Go2Blade

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Hi, I've been DE shaving for about four months, and I still haven't found a suitable blade I can use everyday. My beard seems quite tough and strong, I have to shave my head also. The other problem I have is, I bought a couple of razors but weren't happy with them, then I had a number of razors bought for me at Christmas and then I won a couple of razors that I liked the look of on eBay. So juggling all these razors and finding a method of matching a blade is proving tricky. Apart from the obvious way to try each blade with one razor, I'm wondering how I'm supposed to be sure that a certain blade is suitable for me and I will know that it's going to be my everyday blade. Cheers in advance for any advice.......
 
Would be good to know your current blade choices and your razors too please.
I tend to buy Russian made Gillette blades (I have a wee stash of about 1000 blades at any one time).
Gillette Yellows, Greens (NOT the Indian made one), Silver Blue, Nacets, Rubies, Sputniks, Astras (Green or Blue), Feathers, Kai are my main blades.
I'm quite happy with any of them, but I like a change now and then.
Check out Razor Blade Club...but stay away from Chinese blades. Stick to Russian made Gillettes and you will have cut down a lot of problems.
Don't go anywhere near Bolzano's, Merkur's, Derby's. Some folk use them but that's probably because they like a bit of pain, and a nasty tuggy shave.
 
Would be good to know your current blade choices and your razors too please.
I tend to buy Russian made Gillette blades (I have a wee stash of about 1000 blades at any one time).
Gillette Yellows, Greens (NOT the Indian made one), Silver Blue, Nacets, Rubies, Sputniks, Astras (Green or Blue), Feathers, Kai are my main blades.
I'm quite happy with any of them, but I like a change now and then.
Check out Razor Blade Club...but stay away from Chinese blades. Stick to Russian made Gillettes and you will have cut down a lot of problems.
Don't go anywhere near Bolzano's, Merkur's, Derby's. Some folk use them but that's probably because they like a bit of pain, and a nasty tuggy shave.

Hi, the Razors of choice that seem at the moment to be ok for me are, DE89, the Parker 94R, and the vintage Gillette Regent open comb. I'm now using the Feather Popular for my head. The blades that I've been happy with are, Super-max (but there is a question mark over those) Treets (carbon) Dorco Titan and Timor.
 
But what I really would like to know is How are you able to come to a happy agreement that a certain blade is suitable. What I mean by that is, do you rate the blade on each of the 3 passes and then overall, which includes if you have any cuts and razor burn ? This is now what I'm starting to do and I've found that the Wilkinson sword and all Gillette blades don't perform very good on the 1st pass and trying to get an absolutely smooth shave results in a couple of cuts. I also rate the blade on the 3rd pass going against the grain on the moustache area. I haven't been impressed with those blades ive mentioned. The Treets, Timor and Dorco performed much better.
 
To be bluntly (no pun intended) honest I am not a fan of any of your blades.
Treets, Dorco, Timor are blades I rate slightly above Bolzanos (which are truly woeful blades).
Some blades don't perform well on the first pass, as you mentioned. This can be because of the coating on the blade. The cutting edge has microscopic little rough spots as a result of the coating (Platinum for instance).
After the first shave the blade, and the shave, smooths out. Quite normal. Some folks 'cork' their blades first to sort this out before the first use of a blade. Some cheap blades have this roughness too, but that's because they are made cheaply and badly, not because of any coating.
Wilkinson from Germany are OK, but not the Indian made version. Best is the original English made (vintage, but lovely...and I still have 2 left!).
I like most Russian made Gillette blades, and I do notice a slight improvement in smoothness after the first use. Same with Feathers.
Some razors 'like' a certain blade too. I had a Game Changer (and both baseplates). I just could not get to love that razor and sold it. No blade I tried gave me a smooth, close shave. Yet my cheap little Fatip Picollo (version 2) looks so menacing yet is the sweetest little razor with any blade in it.
Razor burn? I tend to blame the soap for that. Even if your technique isn't quite right yet (and so you end up paddling around over the same spot a few times) a decent soap will have plenty of 'cushion' (you need 'slide and glide'), and the soap should leave a slick residue sitting on the skin for that 2nd pass.
My advice would be to get a sample pack of decent blades such as Gillette Rubies, Nacets, Silver Blue, Platinum, and maybe Astra Green or Blue (the Astra Blue is a stainless blade and may suit your skin better). Also get a decent soap or cream. D R Harris 'Arlington' maybe or Body Shop 'Maca Root and Aloe Vera' to start with.
Some folks find that certain blade coatings affect them (skin rash), so do try some Platinum coated blades, some stainless, and some Teflon coated. Check down the Gillette blades in the Razor Blade Club site and you will see the coatings listed for each blade, and you can buy even just 1 blade if you want (but 5 is better for a proper test).
Carbon blades? Yeah, I use them sometimes as I still have a few from the vintage days! Well I've been wet shaving 50+ years now, so I do have a wee stock of old stuff left over. But I wouldn't use a modern (thin) carbon blade.
Is there one blade that will be the 'holy grail' for you? Probably not. Your skin changes daily, and as you age. Find a few that you like and enjoy changing to a different blade now and then. That's why I have about 12 soaps/creams, and a variety of about 8 types of blades.

https://www.razorbladesclub.com/razorblades/

Edit: You use a Feather Popular? I have read that they are designed to work best with a Feather blade. Maybe get a few Feathers and try them out in that Popular.
 
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the only effective method is to buy a sampler and test all of them. I have found the forum to be helpful in classify the blades based on their sharpness. This way, I can easily pick up a super sharp blade and try it on my mild razors and pick a milder blade to test it on my most aggressive razor. Anyway, at the end of the day, I then put each blade on all of my razors and see if it works for me.
 
