Blade journey

[lasta]

@mgweatherly you NEED to switch to daily shaving so we can get the results in faster!

Would be interesting to see your ratings on more often used blades for comparison. I understand you use a lot of vintage as well, how do they stack up? Personally, I'm unfit for blade jury duty. Had a great shave with a 70's Spoiler yesterday. Loaded my cheapest Gillette Wilkinson this morning and had an equally great shave!

FYI, your comments on the RK was enough for me to spend an hour reading up Super-Max. Have some Blue Diamonds in the cart now. 10 years ago I bought and used up 100 Super-Max Platinums, eager to see if their production improved.

 

[Rosseforp]

10 years ago I bought and used up 100 Super-Max Platinums, eager to see if their production improved.

I did not care for the Blue Diamond blades I used recently, so maybe not.

~doug~

 

[Guido75]

I believe @Alum Ladd reported great shaves with the Diamonds, @lasta.

Guido

 

[mgweatherly]

@mgweatherly you NEED to switch to daily shaving so we can get the results in faster!

Would be interesting to see your ratings on more often used blades for comparison. I understand you use a lot of vintage as well, how do they stack up? Personally, I'm unfit for blade jury duty. Had a great shave with a 70's Spoiler yesterday. Loaded my cheapest Gillette Wilkinson this morning and had an equally great shave!

FYI, your comments on the RK was enough for me to spend an hour reading up Super-Max. Have some Blue Diamonds in the cart now. 10 years ago I bought and used up 100 Super-Max Platinums, eager to see if their production improved.

LOL! Thanks very much for your comments.

First, I must confess that I'm not a particularly experienced DE shaver. I only started this past March. I've just gone all in. My favorite "modern" DE blade so far is the German Wilkinson. I find their performance to be very balanced and consistent. I started this journey so I could get more experience with NEW blades!

I definitely have tried a lot of vintage blades that I really enjoy too. My favorites so far in order are:

1. British Wilkinson
2. British NACET
3. Personna Super Stainless
4. British Gillette Super Silver
5. Schick Krona Chrome
6. Gillette Super Stainless-The Spoiler

I put the British Wilkinson and NACET a "cut" above the others (and the modern German Wilkinson), but all six are at least as good any modern blade I've used. I have a variety of vintage stainless steel blades that I have yet to try, but really want to try, like some Personna 74s, and various other Personna, Schick, and Gillette blades. I just haven't gotten to them yet.

I've also used other vintage blades that were fun and gave a very nice shave but were not better than modern blades. A 1958 Gillette Thin comes to mind, which surprised me.

Then there are others that were also fun but definitely worse than modern blades like a 1950 Gillette Blue, an Enders Speed Shaver blade, and a Valet Auto Strop blade. Even though those blades were not as capable as modern blades, I really enjoyed the experience and will try other vintage blades to deepen my appreciation for my vintage gear. I get a kick out of using an old razor AND blade every once in a while.

Some vintage carbon steel blades that remain on my list to try are Personna Precision, Probak, 1928 Gillette three-hole (OLD type), 1930 Gillette NEW (Gillette's first slotted blade), and late 1950s Gillette Super Blue. I have many more obscure blades in my collection that are interesting also including: Marlin, Bond, Durex, Don Juan, PAL, Comet Stainless, and Goldtone among others. The Probak blade is high on my list, and I'll use it in my 1930 Probak open comb razor, which is my favorite open comb razor from a pure performance perspective. I have so many things to try, which brings me to your other comment about daily shaving.

I don't know whether my face would take daily shaving (at least if I insist on reaching for BBS). My skin is just too sensitive, and I don't have a ton of growth the day after I get a BBS shave. I know there are many here who just shoot for a comfortable DFS every day. If my job required that I shave every day, I would fall into this camp. However, I have fallen in love with the BBS feeling that has only ever been possible since I switched away from shaving with cartridges (other than my sublime shave with a Wilkinson Bonded Blade razor). Maybe after I get through this first round of PIF'd blades, I'll do daily two-pass, DFS-level shaves for round two. No promises .

