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Best Blade for Beginner?

Welcome aboard! We don't bite. Mostly. ;)

As for the best "starter blade," I'm going to give you an answer that may seem like a cop out, but actually isn't:
Get a variety pack and find out for yourself.

The reason is simple: everyone shaves differently, has different skin, prefers a different feel, etc. A blade that's absolutely perfect for Shaver A could be an absolute disaster for B.

Plus, the right blade for you can and will change over time. For instance, when I started, I found the fairly "moderate" feel of the Wilkinson Sword sample in my variety pack to be a good intro blade, so I ordered 100 (<$7- even if I ordered too many, was an inexpensive mistake). Meanwhile, the Feather sample was far too sharp, resulting in a nasty cut when I didn't have a light enough touch. Today, my favorite is the Persona Med Prep, easily as sharp as the Feather, when a recommendation of this as my first buy would have been a disaster!

So, get a sample pack of blades from West Coast Shaving, or maybe even from the Buy-Sell-Trade board here, or even a Pay It Forward giveaway. You won't regret it.

Best of luck,
-Z
 

JCarr

More Deep Thoughts than Jack Handy
Welcome aboard! We don't bite. Mostly. ;)

As for the best "starter blade," I'm going to give you an answer that may seem like a cop out, but actually isn't:
Get a variety pack and find out for yourself.

This. The variety packs exist for a reason. I bought several of them early on and they helped me eliminate certain blades and gravitate towards others.
 
Welcome to B&B.
I am new to safety razors and have been researching for quite some time. What do you guys think would be the best DE blade for me? Thanks!
The Astra Superior Platinum blades are a good start with a good combination of sharpness and smoothness. However work on razor technique as well to get the best shaves and try a few different blades after that.
The Shave Wiki may be helpful; ShaveWiki | Badger & Blade
 
Most blades will shave fine. Like everyone has said you can get a sample pack and that is part of the fun in finding a blade you like.
What I would do before ordering 100 pks would be to wait 6 to 8 months, and revisit blades you may have dismissed early on. After improving your technique you may find out that blades you thought were nothing special suddenly shave really good. That is what happened to me anyway .
 
Another vote for Astra SP, a good all around blade for me. Also, considers some Personna reds. I suggest you include these as well as a few other options in a blade ‘starter’ pack!
 
I am new to safety razors and have been researching for quite some time. What do you guys think would be the best DE blade for me? Thanks!
Dorco Stainless (ST301 & ST300) and Primes (STP301 &STP300) would be at the top of my list. Have both of these and they are all excellent. See the thread below. Make sure you are buying newer made in Vietnam production as noted in the thread. 100 of the ST300's are around $6-7 on Amazon. Note the 300 vs 301 serial numbers just indicate cardboard vs. plastic tuck containers.

Note that I also use Astra SP and Derby blades and they also work well for me. They just generally deliver fewer good shaves per blade. Good luck on your wet shaving journey.


P.S. If you go the Derby route make sure you are getting post 2016 production. There are B&B posts on how to do this.
 
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