Blade Comparisons, Please: Merkur, Feather, Derby, Other

[dadwasright]

I did not take Dad's advice on this (that's right, Dadwasright refers to my Dad, not me). He's been right about the badger brush all these years, though he never said anything to me! But when I discussed the famous Corey Greenberg article, he advised me to stay away from the DE razor. Way too dangerous.

Which I did for several weeks, and then caved into peer pressure from this board and others, only to discover the best shave of my life 4 days into my Merkur Long Handle .

So, the next question is blades. I am using the Merkur blades and having great success. I read that the Feathers are not for beginners, for example. How do other blades compare with the Merkur?

With the Merkur, I have no irritation, my face is soft as a baby's behind, and with great care I have avoided casualties to date but recognize that I am bound to get overconfident and careless at some point. Anyway, I did some searching in this site and can't get a clear picture of the comparison between blades.

I recognize that "YMMV", but for those of you who have tried multiple blades, what are your comparative reviews?

 

[rtaylor61]

The "Swedish" Gillettes are the smoothest I have ever used. Followed by the Merkur blades, but I prefer the Gillettes.

Randy

 

[Kyle]

dadwasright,

Ease of adaptation into one's shaving style, skin & beard type, and cost are just a few of the factors that play in when picking a favorite blade. Every gentleman on this board can likely give you a varied answer to this question.

As it stands, you have found a blade that you are currently enjoying success with, and that is fantastic. My advice would be to stick with the Merkur's for a few months, until your technique has started to become somewhat polished. At this point you can begin to experiment with different blades and know that if bad results occur, it is not a product of bad technique but of a blade that disagrees with you.

If you are dead set on making a blade purchase NOW, then I can personally recommend the Derby blades (check this review to read about them). Also, as stated by Randy, there are many folks who enjoy the Swedish Gillette's.

 

[HlSheppard]

Well, as you've no doubt heard countless times:

Feather Platinums are the sharpest damned things available. You could basically split atoms with them. They are nice, but fairly unforgiving. If your're after the ultimate in baby-smoothness, and your technique is up for it... these are a good pick. I can actually shave closer with a Slant Bar w/ Feather than I ever could with a straight.

Merkur Stainless blades are a nice "mix" for me. Not so incredibly sharp that I'll nick myself, but not so baby smooth, either. Also (compared to Feathers), I feel some pulling/actual cutting of the whisker. Not that it's BAD r uncomfortable, it's just a difference. Many folks actually like this feeling as it lets them know when they're at the proper angle! At first, I was not a fan of Merkurs, but now I see them as a very nice "all around" blade.

Swedish Gillettes are probably my "go-to" blade these days. I still mix-and-match depending on the razor used, etc. But these blades are just a touch sharper than the Merkurs and still smooth and less aggressive than the Feathers. I can (and do) shave with a Merkur Progess opened up all the way with a Swedish Gillette blade and a good soap. I end up with a wonderfully smooth face and no nicks. Granted, if you're careless, you can cut yourself with a piece of loose-leaf paper... But with little pressure and a smooth stroke; you'll be rewarded with a good shave.

I've tried both Astra blades and the U.S. made Gillettes, as well as Personnas. To me, and my face, they all seemed fairly similar and truly dull in comparison to the three blades listed above. Granted, they're pretty forgiving - but for me, the smoothness just wasn't there (without 8 passes or more!). Wilkinson Swords would be smack dab in the middle of this group as well. Not to offend anyone who enjoys these, but I mostly refer the the blades in this paragraph as "second-tier."

I have not tried Derby blades.

Hope this helps.

 

[htownmmm]

The Israeli Blades for me have been nirvana.

The store brands( wilkinson,personnas, and various clones) just don't cut it-pun intended.





Marty

 

[rtaylor61]

I answered the "What I started with" part of this thread, but failed to post my "recommendation" for a starter kit:

Merkur HD Classic
Crabtree & Evelyn Best Badger brush by Edwin Jagger
Taylor of Old Bond Street Shaving Cream: You pick the flavor!
Proraso Pre/Post Shave Cream

Need to cut a corner? Drop the Taylor's for Proraso Shaving Soap.