 

[APBinNCA]

@lasta
I hope you got Diamond Edge because the Blue Diamonds are older production and discontinued...
(I paid a ransom for some BD Titaniums and they weren't bad, but not nearly as good as DEs)

 

[Alum Ladd]

@mgweatherly you NEED to switch to daily shaving so we can get the results in faster!

Would be interesting to see your ratings on more often used blades for comparison. I understand you use a lot of vintage as well, how do they stack up? Personally, I'm unfit for blade jury duty. Had a great shave with a 70's Spoiler yesterday. Loaded my cheapest Gillette Wilkinson this morning and had an equally great shave!

FYI, your comments on the RK was enough for me to spend an hour reading up Super-Max. Have some Blue Diamonds in the cart now. 10 years ago I bought and used up 100 Super-Max Platinums, eager to see if their production improved.

Yes Brother @lasta, I think the Blue Diamonds are different to the Diamond Edge. I have had excellent shaves with the Diamond Edge having picked up a 100 for £9 with post but the price has increased.

A very nice blade, very smooth straight out of the packet, with very acceptable sharpness. I have never tried the Blue Diamond though.

 

[mgweatherly]

For my PIF'd Blade Journey shave #6 (rated 8.0/10), I used the following setup:

Razor: Birth year 1961 G4 Tech with custom stainless handle by @Rosseforp
Blade: LOI Titanium (first use of this type)
Brush: Semogue Owner's Club Mistura Taj (my favorite)
Preshave: Noxema dwell on face before rinsing (cheap effective pre-shave)
Soap: Stirling Christmas Eve (superb)
After shave: Stirling splash followed by Stirling balm (both Christmas Eve)

I had never used an LOI Titanium blade, which I'm sure is a stainless steel blade treated with Titanium. On the first pass WTG, the blade felt sharp enough and pleasantly smooth and comfortable. After rinsing, it was apparent that work remained to be done, especially on my neck. The whiskers on my neck are relatively soft and lay down close to my skin, so the first neck pass always leaves substantial stubble. The second pass felt very smooth also, and I had only one weeper on the corner of my mouth that was my error. It closed by the end of the shave. I don't find the blade to be super efficient as some real work remained for my full third pass ATG. I did achieve a BBS result on most of my face but I still felt some whiskers under my left jawline on my neck (my toughest spot). I did not feel any irritation during the shave, but some minor irritation emerged on my neck about an hour after I finished.

This was also my first shave using Stirling products, and WOW! I love all three. I'm probably smitten by the scent to some degree. The soap was easy to lather and felt wonderful on my face during and after the shave. The divinely scented splash gave me a pretty good sting, which surprised me because I didn't find the shave to be super close, and the shave was very comfortable.

The stand out Stirling product for me was the balm, which is unlike anything I've ever seen or used, ever. At first, it really put me off. It comes out of the container in a squiggle and almost appears to be "split" or "spoiled" because it is a little "chunky." When I first squeezed some out, I instinctively shook the container, but the contents don't slosh around like a liquid. The Stirling webpage for the unscented version of the balm has the following on it: "NOTE: Due to the ingredient Allantoin, this product may exhibit white specks. This does not affect the performance of the balm and the white specks are fully absorbed when applied to the skin. Allantoin is an additive that helps heal wounds and stimulates the growth of healthy skin tissue." Had I read this before I used it, I would not have been "put off" by its "chunky" consistency. The chunks were the Allantoin.

As promised on the Stirling webpage, the Allantoin just melted into my skin. A very small amount of balm covered my entire face with a very soothing (and wonderful smelling) layer of "nourishment" that left my skin feeling very soft and smooth. I really liked the feeling and the scent. Over time, the balm soaked into my skin, which felt great for the rest of the day. It worked great for me. However, I could imagine that some might find it too heavy.

At 12 hours, I still had a DFS+ finish and a tiny amount of irritation on my neck, which surprises me.

Summary sheet of my PIF'd Blade Journey is HERE.

Next up is a blade I've used a few times (e.g., on the shave described in my very first B&B post HERE), the Astra Superior Platinum (aka Astra SP). It has been a while since I used one, and I'll be interested to see how it comports itself in my "journey" setup.

