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How many different blades did you try or even re-ry before you settled on your rotation or even 1 or

I had tried less than 10 when I loaded an Astra SP into my Merkur slant. Didn't feel the need to go any further, as I get a dozen smooth, close shaves per blade without pushing it.
 
Razor Blades.jpg
 
I have tried many of the well-liked blades on the forum. I do like a lot of the blades from PPI even though I am not a Gillette fan. I like Dorcos (most don't), I like Personna Labs and Med Preps, Rapira PL and Chromes. I am not interested in trying every blade, but if there are blades that a lot of people like, I might try it.
 
I started with a 50-blade sampler pack, then settled with Polsilvers SI until they were gone from the market.

Once that happened, I bought 200 Bolzano blades, which will last a very long time since I prefer to shave with a straight razor when I am at home
 
.....2 that you settled on.

I am on now blade number 32 - I have 4 more to go to try all 36 I wanted to when I started 5 months ago. I ask because I was wondering if people just tried . a few and settled on one and never gave some brands a chance - based on "what they hear" . My experience is some blades that get rave reviews I didn't like at all (Persona Reds and blues both, Bic SS, etc.) and some that people didn't like or just didn't get much attention at all I liked a lot (Treet Platinum, Croma Diamont, Bolzano, Parker, and Ladas).

What are your numbers and do you go back a year later and try the ones you didn't like?

In the roughly 3 years I've been DE shaving, I've tried out 59 blades, starting with a Derby Extra. Trying out a couple of samplers, I found a few favorites early on, Derby, Lab Blue, Voskhod, German WS. A 20-blade PIF from Toothpick in early 2017 greatly expanded my horizons. By the time I'd been shaving for just a couple of months, I'd reached the conclusion that the differences between blades was much less than posts here would lead you to believe. That opinion holds today. A daily standard 3-pass shave for me is DFS around my Adam's apple and BBS everywhere else. The only blade out of 59 that couldn't accomplish that was the Flying Eagle. The blades that could do the job included Assured, Graham-Fields, Rockwell, VDH and Merkur.

Going back and retrying blades after sharpening my skills raise my opinion of several blades I'd found unimpressive the first time around. For example, trying the Merkur blade in a an English Aristocrat Jr. was a revelation, yielding an effortless BBS shave even in the more difficult areas.
 
I started in 2016 with a sampler of
Derby,
Astra Platinum,
Astra Stainless, Feather,
Wilkinson Sword​
plus a separate pack of Gillette Silver Blue.

I settled on Astra SP as my favourites, and got a 100 pack of them.
Last year I got some Personna Blues. They (like GSB) are as good as the Astra SPs, but pricier, so Astra SP is still my favourite.
Once in a while I will try a Wilkinson Sword blade, then regret it. It's too bad because they're readily available in most brick & mortar drug stores around here.

I'm starting to appreciate Feathers a bit more nowadays, but Astra SPs are my go-to blade.

Oh yeah - I did try one of the QShave "Titanium" blades that shipped with my Futur clone. It was amazing for the first shave, maybe the best of any blades, but by shave #3 or 4 it was unbearable (in any razor) and I tossed it. This is from somebody who has gotten up to 100 shaves out of Astra SP, Personna Blue, and GSB blades.
 
Still trying blades (and I have probably tried 100+ options)!! :a29:
+1...although I've only tried maybe 50+ different blades; 100+ is awesome!! And @ivan_101 @ 130!! I've got some ground to make up!! I love trying different blades; even the really bad blades has made DE Shaving a fun adventure!!
 
+1...although I've only tried maybe 50+ different blades; 100+ is awesome!! And @ivan_101 @ 130!! I've got some ground to make up!! I love trying different blades; even the really bad blades has made DE Shaving a fun adventure!!

Trying blades is GREAT FUN and is less expensive than trying most other things in this hobby!! :a29:
 
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