!

What did I use when I shaved me?    Personna Reds from a 10,000,000 pack me and pops bought in 2002.  But that doesn't matter.   You found a couple that works, be happy.  Every face/blade/lather combination is different. I don't know why that's true but the guy that sold me the 25 count sampler pack for $50 said it was true and he had an honest enough looking avatar.
 
I prefer the medical persona blades. Second would be the lab blue and lastly are the reds.
 
10.000.000 huh ? So you guys went to the factory and bought the next decade of their production of these blades !! ? Neat :twisted: :twisted:
 
Seems like it. I think the actual number was 2,500 split between us but I bet I still have 1,000 left. Unless I get attacked by a horde of tiny ninja I can't imagine I'm not set for life if I shave 3 times a day from now on.
 
I went through a sampler of various blades, maybe a dozen different ones. The two that stood out as best for me were the Feathers and the Personna blues. The feathers seemed sharper at first but also seemed to dull quicker than the Personnas. I ended up buying a 100 pack of the blues about 18 months ago, still have maybe half the box left. I shave daily and get a couple weeks between blade changes. The razor I use most often is a Gillette New long comb.
 
Getting back on topic from my silly rant...

If you are serious about trying various blades, http://connaughtshaving.com. Even across the drink they were worth shopping from on this side.. I don't know if it was always a favorable dollar (doubt it) or they are just that good. They sell samplers.

Monblablabla's SPP is good (even a blind squirrel gets a nut occasionally, the company, not Monblablabla. Shick should have stopped R&D when they made the L injector, although I could argue they perfected it as early as the E ). Persona Red are worth examining. Wilkenson Swords. Derby isn't a bad blade, they seemed to dull a little quicker than the Personna Red I settled on but the new shave was about the same. I liked one of the colors of Gillette 7 but got a horrible case of OMG!! From the others. It had to be the blade, no chance it was me using different razors and soaps and trading lathering technique back a forth. Some of the least of the 'good brands' are just damn good. Badger & Blade had an article showing the various factories the blades are sourced from. The Indians are surprisingly good at making blades. I guess cause they all use DE razors???

I'm really no expert. I just used hate to shave. And I sought out as comfortable an experience as I could find. Which ended up with me loving to shave. I said that so I can say this, to me, the quality of soap and a consistent pattern of shaving seems to be more important than blade choice (as long as it's a decent blade). The biggest difference I ever noticed was some last a shave or two longer than the other.

Amortizing the initial cost, wet shaving is the cheapest way to shave. The extra penny or two per blade (if you like a higher priced blade) isn't worth a single bad shave searching for the perfect blade. Even considered over a life time of shaving.. A penny a shave extra is worst case scenarios $1.50 a year. How many decades before you make up the cost of the sampler pack? And whose to say the desired blade will be remembered or even anything more than a subjective guess without journaling over a period of time? And finally whose to say the preferred blade will be available when you run out of you first 1,000 pack or if it is available that it's made in the same factory?

But by all means, go buy that sampler, it'll make me feel less stupid for having done so if more people do it. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
 
Another interesting place that sells singles is www.tryablade.com

Of course it's going to be more expensive per blade, but if you get a wild hair and want to try something without buying a pack, it might be worth it. I haven't used them yet, but might pick up some of the AC blades to take a spin with.
 
Some interesting stuff there.  It's in my bookmarks but I hadn't been there in a good while.

I like that they list country of manufacturer.
 
Stick":yn223g62 said:
...Poorly regarded by many, I'm having great results with Derby Extras.  They give me a very close, comfortable and smooth shave every time with 2 passes plus touch up.  My current go to blade.

I've also used Feathers, mostly because I was intrigued by their fearsome reputation.  
My experience exactly. I was gifted a large quantity of Derbys at least a decade ago and find them perfectly adequate. The Feathers are very sharp at first, but seem to dull quicker. Until the Derbys are gone, I'm not in the market for anything else.
 
puros_bran":tx7t55lm said:
A: Yes. Feathers are sharp because they are razor blades. Razor blades that aren't sharp aren't razor blades, they are just thin pieces of metal.

Part of the Feather Myth... but it's still just a razor blade.
It's very refreshing to read this PB. I was beginning to think I was missing something. Razor blades in general are, well, razor sharp. I think I can discern a difference between the Feathers and Derbys, but maybe I'm just looking for what I've read elsewhere. It maybe that sometime in the future I become a razor blade expert (sincerely doubt this) where I'll be able to recognise a blade just by it's smell. Until then, I think I'll stick with the Derbys and keep a few other exotics for interest.
 
