I've tried shaving with Personna's in my Muhle R89, and it felt like shaving with a scratchy piece of glass. I've had tremendous shaves with Astra SP's, BIC CP's, Feathers and even Derby Premiums (New Favourite btw), but these ones have let me down and I really wanted to like em... Any thoughts?
Anyone else find Personna's bite really rough?
- Thread starter SyndicateShaver
- Start date
There are tons of Personna blades, so you’ll need to be more specific. I really dislike the Lab Blues. The Israeli Reds and Crystals are great! And the vintage Personna 74s are as good as it gets. The lab blues leave me irritated with weepers.
US made Personnas are more likely to bite me than any other blade I have regular easy access to. I don't plan on getting any more than the four I have remaining in a dispenser.
Agree with both. I’ve used hundreds of Israeli personnas and have struggled with US personnas.
That seems to be the opinion of people that like the Israeli blades, myself included. Others seem to love the Lab Blues. I can’t use them. I buy most all of my blades in hundred packs, so I probably have 96 Lab Blues left. 
It’s so fascinating to me how a simple item as a blade can work great, or not work at all, for each of us. I’m currently working through a big sample pack and so far the Personas have worked great for me (esp the Med Prep) but I’ve read that they just don’t work at all for some. YMMV sure applies with blades.
An example YMMV big surprise for me going through the blade samples is I found the highly touted and beloved Astra SP to be mediocre, and not that sharp or smooth, but the Astra SS night and day better in both sharpness and smoothness.
An example YMMV big surprise for me going through the blade samples is I found the highly touted and beloved Astra SP to be mediocre, and not that sharp or smooth, but the Astra SS night and day better in both sharpness and smoothness.
Blades are such a matter of personal preference. The Med Preps, Reds and Labs are my favorites. All three give me the closest and smoothest blades.
Despite their often vaunted reputation, I too find Personna Blues harsh & nick prone.
I'm more prone to nicks & scrapes with Blues, than with Feathers! Now, ain't that saying something?
I'm more prone to nicks & scrapes with Blues, than with Feathers! Now, ain't that saying something?
+1! 74s are legendary!!
I find their Med Preps (perhaps the same as Labs) and Reds top-tier also.
I find reds a bit rough. I keep trying them as my technique improves - my last shave with one was pretty good so I'll probably enjoy them in a few months.
Personna labs and med preps (which seem close enough to the same blade to me) are in my top tier of blades. They feel very smooth and sharp to me plus they last a good long time. The Israeli ones are pretty good too but not quite in my top tier.
OK - here goes a shave with my R41 and a new Personna Red (Platinum Chrome). I usually use Nacet, GSB, Astra SP/Yellows in that order, but I did buy 50 of the Reds at one point.
My rating was quite poor for a new blade. I lost patience since I was going over the same area time and time again and still not getting it entirely smooth. Took the blade out and put in an Astra SP and I got myself a nice smooth face without too much buffing. I find the Astra SP just a touch below GSBs but very similar overall. It's a blade I don't mind using, though I'd normally reach for a Nacet or GSB. I'll try and sell off the Personnas - not a blade I want to be using.
My rating was quite poor for a new blade. I lost patience since I was going over the same area time and time again and still not getting it entirely smooth. Took the blade out and put in an Astra SP and I got myself a nice smooth face without too much buffing. I find the Astra SP just a touch below GSBs but very similar overall. It's a blade I don't mind using, though I'd normally reach for a Nacet or GSB. I'll try and sell off the Personnas - not a blade I want to be using.
Blades are such a YMMV thing. I personally love the Lab Blues and find them to be vastly superior to the Reds but we're all different. For me, the Reds are tuggy and the lack of sharpness (compared to the Lab Blues) leads me to using pressure, which is a recipie for disaster.
Personnas have always been a favorite blade for me, going back to the 70's. Very sharp, quite smooth, and long lasting.
If they bite you, I'd suggest a change in razor or technique.
We all have different faces, and some blades work better than others for any individual. But what works for me may be miserable for you. I don't find Nacets comfortable at all, in fact I tossed the first one I tried thinking it must have been defective it pulled so bad. Personnas are like shaving without the blade for me, super smooth and very sharp, easy to use.
Weepers and nicks are always a technique issue, usually a result of too much pressure or improper blade angle or razor movement. I cut myself rather badly on my first shave, accidentally moved the razor sideways while in contact with my cheek. My brothers cracked up, but it wasn't all that funny to my face. A Gillette Slide with a very sharp blade at too high a pressure will slice off irregularities in your skin, quite the hazard for this old guy.
If they bite you, I'd suggest a change in razor or technique.
We all have different faces, and some blades work better than others for any individual. But what works for me may be miserable for you. I don't find Nacets comfortable at all, in fact I tossed the first one I tried thinking it must have been defective it pulled so bad. Personnas are like shaving without the blade for me, super smooth and very sharp, easy to use.
Weepers and nicks are always a technique issue, usually a result of too much pressure or improper blade angle or razor movement. I cut myself rather badly on my first shave, accidentally moved the razor sideways while in contact with my cheek. My brothers cracked up, but it wasn't all that funny to my face. A Gillette Slide with a very sharp blade at too high a pressure will slice off irregularities in your skin, quite the hazard for this old guy.
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
Reds are smooth and perfect for me ymmv of course
Once again, isn't funny how one person's top tier blade is another's bottom!
Back when I first started shaving there were not the choices we have today. I started off with Gillette Blue blades and the only blade that I recall that was new was the Wilkinson Sword stainless blade. Now we have so many to choose from.
Back when I first started shaving there were not the choices we have today. I started off with Gillette Blue blades and the only blade that I recall that was new was the Wilkinson Sword stainless blade. Now we have so many to choose from.
I like the Lab Blues. They work great in a mild razor like the Merkur 34. A perfect match.
Haha, this is so true. Today in my blade sample pack it was time to use a Dorco ST-301 and I read that blade had very little love but it turned out to be wonderful. (Plus who wants to use something with that name?) I’m glad I tried it and didn’t just listen to all the negative reviews. Yes, YMMV
+1
Lab blues and crystals are great for me, reds aren't
meanwhile I just use one of those this morning and hated it
I recently used an Israeli Red where one edge of the blade was a little rougher than the other edge.
