What order to work through a sample pack

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benn97

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Trying to find a better blade for a razor I'm not getting along with.

Whats the best way to work through a sample pack. One blade of each brand at a time or use a full pack and then move onto the next brand?

Or maybe I'm over thinking it
 
benn97 said:
Trying to find a better blade for a razor I'm not getting along with.

Whats the best way to work through a sample pack. One blade of each brand at a time or use a full pack and then move onto the next brand?

Or maybe I'm over thinking it
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Yes, maybe overthinking a little.
Just try a blade and if you like it carry on until the blade is spent and then try another blade.
If you find a blade doesn't work for you then put it to one side because it may feel different in another razor.
Keep a note of which blades you like and those you don't and revisit the blades you don't like at a later date, as your technique improves you may change your mind about a blade.
There is no fixed way to test out blades, it's really up to you, just don't be too quick to dismiss a blade, give it a few shaves first! :)
Good luck in finding the right blade for you and your razor.

Paul.
 
benn97 said:
Thanks gents, I will just get on with it. Kick off with a derby, the feather seemed to cut me up!
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Derby isn't the sharpest blade out there, whilst Feather is one of the sharpest. IMO, both blades can be difficult for beginners to get the best out.

I'd always recommend a beginner to pick a middle of the road blade when they are starting out.

What blades did you get? If you say which ones you bought, we'd probably suggest which one might be a better one to use next.

If you are a beginner that is, apologies if you aren't!
 
donnie_arko said:
Derby isn't the sharpest blade out there, whilst Feather is one of the sharpest. IMO, both blades can be difficult for beginners to get the best out.

I'd always recommend a beginner to pick a middle of the road blade when they are starting out.

What blades did you get? If you say which ones you bought, we'd probably suggest which one might be a better one to use next.

If you are a beginner that is, apologies if you aren't!
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Yes I thought I would jump from one end of the spectrum to the other to find a noticeable difference!

I have astra sp, astra ss, shark, derby, feather, derby premium, voskhod, euromax, bluebird, and dorco.

I would be interested to hear your favourites from those.

I've been using de for 6 years and straights for longer so my technique should be ok. My issue is I recently got a green cult SS razor (with the old head design not the one which has just come out) i am finding it to be super aggressive but trying to like it.
 
benn97 said:
Yes I thought I would jump from one end of the spectrum to the other to find a noticeable difference!

I have astra sp, astra ss, shark, derby, feather, derby premium, voskhod, euromax, bluebird, and dorco.

I would be interested to hear your favourites from those.

I've been using de for 6 years and straights for longer so my technique should be ok. My issue is I recently got a green cult SS razor (with the old head design not the one which has just come out) i am finding it to be super aggressive but trying to like it.
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Your sample pack is better than many, there isn't a bad blade in those that you name and telling the difference between the best and the worst will depend on you, your technique, your razor and your soap.

I have used them all, perhaps not Bluebird if I have used one then it may have been forgettable, Feather and Dorco I would rate as the best with my mild razor, it might be worth your while buying a milder razor to get the most out of the pack, perhaps a cheapie such as the Black Wilkinson which I think costs £5 with a five pack of Wilkinson blades. Btw, these blades are imho, inferior to anything in your sample pack but might work better in your more aggressive razor.

Hope you can come back and let us know your thoughts.
 
benn97 said:
Yes I thought I would jump from one end of the spectrum to the other to find a noticeable difference!

I have astra sp, astra ss, shark, derby, feather, derby premium, voskhod, euromax, bluebird, and dorco.

I would be interested to hear your favourites from those.

I've been using de for 6 years and straights for longer so my technique should be ok. My issue is I recently got a green cult SS razor (with the old head design not the one which has just come out) i am finding it to be super aggressive but trying to like it.
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Thanks for the info.

Ok, for any new razor I'd use the blade I am the most familiar with, generally a middle of the road blade, which from your list would be the Astra SP. However all the razors I use are generally quite mild, and I shave daily so I can get good shaves using a smoother blade like the Astra SP.

For your Green Cult SS razor, if I was using it for daily shaves I'd try using it with the Voskhod (or Derby), and if I was using it for a week's worth of growth I'd try it with the Astra SP. From the other blades you mentioned, Astra SS, Derby Premium, Shark SS, Euromax are all pretty good middle of the road blades, and should be around the same kind of ballpark for sharpness as the Astra SP.

Good luck with getting to grips with the new SS razor. I've been using a DE razor for about the same time as yourself but I've never really taken to aggressive razors, I prefer using a razor with less blade exposure (eg a Gillette Tech) and shave daily if possible. I found aggressive razors with greater blade feel would leave my face feeling more on the sore side of things!
 
De 2 said:
Your sample pack is better than many, there isn't a bad blade in those that you name and telling the difference between the best and the worst will depend on you, your technique, your razor and your soap.

