Recommended Blade for Superspeeds and Tech
- Thread starter Matthewlawson3
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- Thread starter
- #22
I did my first shave tonight with my Gillette Superspeed Blue Tip. Pretty good shave with a little irritation on the neck. Not much. I used a Gillette Plantium blade.
The Blue Tip Super Speed works great with just about any blade, as do the others on your list. The Blue Tip is a real sleeper, very capable of good shaves despite being on the mild side. You just have to find the angle where you feel the blade. Remember, no matter if it's a mild or aggressive razor don't use any pressure when shaving. Pressing down with the razor leads to irritation.
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- #24
Is there a trick you use or a technique to maintain no pressure when shaving? I thought I was being light but maybe not.
Not so much a trick as to simply learn to let the razor do the work. I go to extremes every damn day to get to BBS and while I admit to nicking myself every now and then, with my fair complexion, I never get irritation any longer. But I did, all the time, when I started out and there was no one other than Gillette to teach me to shave. You've got this place! All you have to do is *rest* the razor against your face/neck, get the angle right for the razor you're using, and simply guide it along the path.
Agreed. I use Kai or Feather blades with my Superspeed and get excellent results.
Not really a trick, but you develop a feel for it after awhile. The idea is to use only enough pressure to keep the blade edge in firm contact with the skin. Some razors allow you to get away with a little more.
Just try not to use a DE like a cartridge razor.
I would probably start off the BlueTip with a PermaSharp or 7 o'Clock Black
Closest thing I have to a Tech is a Feather ASD2
For Me:
Closest thing I have to a Tech is a Feather ASD2
For Me:
- Red Tip = Nacet
- SS Flare Tip = PermaSharp
- ASD2 = Feather
Like @CCS and @NorthernSoul said, just let the razor do the work. Use enough pressure to keep the razor on your face and no more.
- Thread starter
- #30
I think I need to work on the pressure perhaps.
I shaved today with a Gillette 1940s Tech with the fat handle. I used a Permasharp blade and didn’t get a very good shave. I had one nick and more irritation then my last shave with a Gillette Superspeed Blue Tip/Gillette Platinum blade on Tuesday.
Trying to figure out what I did wrong. I didn’t think I pushed. Perhaps I went over the same place too much with not enough lather left in that spot. Maybe I need to try a Gillette Platinum blade in it. Maybe a sharper or less sharp blade?
I doubt it was the blade. I've got one of those WWII Techs and while it's not my favorite razor, none of that your experiencing will happen, once you get the hang of it. See if you can find mantic59 and geofatboy learn-to-shave videos on youtube.
- Thread starter
- #32
I’ve watched GeoFatBoy before but not the video you mentioned. I usually put it head of the razor against my face then tilt it down till I hear it cutting then try to hold that as I shave.
You might try doing the opposite.. hold the handle parallel to your face and raise it until you feel the blade engage. You might end up with a slightly steeper angle that way. I'm still a novice, but so far, I've found that if I use a steeper angle (handle more toward my face, riding the safety bar instead of the cap), I get much better performance from the razor.
There's even a dedicated "Steep Angle" club thread here that you might enjoy:
Steep Angle Shavers Alliance
Officially announcing a new club called Steep Angle Shavers Alliance a.k.a. SASA for all who tend to, or are committed, steep anglers, and find that steep angle shaving gives a less irritation, more efficient, shave. To join simply announce on this thread that "I'm in" and feel free to add SASA...
www.badgerandblade.com
Going over the same spot too many times can cause irritation. Don't aim for the perfect shave right away. Those will come. One thing that helped me when I started was to stick to one razor and one brand of blades for a couple of weeks. Get them working right and then you can branch out.
For both razors I would recommend:
Gillette Silver Blues
Gillette platinums
Gillette permasharps (the Turkish gold packs)
Personna Israeli reds*
*I’ve only tried the old Israeli made version not the new German version
Gillette Silver Blues
Gillette platinums
Gillette permasharps (the Turkish gold packs)
Personna Israeli reds*
*I’ve only tried the old Israeli made version not the new German version
I believe you've gotten ample information to make a good decision, but I'm going to throw my 2 cents in -
I agree with everyone who mentioned the Gillette Platinum, or Gillette Silver Blue blades. They're sharp, yet smooth, suitable for a wide variety of DE razors - both new and vintage, and very affordable from several different vendors.