 

[Guido75]

At first, it really put me off. It comes out of the container in a squiggle and almost appears to be "split" or "spoiled" because it is a little "chunky."

I had the same experience with Stirling - I gave the balm a good shake before use. That fixed it mostly for me.

Guido

 

[Guido75]

I believe @Alum Ladd reported great shaves with the Diamonds, @lasta.

Guido

You mentioned:

eager to see if their production improved.

So I thought brother Ladd could share some insights…

Guido

 

[lasta]

You mentioned:

So I thought brother Ladd could share some insights…

Guido

It's OK! All insights appreciated!

I now have 100 diamond edges on the way. Along with these:


Thank you Enablers Inc! Maybe I'll publish my blade ratings list too. Although I don't know how convincing it will be as I don't trust me myself!

 

[Guido75]

It's OK! All insights appreciated!

I now have 100 diamond edges on the way. Along with these:
View attachment 1568909
View attachment 1568910
Thank you Enablers Inc! Maybe I'll publish my blade ratings list too. Although I don't know how convincing it will be as I don't trust me myself!

Liking they are beyond the usual ones.

Guido

 

[lasta]

LOL! Thanks very much for your comments.

First, I must confess that I'm not a particularly experienced DE shaver. I only started this past March. I've just gone all in. My favorite "modern" DE blade so far is the German Wilkinson. I find their performance to be very balanced and consistent. I started this journey so I could get more experience with NEW blades!

I definitely have tried a lot of vintage blades that I really enjoy too. My favorites so far in order are:

1. British Wilkinson
2. British NACET
3. Personna Super Stainless
4. British Gillette Super Silver
5. Schick Krona Chrome
6. Gillette Super Stainless-The Spoiler

I put the British Wilkinson and NACET a "cut" above the others (and the modern German Wilkinson), but all six are at least as good any modern blade I've used. I have a variety of vintage stainless steel blades that I have yet to try, but really want to try, like some Personna 74s, and various other Personna, Schick, and Gillette blades. I just haven't gotten to them yet.

I've also used other vintage blades that were fun and gave a very nice shave but were not better than modern blades. A 1958 Gillette Thin comes to mind, which surprised me.

Then there are others that were also fun but definitely worse than modern blades like a 1950 Gillette Blue, an Enders Speed Shaver blade, and a Valet Auto Strop blade. Even though those blades were not as capable as modern blades, I really enjoyed the experience and will try other vintage blades to deepen my appreciation for my vintage gear. I get a kick out of using an old razor AND blade every once in a while.

Some vintage carbon steel blades that remain on my list to try are Personna Precision, Probak, 1928 Gillette three-hole (OLD type), 1930 Gillette NEW (Gillette's first slotted blade), and late 1950s Gillette Super Blue. I have many more obscure blades in my collection that are interesting also including: Marlin, Bond, Durex, Don Juan, PAL, Comet Stainless, and Goldtone among others. The Probak blade is high on my list, and I'll use it in my 1930 Probak open comb razor, which is my favorite open comb razor from a pure performance perspective. I have so many things to try, which brings me to your other comment about daily shaving.

I don't know whether my face would take daily shaving (at least if I insist on reaching for BBS). My skin is just too sensitive, and I don't have a ton of growth the day after I get a BBS shave. I know there are many here who just shoot for a comfortable DFS every day. If my job required that I shave every day, I would fall into this camp. However, I have fallen in love with the BBS feeling that has only ever been possible since I switched away from shaving with cartridges (other than my sublime shave with a Wilkinson Bonded Blade razor). Maybe after I get through this first round of PIF'd blades, I'll do daily two-pass, DFS-level shaves for round two. No promises .

No, thank YOU!

Detailed reply as always. And your BOSCness (as implied by feeler gauges and patent research) was always enough to lift my shaving mojo!

With the exception of English Wilkies (the 4 varieties I've tried were all on the lower end of sharp), I think I like what you like! I'll bite another one open for tomorrow and reassess!