Richard Burley":mo2pzsq1 said:
Stick":mo2pzsq1 said:
...Poorly regarded by many, I'm having great results with Derby Extras.  They give me a very close, comfortable and smooth shave every time with 2 passes plus touch up.  My current go to blade.

I've also used Feathers, mostly because I was intrigued by their fearsome reputation.  
My experience exactly. I was gifted a large quantity of Derbys at least a decade ago and find them perfectly adequate. The Feathers are very sharp at first, but seem to dull quicker. Until the Derbys are gone, I'm not in the market for anything else.
I'm with you, Richard.
 
My everyday blades are persona blues, but I've had some Derby samples and I found that in a couple of my razors they work pretty good.
 
Tried the Gillette 7 o'clock Sharp Edges over the past few days.

Reckon they're a tinch sharper than the Derbys and just as smooth. No sign of the red stuff at all either. My problem is they're Gillette and after years of them having my pants down with the price of cartridges I'm loathed to feather the Gillette nest anymore.
 
Stick":drmqj9st said:
Tried the Gillette 7 o'clock Sharp Edges over the past few days.

Reckon they're a tinch sharper than the Derbys and just as smooth. No sign of the red stuff at all either. My problem is they're Gillette and after years of them having my pants down with the price of cartridges I'm loathed to feather the Gillette nest anymore.
That won't fly!! Remember all those years you used cartridges, you could have been shaving with a DE razor, soap & brush but YOU chose to use the cartridge razor. If it's a good blade and works for you get over the other stuff and USE them !! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: You can't say you weren't aware of another way of shaving during that time !! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
 
monbla256":9vhwimux said:
Stick":9vhwimux said:
Tried the Gillette 7 o'clock Sharp Edges over the past few days.

Reckon they're a tinch sharper than the Derbys and just as smooth. No sign of the red stuff at all either. My problem is they're Gillette and after years of them having my pants down with the price of cartridges I'm loathed to feather the Gillette nest anymore.
That won't fly!! Remember all those years you used cartridges, you could have been shaving with a DE razor, soap & brush but YOU chose to use the cartridge razor. If it's a good blade and works for you get over the other stuff and USE them !! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: You can't say you weren't aware of another way of shaving during that time !! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Interesting thoughts Michael. And of course you are right; I am responsible for choosing my own destiny. I think that's what makes it all the more galling for me. I was aware (in some instances vaguely aware) of the options but still chose the Gillette cartridge route. Damn you Gillette and your effective advertising campaigns! You had me hook, line and sinker.
 
Stick":b4quj3cs said:
monbla256":b4quj3cs said:
Stick":b4quj3cs said:
Tried the Gillette 7 o'clock Sharp Edges over the past few days.

Reckon they're a tinch sharper than the Derbys and just as smooth. No sign of the red stuff at all either. My problem is they're Gillette and after years of them having my pants down with the price of cartridges I'm loathed to feather the Gillette nest anymore.
That won't fly!! Remember all those years you used cartridges, you could have been shaving with a DE razor, soap & brush but YOU chose to use the cartridge razor. If it's a good blade and works for you get over the other stuff and USE them !! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: You can't say you weren't aware of another way of shaving during that time !! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Interesting thoughts Michael. And of course you are right; I am responsible for choosing my own destiny. I think that's what makes it all the more galling for me. I was aware (in some instances vaguely aware) of the options but still chose the Gillette cartridge route. Damn you Gillette and your effective advertising campaigns! You had me hook, line and sinker.
I have a friend over in Dallas who has worked as a copywriter for an Ad agency for the last 50 years and he always told me that his job was to ".... lie in an honest manner so that folks would buy his clients products" :twisted: :twisted:
As far as the blade/soap/razor thing goes my advice would be to get one of the three currently made adjustable DE razors, or one of the older "vintage" versions available, a few packs of blades and one or two pucks of soap and use a set combination of blade setting/blade brand/soap and see what gives one the best shave for them. Once you've found a combo that works , STAY WITH IT and just get on with shaving as a part of ones life !! This multiple razors/brushes/soap thing is really something I would say a dilletante would engage in. It's not rocket science and ones face and beard will tell you when you've found it and it won't really take all that long! Remember K.I.S.S. it in life ! This is my rant for the day !! :twisted: :twisted:
 
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