I also agree with the Personna Reds that were made in Israel, but I don't know if they're available any more. The last time I tried to order some more, I could only find the German ones, which were way more expensive, so I switched over to the Gillette Platinums and GSBs.
And, lastly, no matter how much advice you receive, you're only going to know what blade is best for you by trying several different kinds. Many online vendors offer sample bundles, and there's always tryablade.com. Also, don't get too many different brands at once. Limit your selections to between 5 and 10, and use each blade several times before switching. A lot of blades will mellow out after a couple of uses. Good Luck!
I agree with everyone who mentioned the Gillette Platinum, or Gillette Silver Blue blades. They're sharp, yet smooth, suitable for a wide variety of DE razors - both new and vintage, and very affordable from several different vendors.
I also agree with the Personna Reds that were made in Israel, but I don't know if they're available any more. The last time I tried to order some more, I could only find the German ones, which were way more expensive, so I switched over to the Gillette Platinums and GSBs.
And, lastly, no matter how much advice you receive, you're only going to know what blade is best for you by trying several different kinds. Many online vendors offer sample bundles, and there's always tryablade.com. Also, don't get too many different brands at once. Limit your selections to between 5 and 10, and use each blade several times before switching. A lot of blades will mellow out after a couple of uses. Good Luck!
- Thread starter
- #37
Update - I shaved today with the Gillette Tech and went back to a Gillette Plantium I had good success with with my Superspeed Blue Tip instead of using a Permasharp blade. I also used the steep angle approach.You might try doing the opposite.. hold the handle parallel to your face and raise it until you feel the blade engage. You might end up with a slightly steeper angle that way. I'm still a novice, but so far, I've found that if I use a steeper angle (handle more toward my face, riding the safety bar instead of the cap), I get much better performance from the razor.
There's even a dedicated "Steep Angle" club thread here that you might enjoy:
Steep Angle Shavers Alliance
Officially announcing a new club called Steep Angle Shavers Alliance a.k.a. SASA for all who tend to, or are committed, steep anglers, and find that steep angle shaving gives a less irritation, more efficient, shave. To join simply announce on this thread that "I'm in" and feel free to add SASA...
I don't know whether it was the blade change or the use of a steep angle, but I had a better shave with my Tech today than I did last time when I used a Permasharp blade. Hardly any irritation. Though I did miss some hairs.
Keep it simple. Select the Tech, and stick to it for several weeks. The Techs are more forgiving than many other razors, and work exceeding well with a wider variety of blades. Once you've gotten the shave down, then you can jump around to a different razor every day (like I do).
Get some GSB's & ASP's, then pick one brand to use for at least a week. There's plenty of time once you've gotten comfortable to start accumulating the spendy Iridium, Titanium and other oddball blades.
Strive to develop the correct shaving angle where the blade edge and safety bar both contact the skin simultaneously. Again, there's plenty of time to develop other wonky angle variations and bad habits later.
Get some GSB's & ASP's, then pick one brand to use for at least a week. There's plenty of time once you've gotten comfortable to start accumulating the spendy Iridium, Titanium and other oddball blades.
Strive to develop the correct shaving angle where the blade edge and safety bar both contact the skin simultaneously. Again, there's plenty of time to develop other wonky angle variations and bad habits later.
I've gotten into the habit of shaving most days with a different razor. I've got so many different blades, most of the time I have no idea what's in any given razor. I've about given up on testing this blade for that razor as the differences are so small to me as to be not noticeable. The was really forced home this past week when I bought 100 each of Gillette Platinums, Perma-Sharps, and Nacets. I did a little testing and realized it made no difference to me and these three were really no better, worse, or different than any of the other dozen or so brands of blades I have. I suspect it's because most of my razors are vintage Gillettes (8 of 10) and the other two are an EJ DE89 and Feather AS-D2. In other words, they are all mild to medium-mild razors.
Gillette Platinum's & Wilkinson Sword (German).
I'm new to vintage but have already repeatedly used a few that I've bought over the last few weeks.
Those two blades seem to work best (for me) in all the razors: Super Speed, Tech, Krona!
YMMV!
I'm new to vintage but have already repeatedly used a few that I've bought over the last few weeks.
Those two blades seem to work best (for me) in all the razors: Super Speed, Tech, Krona!
YMMV!
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