Randy

 

[SSLStudio]

Blades in my short wetshaving career I started out with the Israeli''s Platinum from ebay good price and decent sharp blade first 2 shaves pretty good results no nicks. then my Derby's arrived they simply feel amazing sharp compared to Israeli's I had a good shave, the next shave yes some nicks they are sharp for a newbie or careless speed I'd pressume for me.

Then my Gillettes arrived I think they are less sharp then the Israeli's so with my new aquired Gillette Superspeed I could almost go as fast as with a Mach3 razor I had no nicks and a decent shave not baby butt Im affraid these are NOT the Swedish Gillette's Im using perhaps US Gillette's ? anyone here can vouch for them ? these are the blades...

http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5676715767&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

Then my Lord blades arrived (sample 30 pieces) and I havent tried them so I cant advice yet I
think they will be inbetween a Derby and Israeli but thats just guessing LORD used to be the people that are behind Wilkinsons. at the moment these are the cheapest around at ebay for around the price of 100 Derby's you get 200 Lord's.

good luck your on the right path

-Rene

 

[guenron]

Blades in my short wetshaving career I started out with the Israeli''s Platinum from ebay good price and decent sharp blade first 2 shaves pretty good results no nicks. then my Derby's arrived they simply feel amazing sharp compared to Israeli's I had a good shave, the next shave yes some nicks they are sharp for a newbie or careless speed I'd pressume for me.

Then my Gillettes arrived I think they are less sharp then the Israeli's so with my new aquired Gillette Superspeed I could almost go as fast as with a Mach3 razor I had no nicks and a decent shave not baby butt Im affraid these are NOT the Swedish Gillette's Im using perhaps US Gillette's ? anyone here can vouch for them ? these are the blades...

http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5676715767&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

Then my Lord blades arrived (sample 30 pieces) and I havent tried them so I cant advice yet I
think they will be inbetween a Derby and Israeli but thats just guessing LORD used to be the people that are behind Wilkinsons. at the moment these are the cheapest around at ebay for around the price of 100 Derby's you get 200 Lord's.

good luck your on the right path

-Rene

De bladen in het beeld zijn Russische baldes.

 

[Brett G]

This is how I look at blades;

There are two basic ways that a shaver can irritate himself, with nicks and cuts that are usually caused by excessive pulling and draging, or with abrasion that comes from scraping away excessive amounts of skin. A sharper blade will cut easily with minimal drag but with increased risk of abrasion, particularly when trying to get skin close such as you would on the final pass. A blade with less sharpness will experience more drag on the longer hairs but will finish smoother and be less likely to abrade. Keep in mind that this only takes the blade into account and not other factors such as products used or razor technique

With that said, here is how I rank the most commonly used DE blades;

Feather: Without question the sharpest blade available. It will laser through the toughest beard like it isn't even there. On the other hand they can be very difficult to finish with. Though some gents love them, many (including myself) can't use them without significant abrasion.

Euro Gillette: Not a sharp as the Feather but very sharp nevertheless. Doesn't require quite the deft touch or tough skin that a Feather needs. A very popular blade with experienced shavers who like the lack of friction on the first couple of passes but appreciate the relative smoothness it offers at the finish.

Israeli Personna: A very well balanced blade. Not as sharp as some but makes up for it with a nice finish. I would probably pick this as my favorite all-around blade, especially given the price.

American Personna (common drugstore blade): Sharper than the Israeli version yet doesn't finish as smoothly as the Euro Gillette does. Seems to be a hint of harshness. Though they are not among my favorites, many gents like this blade because it is cheap and locally available.

Merkur: These blades are considered the gold standard in wet shaving. They strike a nice balance as they can handle heavy hair OK and will do a decent finish as well. Similar to the Israeli blades which I think are just a hair better, especially given their value.

Derby: The opposite of the Feather blade IMO. These things pull and drag like crazy on the first couple of passes but are the smoothest finishers I have ever used. Because they are relatively un-sharp, you can really muscle them down to skin level. An outstanding choice for gents with lighter beards or for guys who have trouble banging themselves up on the final pass.

