A few blade questions...

[holidayidol]

Hello, I'm new to the DE razor, as I just got my first Merkur "Long Classic" a few weeks ago. (Love it!) I've used the Merkur super stainless platinum blade that came with it, and also tried the standard Gillette blades you can still get at local drugstores.

Of course I liked the Merkur blade much better, and I need to order more. But what I wanted to ask is should I order the Merkur blades...or go for the Feather?
Also, where is the best place to order each of them online?

The other questions I had was how long should you use each Merkur/Feather blade? And is there a proper top and a bottom to these blades when you load them, or are they exactly the same on both sides?

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

hello and welcome to the forum....

blades do not have a top or bottom...but they do have a left or right (just kidding)...

blades usually last 4 to 7 shaves depends on the number of passes/shaves and your beard type. They say that a beard hair is ike cutting a copper wire of the same diameter.

feather blades may be a bit too sharp for you yet....

we love QED, classicshaving, em's, and the gentlemen's shop for our stuff. They all have excellent customer service. You will find these folks very helpful when you write to them, too.

always feel free to ask any questions, we have all started out like you.

best regards,

mark the shoeshine boy

 

[rschul2]

Holidayidol,
Welcome aboard! Do you have a name? As far as blades are concerned, you will hear different responses from different people. I agree with Mark, you should probably start off with the Merkurs as they are the best combination of sharpness with a "forgiving" blade while you learn to hone your technique. As a rule, I always change my blade for my Sunday shave. I usually shave 5 times a week and make 2-3 passes per shave. I know of people who shave everyday and make 3-4 passes and still manage to get 1 week out of their blade. Anything more than a week and you'll usually find that your shaves are not as close and are becoming more and more uncomfortable. So 1 blade per week is a good idea. As for the Feathers, these are very very sharp blades that are not forgiving. I would only switch to these blades once you have mastered the art of the DE (double edge) shave. You should be pretty good in 1-2 months. If and when you feel confident to try these razors, you will find why many regard the Feather as the best razor available. Just be sure not to use too much pressure (good idea when DE shaving with any blade) with this blade as it will cut you. Hope this has been of some help. If you have any more questions, feel free to write. Once again, welcome aboard and don't be a stranger.

 

[Brett G]

Like Randy said, blades are a subjective thing. Ask 10 people and you might get 10 slightly different answers. Fortunately blades are a lot cheaper than shaving cream, and the brands fewer in number, so it's not terribly hard or expensive to sample all of them.

You will have to experiment to find out how long a blade lasts for you. The general consensus is no more than a week. I use my blades for three days, but I'm a little fanatical about it. I ditch them at the slightest sign of dragging which seems to happen on day four.

As for Feathers, they are extremely sharp, but then you knew that already. I think they are overkill for most wet shavers. If you are happy with the Merkurs, then stick with them. They are great blades. If you are curious, pick up a pack of Feathers and give them a try. If you no like then you're only out $6.00.

Both can be had from www.classicshaving.com

 

[holidayidol]

Thanks for all the info! I think I'll pick up a pack of Merkur and Feather both from ClassicShaving.com, and see which I'm happier with.

-Brandon

 

[guenron]

You may also wish to try Best Grooming Tools for Feather and Merkur. Slightly less expensive and they too are reliable.

 

[Dick Danger]

I like the euro blades.

 

[xcubbies]

Elsewhere on the site I've mentioned the Gillette blades I've been buying inexpensively in France. But I've noticed that the card doesn't say "Platinum" as some of the cards shown on the this site. But the white plastic dispenser appears to be the same. Do they make different quality blades, or is it just different marketing? I'm pretty certain the word 'platinum' exists is French.

 

[obsessis]

I'm trying to set up a group buy for feather blades. $4 a pack shipped, minimum 5 packs bought, preferably 10. let me know soon! [email protected]. I need to get at least 30 packs sold, i'm going to pick up 20 at the most. min. order 50.

 

[guenron]

Elsewhere on the site I've mentioned the Gillette blades I've been buying inexpensively in France. But I've noticed that the card doesn't say "Platinum" as some of the cards shown on the this site. But the white plastic dispenser appears to be the same. Do they make different quality blades, or is it just different marketing? I'm pretty certain the word 'platinum' exists is French.

Hi X,
You should see something like Le platine a enduit somewhere on the pack. And yes, Gillette has numerous different incarations of the DE. Every country they manufacture them in seems to have a different quality.

 

[billyjeff2]

Anyone have experience with Derby blades? There are some ebay sellers who offer them.

 

[mantic]

Anyone have experience with Derby blades? There are some ebay sellers who offer them.

I had my second shave with a Derby this morning. So far I think that they're very similar to Merkur. Not sure I'm ready to give up the Israeli Personna's that I normally use though.

--Mark

 

[cwnidog]

I usually do three passes with a final buff and get four - five shaves out of a blade. I tend to favor Voskhod and Personna red (at least recently), with a preference for Feathers in some razors. Others have different opinions and we're all right, because we all have different beards and techniques. Funny how that works.

 

[rlsinaz]

02-14-2006. 03-18-2015.

???

 

[Gytis]

I usually do three passes with a final buff and get four - five shaves out of a blade. I tend to favor Voskhod and Personna red (at least recently), with a preference for Feathers in some razors. Others have different opinions and we're all right, because we all have different beards and techniques. Funny how that works.

Sure, we all are different

02-14-2006. 03-18-2015.

???

No agreement to our differences ?

 

[takeshi]

Of course I liked the Merkur blade much better, and I need to order more. But what I wanted to ask is should I order the Merkur blades...or go for the Feather?

You should try several different blades to determine what works best for you. Blades are highly subjective and you can refer to many other discussions on blades to see for yourself.

Keep in mind that there is a Blade subforum as well.

The other questions I had was how long should you use each Merkur/Feather blade?

With any blade how long the blade lasts is variable. Beards are not all the same. Number of passes is not the same for everyone. How often people shave is not the same for everyone. I can get a week out of a Feather. Some only get one shave. Many fall somewhere in between. Some can go longer. You have to determine when you replace your blades based on how they perform for you.

And is there a proper top and a bottom to these blades when you load them, or are they exactly the same on both sides?

Nope. There are only 2 cutting edges and it doesn't matter which way the blade is loaded.

Anyone have experience with Derby blades? There are some ebay sellers who offer them.

Again, subjective so polling on experience doesn't really matter. You have to try any blade to see how it works for you. I don't care for them as I found that they tugged a lot for me. That said, YMMV.