Count me in too. Just need to think which blade to be the one to try for that long. I try anything for a chance to try out a 74.
Fourth Annual "One Blade in February" Challenge
- Thread starter goby
- Start date
I'm in! Now what blade should I use???
Justin
Justin
I'm in, too! I'd love to try a Personna 74 some day if ever I get the chance.
I'm considering my 1974 Gillette Super Speed for this challenge. And I think I will try a Gillette 7 o'clock Black for the month. Nice sharp blade in a mild razor. I wonder if they'll play well together...?
I might instead try a 1957 Gillette Super Speed with the Black that I picked up last month. I'll have to take it for a test drive later on today and see if it's worth what I paid for it. Decisions, decisions!
I'm considering my 1974 Gillette Super Speed for this challenge. And I think I will try a Gillette 7 o'clock Black for the month. Nice sharp blade in a mild razor. I wonder if they'll play well together...?
I might instead try a 1957 Gillette Super Speed with the Black that I picked up last month. I'll have to take it for a test drive later on today and see if it's worth what I paid for it. Decisions, decisions!
Since I'm so new to all this still, what is meant by 'mortal blade'? Is a Black or Gillette Silver Blue considered 'mortal'? Thank you in advance for clarifying. 
- Thread starter
- #265
Since I'm so new to all this still, what is meant by 'mortal blade'? Is a Black or Gillette Silver Blue considered 'mortal'? Thank you in advance for clarifying.
A "mortal blade" is any blade other than the Personna 74. I've gone a month with a Derby and a Dorco, and twice with a Personna 74.
I'm in. The Rapira Swedish Supersteel will be my blade of choice for all of February.
Hmmmm. I'm thinking an Astra blade.
This will be my first time doing this and I've got a Personna 74 set aside just waiting for Feb 1st!
Wow! The Personna 74 is tough to find!
I bought several on Ebay a couple months ago. I paid $2 each, which was too much, but it was worth it to me so I could quit looking. I saw a recent auction where they sold for just over $3 each! Even if I get a 30 shaves out of one, it will still cost twice as much per shave as the Voskhods I have ($10/100, 3 shaves each)
I'm in with Astra SP and my wood handled Merkur Slant
Well, I'm 'in' again. Don't know what I'll use, probably a *74.
We should start a new thread for the 2014 event.
-- John Gehman
We should start a new thread for the 2014 event.
-- John Gehman
Don't feel bad! I paid $4.00 each and actually don't like the shave I get from the 74!!! That's just my luck, the "BEST" blade doesn't work for me, I'm thinking I will use the trusty old original Iridium Super in my Mergress for the challenge. The OP can PIF the 74 to the forum member of my choosing should I win...
Justin
I've decided I will be using the Wilkinson Sword blade that says "Super Sword Edge" on the package, I love this blade but have not had the opportunity to push it to the limit yet.
Justin
Justin
I'm in, if for no other reason than to prove that the Personna 74 is not the only immortal blade. I will use one of my very few UK Wilkinson Sword chromium plated Light Brigade blades (aka The Blade). In my book, the LB is every bit the equal of the P74.
I suspect that h22o999, who is using a similar blade, the UK Wilkinson Super Sword Edge, will get extremely good results.
Just to cover all my bases, the legendary Gillette Swede is also an excellent and very durable blade. I just finished 15 shaves with one and it probably had a few more shaves in it. I usually get no more than 4 or 5 shaves from a blade.
I know it is not a contest, but I have my Light Brigade locked and loaded. Charge!
Hi,
Hmmmm. I think a Personna Med Prep.
One thing, though, I am an engineer with my own machine shop, so I could do things to the blade that others cannot. Such as touching it up microscopically so the absolute minimum material is affected by my actions.
Normally, I get a weeks worth of three passes out of one and can it rather than work on it. Regardless if I feel the need for it or not.
I would put it in my Fasan Doppleschrag (double slant) and opt for a 2 pass shave each day. That razor is differentially aggressive and provides a nice DFS with two passes without touching any spots up.
Normally, I run a third pass with an Early Tech to get to BBS or near BBS. I would skip using that one for this challenge.
Stan
Hmmmm. I think a Personna Med Prep.
One thing, though, I am an engineer with my own machine shop, so I could do things to the blade that others cannot. Such as touching it up microscopically so the absolute minimum material is affected by my actions.
Normally, I get a weeks worth of three passes out of one and can it rather than work on it. Regardless if I feel the need for it or not.
I would put it in my Fasan Doppleschrag (double slant) and opt for a 2 pass shave each day. That razor is differentially aggressive and provides a nice DFS with two passes without touching any spots up.
Normally, I run a third pass with an Early Tech to get to BBS or near BBS. I would skip using that one for this challenge.
Stan
This really is a coincidence, since I have been planning this project for a week or so, but I just started a PIF of two different types of vintage UK Wilkinson blades. Either blade would be ideal for this One Blade in February Challenge.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...Wilkinson-Blades-PIF-Two-Year-Anniversary-PIF
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...Wilkinson-Blades-PIF-Two-Year-Anniversary-PIF
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #278
I've done it with a Dorco and a Derby, so I laugh at those who say they get only 2 shaves out of either.
Hi guys is there a 2014 thread ?
Hi,
OK!