There are a couple of other blades that I have tried such as Wilkinson, Schick, and American Gillettes. The Wilkinsons and Schicks are good blades and are comparable to Merkurs. The American Gillettes are complete garbage. They cut OK but have a harshness to them that is flat-out unpleasant. I also have a five pack of Zorrick blades but haven't tried them yet.

I will qualify all of this by saying that I do things a little differently than most wet shavers. I normally use two razors for each shave, one loaded with a Euro Gillette blade for the first two passes and one loaded with a Derby for the finish (I will also use a Merkur or Israeli from time to time.) that way I get the best of all worlds. Although if I was forced to use only one razor/blade it would be the Israeli because I think it strikes the best balance.

I did not include any opinion on how long each blade lasts because I do not know. Since I use two blades per shave I want to keep them on the front-end of their usability curve. I replace both after three shaves whether they need to be or not. That said, many gents find they get the best shaves after a blade has been used a couple of times, particularly with the sharper blades like Feather and Euro Gillette. This is because they are still sharp enough to avoid friction but they have lost enough of their edge to produce a smoother finish. Although I am quick to replace blades, IMO double-edge blades are cheap enough and plentiful enough that it is penny-wise and pound foolish to stretch a blade beyond a week.

 

[PoshRichM]

I can't add too much, other than to say that I've obviously calibrated myself to the characteristics of Merkur blades, because I had my first-ever Feather shave this morning, and the operative word is: ouch. Feathers will teach you the weaknesses in your blade technique. Not too many nicks or spots of irritation, considering, but my whole face felt for an hour or more like one more pass would have drawn blood. Very tender.

-Rich

 

[SSLStudio]

De bladen in het beeld zijn Russische baldes.

What the F.... Russian blades ? it shouldnt get anymore freakier...

Ron you wrote in Dutch ! can I have the twighlightzone tune going...thats
freaky aswell !

 

[SSLStudio]

Hi Brett,

interesting statements you claim, Ok I got the russian blades apparently so will need to try the Swedish Gillettes everyone raves about.

Your approach to using two razors I very much like because im beginning to understand wetshaving a bit better and the finishing up routing why not use a different blade that makes a lot of sense. like a painter will use different brushes to get a different result.

Feather I havent tried Id like to use them for the final pass, then again you claim the Derby's are better for that. to me the Derby's felt sharper then the Israeli's blades and the Derby''s nicked me the most so in your book scraped me the most.
Israeli Personna are those you got off ebay ? they are called Israeli Platinums are we talking about the same personna's ?

I got a free personna blade with my superspeed razor the blade feels and looks thick and heavy... like two blades glued on top of eachother.

replacing them after 3 shaves is quite bold !

 

[Brett G]

Rene,
The golden rule here is YMMV (your mileage may vary.) My comments about each blade represent my interpretation and not everyone may agree. That said, it needs to be understood that blades do not perform in a vacuum. There are other factors to consider such as the products used, the type of razor, and overall blade technique. All of these things (and several others) factor into how good the shave is. Being quite experienced, I think I have a pretty good feel for how each blade performs independent of other factors. Gents with less experience may interpret other variables as blade related.

I believe that my take on irritation is accurate but may not be experienced exactly the same by every man. Generally speaking, nicks and cuts are caused by not enough cutting power (be it blade related or whatever) and abrasion (aka razor burn) is caused by too much cutting power. If I understand you correctly and the Derbys nick you up, then that would be consistent with my opinion of them. Feathers, on the other hand, probably won't nick you but they may make your skin burn (abrasion.)

Yes, the Israeli Personnas are the blades that are available on Ebay.

Give the two razor shave a try. You may find it improves your results. It certainly does mine. Once I reached a point where I knew my own skin and beard, knew what products I liked, knew what razors I was comfortable with, and knew that my technique was rock-solid, I knew the only real problems come from using blades that are past their prime. Shaving is too important so I never give them that chance. Three shaves and out the door they go.

 

[guenron]

What the F.... Russian blades ? it shouldnt get anymore freakier...