Blades I find are a very personal thing and what works for one may not necessarily work for someone else. Likewise with the razor they are used in.

I see you have an 89. In my case I found Feathers worked great in this razor but in the likes of an Ikon or the Timeless, disastrous.

As suggested it really is a suck it see game and you'll soon tell what feels right and what feels wrong. Once you've found what suits then why not stick with it? I've found my favourites and can't think of any reason to get anything else. They work, they do a damn fine job.

A few suggestions

Feathers for the 89
Kai blades for the 89
Polsilver as an all round performer
Wilkinson Sword black box - Not everyone's cup of tea but easy to find

I actually did okay with a Bic and I thought they were supposed to be garbage.

Yet to find a Russian blade which works for me

My Go2? Polsilver Lodz. Not cheap but they do last and do a damn fine job. Again not for all but worth a try
 
Unless the blades are badly made art the factory, they should all be able to shave you you to get you a BBS shave. Find a brand that feels comfortable, but most should work.
 
But what I really would like to know is How are you able to come to a happy agreement that a certain blade is suitable. What I mean by that is, do you rate the blade on each of the 3 passes and then overall, which includes if you have any cuts and razor burn ? This is now what I'm starting to do and I've found that the Wilkinson sword and all Gillette blades don't perform very good on the 1st pass and trying to get an absolutely smooth shave results in a couple of cuts. I also rate the blade on the 3rd pass going against the grain on the moustache area. I haven't been impressed with those blades ive mentioned. The Treets, Timor and Dorco performed much better.
Chopping and changing is not going to help your technique so you need some consistency. In the first instance, nicks and cuts are user error and you need to work on technique including blade angle and light pressure. Keep the same brush, soap and razor (the DE89 would be a good start) and work through a sample of blades. Don't discount any blades for future use because they may work better when your technique has improved. I generally use at least 3 blades of the same before coming to view on it's performance. The blades from the St Petersburg stable are generally well liked; GSB, Astra SP, 7 O'Clock SharpEdge I find are smooth and sharp but blades are a subjective feel. I hear good things about Dorco Prime but have not used them. After 4-6 weeks you should be making good progress.
The upper lip and chin areas are the hardest areas to shave so stretching and getting a flat surface is important.
 
Quote: The Treets, Timor and Dorco performed much better.

Yes, but they are not really a good blade (though some folks like them). Nasty bluntish things. Feel smooth because they are not actually doing much/anything.
Do you really need 3 passes anyway? Or do you do it because you have read that other shavers are doing it? I have 'reasonable' razors (and blades) and I don't recall that I have ever 'needed' 3 passes in all my 50+ years of DE shaving.
Reduce the number of passes, improve technique (it will come right...really), and as Invicta said above about not chopping/changing, etc. Good stuff there Invicta!
 
You are the first person (that I recall) saying this about all Russian blades. I find any modern Gillette blade made there to be serviceable and most simply incredible.

Only from those I have used to date. I am sure there will be something exceptional hiding away from me and yet to show its face.
 
Blades I find are a very personal thing and what works for one may not necessarily work for someone else. Likewise with the razor they are used in.

I see you have an 89. In my case I found Feathers worked great in this razor but in the likes of an Ikon or the Timeless, disastrous.

As suggested it really is a suck it see game and you'll soon tell what feels right and what feels wrong. Once you've found what suits then why not stick with it? I've found my favourites and can't think of any reason to get anything else. They work, they do a damn fine job.

A few suggestions

Feathers for the 89
Kai blades for the 89
Polsilver as an all round performer
Wilkinson Sword black box - Not everyone's cup of tea but easy to find

I actually did okay with a Bic and I thought they were supposed to be garbage.

Yet to find a Russian blade which works for me

My Go2? Polsilver Lodz. Not cheap but they do last and do a damn fine job. Again not for all but worth a try

I get along fine with the Bic blades too , Aren't you favourite Polsilver made in Russia these days ? or do you still have one that were made in Poland.

If you haven't tried the Nacets or the Yellow Sharp Edge those in my opinion are great blades , if you need either/both to try let me know and I can pop a few in the post to you.
 
My criteria for assessing blades, in this order:
Is it comfortable during shaving?
Does it acceptably remove stubble?
Does it meet both of the above for an acceptable number of shaves?

Failure to meet all criteria discounts that blade.

Personna med preps work best for me on the basis of the above, but Astra SP, Gillette 7 O'clock yellow and Gillette Silver Blue are also good. I agree with the previous advice of choose one razor, soap and brush and stick with that while you're testing blades, consistency is key and if you change more than one thing you won't know what's affected your result. Blades are very personal so you'll probably get as many recommendations as responses.
 
Would be good to know your current blade choices and your razors too please.
I tend to buy Russian made Gillette blades (I have a wee stash of about 1000 blades at any one time).
Gillette Yellows, Greens (NOT the Indian made one), Silver Blue, Nacets, Rubies, Sputniks, Astras (Green or Blue), Feathers, Kai are my main blades.
I'm quite happy with any of them, but I like a change now and then.
Check out Razor Blade Club...but stay away from Chinese blades. Stick to Russian made Gillettes and you will have cut down a lot of problems.
Don't go anywhere near Bolzano's, Merkur's, Derby's. Some folk use them but that's probably because they like a bit of pain, and a nasty tuggy shave.

+1

My go-to blades are basically everything that's Gillette russian made: PermaSharp, 7 o'clock green & yellow, Silver Blue, Nacet, Minora, Wizamet and Polsilver. I stay away from everything else, especially those that come from China, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Egypt and such.
 
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