Diary (& questions) of a relative newbie

[Ligeti]

Gillette 7o'clock SS (green) (1st) (182nd blade), Martin de Candre Fougère (63rd shave); Les Bénédictines de Chantelle Lotion Opaline

Changed blades before the Wilkinson started to cause trouble (better said: the guy holding the blade causing trouble). Last blade in that tuck, so in 4-5 weeks time, this rotation of tucks will be empty and I've only got one reserve tuck of Wilkinson blade left. Which is good for yet another month give or take. So no pressure. But I can start to ponder which blades to order next.

Well, let's make a first list.
It's very likely I'll reorder my first-tier-blades. After all, that's what first tier means for me: a product that I'll restock ones I run out.
That means
- Voskhod (I love the design too much)
- Bic and Wilkinson: I love the performance of the blades
- Gillette 7 o'clock SS
- probably some Perma-sharp too.

I'd love to try Nacet and Feather. Nacet is not available from my regular providers. And Feather, I just notice there's not only the yellow tuck but also a grey one. Try both?

Any other suggestions?
I'm not a fan of Gillette 7o'clock SE, Personna Platinum, Astra (SP and SS) and Euromax.
I'm fine with Polsilver, Gillette Platinum and Shark but not tempted to order them again since there are blades I like better.

 

[thombrogan]

Feather Hi-Stainless is black when the tuck holds 5 blades and yellow when the tuck holds 10 blades. Or rather, that’s how they’re packed. Please do not place extra blades in the black packet and expect it to turn yellow.

Gillette Nacet are my favorite DE blades. They’re sharp and smooth and there’s a drawing of a crocodile on the cardboard container. I’m emotionally drawn to titanium-coated blades even though the ones I’ve tried; Sharp, Loi, and Bolzano; aren’t particularly sharp.

 

[Ligeti]

Feather Hi-Stainless is black when the tuck holds 5 blades and yellow when the tuck holds 10 blades. Or rather, that’s how they’re packed. Please do not place extra blades in the black packet and expect it to turn yellow.

Thanks. Can I expect the yellow tuck turning black after using 5 blades?

 

[Ligeti]

Gillette 7o'clock SS (green) (7th) (182nd blade), Martin de Candre Fougère (69th shave); Les Bénédictines de Chantelle Lotion Opaline

Busy week, did take my time to enjoy shaving but not to journal about it. Might be more or less the same this week.
Hopefully another week of troublefree shaves.

 

[thombrogan]

Thanks. Can I expect the yellow tuck turning black after using 5 blades?

I bought a yellow tuck of Feather Hi-Stainless DE blades in 2020. It has 4.5 blades remaining (used half in a barber razor). It’s still yellow, but that’s just one tuck. More data is needed.

 

[Ligeti]

Perma-Sharp (3rd) (183rd blade), Martin de Candre Fougère (72nd shave); Les Bénédictines de Chantelle Lotion Opaline

Sunday will already be my last shave with Martin de Candre, those 25 days went superfast!
In the mean time, I found a Dutch site where I can order Nacet, so I ordered enough blades for a year. Nacet, Gillette 7o'clock, Feather, Perma Sharp and Wilkinson. They don't sell Bic and Voskhod. What's worse: my regular shop doesn't offer them (any more) either. No idea where I sourced my Voskhod and Bic, but I'm afraid I'll have to live without for a year.
Well, it's not the end of the world.

 

[Ligeti]

Perma-Sharp (4th) (183rd blade), Martin de Candre Fougère (73rd shave); Les Bénédictines de Chantelle Lotion Opaline

Grew a concentration of pimples on my chin. Managed to go super extra featherlight on that area this morning, opening up none of them.
I've still got one last Voskhod blade left. It's supposed to be my next blade. My natural reaction would be to save it. Not use the last one untill I'm sure I can order more Voskhod. But where's the added value of saving the blade. The small carton box, sure. I've kept one empty small carton box of every type of blade I ever used. So there is already an empty tuck of Voskhod in that stack. But the blade? So I will use it.

 

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (1st) (184th blade), Martin de Candre Fougère (75th shave); Les Bénédictines de Chantelle Lotion Opaline

So the pimpled area on my chin only grew worse even though I managed to avoid shaving injuries.
Last day of Martin de Candre Fougère. After 75 shaves, I'm still quite convinced it keeps it's tier one position. Meaning it'll get replaced once empty.
And I started using my last Voskhod blade. Tier one too, but I can't find those blades any more with my regular online providers. So it hasn't been reordered.