I have used them all, perhaps not Bluebird if I have used one then it may have been forgettable, Feather and Dorco I would rate as the best with my mild razor, it might be worth your while buying a milder razor to get the most out of the pack, perhaps a cheapie such as the Black Wilkinson which I think costs £5 with a five pack of Wilkinson blades. Btw, these blades are imho, inferior to anything in your sample pack but might work better in your more aggressive razor.

Hope you can come back and let us know your thoughts.
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Good to know that's a good selection of blades. the feathers I already had, the rest is a ebay purchase if anyone is looking for that selection... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134174135454?hash=item1f3d66d49e:g:9ZsAAOSws7hh~7j1

I think the feather was too sharp it required serious concentration to not draw blood, how does the dorco compare?

Good idea, I have a ej de89 which is milder so any blades that I dont like will probably be fine to use in this. If not i'll give the wilkinsons sword a try. Will update how I get on.
 
donnie_arko said:
Thanks for the info.

Ok, for any new razor I'd use the blade I am the most familiar with, generally a middle of the road blade, which from your list would be the Astra SP. However all the razors I use are generally quite mild, and I shave daily so I can get good shaves using a smoother blade like the Astra SP.

For your Green Cult SS razor, if I was using it for daily shaves I'd try using it with the Voskhod (or Derby), and if I was using it for a week's worth of growth I'd try it with the Astra SP. From the other blades you mentioned, Astra SS, Derby Premium, Shark SS, Euromax are all pretty good middle of the road blades, and should be around the same kind of ballpark for sharpness as the Astra SP.

Good luck with getting to grips with the new SS razor. I've been using a DE razor for about the same time as yourself but I've never really taken to aggressive razors, I prefer using a razor with less blade exposure (eg a Gillette Tech) and shave daily if possible. I found aggressive razors with greater blade feel would leave my face feeling more on the sore side of things!
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Thanks for an idea of what to expect from each. Up until purchasing the greencult I only used a ej de89 with feather blades so its good to know how others compare. It was possibly too bigger jump as the de89 is very forgiving.

I'm normally shaving 2-3 times per week. So was wanting something slightly aggresive to mow down stubble if I didn't have time to use a straight however so far I'm thinking this might be too much. oh well it's an excuse to buy a rockwell 6S if things don't work out!
 
benn97 said:
Good to know that's a good selection of blades. the feathers I already had, the rest is a ebay purchase if anyone is looking for that selection... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134174135454?hash=item1f3d66d49e:g:9ZsAAOSws7hh~7j1

I think the feather was too sharp it required serious concentration to not draw blood, how does the dorco compare?

Good idea, I have a ej de89 which is milder so any blades that I dont like will probably be fine to use in this. If not i'll give the wilkinsons sword a try. Will update how I get on.
Click to expand...

In terms of Dorco v Feather. A priority for me is that a blade and razor combination does not cut me, even if that means that my shave is not super close. I use Dorco and Feather as my go to blades, a few others from time to time. Neither blades cut me but I use a very mild razor, a Gillette Tech. I am no expert but I would guess that the cuts are a product of your razor rather than only the blade.

In terms of soaps and creams, I use Palmolive Cream and Cella, both do the job for not a lot of money. Toby @TobyC gave me a tip for a very smooth lather which I will pass on, try 5 ml of bottled water added to the soap and use a dry brush, the resulting lather is exceptionally smooth.
 
De 2 said:
In terms of Dorco v Feather. A priority for me is that a blade and razor combination does not cut me, even if that means that my shave is not super close. I use Dorco and Feather as my go to blades, a few others from time to time. Neither blades cut me but I use a very mild razor, a Gillette Tech. I am no expert but I would guess that the cuts are a product of your razor rather than only the blade.

In terms of soaps and creams, I use Palmolive Cream and Cella, both do the job for not a lot of money. Toby @TobyC gave me a tip for a very smooth lather which I will pass on, try 5 ml of bottled water added to the soap and use a dry brush, the resulting lather is exceptionally smooth.
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Understood, I think something slightly milder will be in order. Yes I also think it's the razor giving me issues, I just can't bring myself to give up on it without having tried a few different blades.

Interesting idea, I'm curently using some GFT cream but will give it a go. Do you know if water hardness affects lather? I know we have very hard water here.
 
benn97 said:
Understood, I think something slightly milder will be in order. Yes I also think it's the razor giving me issues, I just can't bring myself to give up on it without having tried a few different blades.

Interesting idea, I'm curently using some GFT cream but will give it a go. Do you know if water hardness affects lather? I know we have very hard water here.
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Re water. We have soft water which produces good lather for hand washing etc I didn't think that there would be any improvement but I was wrong, you should notice a significant difference. As with so many things, give it a try and see how it works for you.
 
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