 

[raydoc]

Well, enjoy the journey, but finally the job is a bout a reliable, comfortable shave. I did something similar in years past. Now, I have settled on ONE blade, ONE brush, ONE razor. I do vary the soaps and creams, but when they are gone, I might settle on ONE cream/ soap. Maybe ONE aftershave balm. Saves $$$, time.
so many variables, so keep it simple and RELIABLE.
Just saying…..

 

[mgweatherly]

Well, enjoy the journey, but finally the job is a bout a reliable, comfortable shave. I did something similar in years past. Now, I have settled on ONE blade, ONE brush, ONE razor. I do vary the soaps and creams, but when they are gone, I might settle on ONE cream/ soap. Maybe ONE aftershave balm. Saves $$$, time.
so many variables, so keep it simple and RELIABLE.
Just saying…..

I definitely see the value in this approach, and I may "evolve" toward it. In the meantime, I'm having too much fun exploring; hence the "journey." I will say that the differences in "ratings" on each of the six blades I've used so far probably overstate the actual differences. Any of them could be used effectively to get a nice shave. Praytell, on what ONE blade/brush/razor have you settled and what do you like about each one (just curious)?

 

[lasta]

Well, enjoy the journey, but finally the job is a bout a reliable, comfortable shave. I did something similar in years past. Now, I have settled on ONE blade, ONE brush, ONE razor. I do vary the soaps and creams, but when they are gone, I might settle on ONE cream/ soap. Maybe ONE aftershave balm. Saves $$$, time.
so many variables, so keep it simple and RELIABLE.
Just saying…..

Hi raydoc,

I used to think like you and made a similar decision in 2014. If anyone's curious, it was Slim + GSB.

Now, having tried about 50 different blades, GSB's are still tough to beat. But that doesn't stop me from buying the odd batch, if at least to have enough to fill a picture frame...and satisfy historical curiosity!

During my Wilkinson trip, I realized that Wilkinson is an even deeper rabbit hole than Personna. P&G/Gillette owns the right and still makes them in South America/Asia, while Edgewell does Europe/US. Australians can get both P&G Wilkinson and Edgewell Wilkinson!

 

[lasta]

Yes Brother @lasta, I think the Blue Diamonds are different to the Diamond Edge. I have had excellent shaves with the Diamond Edge having picked up a 100 for £9 with post but the price has increased.
View attachment 1568628
A very nice blade, very smooth straight out of the packet, with very acceptable sharpness. I have never tried the Blue Diamond though.

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but the bling blings arrived today!

Yesterday, someone put "blade biter" next to my name. So to earn my keep:

I must say, my most dangerous bite to date! Don't try this at home!

 

[Guido75]

Mitch, the Gillette Wilkinson blade in your sheet, is that the Saloon Pack or a different one? I have a Saloon Pack (thanks to brother @lasta) as well as some of your other blades, so would be fun to compare notes. I have my Tech lined up for tomorrow's shave.

Thanks,

Guido.

 

[mgweatherly]

Mitch, the Gillette Wilkinson blade in your sheet, is that the Saloon Pack or a different one? I have a Saloon Pack (thanks to brother @lasta) as well as some of your other blades, so would be fun to compare notes. I have my Tech lined up for tomorrow's shave.

Thanks,

Guido.

I don't know for sure. My blade came only in its paper wrapper, not the paperboard tuck. Here's a photo so maybe @lasta can tell us.

 

[Guido75]

Thanks Mitch - most helpful. Based on the wrapper I believe I have these too. Same wrapper. I will load my Tech with this blade! Looking forward to my shave and see if I come up with similar numbers as you did.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[lasta]

I don't know for sure. My blade came only in its paper wrapper, not the paperboard tuck. Here's a photo so maybe @lasta can tell us.

View attachment 1569457

Yep, same here R3 too! I think they come in a another 5-pack that doesn't say saloon, blade should be the same. Another 5-pack Gillette Wilkinson was made in China, but I think those stopped a few years ago.

Indian GWS are perfectly fine daily rations.

@Alum Ladd chews through one of these every 2 shaves, but I don't have the beard he has. Never took mine past 3 shaves, that's not because of durability so much as too many others to try!