 

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (3rd) (184th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (52nd shave), SV Mirto di Sardegna ASB

3rd day of my last Voskhod blade. It seems to perform even better than I remembered. I recall a very good blade with an excellent design. I now experience an excellent blade.
Second day of returning to Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna. I really love this soap. It's performance, it's fragrance, it's packaging,... everything. And I love that it comes with an ASB too. For me, that sets it apart from Martin de Candre. And puts it in the Tabac league.

 

[Ligeti]

Wilkinson Sword (4th) (185th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (58th shave), SV Mirto di Sardegna ASB

Last blade of my previous rotation. Good thing I've got Wilkinson Sword in my next rotation too. Still looking forward to discovering new blades in my next rotation. At least, new to me.

 

[Ligeti]

Gillette Nacet (1st) (186th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (59th shave), SV Mirto di Sardegna ASB

The Wilkinson blade wasn't tired yet, but I couldn't wait to try the Nacet blade. So much praise on B&B. My first encounter... I totally get it. With all the fuss and the croc on the packaging, I expected a supersharp blade that would be very present, feel like it could bite anytime without warning and maybe even be noisy. None of that. Sharp, yes. With an excellent result. But other than that, at this first encounter the blade presented itself to me as gentle, almost like a buttler: 'here to serve you, almost without you noticing my presence'.
That was just the first date of course. But a very promising one.

 

[Ligeti]

Gillette Nacet (2nd) (186th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (60th shave), SV Mirto di Sardegna ASB

Here's the thing with blind dates. You've been grooming, expectations are high, you're happy to show interest and receive interest. You have a great time. But then, the next day, you wake up and are slightly shocked by the raw view. Or so I am told since I've never had a blind date, let alone a one night stand.
And it certainly worked differently with the Nacet blade. This morning I woke up to enjoy a second shave just as amazing as the first one.
And the Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna? I cannot fine one minor detail that could be improved. It's definitely up there with Tabac.

 

[Guido75]

YMMV - Nacet gives me great results from less great shaves. Sometimes it is stellar, sometimes it is rough and harsh to my skin.

 

[Ligeti]

YMMV - Nacet gives me great results from less great shaves. Sometimes it is stellar, sometimes it is rough and harsh to my skin.

You mean: different experience from blade to blade? Or with the same blade?
In any case, I'll have to find out for myself, it's just been two shaves for now.

 

[Guido75]

You mean: different experience from blade to blade? Or with the same blade?
In any case, I'll have to find out for myself, it's just been two shaves for now.

From blade to blade. I am usually not a fan of only stainless blades. But other times the blade is just fine and is easy double digits.

 

[Ligeti]

Gillette Nacet (3rd) (186th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (61st shave), SV Tundra Artica ASB (sample)

Trusting @Guido75 's wide experience, this must be one of the good Nacet blades. I would confirm it behaves like a butler. You don't notice it's there, but it serves me very good. A slightly smoother shave than usual, with slightly more feedback from the alumn block confirming the close shave.
Since I showered after shaving, I used some Baume.be balm after the shave. And after showering, I used some of the Saponificio Varesino Tundra Artica sample I received with my blades. Thinking this was the fragrance that missed from the sample set I had bought last year. So without any prejudice, I sampled and loved it very much. A complex, civilised, male but very subtle fragrance. When filling it out in my exel sheet, it turned out I did have a sample in my sample pack. Having tested it in august last year, I was not a fan at all, sensing some menthol. (Menthol? no idea what I was thinking last year?). So who knows, maybe some day my rotation might expand. Or a current 'tier one' soap might get demoted. (Indeed, my current rotation of 5 soaps consists of tier one soaps only, soaps that get reordered when empty).

 

[Ligeti]

Gillette Nacet (8th) (186th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (66th shave), SV Tundra Artica ASB (sample)

8th shave with the Nacet blade and it's clearly passed it's prime, which I notice especially on the cheek area. Totally accidentally another morning with the Tundra Artica ASB sample after showering. The sample is now finished, but I'm pretty sure I've still got a spare one. Really lovely fragrance, totally different from Mirto di Sardegna but just as much up my alley. Only nine more days before I start at the top of my soaprotation again. Very curious what it will feel like to return to De Vergulde Hand. And even more: to Palmolive.


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