Are there DE blades that are sharper? The only other blades I tried were Merkur, and they skip and pull on my tree stumps. 
Are Feather DE blades the sharpest?
- Thread starter theJJ
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I think that most would say yes. You should try other blades. There are many blades much cheaper than Merkurs or Feathers that I think work better, but for pure sharpness, I think the Feathers win.
The Derby Verticals are the sharpest.
In my experience Merkur blades are garbage. Not sharp or smooth. They cut and tugged horribly. That said they do have fans here, so dont take my word for the end all be all (although you did have a similar experience). From the 20 or so DE's I have tried, Feathers are the sharpest. Not the smoothest blades mind you, but nothing else can touch them for sheer cutting power. When I want something a little smoother I reach for Shark Chromes or Personna Medical Prep Blades both are very sharp, but worlds more smooth than the Feathers.
- Thread starter
- #5
^What do you mean by "smoother" than Feather? I suppose I'll have to try them to find out.
Some of sharp blades do not like sensitive skins at first usage. After 3 or 4 shaves they are became "smoother" for shaving. I observe this situation when I am using Feather(my last one
) or Perma-Sharp blades. Astra, Shark or Derby(I am not using) blades give us great smooth shaves.BTW this thread should be on Razor Blades thread not here.
In ads for blades, smoothness was often taken to be "I shaved and it didn't feel like there was a blade in the razor." This means a lack of roughness and a lack of places where the razor misses hair (i.e. you get good results without a lot of negative consequences).
To me the Feather feels smooth until after the shave. Bleeding and irritation results for some people on some shaves. These results also detract from having a smooth shave, but even more, they detract from a comfortable shave.....
To me the Feather feels smooth until after the shave. Bleeding and irritation results for some people on some shaves. These results also detract from having a smooth shave, but even more, they detract from a comfortable shave.....
The short answer is, some blades are so sharp that they are punishing. If a blade is too sharp that it hangs up on all of the skins tinny imperfections, instead of gliding over them. This is usually only a problem on the sharpest straight razors, but sometimes Feather DE's suffer from a touch of this. Then there is the factor of small imperfections or burrs can be left on the edge of a razor. These imperfections can pull or even cut depending on the severity of them. A blade with to many imperfections will feel rough on the skin. As you can see both factors can lead to a poor shave, especially when you magnify that by any problems in your technique. You might cut every hair on your face, but if your taking out small chunks of skin with them, irritation and bleeding will be a problem.
If you have poor skin the super sharp feather might not be the ideal choice for you.
In this case Feathers can be rough in that they are sharp enough to get caught up on the imperfections in your skin. While Shark Chromes and Personna Medical Prep blades are not technically as sharp they tend to have very good quality control and their edges are tuned for consistent smoothness across individual blades. Plus being slightly less sharp they are less prone to digging into your skin if you make a mistake. Basically they are more forgiving.
If your skin is rough, you might want a more forgiving blade, but a tough beard might require a sharper edge. Its all a balancing act really.
There are many other factors in how a blade acts. The angle of the bevel, the sharpening possess, quality control, etc, etc. Different brands of DE's can be worlds different from one another. Thats why its a good idea to try a selection of them to see what works for you.
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+1 to Loric's post. I find sharpness of blade can be tempered or enhanced by the aggressiveness of the razor it is in. A personna red in a feather feels kinda dull, but in a super adjustable set on 7 it mows down stubble in one pass with minimal irritation.
I'm looking for really sharp blades too. i have already used astra sp and feather are too expensive. so what else is there? shark were rubbish
Loric, posts are spot on in my view. I like feathers and use them from to time to time but they are not my favorites. My top five are Gillette Bleue Extra, Iridium Super, Gillette 7 O'clock Black, Blue and Yellow. You will need to dig a bit to get the GBE and IS blades but they are available. Dr. Idiot is a good source for the GBE. Be careful of knock off IS blades on the bay if you choose to try them. These are what work best for me...what you will need to discover is what works for you. Try the sample packs and be mindful that it is possible to have a bad blade in a pack so don't give up on a blade with only one try.
Regards,
Doug
Regards,
Doug
sometimes the sharpest blade..is the dullest blade..when I used to DE..I got a full 4 pass shave..1 use..after that its tugged n pulled no matter what I tried..to the bin it went.
This is of course relative to the person, situation but to me the right blade is a very important component of a good shave. If a 100 pack of let's say astras are 10.00 and 100 feathers are 30.00 and I shave every day, that's what I difference of 20.00 for a six month supply of blades. If I am getting a better, more enjoyable shave for around 3.00 a month is it worth it ?
I would recommend that you try the SuperMax SuperPlatinum blades. Dirt cheap and almost as sharp as a feather. Quite smooth. really a nice blade for the money.
Feather's are definitely the sharpest money can buy, no argument whatsoever. A lot of people love them and rightfully so. I used them for some time, but as I've gotten older, my skin can't take them anymore and they're not worth the pain and burn afterwards. They're great and are as advertised. YMMV, but I'm a big supporter and advocate for Bolzano Blades. Very sharp, but incredibly smooth and long lasting. The other blades I really like are Perma Sharps and Timors. Perma Sharps, IMO are as sharp as Feathers but much more forgiving for me. Timor Blades are really sweet blades also that give sharpness and comfort. The key to a great blade is finding that balance between sharp and smooth or the experience will be miserable.
I haven't found a sharper blade... not sure if I'd want to!
Probably not.
This. Don't just assume that sharpest is best. Also, don't overlook the Blade subforum. There's usually a bit of discussion on blades in the Newbie subforum as well.