Ron you wrote in Dutch ! can I have the twighlightzone tune going...thats
freaky aswell !

There was a Dutch commentary on that web page, so.... As we used to say, "There are two kinds of people in this w(ar)orld, the quick and the dead." And I'm slowing down...

 

[zacharydz]

There was a Dutch commentary on that web page, so.... As we used to say, "There are two kinds of people in this w(ar)orld, the quick and the dead." And I'm slowing down...

Ik kan Nederlands lezen, omdat ik het Duits spreek. Vele mensen begrijpen de Nederlandse taal (ich weiß nicht ob ich das furchtbar geschrieben habe...ich mischte ein bißchen Hochdeutsch und Plattdüütsch, und hoffte, das es noch verständlich ist. )

 

[guenron]

Ik kan Nederlands lezen, omdat ik het Duits spreek. Vele mensen begrijpen de Nederlandse taal (ich weiß nicht ob ich das furchtbar geschrieben habe...ich mischte ein bißchen Hoch Deutsch und Platdüütsch, und hoffte, das es noch verständlich ist. )

ich wisse nicht ob ich das furchtbar geschrieben habe
Platdeutsch

'Wiederschreiben..

 

[zacharydz]

ich wisse nicht ob ich das furchtbar geschrieben habe
Platdeutsch

'Wiederschreiben..

Ich vergaß ein T - "plattdüütsch" oder "platdütsk". Ich bringe Dinge durcheinander wenn ich versuche zu sprechen Dialekte, die ich nicht gut kenne. Ich vermutte das ich nur mit Hochdeutsch sprechen sollte (oder ein bißschen Berlinerisch)

mais les langues étrangères sont très amusants

 

[Kyle]

This is how I look at blades;

There are two basic ways that a shaver can irritate himself, with nicks and cuts that are usually caused by excessive pulling and draging, or with abrasion that comes from scraping away excessive amounts of skin. A sharper blade will cut easily with minimal drag but with increased risk of abrasion, particularly when trying to get skin close such as you would on the final pass. A blade with less sharpness will experience more drag on the longer hairs but will finish smoother and be less likely to abrade. Keep in mind that this only takes the blade into account and not other factors such as products used or razor technique

With that said, here is how I rank the most commonly used DE blades;

Feather: Without question the sharpest blade available. It will laser through the toughest beard like it isn't even there. On the other hand they can be very difficult to finish with. Though some gents love them, many (including myself) can't use them without significant abrasion.

Derby: The opposite of the Feather blade IMO. These things pull and drag like crazy on the first couple of passes but are the smoothest finishers I have ever used. Because they are relatively un-sharp, you can really muscle them down to skin level. An outstanding choice for gents with lighter beards or for guys who have trouble banging themselves up on the final pass.

Very interesting points, Brett, and I agree wholeheartedly with your description of what to expect from blades of varying sharpness. Surprisingly enough, however, based on these "symptoms", the results I get from Feather's and Derby's are nearly opposite of yours.

Strange how a blade can treat each man's face a little differently.

 

[SSLStudio]

Ach so Die Ron

Ich habe nochmals versucht zu gucken am website aber konnte gar nichts finden uber Russian blades. Sollte man denken ich brauche eine neue bril

hoffe das es zu verstehen ist den meine deutsch unterrichtung war schon 13 jahre vorher och och..bin ich schon ein alter ?

Meine Lehrer war eine echte Deutscher , und ich hatte die Berliner Mauer besucht im Januar dieses Jahres wirklich eine enge platz zu sein..da wird man still von....

 

[guenron]

Ach so Die Ron

Ich habe nochmals versucht zu gucken am website aber konnte gar nichts finden uber Russian blades. Sollte man denken ich brauche eine neue bril

hoffe das es zu verstehen ist den meine deutsch unterrichtung war schon 13 jahre vorher och och..bin ich schon ein alter ?

Meine Lehrer war eine echte Deutscher , und ich hatte die Berliner Mauer besucht im Januar dieses Jahres wirklich eine enge platz zu sein..da wird man still von....

Die Russicher balden heisst "Ruby Gillettes" in die mündlich von web.