My entry is a Fasan Doppleschrag, meaning Double Oblique, or Double Slant for our purposes. This is a razor made in Solingen, Germany in the 1930s. If anything can eke more life from a blade, it will be this one.
The original instructions indicate using a Fasan blade for a week, then flipping it to get another week out of it, then loading a new one. The instructions even say to load the #1 on the blade up with the Red Dot for week one, then flipping it to align the #3 on the blade up against the Red Dot for week two. See? Those production quality control numbers *are* good for something, after all!
The Red Dot is the indicator for the aggressive side of the razor. This razor has an aggressive side and a mild side. The instructions say to use the aggressive side first, then go back over the same area with the mild side, using short strokes. Well, I do use this razor in this manner, with the first pass being WTG and the second ATG. This gives a really nice DFS, which is all I will shoot for in Feb. I often follow the Fasan up with an Early (pre war) Tech XTG, but I will skip that so it does not confuse the experiment to see how long one blade can go in one razor.
I will load it with a Personna Med Prep blade. I happen to have a box bought last year due to discussion on how my usual Lab Blues might no longer be the same as they were. So, I bought a box of Meds to check against the Blues I had on hand, as well as another box of Blues to see if newer ones were different from older ones. They were not, BTW, as far as I could tell even using microscopes up to 25x. There was some minor production variations, and that was about all.
I started using Med Preps in the 1980s when the Schick Platinum blades disappeared from the local drug stores. I was with a rescue squad, so the hospitals had Med Preps, and info on where to get those from. So, I started buying Med Preps. In the 1990s, my barber (who had to drop using his straight razors at that time) clued me into the fact the Lab Blues were the same thing, from the same plant, at half the cost, so I switched up.
That is what I have, so that is what I will use. Good Old Med Preps. I get a week out of one now, binning it on Mondays, but it is not really worn out after a week. It is just convenient to dump a cheap blade on Monday is all. We will see how far it goes. I will flip the thing after a week, though, just because those original Fasan instructions say to. I figure the makers had some idea in their heads when they wrote that, even it if winds up being just hooey.
For the rest of the shaving, I will use my 50/50 mixture of tallow based vintage Oster and glycerine based modern soaps, face lathered with a horsehair brush. My prep is simple, wash and rinse face with hot water, then use hot washcloth on face again just before lathering up.
Let the games begin on 1 February!
A couple pics of the Fasan to follow. I changed the handle from the original plastic one to a gold Fat Tech, loaded with #8 shot, as the original handle was too light for my tastes. You can't really see the difference in the two sides of the razor in the photos, but I can feel it on my face.
As it was, with the box:
The aggressive side:
The mild side:
Stan
OK!
My entry is a Fasan Doppleschrag, meaning Double Oblique, or Double Slant for our purposes. This is a razor made in Solingen, Germany in the 1930s. If anything can eke more life from a blade, it will be this one.
The original instructions indicate using a Fasan blade for a week, then flipping it to get another week out of it, then loading a new one. The instructions even say to load the #1 on the blade up with the Red Dot for week one, then flipping it to align the #3 on the blade up against the Red Dot for week two. See? Those production quality control numbers *are* good for something, after all!
The Red Dot is the indicator for the aggressive side of the razor. This razor has an aggressive side and a mild side. The instructions say to use the aggressive side first, then go back over the same area with the mild side, using short strokes. Well, I do use this razor in this manner, with the first pass being WTG and the second ATG. This gives a really nice DFS, which is all I will shoot for in Feb. I often follow the Fasan up with an Early (pre war) Tech XTG, but I will skip that so it does not confuse the experiment to see how long one blade can go in one razor.
I will load it with a Personna Med Prep blade. I happen to have a box bought last year due to discussion on how my usual Lab Blues might no longer be the same as they were. So, I bought a box of Meds to check against the Blues I had on hand, as well as another box of Blues to see if newer ones were different from older ones. They were not, BTW, as far as I could tell even using microscopes up to 25x. There was some minor production variations, and that was about all.
I started using Med Preps in the 1980s when the Schick Platinum blades disappeared from the local drug stores. I was with a rescue squad, so the hospitals had Med Preps, and info on where to get those from. So, I started buying Med Preps. In the 1990s, my barber (who had to drop using his straight razors at that time) clued me into the fact the Lab Blues were the same thing, from the same plant, at half the cost, so I switched up.
That is what I have, so that is what I will use. Good Old Med Preps. I get a week out of one now, binning it on Mondays, but it is not really worn out after a week. It is just convenient to dump a cheap blade on Monday is all. We will see how far it goes. I will flip the thing after a week, though, just because those original Fasan instructions say to. I figure the makers had some idea in their heads when they wrote that, even it if winds up being just hooey.
For the rest of the shaving, I will use my 50/50 mixture of tallow based vintage Oster and glycerine based modern soaps, face lathered with a horsehair brush. My prep is simple, wash and rinse face with hot water, then use hot washcloth on face again just before lathering up.
Let the games begin on 1 February!
A couple pics of the Fasan to follow. I changed the handle from the original plastic one to a gold Fat Tech, loaded with #8 shot, as the original handle was too light for my tastes. You can't really see the difference in the two sides of the razor in the photos, but I can feel it on my face.
As it was, with the box:
The aggressive side:
The mild side:
Stan
